The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-03-26

Some Cnex pccted consequence"
a Million in March for United
PRESBYTERIAN Missions"
In this present month OF March the
entire United Presbyterian ~denon1na-
ton is engaged in the unprecedented
task Of canvassing every one or us
members for 2 personal pledge TOT
weekly contributions to the church's
b~enevolences that will aggregate ST.
GOO, 900 for the gear and for each sue
ceeding year.
Such a huge piece of organization
work has never before been tried by
any religious denominations, nor has
the effort been made previously to lit
:: denominations gifts from the level
Of about half a million dollars to a
million dollars, yet already seventy
five per cent of the United Presby-
terrain congregations have completed
their canvass and report the entire
success of the plan.
The leaders in the enterprise are SO
confident of it's absolute success that
they are already talking about the
indirect and unexpected consequences
Of this new movement such as its eff
A'Nt III iho tAt 40 ~ - liz
denomination and in preparing it for
union with other Presbyterian bodies
upon new terms
Conservative Psalm Singers.
The United Presbyterians are the
largest Of the ps~alm-singing denom-
iiations. They number about $4,000
LacmbtTs altogether. Their distinctive
characteristics have been their adher-
ence to the word sabbath" instead Of
Sunday. their a~ntagOnism to all secret
societies. the use Of the Psalms in
stead of modern hymns, and the OPP
position TO instrumental music.
This last, and most Of the other
contentious, have quietly been given
np, 1T least in the degree to which
they were once held. Practically every
tnited Presbyterian Church now has
an organ and the psalms have been SO
entirely rewritten to modern form
that a stranger could not recognise
the difference between them n the
hymns Of other churches. Conserva-
tive, vigorous and prosperous people
the United PresbyterIans have al.
ways been noted for the sturdiness O
their religious devotion.
Getting the Boards Out of a Hole.
The United PresbyterIans have beer
giving somewhat more than half
Mllllon dollars a year for their churcl
h~cneNoience, home and foreign mis-
n
sunday School work. etc. But for
decade past practically all the board
have been in debt, the amount aggre
eating $1,000
Now the layrnen Of the church hay
been taking hold of the situation an
they have proposed two rallying erie
Wnlcn nave been enthuSiaSticali
adopted by the denomination. One
In cha Of evangelism, 'tTwenty-fv
Thousand Souls for Christ" and tn
other "A Million Dollars for Missions.
10 add twenty-five thousand ne
members to the church within a yea
IN the present state of sta Snation {
growth among the churches will be
far more notable achievement than
raise the million dollars. Upon tn
rcint nothing can be said until tt
c1oSe OF the year. AS for this none
the laSnlen proposed that it all be s,
cured IN an every-member canya.
during this month of March and pre-,
;tratlons for this extraordinary unde
taking have been under way for
long time past.
The Laymen's New Part.
Now that it is plain that the mill,
dollars IS raised, or can be raised. II
significance Of the new method viii,
has been inaugurated comes up +
consideration. This marks h adve
of new fashioned business ways in
ecclesiastical organization. Still mo
notable is the evident fact that {
laSmen, the rank and file of men, w
IN the last analysis pay all the Bill
nave come to take a responsible pa
III the administration Of an entire d
nomination.
This is 4 revolutionary fact ain
the present United Presbyterian ca
Nass. lake other denominations, Il
one a its leading laymen." w
served on all h boards and we
prominent in all gatherings and co
Mittees, lending their names to eve
good cause hat came along. r
actual work of arousing the chur
and raising and administering I