The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-19
THE CHURCHES AND
TO-DAY'S SERVICES
PRESBYTERlANS FEEL
NEED FOR MINISTER'S
Number OF Candidates Has Not In
creased as Membership of DenOmi-
nation Ins Grown.


Tho cause OF Christian education In
tho Southern Presbyterian Church. and
especially education for tho ministry,
will receive Impetus. and no doubt
much Increased activity ms the result
OF the conference on Christian educa-
tion and ministerial relief To be hold
at Montreal, n. G.. August %. with
Rev Henry II. Sweets. D. d., OF
Louisville. in charge of tho program.
The lack of ministers Is felt In all
denominations. and In no church is
greater effort being made to get this
need met than is true Of tho Southern
Presbyterian Church. This fact Is
we'll expressed In the following words
OF DIR. Sweets. who is secretary Of tho
executive committee OF Christian cdl.
cation and ministerial relief for the
church: The church desires only those
men who are called by that spirit who
said. Separate unto me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whcreunto 1 have
called them but she (the church) has
been commanded to pray for the
the call to her sons. The duty Of the
church is clearly d.hncd by her Lord
and Master. She disrcgards II at her
own PERIL
NUNBI:R OF CANDIDATES
HAS NOT INCREASED
The membership OF the Southern
Presbyterian Church Is now 100000.
o.,
tho number OF candidates for the min
istry during the past quarter OF cen
fury has not Increased In proportion
to tho increase In membership of the
church. During this time the proper
ton of candidates for the ministry to
the membcrahip Of the church has
been an average OF about ono to every
600 members. OF the l.ISl ministers
now reported In this church, eighty
seven are unable TO work. as the re-
suit Of illness or age; 1851 are pastors:
ffty-one are evangclists or home mis-
hionaries; 100 are foreign mission
aries; scventy-threc arc engaged in
educational work: twenty are SUI
perintendents of missions and agents
of orphanaBes. colleges or seininaries:
eight arc cditorB; n!nc arc secretaries
Of the general assembly. two are
secretaries OF the Y. NJ. G. a These
figures. when compared With the ter
ritory OF the church. Will offset any
claim that might be made 10 the effect
that the church has no need for more
ministers.
LARGEST NUMBER
COME FROM COUNTRY
During the past ten years there have
been upon the rolls OF this church
1923 candidates for the ministry. and
49, have been licensed or ordained by
Che presbyteries. Other interesting
facts concerning the candidates are
Isl arc In seminary, 1853 In college 80
In schools and academies. . are study
ing privately. OF 7s3 candidates. Isl
are the sons OF farmers los are SONS
OF ministers. - are sons OF merchants.
81 arc sons OF laborers. II arc sons OF
physicians, 8 are sons OF lawyers. 10
are sons Of carpenters. and - OF salcs-
men, "a OF railroad men. II OF pro-
fessors. IL OF newspaper men. .of
bankers. : OF real estate men, OF me-
chanics, OF contractors and ) OF lu:n-
bcrmcn. Ia smaller numbers the sons
OF many OF numerous other Calllng6 IN
life are represented.
That the largest number OF cands-
dates for the ministry come from tho
country is emphasized by the fact that
Of S22 candidates In Southern Pres
byterianism 363 came from country
churches. 400 from town and li7 from
city churches.
AID GIVEN ny CHURCH
TO MINISTERIAL STUDENTS
During the forty eight years from
1855 to 1914. 2.2s7 candidates have re-
ccivcd aid from the funds OF educa-
ton for the ministry 10 the amount
OF S7so,6s9.25. During the pas; year
aid was granted to 27s candidates, TO
the amount OF s27.3o46o. the maximum
amount OF aid granted TO candidates
being 800
The receipts for Christian education
and ministerial! relief the past year
amounted to sl02.5i7.36. showing an
increase OF s5.25l.12 over the receipts
or the year before.
Among the speakers on the program
OF the conference in this interest are
Rev. c. c. Crooks. y. d, of Central
University: Rev. ]. O. McAllister. D.
D.. Of Louisville Seminary; Rev. J. S
Foster. D. d, of Birmingham; Rev
Thornton Whaling. D. n, OF Columbia
Seminary: Rev. w. L. Lingle, d. D.. of
Union Seminary, Richmond; Rev. j
Layton MauZe. d. D.. OF ST. Louis. and
Rev. a. c. Bridgman. of Hampdcn-Sid-
ney.