Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-12
WANT 100000 FUND
Laymen Asked to Raise Sum
for Foreign Missions.
PLAN OUTLINED At DINNER
Gathering at Y. NJ. C. A. of Men
Interested in Movement.
TOPICS AT BIG CONVENTION
Morning Session at New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Addresses by Members.

Washington Protestant laymen are to
be asked to raise s1OOOOO this year for
foreign missions. This was the decision
arrived at at a dinner held at the Y. NJ. c.
A. this afternoon, at which the executive
and other committees of the laymen's
missionary movement Of Washington
were represented.
1t was brought out last year at an
executive session that the laymen of the
various churches raised the sum of $4,-
OOO which. with 5000 given by the Y. NJ.
G. A. totalled $62 600. Thus this year 1t
is desired that the denominations practi-
cally double their subscriptions of last
year.
The report will, it is understood. be
presented at the rallies Of the various
tomorrow afternoon.
Banner Above Pulpit.
"win America Evangelize Her Share Of
the world?' was the inscription on
great banner swung across the wall i'm
mediately above the pulpit OF the, New
York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where
the session was held this morning. The
distinctness of the letters caught the eye
NSASoS~~ -
edifice.
Mornay williams Of New York. vice
chairman OF the executive committee OF
the movement, presided. The list of those
who made addresses included Rev. DR.. F.
l.. H. Pott, president of st. Johns Col
lege, Shanghai, China: John T. Stone Of
Baltimore and Rev. A. p. Parker, presi-
dent Of the Angio-Chinese College. Shang-
hal. who were on the program. and
Charles H. Rowland Of Athens. Ca. presi-
dent of the movement In the southern
Presbyterian church, and Rev. ]. H. Ap-
pie of the Reformed Church. who briefly
told Of the work in their respective de-
nominations.
DR.. Parker pointed out that one-hali
Of the area Of China In which was for.
merly cultivated the poppy plant to sup
ply the opium traftic ID now planted In
vegetables. This conversion OF crops II
in line with the decree Of the late en-
press dowager. who. some years ago. a
the instance Of the missionaries In China
ordered that the production Of the poppy
plant be decreased one-tenth each year
and that the people OF the empire give uE
DR.. Pott. in an address on Foreign
Mission and Christian Unity" said he
looks forward to the time when the
churches will unite In the common ef-
fort to uplift nations OF the earth still
in ignorance Of the life Of the Christ.
Americas Great Commission.
rs the Church's Interpretation Of the
Great Commission Correct?" was the
subject which John T. Stone Of Balti.
more discussed.
What Is the great commission?" he
asked. in opening In its entirety as
given in the gospels and the book of
Acts 1t is this:
And He said unto them. Thus 1t IL
written, that the Christ should suffer,
and rise again from the dead the third
day; and that repentance and remission
of sins should be preached In His name
unto all the nations. All authority hath
earth. Go ye. therefore. and make dis
ciples Of all the nations. baptizing them
In the name Of the Father and OF the
Son and Of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever
1 have commanded you; and 10. Am
the world. Ye shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and
ye shall be my witnesses unto the utter
most part Of the earth.
This is a perfectly plain commits
sion," continued the speaker. 1T needs
no profoundly learned mind to interpret
IT, 1t was given to plain men In plain
language for a plain purpose.
Its promise is the facts Of the sacri-
ficial death and the triumphant resurrec-
ton of our Lord; its command Is to
preach the good tidings Of repentance
and salvation in His name, and to teach
men to live according to the will OF the
Father as declared by the Son; the
outward sign Of its exercise 10 the sacra-
ment of baptism; its SUFFICIENT authority
is the Son of God Himself. and its abun-
dant improvement consists In His own
presence through the Holy Spirit SO long
as time shall last.
Its high privilege is to witness In ones
own life unto the verify Of all these
things 1t was given unto q company OF
men and women who comprised, essen
tally the whole body OF Christian beiev-
ers at that time. And the scope OF its
application includes every creature OF al!
the nations unto the uttermost part OF
the earth.
nineteenth century a few plain men or
humble origin, single individuals at vice.
ly separated points, were impressed Win
this great commission and with the fact
that IL meant exactly what Is said; ana
so William Carey. Adoniran Judson. Hop-
ert Morrison and others almost without
support went to the task Of winning the
heathen world to Jesus Christ, and mod
ern foreign missions came into being. Al
the same time, or very soon afterward,
began the marvels Of nineteenth century
discovery and invention.
Backward Peoples Seeking Light.
These things are so nearly matters OF
our own time and with which We are
all SO thoroughly familiar that 1t would
be tedious to recite them. The outstand-
ing fact In all Of them Is that the great
Father in whose hands are all the ages.
whose are the gold and silver. who is
the creator and the governor OF all the
forces of nature, whose spirit moves upon
the mind of man, has so ordered the cur
rent of events as that every door is
now open as to access. language. trans
portation,. communication. freedom of
speech, freedom Of worship, and that be-
yond these there is an eager reaching out
on the part of the backward peoples after
those material things which to their eyes
make western civilization powerful and
attractive.
But as in the Providence Of God, the
so-called Christian peoples are the in
strumentalities through which these
material advantages are accessible to
these backward races, SO also Is the
Christian Church responsible to see to
Ii that the genius Of western civflfza-
ton, which Is the spirit Of Christianity,
shall :. accompany these material ad-
vantages. The arch-enemy of mankind
is fully alive to his opportunities and
knows how to turn material blessings
into instrumentalities for the ruination
Of the bodies and souls of men.
And. as in the early centuries Of the
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