Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-09-15
AN APPEAL MADE
M. E. CHURCH BOARD
An Offering From Every Methodist
Church To Raise $500 For
Religious Work at Camps

/ The following appeal viii be made
tomorrow in all Methodist Episcopal
Churches on behalf of the Board Of
Home Missions of that denomination:
Our country has accepted the chal-
lenge of most cruel and merciless
war The foes of democracy would
undermine the foundations of civili-
zation and the fundamental principles
OF civil government. The Methodist
Episcopal Church is brought face TO
face with moral and spiritual respon-
sibilities greater than she has ever
known before. Ii is the duty of the
Church in such an hour To bring to
the support of the nation its fun
measure Of strength and most loyal
support Methodism has already gem
erously aided the Red Cross and the
Young Mems Christian Association
and stands ready to cooperate heart
lily with all righteous forces in this
world wide struggle for the rights of
man. Our Church is giving without
reserve her young life In a few
more days some 10000 of her BRAY
est sons will be with the colors. The
first duty of our great Church is to
insure the finest fellowships, the most
wholesome Christian influences ana
counsel TO these sons of ours who
have left home, church, friends. and
business careers to answer the call
of our country
No greater opportunity for service
and ministry will ever come to our
Church In cooperation with SINH
lar attempts on the part of practical
ly all the other denominations, the
Methodist Episcopal Church should
aim not only to maintain and
strengthen the ties which bind our
young men to the home church. but
also to reach every enlisted men with
kindly personal fellowship and the
warm Gospel message.
Our local churches at these camp
centers will be overwhelmed by the
coming of from forty to fifty thousand
soldiers and a contingent citizenship
of half as many more assembled at
each of these great military centers
The church building and church
equipment at many of these centers
are inadequate for the needs of the
local community, to say nothing about
trying TO meet the needs of these
thousands of soldiers. Pastors of
local churches are overworked with
the care of the local community 1t
will be necessary, therefore, in some
case to increase the capacity of the
Methodist churches and in others to
build temporary structures in order
to make room for the soldiers. AS
sociate pastors must be provided.
Devout men, men of outstanding abil-
ity must be sent into these vast
throngs to get in touch with our
Methodist young men and break TO
them the Bread of Life. Some of our
boys will be in hospitals with no fa-
filiar voice to speak to them Our
soldiers will not find the transforma-
tion from civil to military life an easy
adjustment The Church of Jesus
Christ can render a mighty ministry
in this new, strange, perilous life.
I'm order to give to our young men
while in camp the moral and spiritual
support they must have, The Board of
Home Missions and Church Extension
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
has authorized an appeal to the
Church for a special offering of not
less than $25000. This fund is to be
administered by the Board. The con
tributions of the local church will be
credited as special gifts and a special
gift voucher sent. The money will be
used for the support of volunteer
chaplains, to furnish equipment for
regular Methodist Episcopal chap
lains in the army and navy, and to
equip adequately the local churches
near the camps.
Sunday, September 16, is the day
set for the special offering in the
churches Already the work of the
Board has begun The response Of
the Church should be prompt and
liberal"