The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-01-17

project to build a hundred thousand
dollar Young Mems Christian associa-
tion building, with lodgings for hun
dred men,: was made a civic matter.
and pushed through Enthusiastically.
The Y. NJ. c. A., by the way, was tho
first Protestant agency at work in the
islands, and its splendid service for
the soldiers. now supplemented by
work for civilians. has continued to
this day, winning warmest praise in
all quarters.
Churches Get Together.
The first outstanding fact concern
ing the distinctively missionary work
OF the islands by the Protestant
churches is the plan of cooperation
which was lately adopted. Profiting
by the experience Of other mission
fields, the denominations early got
together to apportion the territory, so
that duplication and conflict might be
avoided. In order also to present a
united front for Professionalism. com.
mon name, Evangelical churches"
was adopted, in place of the varied
and confusing UNCONVENTIONAL appel
lations.
In the division of the islands among
the denominations, the Methodists
have the greater part of Luzon, north
of Manila, and the Presbyterians the
southern portion of the same island a.
we'll as four other islands. The Dis
ciples of Christ also have four sta.
tions in the most northerly part OF
Luzon. Since 1900 the Baptists have
occupied Negroes, northern and south.
ern Panay and the Island of Romblon,
with II missionaries and II native
congregations. Congregationalists are
located on the Island of Mindanao,
where they work in close cooperation
with the Presbyterians. The Episco
palians have work for the pagan
Igorrotes. and also for the Chinese
Methodists likewise have a mission
among the Chinese. The United
Brethren are strongly established
about San Fernando. Spiritualists and
Christian Scientists have work in
Manila.
the islands, reported to the Evangeli
cal Union last year, was $4,000. ex
elusive of 10000 probationers record
ed in the Methodist church. The last
named body is witnessing an extraor
binary growth; with only nine
Americans engaged in the Filipino
| work-it now reports, according tc
Rev. M. A. RAIDER, presiding elder, nc
less than $4,000 members, including
probationers. A curious fact about its
congregations, and those of the other
missions, is that two-thirds of them
are men,, and of this number three
quarters are young men. There are
800 licensed native workers in the
Methodist church, only few of whom
receive any financial assistance This
characteristic of independence and
self-support runs through all the
Protestant missions. The great bulg
of their churches throughout the
islands has been built by the natives
themselves.
Educational and eleemosynary eff
fort on the part of the missions in.
cludes the Presbyterian hospitals al
Iloilo and Demaguete and the Silliman
Industrial Institute for Boys at the
latter place, the Protestant Episcopal
Dispensary and Settlement House in
Manila, the Methodist hospital and
schools, the Jaro Industrial school OF
the Baptists with about 300 students
and various training schools for ma
tive workers and periodical religious
publications maintained by the diff
ferent denominations.
copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles)