Bismarck daily tribune., 1912-05-21
! Of =.
!. I. ..PRESR!Y1ER|ANS
BY Associated Press.
Report OF Board Of Education.

BY Associated Press.
Report Of Board Of Education.
LOUISVILLE, KY, May 21.-The
ninety-third annual report of the
Board of Education of the Presby
terian church in the United States OF
America was presented to the Gener
al Assembly today. The report IN
part, follows:
The year now closed has, with one
exception, been q record year In our
history. The missionary operations
of the board have been strengthened,
a closer touch upon the field OF Chris
tian Education secured, several new
agencies put into successful opera
ton, and q steady and constant In.
crease in contributions realized, all
| of which furnishes occasion for deep
gratitude and great encouragement.
Supply Of Ministerial Candidates.
Eight hundred and fourteen appli'
cations were received curing the clos"
ing year from the Presbyteries, seven
hundred and .eighty-seve of which
met the rules of the Assembly and
the Board, the remainder, twenty
seven, being regretfully declined. OF
the recommendations honored one
hundred and ninety-eight were New
Men, decrease Of forty-ole over
last year; and five hundred and eigh'
tynine were Renewals" a decrease
of twenty-seven over the year preced-
ing.
This decrease should not, however
occasion grave concern as it does not
represent an actual decrease in tho
total number of candidates. The ra-
ito of eight ministerial candidates
aided out of eleven remains practical
ly the same from year to year. Since
1895 there has been an increase in
the total number of candidates in the
church from eight hundred and nine
ty-six to twelve hundred and five.
Reports from many colleges reach
ed by the Boards representatives
during the year indicate genuine
awakening of interest in the call to
the ministry. According to the latest
returns there are at present in the
academic and collegiate departments
of Presbyterian Colleges four hund.
red and ninety-one men looking for.
ward to the life of minister or a
missionary. Certain features Of tho
situation, however, do not give so
hopeful an outlook, and call for deep
concern, earnest prayer and a re
doubling of effort looking toward the
securing of a more vital interest inl
Christian service on the pat of able
and endured youth. The situation in
our city and suburban churches is not
at all satisfactory The Rev. DR.. Cle-
land McAfee says, "City homes furn-
ish fewer boys for the ministry than
village homes. 1t is the material
pressure that prevents. City boys
ambitions are dwarfed by what the.
see and hear. They cannot be ric
in the ministry. The city ministe
has no chance to know the boys
his church." This is why our city
Presbyteries are not taking unde |
their care their native sons in any
due proportion to the membership Of
their churches.
1t is noteworthy also that number
of colleges from which We drew many
ministers in other days can no longer
be counted on for this service.
It is becoming clear that if the
arguments in favor of the church col |
lege be largely based on it's produc
ing very large percentage Of ordained
leadership, We must differentiate be
tween efficient and non efficient
church colleges in this particular.
The church must either support these
colleges which turn out the larges
percentage of ministers, or else aban-
don the argument altogether. 1t is
time to consider the actual effect of
the present swing away from denomi-
national affiliations, and to determine
how far the church is under the ne.
cessity of revising it's basis of appeal
for the gifts of it's members.
1t is the part of wisdom for us to
pause and reflect over the fact that,
Notwithstanding our $19,472,S06 in
college and seminary properties, our'
$20,918,224 in endowments, and our
output of $2,50O,000 yearly for their
maintenance, the Presbyterian church |
in the U. S. A. stands ninth among
the denominations in the proportion |
ate growth of ministry to population, |
according to the latest government
statistics.
In 1880 our church had one candi- |
date to every $4,000 of the popula-
ton; in 1894 one to $4,000, and in !
1912 one to $4,000.
CHANGE OF VENUE.