The Newtown bee., 1906-11-09
HOME NEWS.
cONdREdATlONAL CHURCH NOTES

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH NOTES DIR CHoATE SPEAKS ON HOME MISSIONS.
 Every seat on the floor of the audi torium of the Congregational church was taken, Sunday, when Rev Wash ington Choate, D. D., spoke on Home Missions. The subject was '"The Saving of the Home Land" "At a Thanksgiving dinner in London the Archbishop of Canterbury said: America faces problems greater than the world has ever seen.' This is the problem before us as a society, the solving of which concerns the perpetu ity of this republican form of govern ment in this land of ours. Underlying all this are the great truths of right eOusneSS, justice and obedience to the divine life. Out from these New England homes and pulpits have gone prayers for the salvation of this na. tiOn of ours. Our fathers opened up their hearts and laid the contents of their pockets as offerings on the altar of God. Here in New England Home mission set before us to help make this nation of ours Christ's? In North Dakota there are 40 Congregational churches, none of which are over 40 years of age, while here in New Eng land many are 200 years of age and over. It is only as these great states of the West and South are permeated with the spirit of the Gospel of Christ that this nation of ours is to be saved. There is the great wilderness of the thronged which is appealing to us. A great torrent of humanity is pour ing into the Northwest. Six hundred miles of new railroad is being built in North Dakota this year. This incom- ing tide of people to these states is one of the groups of people to whom Christ says to us: Give ye them to eat.'" The second group spoken of by the speaker is the country churches on the New England hilltops, the towns having been depleted by their young men pouring into the cities and large towns of New England. Many of the churches are left impoverished and the remaining members need our sympathy and substantial help In many cases. The third group spoken of by the speaker was the great will derness of the thronged cities that are growing with 8 raptdity unparal- leled in the history of the world. give to them the Bread of Life. In a short time the city is to dominate in the political life of this country. Fourthly, Dr Choate spoke of the great mass of humanity pouring into our country from Europe. What shall they be, the stranger and alien? The thought of the stranger as alien Is not the Christian thought, it was Jewish. Many of them are degraded, yes, but capable of becoming useful citizens in
 case the principles of Christ are put into their lives. The West is new and plastic. The old East is in danger
 of barbarism, and the great cities are
 in danger of becoming 8 wilderness while the great stream of life that if
 pouring into us from beyond the sea demands our attention, sympathy anc
 Christian help. Dr Choate is an elo' quent and forceful speaker and wal heard with deep interest to the close At the sacramental service wh1cf
 followed, Rev R. E. Danforth of11ciat
 ed and Miss Edith Ganong was re
 ceived into membership by letter iron
 the Methodist church at Lake Ma
 hopac, N. Y.
 The Sunday school voted, Sunday, t'
 take $2O share in the work tn
 Congregational Home Missionary soc1
 ety is doing in Cuba and among tn
 foreigners in this country.