Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-10-11

sections of this autobiography,
should II prove of sufficient in
terest to continue.)
.
- Z
Continued from last week.
] discovered in this new field OF
labor few places which had never
been occupied by Methodism, and a
few others where formerly churches
.fiourished, but had been abandoned
for various reasons, chiefly on &C.
count of the removal of our people
to other sections of the country. In
nearly every instance they would sell
TO foreigners, either German, Bohem-
ian or Norwegian, who were not al
ways in sympathy with us. The Ger
mans and Bohemians were generally
Roman Catholics and the Norwegians
principally Lutherans. Nevertheless,
goodly number of the Norwegians,
as well as other Scandinavians, are
to be found in our Methodist
churches.
We were not given any missionary
money by the parent Missionary So
ciety, so we were compelled to grap-
pie with these problems in our own
strength, alone. To me it was a SER
ious matter, and l cast about for
ways and means to meet it. AS there
was at that time no help to be had
from the Womans' Home Missionary
Society of the church, resolved to
appeal TO the women of the district,
and enlist their cooperation as far
as possible. so / organized what we
called 1.-THE Womans' Christian Com
pact" new departure, which prov
ed quite successful and elected much
commendation from the authorities
of the church. Following is the pact:
AGREEMENT.
We, whose names are hereunto at
tached, do enter into agreement with
our sisters of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, and with all who love
our Lord Jesus Christ, under the
name of THE WOMAN'S CHRIS
TIAN COMPACT OF DEBORAH DIS
TRICT," and having for our object
the furtherance of the gospel within
the bounds of the said district, being
impressed with the imperative needs
of places adjacent to our stations and
circuits which are without the gos-
pei, and of others where the gospel
is not preached in the English Ian
guage; and still others where -four
ishing Methodist or other protestant
churches once existed, but which
have been abandoned on account of
removals OF our English speaking
people. We, the women of Decorah
District, adopt the following as our
motto: Redeem the Waste Places
and Extend the Redeemer's King
dom," and we will each contribute
without prejudice to the regular
benevolences of the church, not less
than one dollar yer year, to be ap-
piled:
First In the purchase of large
tent which shall be capable Of seat
ing at least four hundred people, to
be used in the work of Evangelical
tion in neglected places during the
summer months.
Second. To establish and main
tain regular services in localities
where there is now no preaching in
the English tongue.
Third. To re-occupy abandoned
fields and put the gospel again before
the people.
Each Local Compact shall select
annually at such time and place as
may be most convenient. one of its
number, who shall act as Custodian
of the Funds, and shall receive from
the members their contributions, CIV
ing her receipt for the same. She
shall forward to the Presiding Elder
of the district, quarterly, such funds
as may be in her possession, and his
receipt shall be her voucher. She
shall also report at each annual
meeting the amounts of money re-
ceiyed, who from, and what disposi-
tion has been made of 1t.
The Presiding Elder of the dis
trict. who shall have general charge
nj the work, shall direct in the judi
cjous expenditure of the funds, but
no moneys shall be paid out without
the concurrence of the pastors and
cuStOdianS OF the iuhus oh t"o wv
chargest nearest or most convenient
TO the place where tits proposed TO ex-
pend the said funds; except such ex-
penses as may be incurred for print
. ing. stationery. ETC., which shall be
paid by the Presiding Elder out OF
any funds in his hands. The Presid-
ING Elder shall report annually tt
each Local Compact. during th'
month of September of October. Civ
ing full account of the work done