Year: 1877




2 ments, together with the further fact that 16
! organized churches have no house of worship
} 80 of which Immediately need them and ar
suffering for the want of them, at once shoy
how little has been done in this department
how much needs to be done, and how impera
tive is the duty resting upon those who Cal
help in this work to do 80.


MANsEs.


The attention of the Executive Committe,
has during the year been directed to this in
tereeting subject, and inquiries addressed tt
the chairman of the Presbyterial COMMITTEES
have resulted in securing the following infor
nation: There are in ffty.four Presbyteriel
one hundred and eighty-six churches which
own manses, only nineteen of which were
vacant at the time the report was made, an(
a number of these were expected to be sup
piled at an early day. The large majority
of the Presbyterial Committees express the
opinion that the possession of manse has a
decided influence in securing the greater per.
manency of the pastoral relation. In few
cases this opinion has not been formed. The
Presbytery of Lexington has the largest
number of manses-twenty; and not one Of
these churches is vacant. The Presbytery OF
Winchester has eleven, with the same result.
The Presbytery of Montgomery has eleven,
two of which were vacant at the time of the
report. The Presbytery of Harmony has
eleven and one vacant. Tae Presbytery of
Roanoke has nine, and the chairman of its
Committee expresses the opinion that had it
not been for the possession Of these it would
have been impossible for the churches, with
one exception, to have maintained the minis.
try. 1t seems clear from these statements
that it is very important for every pastoral
charge to own comfortable residence for its
minister. Such results as these could not
have been attained unless there were potent
influence for good in the possession of the
manse. Not only is there this much added
to the support of the minister over and above
what the people would otherwise be able and
willing to give, but as home provided by
the Church for him who ministers to them in
the Gospel, it becomes endeared at once to
the minister's family and to the people of his
charge, and is thus strong bond of sympa-
thy between them. This form of church en-
dowment seems to be free from objections
which may be legitimately urged against
other permanent congregational investments
for the support Of the Gospel, and were it not
that there is 80 much to be done in the direct
work of supporting the ministry and in estab-
fishing and building up the feeble churches,
it might be we'll for the General Assembly to
initiate measures looking towards securing
manse in every pastoral charge. As it is,
the Committee recom4ends that the attention
of Presbyteries and churches be called to this
subject, and that they be urged as far as prac-
ticable to secure manse in every. pastoral
charge.


SUGGESTIONS.


1t has been suggested to the Executive
Committee, that perhaps the rule adopted by
the General Assembly in regard to not aid
ing churches ordinarily for period longer
than five years should be abandoned, as in
many cases it must be practically imperative,
and it is not wise to class as extraordinary,
cases which have already become and must
continue to be common. To the Committee
there appears much force in this suggestion,
and were it not that such large latitude is
already conferred in judging of such cases,
they would recommend that the rule be re-
scinded The matter is referred to the Gene
raj Assembly for its consideration.


Two things of practical nature in regard
to feeble churches ought always to be kept in
view: 1st. 1t is from them that our ministry
very largely comes. I'd. They are the feed
ers of the strong churches. Their loss is
oftentimes the gain of other fields which bat
for the strength thus drawn from these unsc-
knowledged sources would have remained in
significant, if they had continued to exist
Many of the best workers of the town and
city churches have been converted and
trained in weak country congregations, and
these latter may surely say without presump.
ton, "if we have sown unto you spiritual
things, is it a great thing if We shall reap
your carnal things?'


1t has also been intimated to the Commit
tee that it might be well for the Assembly to
adopt rule requiring every church which is
aided, 10 certify that it's promises of pecunia-
ry support to it's minister have been fulfilled
before the aid furnished by the ASsembly's
fund shall be paid. This suggestion is re-
ferred to the Assembly for it's consideration,
but with the remark, that such arule appears
to be liable to the very grave objection, that
while in some cases it might set we'll on the
churches, in others it would be the source Of
very great embarrassment to the minister, he
finding himself in the double misery of being
unpaid both by his people and by the AS
sembly.


| EVANGELIsTIC WORK.


The distinction between Sustentation and
Evangelistic work is not as yet thoroughly
defined in all the Presbyteries. The metes
and bounds of these branches Of work are,
however, becoming better marked out and
are sufficiently kept in view already to justify
the separation of them into coordinate de-
partments as the General Assembly has done.
The former department is conservative and
preservative, the latter is aggressive and ex-
tensive. The object of Sustentation is to aid
feeble churches already established, in secur-
ing and maintaining the ordinances of a
preached gospel, with view to their growth
in numbers and grace, to the end that eff
cient congregations may be built up in the
place of weak ones. The object of Evangel-
istic work is to extend the authority and pas.
toral care of the Presbytery to our scattered
people who would otherwise be left without
oversight or needed attention; to send the
Gospel into regions where it is not preached
and to establish churches at points where the
providence of God seems to indicate that they
are needed and desired.


COLoRED EVANGELIsTIC WORK.
Eighteen Presbyteries report that some