Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-05
MAKES PLEA FOR
SUNDAY SCHOOLS
PRESIDENT OF W0MAN'S COL
LEGE OPENS INSTITUTE
Fears Incompetence Of Church More
Than Infidelity, and Cites Statis-
tics to Young Peoples Mis-
sionary Organization

"rrhc incompetence of the church is
more to be feared than the infidelity
of the world. It is as essential for the
church to support it's Sunday school as
for it to support its pastor, whose work
the Sunday school supplements. The
support of the Sunday school should be
included in the general budget of the
church, like the pastors salary, and
provided for and paid in the same
way" said DR.. John Franklin Coucher,
president of the Woman's college of
Baltimore in an address on "The Sun
day School and Missions before the
Young Peoples Missionary institute,
which opened yesterday morning at
the First Methodist church.
The morning session opened with a
devotional service in charge of DIR.
Goucher. from 9 to $3.50 O'Clock. This
was followed by c. V. Vickrey who
spoke on missionary work. H. w. Hicks
gave a general presentation of mission
ary work. From 1880 to 1890 o'clock
platform meeting was held, the
speakers being DR.. L. w. Cronkhite,
special representative to Burmah from
the American Baptist Missionary union,
and DR.. Leuring who exhibited a skull
given him by former cannibal chief.
The afternoon session opened at 2
o'clock, at which the delegates were di-
vided into three classes for missionary
study Dr. T. II. p. Sailer and II. w.
Hicks had classes on foreign mission
work and L. D. Soper on home mission
work.
Pleads for Children
At 8 O'Clock the classes came together
when DIR. Goucher made an address on
Sunday school work, giving many in
teresting facts concerning the work.
He said in part:
THE Sunday school is the greatest
agency for extending the church
Eighty-seven per cent of the church
members in this country We're Sunday
school scholars, while 13 per cent We're
gathered from those who never had
Sunday school instruction. Yet the
Sunday school falls far short of its OPP
portunity and obligation to bring schol-
ars to Christ, for it is estimated that
only 90 per cent join the church after
leaving the school That is, on the
average in every Sunday school class
of five one is converted while in the
school, one after he leaves the school
and the other three go from the
teacher. to whom they were intrusted
by their Lord, out into eternity, un-
saved. This leaves a grievous, unmet
responsibility somewhere. for it is writ
ten Train up a child sin the way he
should go and when he is old he will
not depart from it,
''It is in striking illustration of this
truth that of the children committed to
Christian training in pagan lands, more
than 15 per cent of those in the board
ing schools and Sc per cent of those in
the orphanages become Christians
| while 80 per cent of the inmates of the
Protestant orphanages in this country
are brought into the church. If we
save the children we save the world
Children Want Action
children and young people live in
tense lives. They want something
through which they can pour their ris-
| ing emotions. Too much passive resig-
nation and signing submission are not
in tune with healthy young lives"
History of the Young Peoples Mis-
sionary Work" was the general topic
of a stereopticon lecture given last
evening by c. V. Vickrey. Preceding
the lecture e. D. Soper outlined the
purpose of the institute.
The session will open this morning a
Q o'clock with "A devotional service, fol
lowed by an address by Il. d. Soper OF
"The Young Peoples Missionary So
ciety." The morning session will close
with a platform meeting at whicl
Bishop Bell of the United Brethren
church, DR.. Ryder and DIR. Tenny arc
expected to take part. The missionary
classes will convene in the afternoon
following which c. V. Nickrey vii
speak on THE Missionary Librarie!
and Literature"
John Willis Baer "A favorite in South
ern California, where he is well known
will speak this evening on 'Home Mis-