Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-14
WAY TO SAVE WORLD IS
FIRST TO SAVE AMERICA
Home Mission Committee Of South
crn Presbyterian Church Issues
Stirring Appeal.
PROBLEMS or IMMIGRATION
Expect Big Influx of Foreigners,
Broken in Health and Fortunes,
When War in Europe Is Termi-
mated


The declaration OF Rev L. Il. Meyer
Iof london. man of world renown and
VICE travel. that the United States is
the greatest mission field OF the world
IS being emphasized daily by the facts
OF special interest and import that
come INTO the possession Of tn. men
ana women who are dcroiine their
lives TO the work of home missions
~ is well-known fact that. owing to
the rapid increase in immigration dur
ing recent years, there is now a larger
number of Jews in New York than in
any other city of the world and "a
larger number Of Germans and Ital-
i'ns IN New York and Chicago than
IN amy other cities of the world except
Berlin and Rome. For 4 number of
years past and until the outbreak of
the war III Europe the number Of for
eiEherS landing upon the shores of the
United states was 100000 a year
sixty every minute OF the day and
night.
This fact. combined with the other
home-mission problems of the south
the need and the desire OF the moan
tain people for intcllectua! and spiritual
training and the need of the Indians
of the West and that OF the 1900 600
negroes of the South--has caused the
General Assembly of tho Southern Pres
bSterian Church. In answer To the re-
quest OF the home mission committee
TO set aside NoNcmbe, as the month to
be known as home mission" month
and the month when the entire mem
bership of the church will he urged
to remember the cause OF home mis-
sions with liberal contributions
LARGE GAIN IN MEMBERSHIP
IN MISSION CHURCHES
The home-mission committee is facing
already a debt of $4,000. but no re-
trenchment has occurred in the work
Of the secretaries and other members
Of the committee nor in that of the 100
home missionaries of the church who
are laboring in every section of the
South, and some OF them receiving Il
salary as little az $50 per month 1t
is striking fact in this connection
that Of the 1900 members added To the
Southern Presbyterian Church, on cx
animation last year almost one third
OF the number was the result of the
work of the home missionaries OF the
church.
The value Of home missions becomes
more plain when II is remembered that
the Southern Presbyterian Church led
all denominations iii the South last
year III the percentage Of members
aided 10 the church. The increase or
this church was per cent. whereas
the other large denominations of the
South did not exceed per cent. in the
addition of members. The rate OF in
crease among Presbyterians was equal
TO one addition to ehe church tor every
S36 expended.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ASKS 81 PER MEMBER
The amount which the General AS
senlbly asks from the churches for the
cause OF home missions this year Is
S333,O00. an average OF 81 per member,
and the receipts for this cause TO Sep
tcmber 80 were only 3,749. hence the
appeal from the executive committee
OF home missions for liberal offerings
during the month of November is the
words constitute part of this appeal:
| AT time when America is enormous
| ~ wealthy. when pros 2crity Is over
wheiming the nation and Christ's peo-
pie growing rich by leaps and
bounds: at a time when the forces OF
evil are so active and aggressive. can
the church afford TO allow iis faithful
servants To suffer and allow this fun
damentally important work % be halt
ed by lack Of funds.
The home mission committee is re-
minding the church OF its present re-
sponsibility regarding the work Of
home missions. and is reminding il also
of the infinitely increased RESPONSIBLE
ity which will face the church in this
connection when the war In Europe
shall have come to an end and when
| multitudes of foreigners with broken
health and fortune and facing the loss
of home and family will look TO and
! eagerly come 10 America as the most
1 desirable country to renew nealth and
secure fortune. and tn forget as far n
possible the devastation and sorrow of
war thus giving to America. ard TO tho
United States especially. a home mis-
sion problem to solve OF such magni-
tude as never has faced a country be-