The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-24

my country.-ps ixxxix. Isis Edited by
Rev. Sherman h boyle. y. d.
There Is little doubt that every one
Of the great Christian denominations
Is doing something for our country OF
working along some lines of home mis-
sionary work. The, probability also Is
that the majority Of them are doing
the same kind Of work. One great evil
In the great west ut least has result
ed from the haphazard and unsystem
attic manner In which the mission work
was begun. There was no cooperation
among the denominations. and the re-
suit was that in small towns varying
from 1000 up in population contained
from six to eight or ten churches. all
of them having only a name to i've If
some arrangements had been made
by which the country had been divid.
ed there would have been one or two
strong Christian churches In each one
of these places. and not large num-
Der. almost on the point of starvation.
and the ministers lives worn out by
having four or i've churches under
their care and preaching in each one
once or twice In four or Eve weeks.
Too late the great mistake has been
seen. but II is hard 10 change present
church arrangements. and the struggle
goes on by pastors and churches for q
mere existence. This is the saddest
feature of our denomina tional work.
especially in the western part OF our
country.
The Christian denominations OF our
land will never be orSanically united.
Such a hope is as impossible as the
realization of a future Utopia on earth.
But experience has taught the church
that it must unite in cooperation and
fellowship. and especially In the mis-
sionary cause. II 1t is TO be done In a
sensible. businesslike and economical
way. Such union Is becoming closer
and closer every day. 1t Is manifested
especially in home mission fields. In
our newer fields-Alaska. Cuba and
Porto Rico. with the exception of the
large cities. where all may go-these
lands are apportioned to the different
denominations. For instance, the Pres
byterian church. because FIRST on the
ground. has received as her allotmen,
the southwestern part Of Alaska and
the upper part Of the Yukon valley
So that, instead of there being mum
Der Of churches at points like Eagles
and Point Barrow. there is in each
but one-a Presbyterian. In other por
lions there are only Methodists OF
Episcopaiians. and. by the way. Poin,
Barrow is the farthermost northern
missionary point in the world. The
only white people it contains are the
faithful missionary. the Rev. DR.
Campbell and his wife. A year or *
ago their church and other buildings
were burned down. But they still
stood fast as good soldiers of Christ
They usually get mail once year, bu
sometimes but once in two years! Suct
examples Of obedience to Christi
great command should spur Us with
labor for this cause.
The methods OF work used by eaci
denomination should be studied by th.
societies belonging to It,. 1t will b,
a most interesting study from the be
| ginning 10 the present day. The meth
DDS Of all are preaching. evangelist,
work. the distribution of Bibles and
| tracts and the education of the chill
dren. spiritually, morally. mental.
and industrially. But we should know
our workers. where they are locates
and the story of our school work. Th'
! methods may be the same. but there i
| great variety In using them.
BIBLE READINGS.
| Ezra vi. $40: Neh. II. is: Pa. II. Is
cxivii. 20: PROV. xiv. "a: Ier. XIX. I
Matt. xviii. 10. 20: Mark XII, 1917
Acts 1. y: Rom. IL. is; Z. II. Is: Ps
cxxii.