The Washington herald., 1914-05-02
PRESBYTERIAN.

The Brotherhood OF the First Presby-
| terrain Church in Baltimore Is embarking
on a new line OF activity. Its bulletins
published throughout the city call at
tention to its free employment bureau,
which is intended to act as an informa-
| ton bureau for those who are seeking
positions and for the employers OF help,
TO the advantage OF both. IL is not to be
limited to msmbers of any particular
church. The services offered are fur
nished free.
Presbyterians intelligently interested In
missions are naturally anxious to know
under what conditions the mission boards
closed their books at the end OF the fiscal
year. March 81. Especially is interest
Keen In learning whether the two great
boards In New York tthe foreign board.
which handles well on to two and a half
million dollars. and the home board,
which distributes about a million and a
halD have succeeded in covering their
obligations. The balance sheets now
shown by these two eminent missionary
organizations are not the most encour-
aging possible. Both find themselves
confronting large and almost staggering
defcits- The foreign board is Particularly
burdeRed, because II has carried over
from March II. 1913. defcit Of $500.
and to this Is now added the deficiency
Ts
debt OF s2s3.00o
The paradoxical thing about the huge
deficit of the foreign board IL the fact
that the constituents OF the board gave
$4,000 more money for missionary pur-
poses I'm lsl3-li than in l912-l3. but this
increase was wholly in gifts designated
for specific purposes. The amount OF
gifts from living sources paid into the
general fund to meet the boards regu-
n Dnt
the board found II imperative TO increase
these regular appropriations S135,OCo TO
take care of the normal expansion re-
Quired by the very success Of its work.
Obviously this combination OF decreased
gifts and increased expense spells deficit.
Next month the 126th General Assem-
bly, Of the CNorthern) Presbyterians will
meet a. Chicago. The entertaining church.
the Fourth of that city. has new
$4,000 house of worship and. II is sail.
the most beautiful Presbyterian auditO-
rum In the world. The retiring moo
orator, DIR. John Timothy Stone, Is ITS
pastor. To him and to his successor Dr..
s. Hall Young. Of Alaska, will give wal
rus-tusk gavels. Visits and addresses
from President Woodrow Wilson and
Secretary William ]. Bryan are expected.
The board Of home missions will report
port to assembly its second deficit in
fifteen years. The only previous time
when debt has been incurred since the
administration of Secretary Charles L.
Thompson began, was in le0i-s. the year
OF panic. Doubtless business depression
has something to do with the present
shortage, and current criticism OF the
board of home missions is likely charge
able with a part of II. II is noticeable,
however that out of So 900 decline in
receipts from live sources. about half
is attributed to the Synod of New Jersey.
where. by mutual agreement OF the synod
and the board. new plan for division
Of home mission offerings went into ef-
feet last autumn. New Jersey Synod
now receives 6 per cent of all the home
mission money raised within its borders.
The decline in "Iive receipts would
have been greater IL the synods of Indiana
and Ohio had not made very handsome
increases. The larger part OF the deficit
is attributed. however. TO the enlarge
mcnt of the boards work during the
year.
At the Gunton-TempIe Memorial
Church the Rev William s. Holt ID. D..
Of Philadelphia. will preach Sunday
morning at II o'clock. and DIR. Granger.
the pastor. will preach at s p. m. The
evening sermon topic will be THE A B c |
OF the Gospel
Friday evening. in the chapel, there |
will be a meeting OF the men Of the church. |
Rev. DR.. William J. johnson will give |
an address on The Religion OF Lin |
colin
Last Sunday the annual report OF the |
finances for the church year. just closed |
was issued and. it is stated. showed the |
most successful year in the history of |
this church. The grand total of 50, ,2l9. 43, |
outside of the $3.50 subscribed for float |
ing debt of long standing. The Easter |
offering In addition amounted to Sl,ON2 |
The net gain in membership for the year |
is reported as fOrty-nine.