Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-10
The Home Mission Boards
OF My Denomination
Sermon ny
REV. FLOYD ". TDMkINS.
Tcxti Isninh NNAY. I-IG.

Money which comes through sin is
tainted money" and h- who receives
II and uses it, even though ho may
he ignorant ~ TO the methods by which
1t ~ gained. Is responsible before God
ana men. Charles Dickens. IN his
story. "Lit,ie Dorri,." brings tins out
very strongly.
We are equally responsible ns re-
cards the use OF our money. hc IL much
or little. cannot SHIFT that rcspnu-
sibi!,y upon amy committee or board
of nanaGcrs. They may 90 the d.tail
work for me, but ann bound /, Know
what my gift Tor missions Is accom-
piishimg and whether II is used ia such
way AZ would meet Cots approval.
Therefore. should kuow about these
mission boards, not To- hamper their
work TO foolish criticism. but to be,
sure that my money Is Well applied. /,
is TO aid Us hy this that our mission
airy reports ana magazines aI" pub
liShcd. We ought 10 subscribe for
these magazines ANA cad ,hcm care
fully. They are most interesting and
they tell US what is being Gone as wcll
as what needs TO be done. They bring
the field and The w"fil"is clearly b.
fore Us and rnah" US feel as IL -" were.
on the spot working With them, as IN
decd We always should be .u spirit and
in prayer In my own denomination sc
have a splendid monthly MAGAZINE.
APPLY called TIA. spirit Of Missions"
and we urge al! our p.opl, TO read it.
DO you tab and read your d.n"iuina-
'ional publications. II not DO you
think you are following your r,its for
missionary work as Nou ought"
MISSION STUDY CLASSES
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Another source OF information Is
found in mission study classes. Ia
which special mission fields aud ac-
itviticr are considered aId discussed
ffcciy Ties" classes, composed OF
old and young, ar" really fascinating.
they make =. little group -: p-op.c
feel like missionaries themselves. as
they learn "i TIA" problems the people
on the frontier ur IN i"r"lg;. lands are
facing aud red how earnest and zeal
Gus tho converts are in their relig ious
life. Why should Wc not discuss mis-
sionary WORK as readily aud a. holly
as We discuss political questions They
arc fully important AMI demand a;
east an equal enthusiasm and Ne all
have definite s0ar. IN thcm because
We have rlN"n our prayers and our
money, and also because thu issues arc
eternal. Governments viii pass away,
hut souls saved viii lax. forever.
II is good tor u 10 have Il mis-
sionary visit our church from time -
time 10 t"il Us 81 his own personal
work som" people hav" curious
idea concerning MISS iona.t"s They
think that tn"y al" quite different FROM
ordinary people and that thctr work IS
peculiar whereas. II they talked with
them and asked them questions II
would b. evident mat they are doing
on the frontiers just who; are
doing In our own church cor what wc
ought 20 be dcingl. namely boiling
people the Gospel story. and bringing
them TO Christ. II "a good, iiv" mis-
sionary could spend q wceh in each
Of our churches and meet both chill
drcn and grown pcopl" informally ii
would he most protituhl" The trouble
is they cannot Very VOL leave their
work. and SO Nc must read letters
from them ana gcio!cr iu ,m .-.sir'l,,i
visit. II would holm greatly 10th our
selves and tho missionr ries IL 81 times
could send delegate from our
church TO visit some missionary field
and then let him report To US What is
being done and what he has seen. The
freshness and reality Of such re-
port would increase both gifts and in
terest. ard We would then know just
what our money given to Gods scr
vice was ACCOMPLISHING.
NEED GREATER ACTIVITY
IN HOME MISSIONS
In our home mission work to-day
there is need for grca, activity In
the Far West Christianity is At a low
ebb Western folk have been 50 busy
making money aud cultivatinE lands
and building towns and cities that they
have almost forgotten Christianity.
Let the Sundav-school teacher of the
American sunday school Union tell you
of some Of their experiences in places
where the children know nothing Of
tho bible or Of Jesus Christ our great
Western fields are rich in ca in aud in
the products OF mine. but ;hcy are
poor in churches and Sunday schools.
And this condition il not confined Ia
the West heard :, minister not long
ago speak Of the rural districts Of cen
trail New York. where the awful iruO-
rance OF God and the Hil,lc is start
ling. Our country fields are sadly neg
lected. and rural missionary work
among farmers and little settlements
is greatly needed All these needs our
boards arc studying. and We must help
them in every possible way. We might
do great deal ourselves in the sum-
mer when we take our vacations. DO
We ever go into the country and ask
where the farmers or the mill workers
20 to church? OR arc VIC so busy fish
ing and playing golf and tennis that
even on sunday toh! these summer sun
daySD we forget our brothers and their
need?
II is good plnu TO remember that
our mission boards represent us. We
select them, and they serve us. lhrrr-
fore we cannot expect their enthusiasm
and zeal to outrun ours. III the church
which sends them is dead, they can
hardly be "A very lively board. The zeal
at the source of authority viii meas
ure the zeal OF the agents. am afraid
we forget this.
IL you tHi: ~ EAR\IiST.
EAKSESTNESS WILL SPREAD
"Why does not the board arouse
more interest and get more men and
more money" Eut. my friend. why
Are not you alive to the importance or
the service for God" II you wake up
the board will soon wake up You and
must he i'm earnest and then cur
carnestness will spread. not only To the
board, but to the missionary himself.
whom we have sent. who can tell nut
that our own church. with it's half
hearted prayers for missions and fol
the worlds salvation. Is keeping back
the seed which the missionary has