Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-23
SOUTHERN CHURCH RELIEF
Report Of Executive Committee Pre-
sented to Session.
STEADY PROGRESS BEING MADE
Presbyterians of the south Are Con
stantIy Losing Many of Their
Leading Ministers by
Death,

GREENSBORO. N. c.. May 22.-Thorough
the secretary, Henry H. Sweets, the
executive committee OF ministerial edu-
cation and relief presented to the assembly
it's annual report. In its financial state
ment the committee says that 1t received
from all sources for ministerial education,
in the last year, S24.93O for ministerial re-
lief, SS1. .451; and for the endowment fund
Of ministerial relief, S44,2O6. The aggregate
receipts were $lO05SS.
Under the topic Of Ministerial Educa-
tion." the report says that the death rate
among the assembly's ministers from 1894
to 1907 was so per cent, while an average
Of eleven were retired each year on ac-
count OF sickness or old age. In 1894 there
were AS candidates, one In each H7 OF the
church membership. Since 1901 there was
been slow but steady increase in the
number of candidates for the ministry
Last year the presbyteries reported to the
general assembly 1856, and in the fall to the
various synods 359 candidates. Nine pres
byteries, with 2s5 churches and IS, $50 mem
bers. reported no candidates under their
care. The Importance of providing addi-
tional ministers is pointed out by the COM
mttee report as follows:
In our church are 1850 organizations that
have no one to lead them. Some of them
are hard fields. Thoughtless ones might
say they are unimpcrtaEt. In some Of
these from three to six must be grouped
together and with the aid Of home mission
funds. they can offer a support TO about
200 pastors.
sources of ministerial supply. One-half Of
the candidates, 1S0 young men, now pre-
pairing themselves for this work, came
from small churches where services were
he n Y.
r. Mott has we'll said These forlorn
hopes must be held and transformed into
towers of strength for Christianity"
Problems for the Church.
The church is constantly losing by death
its ministers of marked intellectual and
spiritual ability Their places must he
filled by men of learning, of love, and or
faith. At no other age, TO few other peo-
solved, with brighter prospects for their
solution than He has given TO the south.
The waves of infidelity and doubt, of ma
teriallsm and indifference that have swept
over Europe and many parts of the north,
are beating more insistingly upon our bor-
ders. The hordes of foreigners confined
for years more exclusively to the north and
west, now coming, In ever increasing
numbers, into the midst of us. The great
negro problem, to which the first general
assembly of our church, in the noise and
confusion of a terrible war, gave its sym
pathetic and prayerful attention, still calls
for self-denying and gifted men to assist
those men of God, DIR. Snedecor ana John
Little, and a few men and women over the
church who have heard the sad appeal OF
this poor superstitious people.
Your committee has taken care to inves-
tigate the attendance OF young men ana
women from the Presbyterian homes at
our state institutions OF higher learning.
We have secured reports from presidents
an enrolment Of 12,22S students. or these
is per cent. or 1884. are Presbyterians. iSS
young women and 1886 young men
While the committee of schools and col
leges are endeavoring to maintain pure
religious atmosphere in our own institu-
tions, and to commend them to the sons
and daughters of our church, TINS large
body of young men should not be over
looked The synods OF Alabama, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia have
| selected men with peculiar gifts have sup
! plemented their salaries and have placed
them as pastors at these evergrowing seats
| of learning. nm -
/ Is much more prominent than the classical,
| the aim is apt to be to teach men 10 make
| a living, rather than to prepare them Tor
| n life. In this materialistic age, great care
should be exercised in shaping the course
We are rendering aid to 24o candidates
| this year as against 223 last the amount
! forwarded these was S24365, as against
| 500 OF last year. This Is the largest amount
/ by more than 5000 that has been used IN
/ the history of the church In any year. THIS
! maximum amount of appropriation con-
! tinues at 500 per year to each caholoate
| who needs that amount. 80. a.,
| or the 240 candidates enrolled ninety-tiYe
! are in the theological seminares and l@ In
| the colleges.
The committee recommends that 1t be
granted by the general assembly authority
to loan money to candidates, as some OF
them express a desire to borrow rather
than to accept the money as gift. credits
on these notes may be given from time TO
time to the mission work done by the
candidates for which they now receive
compensation