The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-20
PRESBYTER|ANS ID ASSEMBLE NEXT
 AT DURANT, OKLA. Adjourned Yesterday Until Tomorrow to Allow Con- mittees to Finish Work GREETINGS SENT
 TO OTHER BODIES Reports on Foreign Missions and Sabbath Schools Regarded as
 Especially Gratifying to
 the Commissioners
By MAMIE BAYS

l Presbyterian church in the United States adjourned at the close of the
 morning session yesterday not to meet 1 again until tomorrow morning, the
 reason for this action. as expressed by the moderator. Rev. John M Wells,
 D. D., was that the assembly for the present had run out of, business" | So rapid has been the dispatch of the routine business to the present l time that all matters to come before the assembly for discussion are now in the hands of the standing commit tees and the assembly as a whole can not discuss or act upon them until | they are presented in the regular or der, which is through the channel of the reports of the committees. The session of the assembly on Sat- urday morning opened with prayer, which was led by Rev R. D. Carson. The minutes of the session of Sat urday were read and were approved Several overtures and communications were read and were referred to the proper standing committees One ot these was an overture from the pres oytery of north Alabama asking for the setting apart of special day in the Sabbath schools each year for the presentation oi the interests of Chris tian education and ministerial relief and for contribution to this cause Another overture was from the pres bytery of West Hanover touching the relation of the assembly to other bodies
 DURANT IS CHOSEN The time for the first special order of the day having arrived. the selec- tfon of the place of meeting of the general assembly of 1918, the First Presbyterian church of New Orleans. La, and the First Presbyterian church of Durant Okla, were placed in nom ination.
 Each nomination was emphasized by verbal invitations from commits sioners and others representing the sections of the assembly from which the invitations were extended and by written communications from goyer- nors, mayors, churches and civic or ganizations in the two cities and states under consideration. The vote
 
 was Foverwhelmingly in favor of Du- rant. On motion of those who had nominated New Orleans the choice of Durant was made unanimous The moderator appointed the follow ing named to constitute the ad in- terim committee on proposed amend ments to the standing rules of the as sembly: pr. c. H. Hemphill. Dr. w. l.. Lingle. pr. R. c. Reed, pr. A. R. Shaw and Rev. Thomas w. Currie, all of these being members of the faculties of theological seminarIes of the as- sembly.
 On motion the stated clerk was in structed to send the following tele- grams of fraterna1 greeting:
 ''To the General Assembly of the Pres
 byterian Church, U. $. A.: Dallas,
 Tex:
 The general assembly, U. S., in ses- sion at Birmingham. Ala. sends fra ternal greetings. May the holy spirit annoint us with fitness of power in carrying the gospel of our Lord to men, for their salvation and consola- tion.'
 '1o the General Assembly of the Cum
 berland Presbyterian Church: "The general assembly of the Presby- terian Church, U S., in session at Bir- mingham, Ala, sends the salutation of brethren. May the great Head of the church give us all strength for the ac- complaining of His work for the salvation of the world.
 ITO the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church:
 The general assembly of the Presby- terian Church, U. S., in session at Bir- mingham. Ala, greets you as brethren beloved. May He whose we are and whom maka all U n 1n His will in sending out His light and His truth, which bring salvation and peace to men"
 FOREIGN MISSIONS It has been shown to the assembly that the past yeaE was one of the best years in the history of the cause of foreign missions and in his annual report the Rev. Egbert w. Smith, D. D., executive secretary of this cause. gives the follow ing important facts:
 The year just closed marks the most successful year on the foreign field in the history of the committee. The mem- bers added to the church In the various 1 mission stations number 5256, this being almost one-third more than the largest number reported in any previous year, and representing 47 additions to each or dained missionary. The membership of the native church on the foreign field has grown to B, 169 and only two synods in the church at home exceed this mem bership. There were 126 candidates for the ministry on the foreign field l2 | months ago and during the year this number has been increased to 205. lacking | only 15 of equalling the last reported en- rollment of the three largest theological l seminaries at home. The native students in boarding and day schools during the l year have increased from 16.012 to 24OO4, 1 a gain of 50 per cent, and the gain in Sunday school membership has been 60 per cent. from 6,436 to 60,55O. 1 During the past year the income from 1 native sources on the field-church. edu- cational and medical-amounted to $122 33o, as against SIS, ,29S the previous year. The contribution the past year amounts to