The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-17
SYNOD Of VIRGINIA
MEETS NEXT WEEK
Sessions Will Be Held in First
Presbyterian Church at
Danville.
MANY IMPORTANT MATTERS
Question Of Systematic Bcncii-
ccnce to BE Brought Up
for Consideration.
MANY IMPORTANT MATTERS
ny MAMIE BAYS.
Especial to The Times-Disnat

| Especial to The Times Dispatch
Danville. VA. October 16-The first
OF the annual gatherings OF the large
religious denominations. to be held in
/ Virginia this fall will be that of the
/ PRESBYTERIAN Synod of Virginia. which
VIII convene in the l25th session on
tuesday evening. October 81. in the
/ First Presbyterian Church. mt Danvillc.
| The synod OF Virginia Is ono of the
strongest as we'll as one OF the oldest
OF the fourteen Synods which COM
pose tho general assembly OF the
! Southern Presbyterian Church. and its
annual session never fails 10 be mark
Ell with interest ana enthusiasm re-
gardinS the progress and development
of the work OF the church.
This synod, which for many years
has been composed of eleven presby-
terics, viii report at this session the
/ addition of unc-thc Presbytcrv of
ryearts VALLEY having been erected
by the general assembly In May Of
the present GEAR IN answer to an over
ture from the synod of Virginia. which
was adopted during tho session held in
Richmond in 1912.
Statistics of synod,
The most ~ccent figures available
show that in tho Synod of Virginia
there are 3l5 ministers. 500 churches,
/ eight iicentiatcs and scventy-onc can
/ Iidates for The ministry. ana tho total
membership Is 54.ii1. II is probable
/ that the report to be submitted mt
Danvllc Will show substantial in
crease in membership. as the result of.
( eNaneeiiatic work and additions on
/ certificate
( The year 1e1112 was marked with
decided increase IN activity In tho work
/ OF foreign missions by the synod of
Virginia and by large increase In con
/ trinuuons to this cause from every
presbytery. The amount contributed
\ IN that year was SS6.290. and il is prob
ahIe the committee on foreign mis-
sions Will report a large increase over
these figures for this year due. in part.
/ to tho payment by this synod Of its
/ proportion of the foreign mission debt
during the present year
The gift OF tho Womcn's Synodical
/ Union 10 foreign missions last wear
amounted TO $2o,2S2 This union has
+ a membership OF 7.I75.
Systematic BrncncIcncc
/ 1t Is probable that one OF the most
/ interesting subjects to come before the
synod Will be that Of systematic bene-
hccnce In all OF the synods OF the
] church there has been some hesitancv
regarding theadoption OF the assem-
bly's plan OF systematic benehccncc.
but tho hestitnncy Is disappearing
rapidly In the face OF the encouraging
statistics from tho churches which
have adopted the plan and which show
that the plan does not jeopardizc the
interest Of any cause OF the church,
ana that the contributions TO the va
rious causes have been materially In
creased as the result OF the every-mem-
Der canvass and the accompanying
features OF this new plan. During the
/ past year % per cent OF the churches
OF the general assembly have intro
duccd the cvcry-incnbcr canvass and
are enthusiastic regarding the salts
factor results obtained. These
churches represent 45 per cent Of the
membership OF the general assembly
interest In Home Missions.
During the past ten years there has
been steady Increase in interest in
homo missions in the synod Of Virginia
and steady increase every year in con-
tributions TO this cause
IN 1903 the synod gave only sG.594s6
10 this cause. whereas In 1912 the
amount given was sl5.93782 The
synod was requested TO raise $4,000 for
home missions within its hounds this
year. ana the report in this connection
VIII he anticipated with interest
During the year lsll-l2 the synod OF
Virginia gave only s275Ss5 to the
/ cause OF Christian education This
amount was contributed by 1911
{ churches, and $50 of the churches gave
nothing to this cause. Among the i71
candidates for the ministry in the gen
cral assembly. siXty-seven are from the
synod Of Virginia. Only 1913 churches
Of the synod contributed last year TO
the cause OF ministerial relief: 3Is
churches gavo nothing 10 this fund for
the support of the ministerial benen-
cinrics of the church. and tho total
amount contributed was S2.G53 So an in
crease OF s237l2 over what was given