Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-07-21
LAY MOVEMENT
GETS GOOD START
Big Banquet And Meetings
Here Last Saturday
And Sunday

advertised on last Saturday evening,
in the Masonic building. Plates were
laid for 100. About eighty Of the cit
izens of this town and county occu-
pied seats at the banquet table. 1t
was an inspiring scene. Other ban
quets have been given here, but this
was the first one served here of a
purely religious character. 1t was no
ordinary banquet, and the occasion was
no ordinary celebration. Earnest and
leading men Of all denominations met
not simply to eat nice supper. The
supper was only an incident-a
means to an end. The long hall room
was well filled, not with pleasure
seeking or frivolous young men.
Young men there were, but they sat
side by side ith their fathers and ell
derly men of every age. There was
good cheer, and nothing funereal or
"churchy" about the banquet, still
there was dignified .solemnity about
the whole affair fitting and becoming
the object and occasion. The walls
of the room we'll lined with maps, sta
tisticle tables and notices, all of
which were suggestive. This was no
ordinary occasion. These men had met
responsive to call to consider, not
their own interests, nor the interests
merely of their own state or country,
but to hear about and plan for, and
to take an humble part in the evan
gelization of the world. This thought
seemed to pervade the air. Men had
been thinking about it for weeks, and
were prepared to appreciate this oc-
casion of their assembling. The "big-
ness" of the question-"The Evan
gelization of the World in this Gener-
alton, " which these men had met to
hear about, talk about and plan for,
caused look and feeling clearly vis-
ible and discernible throughout the
entire hall. There was no muisc.
After the men were seated, the pre-
siding officer, MIR. Geo. w. st. Clair,
Chairman of the Executive Commit
ee, raped for silence, and brief, sim
pie grace was said by Rev. Mr.. Sgd
nor. The banqueters attacked a splen-
did supper with heartiness-a supper
ample and beautiful, and splendidly
served. by corterie of Tazewell's
pretiest young girls. Then came the
speeches. Chairman ST. Clair, in in
Producing the speakers, glorifed the
occasion. Among other things he said
that when this banquet was first pro-
posed he disapproved, but after think
ing it over changed his mind, and now
believed it to be, not only highly ap-
propriate, but productive of great
good.
The Jews had many great foasts,
when the entire nation came together,
many times year in great festival
celebrations. The Christian religion
has only one festival OCCASION
Christmas, and this is now purely
family affair. There ought to be a
great festival held at least once
year, in every county and State.
which would bring the people of all
denominations together to talk over
matters pertaining to the Kingdom
He suggested that great July Fes-
tival be inaugurated. all over the
country. Make July festival month,
when all denominations of Christians
can come together and enjoy a great
banquet and talk, pray and plan for
the coming of the millennium.
AT the close of this enthusiastic
address, Rev. J.F. Preston, for eight
years missionary in Korea, Japan
and China, was introduced, and
spoke on "The Call of the East to
the West. i" While the great need is
The Gospel, Korea and the east calls
to us for education along the lines of
sanitation, home comforts and better
living. The Standard Oil people, see
ing the opportunity and the need, have
put lights in the homes, or within the
reach of every home in Korea. The
Christian world should give the light
of the gospel and Christian civiliza-
tion. The speaker said that philan-
thropy and evangelization was often
mixed. We need not go out of the
United States to practice philanthro-
ply. What the East needs is thAlgos-
pei of Christ. There are 500 fifllon
people in China, and this fact is in it
self the voice of Opportunity. The
East is crying out for railroads, cleo
trio lights, education and they are
getting it. They are not, as nations,
crying out for the gospel. We must
take it and try to persuade them to
accept it. Let the agents of the Cross
90 along side by side and in advance,
of the agents of the world. This ad-
dress was we'll received, and made a
lasting impression.
Prof. j. T. Henderson, General
Secretary of Laymens' Missionary
Movement, of the Southern Baptis,