The Washington herald., 1911-12-30
THE TREND OF THINGS.
Great Home Mission Showing.


There are 10000 towns, 900 to 1000 popu-
lation each, IN States west of the Mis-
souri, River and on the Pacific Coast,
wherein the Christian faith is not preach
ed by anybody. nor the Bible taught. In
Utah there are eleven counties, in Colo
RADIO FIVE wherein there are no churches
of any name save Mormon. Surveys have
just been ordered made in all this region,
including also Arizona and New MeXi-
CO, following which there will be under
taken as great home mission campaign
as all of the home mission societies in
America together can make.
For years there have been charges in
the churches, practically in all of them,
that mission funds are employed to start
churches in towns wherein there are al
ready four to six. The evils of over
tapping have been heralded widely. To
ascertain facts there has just been held
the most comprehensive study of home
mission conditions ever made. Presby-
terian, Congregational Lutheran, Epis-
cOpaI. Baptist. Christian, Methodist-ev-
erybody Joined, who has any consider
able interests involved. In all principal
cities from Minneapolis west to Seattle,
south to Los Angeles, and east to Salt
Lake City and Colorado Springs con-
ferences have been held, concluding only
last week. The experts holding them
were the missionary leaders of the East,
who handle the millions of home mis-
sion funds Those attending them were
the missionary leaders on the fields.
The States studied were Minnesota, the
Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho,
Washington. Oregon, California, Utah,
and Colorado and p supplemental cam
paign is TO be prosecuted in February
covering Nevada, New Mexico, and Ari-
IN
these States was conferred with. In
many States maps were furnished, Of
fetal populations were given, men on the
spot were examined, and educational,
hospital and every form of work looked
into. The campaign in the eleven prin-
cipal States completed. the Eastern men
who control the work admit themselves
astounded at the showing as a whole.
They declare that in hardly more than
a dozen Centers did they discover the
overlapping so freely charged. Even in
thr dozen or so places where there are
too many churches unusual conditions
were reported. The overlapping is de-
clared to he so meager that the Correc-
ton of it is a mere incident of admins
tration.
That which appalled, the secretaries Of
the large societies was the magnitude of
the home mission tasks presented by the
ing into rich regions. and schools and
churches utterly inadequate in number
and remote in distance to care for the
people is the report. In fully a third of
the State of Colorado half the people
have no religious privileges whatever.
An earlier report Of one or two of these
same States, made by the federal coun-
Gil. prepared the secretaries in part
but they say the situation is at least
to- times moody a fhnV pXnpPfpd tn
find. The supplementary campaign in
Nevada New Mexico, and Arizona was
ordered for February, and in all of the
fourteen States careful surveys were or
dered made, TO be completed by July !,
1912. These studies are to be prosecuted
by school districts and superintended by
official representativ of the societies.
Every Christian body, Protestant and
Catholic. will be shown in the survey.
1t being already apparent what the
fuller study will reveal preparations are
making for the greatest home mission
campaign America has yet seen. In this
campaign every Protestant society, every
Protestant body, indeed, will join. There
will be no waste Of effort, and no dupli-
cation. Eastern sources of money and
men supply will be informed of the
real conditions. 1t is denied that this
home mission activity is directed against
recent foreign mission effort. Co-opera-
ton has been brought about between
home and foreign interests. Women will
join in the campaign, and the most mod
ern methods OF research and the appli-
cation of remedies will be employed. The
Eastern secretaries report themselves well
satisfied with the way their missionary
agents on the fields presented their data,
and with the spirit in which the people
O: various principal cities received them.
In Minneapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles,
Salt Lake City, and Colorado Springs
there was particularly hearty co-opera-
tion. The Importance of the project is
seen when it is remembered that home
mission expenditures in the United
States amount to about $4,000, 900 a year.