Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-21
EFFORT 1O S|DESIEP
TEMPERANCE Tilt
Movement on Foot in Presby-
tel.ian Assembly to Refer
Question to Council
SOME WANT IMMEDIATE ACTION
Rspe q Of the Committee on Educa-
tio,, shows Decrease in Number Of
Theological Students and con'e-
qu,,nt Shortage in Ministsrs-Miss
W,,rk At Homo Shows Growth.

W,,rk at Homo Shows Growth.
Columbus, O.. May 21-The whole
Temperance question which is agitatins
the Presbyterian general assembly may
be postponed. to be decided by the
coun iii Of the federation of churches.
which is to meet in New York In 1906,
the ,,eneral assembly to act In 1909 III
acco,dance with the decision OF the
lcoun,sil Of churches. There Is, how
ever, an undoubted and powerful In
sfinense In. the assembly anxious to
thresh out the question now, and the
matter may be settled one way or the
othe,. when the report comes up as
sche auled Wednesday.
Tie committee on bills and over
ta1e,, and the standing COMMITTEES on
temperance heard behind closed doors.
pros and cons In the controversy this
morning.
Alter much discussion the commit
tee on polity. in executive session,
reached q conclusion which will great
~ ffeAt the temperance situation. in
that 1t made deiiverance upon the mat
ter Of having representatives in nop-
seccL.siastical bodies. and this over
ture will be recommended to the gem
eral assembly for adoption. The pol
ity committee in tts report does not
s<r. ~. rt>,~kn n~Sn ~tnn mt ho
come members or officers Of the Anti
Saloon league, as individuals, but it
does say that these individuals shall
not represent the church in the league
and that actions in cause shall not
be considered as actions Of the church.
"A committee also regards the report
of the temperance committee. which
asks for church federation, as unju-
dici,ll. The reports OF the board Of
home missions and board of educa-
ton were submitted and adopted by
the assembly.
Mope Preachers Needed.
The board ofseducation reported that
It had enrolled during the year 78S
young men, OF whom 26s were new men
and $40 renewals. The material in
cre;lse was accounted for by, the recep-
tior Of the candidates from the former
Cumberland Presby yterian church.
$50 far as our own territory is con-
ceri1ed," said the board, "the figures
show a decrease Of forty in the list OF
renewals.
.erhe board has been made aware
that its solicitude over the present pe-
riot of decline in the number and
80 do "a fhora
selves for the gospel ministry is
shared by the boards OF education of
othsr denominations. Word has come
from the Episcopal, Methodist and. Luz
thel.an bodies that the falling of, SO
potceable{a few years ago. is beginning
Ito lave it's direct effect on the church.
Dissatisfaction is felt in many quarters
over the inability Of the churches to Sc
cure the highest type Of co9secrated
ma nhood for the ministry. Pulpit va
can cies for distressingly long periods
are more and more noticeable and COM
pla lnts are heard from committees on
pulpit supply as their inability to fill
sat ssfactorily the places of those who
are dropping from the ranks of the
ministry. It is with grave concern that
the church at large should know the
facts-that in thirty evangelical theo-
logical seminaries in our country the
church is about 400 men short of the
number studying ten years ago, despite
the eountry's, inerease Of S,00O,O 900 in
population. There are one third less
men studying for the ministry of the
Presbyterian church. than ten years
age. and yet the membership Of this
bra nch of the Presbyterian church has
increased during that period from L.
O24, 900 to 100000. Ten years ago
there was one candidate in every $40
church members; today there is one
candidate for every 1,240 members.
is it not therefore incumbent upon
the church to engage in importunate
prayer in behalf Of the sons of the
church, that more of them may be led
to turn deaf ear to the solicitations of
a, commercially prosperous age, and
to consecrate their talent to the work
OF the ministry?. 2.
The receipts were $178,751. and the
expenditures $176.5o6
Home Missions.
Vi The board of home missions re-
ported that, for the ninth successive
year, the fiscal year had been closed
with all obligations met, This, the
board said was the more gratifying
when It was remembered that during
the year appropriations Of $45.160 had
been made for new work, and $4,000
ha6 been given to the board of mis-
siols Of the Cumberland Presbyterian
church to be used in tiding over some
of their home mission work which, by
rea son of the divisions on the union
question, would otherwise have suf-
fered
lis in several years past the board
has been obliged to expend in new
churches and school buildings in the
islands and the west considerable
sum. amounting this year to s75,560.
There had been no appreciable ad-
va nee in the gifts from the churches.
In a time of great prosperity this was
thu more to be regretted. 1t might
be partially explained by the fact that
tha church contributed in special of