El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-05

Evangelical Union Quickly
Follows American OccUpa-
ton Of Philippines.
WORK AMONG THE
Widest NATIVES
wv ASHNGTON. D. c., July g.
Nv Many private Institutions are

nauILGrIau and honorable task OF rdls-
ing the Filipino people to a higher level
OF civilization. Foremost among these,
perhaps. as In all other parts of the
world. stand the forces of religion. The
Roman Catholic church and the various
Protestant sects enact their usual role
OF Good SamarItans as they 90 about
the Islands preaching their various doc
trines.
The term Protestant in the Philip
pines means not only religion but an
plies the existence OF new ethical and
spiritual elements in the Islands Prior
to 1898 the Protestant faith was IN
known to the Philippines because a rIl-
ing of the Spanish crown. .Ong standing
and rigidly maintained, absolutely pro-
h55ited the incubation of any put the
Catholic religion
Protestants Early on Ground.
Protestant missionaries found their
wav into the islands almost befOIa the
echoes of Dewey's bOmbardmeut OF the
Spanish fleet IL Manila bay had died
away The pioneer missionary was the
Rev. DR.. James B. Rodgers OF the Pres
bvterian faith. who arrived in 1898 and
Immediately began services for the
American soldiers. In this work he was
assisted by various Protestant chaplains
IN the army DR.. Rodgers Is New
Yorker and had previous missionary ex-
perience in Brazil He has been in charge
OF Presbyterianism in the Philippines
since that time. He has a sister, Mrs.
Larson, who has been assisting her hus-
band in spreading PresbyteTianism
among the 4Iongolans for the past Is
years.
ground were the Rev. DR.. Homer c.
Stuntz, formerly an American lawyer,
4 M
to the islands after several years ser
vice IN India. DIT. Stuntz IS now Metho-
dist bishop Tor South America to which
position he was elected last year. Dea
con Prautch gave up tue work a few
years AGO and Is now d T;Ibber planter
Y. II. c. A. IN Islands
Y. N. C.. A. secretaries were on the
ground almost from the first in TIE
persons OF 1essrs. Jackson and GluntZ.
They worked very effectively amOEg the
soldiers the army camps and on the
battleships Mr.. Jackson left with the
troops about two years later, but Mr.
Gluntz continued to be connected with
Protestant activities off and on and at
present is a professor in the SIllamOn
institute. a Protestant college. at Duma-
gUete Oriental Negros province. Epis-
copal. Baptist, United Brethren and
Church Of Christ forces were also quick
to send workers into the new vineyard.
AT the head Of the Episcopal mission has
always been Charles III. Brent, formerly
a Boston rector, now a bishop.
Forms Evangelical Union.
Colonel Elijah J. Halford fOresawi Grip
pied endeavOr and bitter dissensiOn
among the Protestants unless some
definite agreement should be reached in
regard TO the division of labor. He ac-
cordingly suggested and led In the or
ganiZatiOn Of the Evangelical union, of
which he was the first president. 1t
was and IS composed of all Protestant
missions In the islands. 1t resulted in
the allotment TO each sect of a certain
part of the islands. Thus the NethO-
dists are given most of Luzon; the Pres
byterIans part of LuZOn and part of
the Fisayan Islands; the Baptists the
greater portion of the FisaYans, while
the Episcopal church elected to work
solely among the nOnChristian tribes and
their missions are among the IgOrOt
and other headhuntlng tribes of northern
LuzOn and the 1lOrOs and Dagans OF
Mlndanao. Manila Is neutral territory
and there the Episcopal, Methodist
Presbyterian and Christian denomina-
tons maintain churches for Americans
and other white people and also a num-
Der OF hospitals and schools Later the
United Brethren and Christian churches
deputed religious and medical mission
aries IN the islands and they were given
sections IN the locos provinces of north
ern LUZOn.
The Nicholson Bible seminary in Man
ia Is a theological college maintained
Jointly by the Presbyterians and the
MethOdists- They, have sunk their dir-
1erences IN dogma. Methodist and Pres
byterIan ministers compose the faculty
equally and the Filipino students
whether Presbyterians or Metbodisfs
take identically the same courses. which
Is marked more by the humanities than
by dOgmatic theology. The Methodist
and United Brethren churches several
years ago agreed upon a selection of
hymns which they then Jointly trans
lated Tor use among the UOconas. Var
lOus religious bodies have also cOoDer-
ated IN other ways.
Half Million Attend Churches.
FlllpinOs now attending Protestant
churches, Sunday schools and schools
number about 100000, with about half
that number as full fledged members
None of the Protestant orders strives
for a large membership. They require
deeds as well as profession of faith on
the part OF their communicates and this
is emphasized by a probationary period
OF one or two years before the convert
becomes a fun fledged member Of the
flock. The Methodists have more mem
bers and communicates than any other
order. They also seem to be developing
Filipino preachers more rapidly than the
others In fact Filipino converts now
have more native than American pas
torI4 but the latter continue to direct
che N~nrlz
Presbyterian Work Educational
The leading feature Of the Presby-
terrain work is educational. It's Sillaman
institute is the leading Protestant col
lege and might in many regards be con-
sidered the leading private institution
OF learning IN the islands. 1t is train
ing hundreds of Visayans to be well bred
well educated and patriotic citizens.
Methodism has forged ahead ranidlv
in the Islands in the last five years.
due to the excellent teamwork of bishop
+. Oldham. DR.. Marvin A. RAIDER. Rev.
Henry Farmer and Rev. A z. Cheno-
wetF An important element was con