The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-22

the work of reporting Sunday the
talents and training of brilliant and
experienced newspaper man and
showed the cub reporters how to
make the now well-known evangelist
famous.
VAST IN IOWA HOME MISSIONS.
For some years the Rex. p Marion
oimms, Phi. D., pastor Of the Presby-
terrain church, in Vinton, Iowa, has
peen delivering lectures on the
lyceum and chatauqua platforms. de-
voted to the wastes, foIlies and non
sense Of divided professionalism and
the remedy What Must the Church
90 to be Saved?" is book from his
pen which has just come from the
press OF the Fleming H. Revell Co..
Eor New York. It contains all the mat.
ter OF his lectures but not In the
form OF lectures, and much more be-
SIDES. AS an example of the waste
Of sectarianism, he points out the CON
oiticn of missionary work among
fresbyterians of Iowa. So far as tho
Z
kingdom of God is concerned he con.
siders the work in the state very large
y waste of the Lords money. Here
Is what he says of the situation.
The writer has made a study nv
correspondence OF home mission con-
dltlons in Iowa, in the Presbyterian
church. north, for the statistical wear
reported to the synod, October. 1910.
n iowa ten per cent of the Offering
O. the church for home missions is
sent TO the general board in New
York, and with the remainder the
nome mission work of the state Is car
ed for by the Iowa board.
According to the minutes Of the
synod eighty-two churches received
aid during the year. Seven Of these
were situated In towns of more than
o,oo0 POPULATION. or in cities, They
are not included in our study. The
Iseventy-f1ve remaining churches pres
ent some interesting facts.
The total membership of the sew
enty-five churches was 1926, an aver
age Of forty-one and ffve-tenths each.
They had lost fifty-six members in
three years. The board spent 1895
In their support. Two Presbyteries
reported to synod for only six months.
Their reports Of expenses are doubled
In order to make a complete exhibit
of the synod's year. OF these seven
ty-fve churches, twenty-eight were
situated where there was no other
English church. These twenty-eight
churches had membership of six
hundred and seyenty-seven, an average
of twenty-four each. They received
from the board $3,254. These churches
ARE needed OF these seyenty-ffye
churches, forty-seven were located
where there was one or more other
English churches. They had mem
bership of 2,449. an average of fifty.
two each. They received from the
board $1,000. Four Of the forty-seven
failed to report their rank twelve
ranked first; and thirty-one ranked
from second to fifth in their respective
communities. That means that thir-
ity-one out of the forty-seven churches
situated where there were other Eng
lish churches, were situated where
there were from one to four other and
stronger English churches. Forty
five per cent of the money spent on
the seventy-fve churches went to the
support of these churches so located.
The four churches falling to report
rank may belong to this class
also, and most of them doubtless do.
The percentage spent on such
churches then ought to be larger
probably fifty. But counting all the
four churches not rerorting rank as
ranking first 1t would probably have
reported that fact-and over thirty.
seven per cent Of the home mission
money expended in Iowa by the Pres
hyterian church, North, goes t.
churches in villages and towns OF
less than 1000 population where there
are from one to four other and
stronger English churches. Every
dollar of this Is wasted These re.
ports came from the churches them
selves and 1t is not to be supposed
that they moderated their own stand
ing. In reporting rank. churches were
asked to consider numerical strength
financial standing and general In
fluence.
TWENTY-FIVE of the seventy-five
churches had a membership each OF
TWENTY-FIVE or less. their total mem
bership was three hundred and forty
four. an average of fifteen and SIX
tenths. They cost the BOARD S2.Sls
for the year. Six OF the twenty-tWo
were situated where there was one
or more English churches and these
six received $541.'
Rev. Mr.. Simms tells of one town IN
the state that has a population OF Loo
with four churches--Methodist, hpis
copal, Lutheran and Presbyterian. Inc
Methodist church Ii strong. The Epic
copal church with fifteen members re
ceives six hundred dollars home mis-
sion money; the Presbyterian churcn
with twenty members receives one
hundred dollars. Seven hundred dol
lars OF home mission money to sup
port two rival churches with 2 tota'