Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-28
RICHMOND CHURCHES MAY |
join IN GREAT CAMPAIGN
Rev. ID. Clay Lilly, ID. d.. to Speak
This Afternoon at Meet
ing for Men.
UNITE EFFORTS FOR MISSIONS
War Conditions Believed to Have
Created Worldwide Opportunity.
Failure OF Islam to Respond to
Call for Holy War Is Striking.

Rev. d. Clay Lilly. d. d.. former
pastor of the Grace Street Presbyterian
Church. is here in the interest Of a ma
ton wide campaign.
This afternoon in the Sunday school
room Of the Seventh Street Christian
Church. at 1880 o'clock. ministers, Sun
day school superintendent. Bible class
teachers. members of missionary com
mittces and men Interested in the work
OF the church will gather for the pur-
pose Of hearing DR. Lilly cxpound the
possibilities of the great campaign
now being arranged for The men pres
cnt Will be asked to decide IL Rich
inond churches care to join in with
other Virginia churches in tho holding
of State Convention In Richmond at
n later date.
The object of the meeting is de-
scribed as follows:
Tho church is facing new world
conditions due TO the war and its COM
pIications. These conditions are so
startling. go new, so widespread and
so urgent. that it will require the ut
most wisdom TO grapple with them,
and their solution will require the call
ing out in much larger measure than
hitherto the vast latent energies of tn
church.
while much has been accomplished
In enlisting laymcn in missionary ser
vice. there are still many thousands
who have not yet been powerfully
moved by this message Tho church
cannot AFFORD to neglect to put forth
the greatest possible efforts TO bring
the missionary appeal to bear upon the
iires or all potential men in the mem
bership of the churches. The Gospel
team movement and similar signs OF
activity among laymen indicate the
special ripeness OF the field.
The educational and financial meth
DDS advocated by the I.aymen's Mis-
sionary Movement have been generally
approved and adopted in theory hn.
nearly all the communions. but have
not yet been actually put into opera :
ton in large proportion Of the local
churches. These methods have proved
so effective. SO invigorating to the
spiritual life of men and capable OF
such universal adaptation, that an eff
tort on national scale 10 carry them
into actual operation in all the local
churches presents an inspiring oppor-
tunity.
The terrible conditions in Europe
have SOLDERING effect on men every
"hcre Men are open to spiritual min
istries IN very unusual way. Special
eHort Will be made in each convention
10 increase the spiritual power and cf-
nciencS OF the local church by appeals
for new and deeper devotion to Bible
study. prayer and personal service.
opportunities for missionary service
at home and abroad arc greater than
ever. The response to evangelistic an
peals in Europe, in Asia, and in parts
or America have never been surpa ssed
immigration 10 this country has prac-
tlcally ceased for time. giving Amer
lea better opportunity to assimilate
those that are here
ba 70
the call for holy war reveals in a most
striking way that there is no solidarity
IN Islam, and gives fresh courage and
hope TO those who long and labor for
the redemption OF Mohammedan lands
America is coming into new and trust
full relations with Latin America. and
the approaching conference OF mission
airy WORKERS from all Latin lands Mt
Panama in February. 1916, will do for
those lands what Edinburgh did for
missions III Africa aud Asia The time
is opportune and calls for greatly
strengthened and extended operation.
in all mission lands.
A campaign on national scale will
De challenge TO prayer as no campaign
on less extended lines could possibly be
Efforts VIII he made TO enlist all Amer.
lean missionaries on the field To nroy
constantly for the conventions IF n
great volume of prayer is called forth
mere can he no question about the far
reaching character of the results of tho
campaign. In this hour of Americas
unusually critical international reIa-
tionships. nothing less than n national
spiritual awakening can prepare our
country adequately to discharge its OH
legations of Christian brotherhood
These and other equally convincing
considerations seem to indicate unmis.
takably that God is calling the churches
10 renewed activity and effort in behalf
of the spiritual welfare and destiny Of
all mankind"