The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-13
LACK Of INTEREST
BLAMED ON CHURCH
Moderator of Presbyterian
Synod Says Christians Must
Change Their Methods.
MANY MINISTER'S ATTEND
Annual Gathering This Year
viii Include Much of Un-
usual Interest.
MANY MINISTER'S ATTEND

Presbyterian church The sermon was
delivered by the moderator, the Rev. 4.
6. Frank OF Brigham city. The Rev. To-
siah McCIain OF Salt Lake was chosen
moderator 10 surcced Mr.. Frank. and
DR.. McClain VIII preside at the meetings
today. The Woman's Synodical Mission
ary society also held n ,mccunG ycster-
day.
Meetings or unusual interest and great
Importance arc scheduled for this after
noon and tonight. Chief Of interest will
be the addresses this evening OF DR..
John DiNon, secretary Of the board OF
home missions, who Will arrive here this
afternoon from New York, DR.. r. NJ.
Rocky Mountain district and Mrs II. B.
Plnney president Of the Occidental
board OF Oakland, Cal. Dr. Dixon is re-
garded as an especially strong man in
the PRESBYTERIAN church, The meeting
this evening will be held at s o'clock.
The synod has brought together every
Presbyterian minister In Utah, save two.
The two sbscntces are the Rcy. j, u.
Stormon; OF Myton. who is prevented
from attending bv reason OF foods. and
the Rev, G. ;. Rice of 81. George. In
addition to the ministers In attendance
arc a large number OF elders from vavi-
GUS presbyterieS
The officers of the synod were the Rev.
A. g. Frank. moderator, the Rev, Wild
siah McClain, superlntendent OF home
missions; the Rev. H. W. Rankin. su-
perlntcndent OF Sunday school work
Blames the Church
In his sermon last night Moderator
Frank discussed the reported decrease In
attendance at the Christian churches. Mr..
Frank did not accept the report as true.
but said that II might have some basis
of truth. and Ii II were indeed so that
the church has lost It's hold upon the
,fr. l,.. T.
was therefore the duty OF the church 10
turn the light upon Itself. he said, and
discover II II could, wherein lay the
fault. Mr.. Frank said that II there Were
q. lack of interest II was partly due 10
tho surrender by the church. In a meas
ure at least. OF the authoritative word
of God. The gospel was not preached
as il used TO be. he said. nor as il should
nizc stn sin. any longer, but merely
regarded sin as mistakes. he said There
fore, II sin were not TO be regarded as
sin, there is no need of a church 10 COM
bat sin. or of men dcvotlng their lives
TO the work OF the church. The church
did not preach any longer, said Mr.,
Frank, the doctrine Of eternal punish
ment People say that God is 100 good.
too just too mercifu. 10 punish sin as
the church used to maintain II was pun
ished; and If people no longer fear eter-
necessarily lose one of It's principal in
Frank that so-called Christians do not
live the clean. pure lives they should.
and thus. by example. they do not COM
mand the hearing for the gospel which
they preach.
The moderator said that the church
should invite the poorer people. the men
who work hard. 70 join with it, but the
truth was. he said, that this class OF
people point 10 the well-clothed, we'll
fed church attendants and say the church
is no place for them. pointing lack
nF
church would recover it's ground, II II
had lost any. It must stand by the lowly
people and give them sincere and
earnest welcome.
New Moderator Chosen.
After The moderator's sermon there was
orator. There was only one name pre-
sented. that OF the Rev. Josiah McClain.
and the stated clerk was instructed to
cast the entire vote OF the synod for
him. TWO temporary clerks were elected
They were the Rev. Charles +. Hamilton
of Gunnison and the Rev. Claude *,
mittee on arrangements was presented by
the Rev. DR.. w. NJ Paden OF the First
Presbyterian church OF this city. who
presented the following order for today
meetings:
Meetings Today.
Devotional service; roll call. reading Of
appointment or standing COM
mittees: prcse ntatIon OF papers for clerk;
Of Presbyterian records: re-
port ot home mission committee: report
OF synodical superintendent; election OF
synodical superintendents; report ot d.
rectors OF former Preshytery OF Utah
Two p. m,-Deyotional service. home
work in Utah-reports from
each field each limited to fiyo minutes:
suggestions by Or John Dixon. secretary
Of board OF home missions; report Of syn
odicsl sunday school missionary; report
of Sunday school committee; how i'm
prove our Sunday schools? Discussion.
Eight p. n.--Meeting under auspices of
the Women's Synodical Missionary So
cisty; short addresses by Mrs Penny and
Mrs. AldriCh OF the Occidental board OF
missions; Dr. r. NJ. Donaldson. missionary
secretary. Of the Rocky mountain district,
and Dr. John Dixon. secretary Of the
board Of home missions.
Thursday mornings session OF the pres |
bytery OF Salt Lake acted favorably upon |
bly,. The nrst Of these was n technical
point in the prescribed formula OF the |
church, The second was the question OF |
permitting the general assembly 10 meet |
instead OF annually as at pres |
cnt The third was permitting the gen
eraI assembly 10 appoint committee To |
regulate and supply vacant churches and
To have power in the matter of the cm- |
ployment OF unemployed ministers.
Home Mission Outlook Hopeful.
The report Of the home missions com
mittee was especially hopeful ln respect |
10 conditions In the Tintah country and !
the expectation OF getting a |
new man 10 undertake the work In that
region.
The report Of the committee on sys,c-
matte bepeticiencc showed that there was
much confusion in the administration OF
financial affairs and presented the need
for better system.
The Womau's Synodical Missionary So
ricty held the first session OF it's annual
meeting yesterday afternoon. Delegates
were present from Logan and Mauti and
many intervening points Important fea
urcs Or tho programme were an address
BY Mrs. II. r. Pinucy or Oakland. Cat. !
president of tho Occidental board on
How TO sc Mission Study Text Books"
Impressions OF the Meeting at Atlantic
'ity'' were given hy Mrs. 6. w Martin
II Manti. Miss Ethel Paul OF this city
gave a review OF the lntcst home mission
study hook. Conservation OF National
IDEAS. Al OF these features were eN-
remedy interesting and instructive.
This forcnoOn's session viii begin at |
~ o'clock. luncheon will he served
- tho ladies Of the First church at 1880
,'clock. and the afternoon session VIII be-
yin at > o'clock.
Ia the evening the important meeting
II The day will be given under the
luspicos Of the Nomcn's society. at which
he notcd speakers already mentioned will
lciIvcr adIrr--rz |