The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-25
CHRISTIAN EMPIRE BUILDERS
TerSa Comments Upon the Christian
Endeaxor Topic for May 30. He
roes Of Home Missions Matt.
10: .-16.
BY WILLIAM 7. ELLIS.

The man who is worse thar q hea-
then. according to the Apostle Paui.
is he who fails to PROVIDE TOT ms Own,
The applies 10 religious affalrs as Wen
as to material things. The divine IN
iunction TO the apostles was that the3
should begin at Jerusalem. nome
comes first. The person whose inter
est in China is SO great that he neg
lectc Christian work in his own neigh
orhood is not to be called a MISSION
AIRY enthusiast. he fs merely an III
balanced fanatic. In this daN OF II
creasing missionary interest we may
not lose sight Of our prlmafS esp.
sibility to the opportunity when IS
nearest. Work abroad should be pre-
ceeded and accompanied by work al
home. Usually, fairness compels me
to add. it is the person whose sense
Of responsibility for the uttermost
narts is keenest who is most indefati-
gable in abOrs for his immaculate
n~eiehborhood. Among the heroes OF
missions must ever shine the names
of he men who helped glNe ana save
this homeland TO q Christian clNlllza-
ton.
There are no geographical line IN
Gods thought of missions. He so
loved the world"
The home missionary helps to make
q Christian land and to create a
Christian force which may serve the
whole world.
The time has come to ask: What
is home missionS?' IF in that term
is included the needless dplicatlon OIL
churches in small communities, merely
for the saks of perpetuating ~sectarian
names or clarifying denominatlonal
agencies. then the great Christian pub
lie Will turn its back in disapproVal.
But if by home missions a practical,
organized effort to give stimulating,
conserving and transforming power
of the gospel to every last man ana
woman under our country,s flag, then
the Judgment of ChristendOm gives
hearty favor and assent. There are
lonely ranchmen and miners who are
beyond the touch of Christian inf1u-
ences. There are multitudes of chill
dren growing up outside the pale of
religions touch. A vast
multitude of aliens. as foreign in tenn
permanent to the spirit of this new
land as they are in language to its
tongue, need to be leayened by the
teachings Of the gospel, which is. af-
ter all has been said, our national
genius. Intricate and difficult social
problems there are awaiting solution
by applied Christianity. Truly, the
proper scope of applied Christianity
is great enough, without any wasteful
and unseemly rivalry and friction.
s. =
The mar who invests his life in
helping to fix and ennoble the ideals
Of a community in its formative period
has achieved the mission of a patriot.
The modern pastor of a downtown
city church is nowadays as truly q
home missionary as is the circuit-rid-
ing frontiersman.
We may not speak of the great work
nf Djnnaar missions aS in fha ,>oet
tense. Ralph Connor's books show
how truly this sort of service is be-
ing done in the Canadian Northwest
today. At the present time the Of
fetal representative of one of the
Canadian denominations is going to
Great Britain, there to seek recruits
for the missionary fields of the North
west. He will offer to young British
ministers the opportunity to duplicate
the work of the men whose names the
churches cherish as home mission
heroes and pioneers Gods roll of
n will never be closed until the
last of all his wandering children has
been brought home.
Bright are the triumphs Of the
missionary. The famous Indian war
rior, Geronimo. who died a short time
ago, became a Christian convert Of
a home missionary.
The character of Alaska and the
Canadian Northwest is yet to be fixed;
and it is for the church to say who
shall fix it.
Magazine readers have shown an
Unsuitable interest in the character
and mission Of DR.. Wilfred f. Gren-
fall, Of Labrador, who is hailed every
where as a knis atty hero of Jesus
Christ. In order to serve the people
OF the bleak coast of Labrador, he has
undergone the rigors of an artic ex-
plorer, and has employed all of the
versatility of one of the great nio-
neers. There is no man so high sin
public office. or so richly laden with
the emo1uments Of business, that he is
1 above q FEELING Of aryyv toc 1o bola1l.