The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-22
CONFERENCE AT MORGAN

CONFERENCE AT MORGAN
German Methodist Heard Bishop e.
G. Richardson Last Night
Morgan, Mimi, September 16.-
Bishop E. C. Richardson OF Atlanta,
Ca, opened the North German con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
church here last evening. In his
address he referred to the Methodist
Centenary as follows:
Il am going to tell you some
things about the Methodist Centen-
airy. In more recent days there has
been a great deal of criticism and
fearfulness rather than thanksgiving
and joyfulness. The facts are just
as true today as they were three
years ago that the Centenary was a
divinely inspired movement. IL it
had not been for the Centenary
movement the extremely. critical
condition following the end OF the
world war would have found us un
prepared to meet them. Because of
the greatly added receipts for prac-
ticaIy all of our missionary depart
ments we were ready to meet the
been a very decided success. 1t is
true that in the first three years we
did not receive 100 percent of what
we expected. We expected to receive
in that time $60,000,000. This ex-
pectation was not based on a solid
foundation. When we consider the
many pledges that were made for
only one year, the many pledges
that were paid entirely the first
year, the number of pledges that
were in property, estate notes. and
matters Of that kind, the reasonable
expectation for the first three years
would not have been more than
about $50,000,000. The actual re-
ceipts were $4,000. 900. Anyone who
is acquainted with financial cam
paigns extending over period Of
years will admit that this was
marvellous victory. There were weak
spots, of course, in the Centenary as
in everything else that is human.
These weak spots are well known
and if our pastors and people will
avoid them the new missionary
standard of our church will be
maintained and very greatly in
creased.
The success of the Centenary is
more marked when we consider the
smaller boards of our church and
the major boards. All Of the small
boards are in receipt of from three
to five time as much as they would
have been receiving had it not been
for the Centenary. The work that
they were able to accomplish is cor
respondingly greater. .er
THE Centenary movement in our
church also furnished a decided
impetus for the missionary task in
almost all of the other evangelical
churches. Quite a large part Of the
credit for the New Era movement in
Twentieth Century movement in the
Baptist church, and for the large
increase in giving for missionary
purposes can be traced directly
back to our increased Centenary
giving.
1--WE are too close to the Centen-
airy to see it in its true light We
lack perspective. The historian OF
this quarter century will give large
space to this movement in Protest
ant Christianity. A great deal still
remain to be done The giving in
our church, while it has consider
ably increased, has not yet ap-
preached shcrificial terms. A true
sense of Christian stewardship has
come to perhaps ten percent OF our
membership. II it could descend up
on the entire membership we would
then be giving for the salvation of
the world as our Lord really wants.
In one Of our large churches of ov-
er 1900 members the district super
inCendent discovered that go percent
of the missionary money was being
given by two and one half percent
of the membership. This small per-
centage was allied in a tithing band.
1t will readily be seen what that
church would do II the othe 81 1-2
percent of the members were giving
in the same proportion.
I'VE are facing today the strong
probability of decrease in receipts
over last year. A number Of reasons
have been = alleged to account for
this shrinkage. Very few of these
alleged reasons can stand investiga-
ton. WeNare told that there is much
less money in circulation. If this is
and invested. The banks OF the
country report several hundred mil
lion more dollars on deposit than a
year ago. Whenever a reputable
bond or stock issue has been made
in recent months it has been over
subscribed several times. While tax
receipts of the government have de-
creased in the sum total the taxes
for Injuries have not decreased. Our
people have plenty of money. 1t Is
a rather significant fact that there
has not been any slump in the for
eign mission fields of our church
this year. No one would say that
the reason for this is that business
or general conditions are good in
those countries. The only country
in the world that has approximately
good business and financial condi-
tons is the United States. In spite
of hard times and disturbances, eco
nomically and political conditions,
there has been no slump on the for
,eign field.
81 believe that we can find in this
fact the real reason for shrinkage
at home, that is, lack of real inter
est in an appreciation of Christian
ity. The one who sees Christianity
in countries with nom christian be-
liefs appreciates its superiority. The
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