The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-12
pnE-AssEMBLr CONFERENCES.
Plans for Lnymen's Missionary Move
mcnt Will be Arranged.
by MAMIE DAYS.

| Special interest attaches TO the nll-
day conference of permanent commit
| tees of foreign missions from tho va
rious presbytorics. including tho COM
mittecs of tho Laymen's Missionary
Movement. which is to he held In At
| lanta OH Wednesday next. tho day pro-
cedlng the opening of the General AS
sembly OF tho Southern Presbyterian
Church. This conference will DO held
| in the First Presbyterian Church. This
conference will be open to all com
missioners and visitors TO the General
Assembly
The meeting or the general commit
toe of the Laymen's Missionary Move
mont TO be held on that day will be
one of marked Importance from more
than ono point of view. OF special in
terest in this connection Is that this
meeting will mark the sixth annivcr-
sary of tho Laymcn's Movement I'm tho
Southern Presbyterian Church. and on
this account the general committee is
making special effort to get every man
from all parts of the church who is
identified with the movement and who
can possibly be In Atlanta Mt this time
to he present at this meeting The
officers and executive committee OF tho
movement for the coming year Will be
elected IT this meeting. and the gen
eral plan and policy of the movement
for the year Will be discussed and ar
ranged.
the morning and afternoon. the Law
mems Movement Joining with the pre-
assembly conference on foreign mis-
sions, and In the evening. from . to S
o'clock. banquet Will be held, In CON
nectlon with the closing business SEES
sion. and an inspirational meeting will
follow the banquet and close the all
day conference.
The spirit of Thanksgiving will mark
this conference especially on account
OF the large Increase In gifts to for
eign missions which have bcen made
by the Southern Presbyterian Church
during the year just closed. and for
home missions also. Much OF the
splendid progress that has been made
has been due to the work Of the Inv
mems Missionary Movement. which, In
all probability, is organized more thor
ouEhly In the Southern Presbyterian
than in any other church
All inns, and more. is true of the
Laymen's Movement among the men of
southern presbyterianism. Six years
ago at the beginning OF the organiza-
ton of the movement in this church.
the total amount contributed by the
church TO foreign missions was only
S-52OO0 whereas the amount contri-
buted this year was s632. 1000; six years
ago the amount the church gave to
nome missions was $4,000 and this
year it was $4,000. The I.aymen's
for this large increase In gifts TO mis-
sions, but the entire church recognizes
that the influence and work of the
movement In bringing about this re-
suit is far greater than can be esti-
mated
The three great missionary conven-
tons held within the past four years
at Birmingham. Chattanooga and Mem
phis-under the auspices of the Lay
mems Movement. have been sources of
missionary education and Inspiration
which have Influenced every part OF the
church, and the same ia true of the
splendid contribution to the literature
of the church, which the Laymen's
Movement has made In the form of con-
vention addresses, pamphlets and leaf
lets dealing with the missionary enter
prise.
Charles y. Rowland business man
or Athens, Georgia, is chairman of the
Laymen's Movement In the Southern
Presbyterian Church. and to no one
man, minister or layman does the
church owe more for it's success than
10 this modest, hard working and un-
selfIsh man. He shrinks from publicity
and hides himself within Christian
WORK but his quiet. unassuming per-
sona!ity commands and holds conf
dence by mere contact. and the force
OF no one life in his church is felt
farther and more largely for good than
Is true OF his own