The Washington herald., 1911-08-12
THE TREND OF THINGS
Mission Boards Sound Alarms.

Mission boards Sound Alarms.
Three large missionary societies which
end their fiscal years within three or four
weeks are the American Board, the for
eign body of Congregatonalists: the For
eisn Christian, representing the large
Disciples body, and the Protestant Epis-
copal. At this time. less than a month
before the end in the cases of two OF
them, the outlook is anything but favor
able.
Disciples were tempted. says a state
ment just issued. to make larger plans
this year than last. owing to the Lay
mems Missionary Movement and the in
creased prosperity Obtaining in the Middle
West. but they GeSisted, although there
were importunate appeals from the fields.
At the end of nine months Disciples find
2n2 fewer churches to have contributed
and receipts to be $4,000 behind last year.
It was announced an effort would be
made to make the total $50o,00O, but the
society says il sees little hope of attain
ing II unless there is Improvement
As already reported, the Congregation
alists are sounding notes of alarm, with
the fiscal year within three weeks of its
close. The threatened deficit is not due
TO larger budgets based on larger eX-
rotations, but to actual decline in re-
Ceipts from churches and individuals
The Episcopal society is $4,000 ahead in
its receipts, with an additional 5000 in
a Forward Movement fund The gain
named is no more than has averaged for
the last ten years, and s125.O 600, not s25. 900,
was the Forward fund goal for this year
in a total of $500 600 within three years.
Recent laymen's campaigns were for for
elgn missions, but home and foreign con-
trihuticns are affected precisely the same,
with no marked advance in either to
date. Such are the official reports OF the
society treasures
Brand New Plan from Europe.
Christian leaders in this country have
lately made studies Of the Social Weeks
Of Continental Europe. with view to as
certaining their adaptability to conditions
in America. The Social Weeks of Europe
had their origin in Germany in 1900. when
the NokSverein organized them in several
German cities. They were introduced into
France in 1904, with a Social Week in
Lyons, and they have since been held in
Orleans Dijon, Amiens Marseiles. Bor-
deauX. and Rouen. This year the sessions
are held in St. Etienne. In France the
Young Catholic laymen have given much
help to the plan.
Belgians fnaugurated Social Weeks in
1905 and following their example they
have been started successfully in Holland,
Spain, Poland. Italy. and Switzerland.
They are in charge of the Roman Catho-
lies. sometimes priests, sometimes lay
men, and since their beginning they have
especially in France. enlarged their scope
beyond social studies TO include religious
studies, missions, and work for young |
people. Leading educators give the in |
structions and the students are people /!
in all walks of life. Almost the entire |
Continent now has Social Weeks, and |
from their success they have come TO |
bear the popular name of travelling So |
CiaI universities
Social Weeks got their name from a |
programme of studies that has been much |
changed. The plan now is Sunday to |
Sunday, mornings. afternoons, and even |
ings of all week days. studies in church |
history, rural problems, workingmen's s |
homes, and the entire round of religious |
and social affairs. When held in indus
trial Centers, as they usually are. classes
inspect factories, settlements. courts of !
justice, and make other studies at first
hand. When local arrangements permit,
as in the case of school buildings occu-
pied during vacation time, instructors
and Students live in common. In some
countries one Social Week year only !
is held. but in others the practice obtains
of holding weeks in several cities. one
dlleT the tOtne1. the same instructors
teaching in all successfully.
Educators taking part in the recent
convention at Chicago have considered,
since its informal presentation there, how
the Social Week plan can be adapted to
Roman Catholic conditions in this coun-
try. Several bishops have been consulted
and are said to have expressed the view
that its greatest service to the church in
America will be along strictly social-serv-
lin VI-ith 10 III,
instructors in Catholic colleges can, il is
believed, furnish a sufficient number of
instructors to make a beginning. and
there are several industrial cities. notably
Pittsburg and St. Louis, where Catholics
will welcome limitations Of this European
idea, it is said
Among Protestants, who have recently
considered the plan without knowing that
Catholics were also doing so, the belief
obtains that Sunday-School work mis-
sions, the boy problem. and social service
ought to be covered in the instruction,
while still retaining the name Social 1
Week and making the point of meeting
in industrial centers, where labor. tenn
nerance, factory. child welfare, health,
housing, and similar concerns can be
studied on the spot Correspondence is
now going on between Protestant leaders :
the adoption and adaptation
n the Social Week plan in this country.
New Pacific Coast Cathedral.
Work has started on the divinity school I
lnd bishops house, and very soon it will
Iegin on cathedral, the whole to be the
Episcopal Church foundation for Cal
fornia. The location is Mob Hill, San ,
Francisco, a commanding site hardly -,
qualed by any in the world. overlook =,
ng the city and bay for miles.
Following the earthOuake and 6rA q |