The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-04

/ tHuOW Il. Inc pan 10 DC proposed TOT
the endowment OF this chair IS one which
will enlist the effort of all Sunday schools
for short period, and become the means
| Of acqualnting them all the more thor
ouhgly with this important work
The object OF this movement is that
every young preacher passing through
| the theological course shall become thor
oughly versed In the knowledge of sun
day schools and the best methods of sue
eessful work. 1t is also contemplated
that this course shall be made a part of
! the correspondence school, and thus reach
all that large and important class OF young
ministers whose chief theological educa-
ton is derived through the conference
course.
While some other Institutions have u
somewhat similar provision, the carrying
| out of this plan will put our church clear
| ly in advance in the fullness and thor
oughness of its equipment for this class
of work.
Phe department has issued this quad
rennlum the Young Peoples Hymnal No.
3, which is fully up to the standard of
its predecessors. and believed by many
| to be a superior volume to either in its
songs and music. Nos. ! and have al
ready sold, in the aggregate to the num-
| Der of 100000 copies, and No 3 is having
corresponding reception by the public.
| The Sunday school editor is of the belief
that the time has come for the preparation
of an established body of Sunday school
| hymnology by all the leading Protestant
! denominations, and would recommend the
! appointment OF similar commissions from
other churches, and to confer with them
fully touching this matter.
There has been healthy Increase in
| the attendance upon Sunday schools and
| in the circulation of Sunday school liter
ature during the auadrennium.
The Epworth League.
| The Epworth League, as a separate de-
/ partment of our church work, has had
history of exactly twelve years. In view
! of our past experience In laying down
the lines and perfectng the workings of
! great enterprises, this must be considered
altogether too short time to have brought
this movement TO its BEST and yet the re-
suits of these years have been such as
must satisfy Judgment and encourage
! hope. very strong fellowship of young
/ and ardent souls has been built up in the
bosom of the church and maintains
constant Testimony and growing zeal All
/ the other departments of our work have
been helped by the material contributions
of the league This is especially true of
| the mission board, when expressly ac-
| knowledges the services of the league in an
! appreciable augmentation of Its annual
receipts. Every part of the connection,
| and especially those parts represented in
| the mission fields has felt the help and
stimulus of the league as an evangelical
! force As a life school 1t is especially
adapted to the needs of our missionaries
In dealing with the converted youth of
heathenism. But everywhere its plans and
ideals are found to be beyond question as
i to their value and soundness. The organ
ization harmonizes with every detail of
our economy. 1t is, in fact, part and
parcel of the church-a means set for the
spiritual salvation and training of our
young people, and for their protection
against the temptations and perlls which
beset social and intellectual lives. There
has not been before devised in our church
anything which fills the place meant to
| be filled by the Epworth league. There
are from one and a half to two millions
of young people of proper age for menu
bership In the league who are directly
and indirectly under the influence of our
pastors. This fact surely constitutes
sufficient ground for the existence of
our young peoples organization, and
should inspire and spur us to the last
| limit of effort to make its plans effective.
| The considerations make us feel that no
| appeal to be made to you Is more insis-
tent in demand than that which touches
] the young peoples organization. If it be
true that "the history of heroes is the
history of youth" need to put this
arm of our service to larger use.
The Epworth Era, the organ of the
Epwofth league, has made during the
last quadrennium a record which confirms
hopes in its future as an efficient instru-
mentality In ministerng to our younger
people. The circulation of the Era has
much more than doubled during this time,
and the paper has advanced to a place
of commanding influence as a voice OF
the church. The possibilities of its ex-
pansion are all but unlimited.
We heartily commend the Epworth
league department to you for such legis-
lative action as In your judgment may
! strengthen and better equip 1t for Its
work.
The Publishing House.
The business of the publishing house has
been larger than during any auadrennum
of its history. This increase has been
progressive, each year showing adj
vance over the preceding year. This
steadily growing business is attributable
In great part to the general prosperity
of the country and in part we trust to
the fact that more of our people are
reading than ever before. The increase is
In every department of the busness-in
sale OF books. as well as In the crcua-
ton of periodicals..
The quarterly review continues to hold
n foremost place among the publications
of that class in America and Is render
ing valuable service to the church. Its
circulation should be largely Increased.
The circulation of the Christian Advo-
cate is an increasingly difficult problem
which has caused the editor and pub
fishers much concern. Cut off on every
hand by conference organs. which have
first place in the efforts of the preach
ers to secure subscribers. the connec-
tional organ suffers, and the agents have
not yet discovered way to overcome this
difficulty.
The Texas branch house has done we'll
from the beginning. and. like the house
at Nashville, shows a steady annual in
crease. both In volume of business and
in profits therefrom. The fact that the
business done Is very much larger than
was done in the same territory when oper-
ated from Nashville evidences the wisdom
of the book committee In establishing the
Dallas house and speaks we'll for the 10y
atty of our membership in Texas. We are
paying o large rental In Dallas; and as
the house there Is no longer an expert
ment we should buy a suitable lot and
take steps to have building belonging
to, the church by the time our present
lease expires.
The new building erected for the pub
fishing house in Nashville Is one that
will be a credit to the church. 1t is OF
modern 1reproof construction, six stories
In height. and Is planned for the manu-
facture and sale OF our literature to the
best advantage. The agents estimate that
the use of the new house will result In
the annual saving OF many thousands of