The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-10
Every Minister and Missionary
in the Denomination, With
His Wife, Has Gone to To-
rOAto
ALSO ONE lAYMAN
FOR EVERY CHURCH
Five Thousand Leaders Meet
in Connection With the Gen.
efal Assembly
(i:y the Religious Rambler

(i:y the Religious Rambler
Across the border. where they are
not given to blowing trumpets, there
i, a. the present time under way the
most spectacular religious gathering
an Am crican history. Five thousand
persons. all OF them ministers. ell
ders or ministers wives. gathered q
week ago in Toronto for a great mis-
saonary conference prior to the meet
ing OF the Canadian Presbyterian
General Assembly. These represent
20 every congregation in the denom-
iRAtioa. and they met as the guests
Of a group OF Presbyterian laymen.
The idea of this huge and novel
meeting originated with the 1aymen
and at once seized the imagination OF
the church. 1t was looked upon as a
grand review Of PresbyterianiSm as
we'll as a school of instruction and a
time of inspiration. Its lessons III
patriotism promise to be no less pO-
tent than its power for Presbyterian
ism. Never before las any great &C.
clesiaStical body attempted to get rep
~resentatives OF every one OF its con-
gregations TO a single meeting. The
biGness of the idea is one Of the pro-
ducts of the Iaymen's Movement.
bringing the Ends Together.
Canads a never had such a lesson
IA imperialism as these Presbyians
III l1c tIGB Oit
from the Klondike and from New
foundiand, and from every section OF
the country between. Literally the
eutire denomination Of Canada is rep
resented. Hundreds of men from the
West have not been East since they
first went to the frontier. the
occasion meant As an experience in
the lives OF the individuals of the
multitude is easily imagined.
Every pastor and missionary, and
his wife. in the denomination was in
vited, Without any cost to himself
In addition, the invitation included
enc elder from every Presbyterian
congregation.
The transportation charges alone
are estimated to have cost the quar-
antors a hundred thousand dollars
In addition to this was the entertain
ment which Toronto provided. TIL
task OF caring for SO many stranger
has been no slight one. especially q
"Re thousand westernerS came in
day ahead of time because the rail
ways desired to avoid the congestion
of the opening day. The Presbytc
rian homes of Toronto, the hotels an
such institutions as Knox COlleg
have been overlooking with Presbyte
riap v~tsitors for ten days past.
The occasion has been a Strikin
demonstration OF the fact which ha
many times and in many ways bee
plain by the Iaymens MiSsiOnar
Movement, that the men Of tn
churches are ready to give large sum
IL big enterprises.
HO wthc Laymen Dit II.
Doubtless this is the most strikin
manifestation of the power OF Tn
laymens Missionary Movement in til
churches. This movement from tt
first has taken strongest root in Car
ada and the southern states. The e.
AatttiNa SaNVntn-xs nT tho Nahto
movement is an American, Herbe
X. Caskey, formerly secretary of I'll
Philadelphia Y. NJ. c. A. The Can;
ian churches have been led to dO'
hte their missionary gifts: they ha'
induiged i'm trans-continental mi
Siopary tours and campaigns: thu
ave quickened the Christian imp
rialism of the Dominion to an unpr
Ccdented point. and now they a
massing in the largest auditorium
Canada this unique company of lea
ers.
The educational value OF the
mass meetings has long been demo
strated on a smaller scale by Il
Laymeus Movement. The psycholo,
of the crowd is utilized for arouSil
interest in religious work. What
will mean to the men, and especial
the women on the frontiers Of Can
da to have shared in the largest q,
most representative gathering OF a.
sort that the Dominion has CIV
known. is apparent to anybody wi
Imagination.
An Imperial Project.
Capad has led the world in certa
religious enterprises. Thus. in t
matter Of church union it is far abe
OF the states. All the Methodist {
nominations have been merged II
one. So have all Presbyterian q
BAPTIST bodies. Now negotiations
under way for actual organic union
the Presbyterian. Methodist and Ct
gregational churches.
The I'resbyterianS have been es