Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-04
MISSIONS REPORTS
URGE Cooperation
Recommendations to Be Pre-
scented to Convention Here
Tomorrow.

Recommendations made In group re-
ports to consider various items pertain
ing to cooperation and the lack Of 1t
in general church and missionary work
are being tentatively considered today
by the North American Home Missions
Congress, in Calvary Baptist Church.
The reports go finally to the Oflcial
Findings Committee, which will make a
list of recommendations to be presented
formally before the congress tomorrow
morning for action.
The city church came in for. criti-
cisrn during discussions on a report on
"City and New Americans" when it
was charged that the vast majority of
city churches are inadeQuately meeting
the neutrality-suspicious. to co-opera-
ton In having city properly churched.
In this connection it was pointed out
that many city churches continue to
struggle along with small congregations
of perhaps not more than $50, instead
OF taking means to combine possibly
with other small congregations and
work with them.
General Promotion Report.
In q report on General Promotion"
1t was urged that each church organiza-
ton or missionary group should make
a list of the number of centers of 1000
population or less In which the par
ticular organization is in competitive
work with other organizations. Bishop
H. Lester Smith of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, speaking from the floor
said great strides have been made
toward cooperation.
Exception was taken TO part of the
report on THE General Field of Home
Missions" which referred to home mis-
sion work asa being in two general
classes, strategic and liability" and in
dicated that mission work among the
Indians Is in the latter class. 1t was
declared from the floor that great prog
ress has been made in mission work
among the Indians It was charged
during discussion on the report that
all home missionaries are underpaid,
and 1t was recommended that a mini
mum salary of $1,000 a year and
house be provided for married home
missionary, and minimum salary of
81 300 year, without q house, be pro-
vided for the single ones.
City Conditions Considered.
Changes of conditions in cities and
tile influence of the large metropolis
on life in this country were considered
by the congress today in an effort to
formulate plans for more cooperation
In general church and missionary work
The data book compiled by various COM
mittses brought out that:
The city has become a new frontier
OF the Nation. Life in the city has
become exceedingly complex. Men and
length of life of children and the
young people is being extended, that
OF the middle-eged and old people is
being shortened
Industrial unrest and extreme radi-
calism-not always of a wholesome
character-are features of city life
Unemployment and hunger create riots.
The chasm between classes grows
wider"
other observations made in the re-
port are:
There are 100000 more males in
this country than females, but there
are more females in our cities. This
creates serious industrial and social
problems.
The city has larger percentage of
people between 20 and 81 years of age
than the country-the age of virility.
For this reason, life in the city is more
animated and more impulsive generally
Like great whirlpool, the city has
drawn to itself every element which
constitutes the life of nation-the
combination of which has created some
entirely new conditions unheard of In
the history of the world"
Three Evening Speakers.
Three speakers addressed meeting OF
the congress In the church last night.
They were.
Mrs. F. c. Reynolds. trustee of the
Woman's Home Missionary Society,
Methodist Episcopal Church, who spoke
on The West Indies" describing as
amazing the development of churches,
Sunday schools and day schools in
Cuba; Mrs. Ruth Muskrat Bronson, as
sistant guidance and placement officer
OF tie Indian Field Service Department
OF the Interior, who spoke on The In
dian" and DR.. Mordecai johnson, pres
ident of Howard University, whose SUBJ
Ject was Christian Missions and the
American Negro" Music was rendered
at the meeting by students of Howard
University.