The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-27

and representing all the leading
churches, will speak on the common
platform of patriotism and socialized
Christianity. The aim is not directly
to raise money. but rather to educate
| the churches to the imminence and i'm
portance of the new home mission
| problem. In this work all the Home
| Mission Boards are united: the church
| world.
The teacher of a Sunday school class
of boys is as truly home missionary
as the preacher who rides on horseback
across the prairies.
Mems conception of missions has en-
larged of late. We are willing to in
clude within the designation of home
missionary many who once would have
| been considered outside the pale of or
settlement workers, philanthropists,
charity agents, newspaper writer's,
| teachers, lecturers, labor union organ
| izations and a whole flying troop OF
| free lances whose aim and work is es-
sentially one with that of the ordained
home missionary. Let us honor these.
They are like Kipling's BELL Buoy,
whom the poet contrasts with the pens
in the church steeple:
There was never a priest to pray,
There was never a hand to toll,
When they made me guard OF the pay,
And moored me over the shoal.
L rock, 1 reel, and I roll
NY four great hammers ply
Could I speak or be still at the
Church's Will?
(Shoal! Ware Shoa1D Not l.
''The landward marks have failed,
The fog-bank glides unguessed,
The seaward lights are veiled,
The spent deep feigns her rest;
But my ear is laid to her breast,
I lift to the SWELL cry!
Could 1 wait in sloth on the Church's
(shoaii ware shoalD Not I!'
The current issue of one of the maga-
zines tells the story of Catholic priest,
of noble family, who took a company OF
italian immigrants from the steWing,
noiling life-destrOying conditions OF
New York's slums, and malarlaI
camp in the south, and made them over
into a model American village in Ar
kansas. There they have preserved
and employed the best of the traditions
and skill which they brought from
Italy, and at the same time they nave
thoroughly Americanized these TINS
is the type of home mission work in
which every patriot must rejoice. 1t IS
good for the immigrant and good lot
the nation. The man responsible Tor 1t |
deserves high honor at the country's
hands.
The district nurse, as she goes among
the homes of the city's poor, teachlns
the gospel of sanitation, hygiene ana
cheer is a modern missionary pioneer.
Whoever helps to the solving of any
of the big problems which confront TINS
new land in this new country IS TO be
ranked among the missionary pioneers
The difficult field of industrialism has
opened to religious effort in remark
able manner. Organized Christianity, |
especiaIIy through the work of Rev.
Charles Stelzle, has made cordial over
lures to the workingmen, and to these
there has been such a notable response
that one labor leader is quoted as say
ing that the present most noticeable
drift among organized workingmen is
the trend toward the church The next
Charles Stelzle as one of the great
home missionary pioneers
Canada's churches have shown rare
vision and courage and resoureefulness
in meeting the conditions created by
the opening the great Northwest. With
out ravalry, and in systematic fash-
ion. they have undertaken to see that
every community in this vast section
enioys the privilege of the stated min
istry of the Gospel.
Every family in a new and church
less neighborhood which stands con-
for religion may be enroheo
among the home mission forces.
A Boston business man has, with
the support and cooperation OF the
Social union, estaplsned a
series of Sunday evening services IN
Ford hall that are, in large and
effective way, aiding in the solution
of Americas complex religious prob
lem These Ford hall meetings are
not distinctively religious, although
the religious motive prompts them.
and a fundamentally religious prin-
treaf current moral, social and reli-
gious to questions, with the result that
every week more than a thousand
t%rono the hall and have their interest
in deep things stimulated. And this
too must be listed among the mis-
sionary efforts of our time.
CIrHHC AND NOTES