The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-20
CHURCH
WORK
AT Summer Assembly of
Southern Presbyterians
EVENTS AT MONTREAL

Poi t'N AZ IL CIAlPlldSlLSu DIT NlOu-
treat more during the various con-
ferences Of the summer assembly Of
Southern Presbyterians than is true
Of the work of the church in the coun-
try. in the rural districts. The inn
portance of this work will continue
to be emphasized until the close Of
the assembly. There is a marked
awakening on the Importance of this
work, and the church has been and
will be urged to renewed efforts in
the rural districts upon the ground
especially that it is from the country |
church that the city church draws its
strongest support, and that if the city
church is to continue to live and &C
COmplish it's mission in the world, it
must continue to draw strength from
the church in nthe The fact
is being emphasized forcibly that the
reason PreSbyterianiSm is not so
strong in a large territory in North
Carolina as is MethOdism and the
Baptist denomination is that the lat
ter churches give much more atten-
ton to the establishment and sup
port of country churches than does
the former. There are thirty cOun-
ties in the territory embraced in Abe
marie P~resbytery, in the Synod Of
North Carolina, and. in this Presby-
terry there are only thirty-four Pres
by terrain churches, with a total mem
bership Of 1913, and only 400 of these
members are in country churches,
while in the same territory Method
lists have 100 churches, with a total
membership Of 1900 members, a
large per cent of these being connect
ed with country churches. There
are in Wake county q Baptist and
10 Methodist churches, and only one
Presbyterian church. that being in
Raleigh. The Importance Of re-
newed effort on the part Of the church
in the rural districts is emphasized by
such facts as this that within a radius
OF four miles around an abandoned
church in Wake county and within
sixten miles Of Raleigh. there are
five hundred people. residents OF that
section. who are not identified with
any church.
IT is believed also that a revival
of the work Of the church in the coun-
try will be of vast assistance in SOW
ing the problem of ministerial supply
which is now one Of the greatest prob
are 3,4OO churches in the General AS
sembly of the Southern Presbyterian
church, and 1900 Of these churches
are now without pastors, and the
ministry of this church at the present
time barely supplies the vacancies
caused by the retirement Of the older
ministers. There were 442 candi-
dates for the ministry in this church
last year and of that number S61
Wei lTOUH III COuALAy o q IAS
city. and more than one-half of the
entire number from homes.
The number Of guests at Mon.
treat this season is far in excess OF
any other season in the history. Of
the Mountain Retreat Association
States is represented among tht
guests, and several denominations, a:
we'll. The number. OF young people
here is decidedly larger than eve
before, and the attention that is be
ing given to the entertainment OF tn
more popular with both old ant
young. There is AZ we'll organized
club for boys, knowh as the Mon
treat Athletic Club, and under tn
spartanburg, the boys of this club ar
receiving the best physical and mo
raj training. This club recently Sc
cured in subscription more than nv
hundred dollars to be used in tn
erection of a club house for the boy
at Montreal.
Mrs. j. K. Colt Of Nacooche
Ca, is in charge of the work in tn
interest of the girls n children
A kindergarten is conducted eacl
morning, five days of h week, 10
the little children, while the olde
girls fine entertainment in the Mon
treat Merry Makers Club, where the
spend several hours each week l
athletics for girls, in h practice o
needle-work. and in study.
During the present season many al
t~ractive improvements have bee
made in the Montreal hotels as tn
result of the work OF the Montrea
Woman's Cooperative Association
composed Of women In all parts 9
the South who are interested IN IN
development Of Montreal
The program of the coming wee
will include three important confer
ences-one In the interest OF tn
Woman's Missionary Union, one !
the interest OF the Million and q hal
Campaign" and. one in the fntere:
Of Foreign Missdou4 More b
usual interest Is attached to the sex
Ond OF these conferences, Ia view {
the fact that it will lake the place c