Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-19
IMPORTANT OVERTUREs
PRESENTED TO ASSEMBLY
Southern Presbytcrians, in Session at
Birmingham, Get Down
to Real Work.
1861 PERSONS ADDED IN IEAr.
General Assembly, at Dallas, Ar
ranges Patriotic Program, to Con-
Sist OF Addresses and prayer for
America" for Next Tuesday.

BIRMINGHAM. ALA, May lS.--Thc
appointment OF necessary committees
to the organization at it's meetings
here was the chief business at the
morning session OF the ffty-seventh
General Assembly OF the Presbyterian
Church in the United states to-day.
Announcement was made OF the re-
ceipt of n cablcgram from Dr. George
Adam Smith. moderator of the United
Free Church OF Scotland. in which he
said:
With firm faith in the righteousness
OF our cause. we gratefully hail the
entrance of your people into the al
lance for justice, freedom and peace"
The message was referred to the COM
mittcc on foreign correspondence for
suitable reply.
The stated clerk OF tho assembly
made the announcement this morning
that during the pas, year 1861 per-
sons were added 10 the church member
ship rolls through "A confession Of faith.
bringing ;he total number up to 3s3,G5l.
This does not include members enter
ing the church by certificates Of
transfer
presented 10 the assembly to-day were
the following:
The Suwancc Presbytcry asked the
assembly to instruct the home mission
committee on preshyteries to- use
means for providing living salaries for
ministers serving in home mission
fields
The Brazos Presbytcry requested the
return To the old method of giving aid
20 candidates for the ministry.
STANDARDS or EFFICIENCY
IN SABBATH SCHOOLS
Tho Winchester Prcsbytery asked a
revision Of the standard of efficiency
in Sabbath schools. so as TO emphasize
the study Of the catcchisms and Sab
bath observance
The Pine Biun Prcsbytcry presented
an overture touching the separation Of
the gifts OF womcn's societies from the
gifts OF men.
From the ST. Johns Prcsbytery came
an overture asking the assembly To
define worldly conformity" in the
n:rrativ" blank. or omit it. st Johns
also presented an overture seeking tho
transfer by the Presbyterian Assembly.
United states of America. Of all it's
churches in Florida To our assembly.
IN tSChahEt lOF inc transfer TO II OF
our churches in oklahoma"
The st. Louis Prcsbytcry protested
against the action OF the last assem-
bly, on woinan's work in the church.
and asked for change Of its de-
iivcrancc.
Or /. s. McElroy. representative Of
the General Alliance of Protcrtant
Churches in America. and Or. John b.
Brown, general secretary OF the
American Bible Society, delivered ad-
dresses TO the assembly.
Or McElroy reported that much
progress had been made during the
past year looking To more comfy
among the churches of the United
states, while Or. Brown reported that
1900. 600 New Testamcnts had been dis
Europe. and that 10000 had been dis
tributcd along the Mexican border TO
soldiers. DR.. Brown cited figures
showing that ll7.00o.C00 Bibles have
been printed in all languages
pr. John Miller Wells. the new
moderator pastor of the First Preshy-
tcrian Church at Wilmington. " g..
for the past sixteen years. was born
in 1870 in Kinds County, Miss. He
was educated at Southwestern Cuiver-
sitE Clarksvillc, Tenn. and Union
Theological Seminary. Richmond. He
served in pastoratcs first at Buena
Vista and Staunton. Va.