unday Bed
PART III.
Qoee Inte ths Wok
THE OMAHA BEE
Best !? West
IIALF-TOIIE SECTION
PACE 8 1 TO 10.
The
Omaha
VOL. XXXVI-NO. 35.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY- 17, 1007.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
GOOD THAT GREW FROM THE HAY-STACK PRAYER MEETING
Jiitersynodicai iorein HiB&ioaary "Meeting for Men of the Presbyterian. Church, Which Conveneg la Omaha on Tuesday 'Will Jiring Together Man; Eminent and Earnest Workers from All Porta of the World
IPOAR P. TTTLi, OF MCORMIC&
. SEMINARY.
REV. R. r. COTL.n T. TJ.. OF
DENVER, EX-MuUERATOR.
A HUNDRED YEARS ago fire young men tn Williams collegs
. held a prayer meeting under a haystack. As a result,
, four of thorn made an appeal to the Massachusetts
churches to, send them as missionaries to the foreign field.
Not less than 2,470 missionaries have since been sent out
as the direct result of that prayer meeting under a haystack. At
the centennial of that haystack prayer meeting, as It Is now known
fn New York November 13-14 twenty-five problems were enumer
ated as pressing upon the church at that time by a committee there '
appointed and among the problems appear these:
First To project a campaign of education among laymen to bs
conducted under the direction of the Various boards.
Second To devise a comprehensive plan looking to the sending
of the message of the gospel to the entire nonchrlstlan world during
the next twenty-five years. ,
Third To endeavor to form through the various boards a cen
tennial commission of laymen, fifty or more in number, to visit as
early as possible the mission fields and report their finding to the
church at home. - N
The lntersynodlcal foreign . missionary convention for , men,
which beslns Tuesday at the Auditorium, is the response of the men
of the Presbyterian church In the fifteen middle states of the union
and of all ths men of that part of the Presbyterian' church which
until last May constituted ths Cumberland Presbyterian church, to
determine their share of this distinct, missionary responsibility of
modern times for ths unevangeHzed heathen world, and after due
consideration to recommend 'ways and means , to the men of ths
church for meeting .that responsibility.1. This convention Js. most
timely in view of the unprecedented opportunities in' unevangellzed
lands. .' .. , . . ' ' -T-.
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KSTT. HUNTER CORBETT, CTTETOO. CHINA. MODERATOR
BTTiuRIAN QENERAX, ASSEMBLY.
PRS8-
EX-OOVTrRNOR J. A. BBARN OF PENNErTLVANlA,
SPEAK AT OMAHA CONV BNTION.
WHO Willi
sJ
What Men Ought to Do
The purpose of the convention is to determine precisely, what
men ought tq do In the werk sf foreign mlBstons. This work
pressing urgently upon this and other churches and is being exr
tended year by year! bo .' that .the Presbyterians find themselves t
taxed for new resources and more varied plans of operations.
Greater organization and more thorough co-operation are necessary
to, bring to a uoeessf nl issue the ' gigantic ' undertakings
and it Is necessary to this end to Impose upon the men Individually
and collectively the full measure ef their responsibility. : But a '
definite determination first of what that responsibility Is Is essential,
hence this convention. -
The spirit of Hunter Oorbett Is breathed lntethls great gath
ering. It to distinctly a Missionary spirit, for Dr. Corbett is the dean
of foreign missionaries. For over forty years he has labored in
China, He carried the torchlight of the gospel into that benighted
land when'lt was not as safs as rt Is today for a Christian even to
et foot upon some portions of ths orient and has maintained, his
work Incessantly. About a year ago the venerable pioneer toek his
furlough,' returning to his native America. At the last General
Assembly In Des Moines he was elected moderator of the church.
And so In this year, ths centennial of the "haystack prayer meeting."
and the year In which the oldest foreign misslenary In the church
Is occupying ths highest clerical office of Presbyterianism, is made
memorable by a unique combination of circumstances. Another ele
ment of vast interest Involved in the convention is the fact that the
numerical strength and as well every other aspect of power of th
church is greater today than ever; the ualonK long sought.-of the
Old Schools and Cumberlands Is a stable fact and will be notalrty re
flected In the deliberations a ths Auditorium.
Sixteen hundred delegates are to compose this convention.
They are to come from fifteen states and one territory and repre
sentatives will be there from foreign' lan da A dozen synods and
more than 100 presbyteries will participate. The convention Is for
men, but women will be admitted as visitors. These are the states'
that will send delegates: Nebraska, Michigan, Indians, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota. Iowa- Missouri,' Arkansas, North and South
Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma. Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.
Committees of the Convention
The guiding hand in .the organisation of this convention has
been that of Rev. Charles E. Bradt of Chicago, one of the secre
taries of the foreign board. Several vlsltl he has paid to Omaha
to confer with the local committee on the details of the plans. The
following roster contains the names of the men who are responsible
lor the meeting:
Advisory Committee A. W. Halsey, D. D.. Mr. Robert E. Speer,
Arthur J. Brown. D. D.. Mr. Dwlght H. Day. Prof. T. H. P. Sailer,
Ph. D., Mr. David McConaughy, Mr. J. M. Patterson.
Executive Committee Charles Edwin Bradt, chalrmanpBen
Jamln M. Brown, secretary and treaailrer; William 8. Marquis, inter-
nodical representative; Edwin Hart Jenka, Omaha representative.
lntersynodlcal Central District Committee Illinois, W. S. Mar
quis; Wisconsin. J. W. Laugblln; Missouri. W. C. Atwood; Ne
braska, B. M. Long; Texas, Edwin McNutt; Indiana. Edward Baech;
Minnesota, Charles F. Hubbard; North Dakota. R. H. Myers; Kansas,
S. 3. Estey; New Mexico, C. R. Brodhead; Michigan. F. W. Lewis;
1 -a, 8. W. McFadden; South Dakota. D. T. Kuhn; Oklahoma. W.
FT Graham; Colorado. O. S. Baum.
' Omaha Local Committee Chairman, Rev. Thomas K. Hunter;
place of meeting, Rev. Edwin Hart Jenks. D. D.; entertainment.
Rev. M. V. Hlgbee; assignment committeeman. Rev. Walter H." Rey
nolds, D. D.; registration. Rev. R. L. Purdy; reception, Rev. R. T.
Bell; educational and book room. Rev. A. S. C. Clarke, D. D.; deco
ration. Rev. J. B. Cherry, Ph. D.; postofflce, Rev. J. C. Wlluon,
Benson; publicity. Rev. Newman Hall Burdlck.
Dr. Hunter Corbett will be the central figure of ths conven
tion. He would-be a unique figure at any convention. His very
presence Is commanding enough to make him conspicuous, but aside
from his presence te his character and what he has accomplished in
the cause of foreign missions. Forty years In ths empire of Queen
Au has given him a command oNhe Chinese language as complete
and fluent as any Chinaman could hope to attain. Hs speaks It
with all the native in flections and Intonations of a Chinaman;
writes, reads and preaches In It. Hs not only has acquired their
language, but he actually has becoms an Insensible prey to their
queer little facial expressions and gestures. His towering form,
patriarchal beard, profound knowledge of his subject and earnest
consecration, make him a platform magnet of irresistible force.
Astd,e from Dr. Corbett are many other prominent figures In
the church who will be at the convention. . Some are: Rev. R. F.
Coyle. JD. D., of Denver, ex-moderator;' Rev. Ira Landrith, D. D., LX.
D., of Nashville, ex-moderator of the Cumberland church; Rev. 8.
A. Moffatt, D.jD.. of Corea, and Rev. S. M. Jordan, D.-D.. of Persia;
Rev. George Aiaxander, D. D., L.L. D., president of the Board of
Foreign Missions, New York; Rev. A. W. Halsey, D. D., home de
partment secretary Board of Foreign Miselons;Mr. Robert E. Stfeer,
senior secretary; Mr. T. H. P. Sailer, Ph. D., educational secretary;
Mr. David McConaughy, eastern district secretary; ex-Governor
James A, Bearer of Pennsylvania, Judge of the superior court and
acting president of Pennsylvania State college; Prof. Edgar P. Hill,
D. D., chair of homlletlcs McCormlck Geological seminary, Chicago; "
Mr. J. Campbell White, field secretary of he United Presbyterian
church. John Wanamaker is expected to attend, but his presence
Js not certain as yet William J. Bryan is scheduled for an address
n "What I Think of Foreign Missions."
A dual fores brought the convention to Omaha. First, Omaha
is the ldeabclty for .this as well as other conventions of national or
Interstate scope, because of Its central location. Second, Omaha
has passed over the summit of a new era -in foreign missionary ac
tivity. In March, 1105, a "forward movement" was launched in
this city by local Presbyterian pastors, led by such leaders In the
wsrk as David McConaughy, Rev. Charles E. Bradt, Rev. W. Y.
Jones of Japan and Rev. John A. Eakln of Bangkok, Slam. From ths
loins of a meeting of these men at the, First Presbyterian church
sprang the rugged youth Of foreign mission zeal which now Jumps
Inte the limelight of publio attention upon such a broad scale. From
the fourteen churches of Omaha asdouth Omaha 1 1,7 12 was do
nated ts ths General Assembly of 1905 for foreign missions. The
movement was fostered and nurtured without the' slightest lapse of
Interest, but rather with Increased zeal from time to time. In 1906
-these same, churches gave $2,966 to the same cause, an increase of
78 ser cent Rev. T. V. Moore, D. D., formerly pastor of West
minster church in Omaha and now professor of 'theology at San
Anselmo seminary. San Francisco, was one of the staunchest sup
porters of this "forward movement."
Finally local interest in foreign missions came to be so sub
stantial that the (parish of Hang-Chow In China was given to Omaha
for its specific work and Dr. Moore was chairman of this work. He
had maps drawn showing the mission with Its outstanding stations.
Since Dr. Moore's departure from the city Rev. M. V. Hlgbee Of
Knox church has become chairman. Several representatives of ths
Omaha Presbyterian Theological seminary are now upon foreign
fields, while Lowe Avenue Church, of which Dr.' A. S. C. Clarke is
pastor, has two ot his elders there Drs. J. W. McKeanand Claude
W. Mason, medical mlsslonarlesy-who have associated with them
in the work their wives in Laos, Slam.
So much for the direct interest of Omaha In foreign missions,
which ars growing so rapidly, particularly in ths orient.
The Buseo-JapaneM war awakened ft profound Interest la ori
ental minds in occidental civilization.' Many of the shrewdest think
ers in these transpacific nations are discovering that, western civil
ization ie the product of Christianity, and is impossible without It,
and they are favorably disposed toward It today, where twenty, even
ten years ago, they would have treated H with the utmost scorn and
gleefully murdered its emissaries.
In the capital of Corea a nephew of the emperor, the private
secretary of the emperor, a brother of the empress, the chief of
the surrey department, a former governor and a former chief ot
police are earnest Christiana In Pyeng Yang the missionaries sent
out the more mature Christians recently, having previously given
them a special preparation for the work, to make a house to house
canvass. In ten days 1,120 publicly became Christians and all Pyeng
Yang was moved.
Syen Chyua, another Corean station, opened aslate as 1901,
reports the last year 6,507 communicants and catechumens. One
member of that station in five months baptized 660 adults, enrolled
1,000 catechumens and organized ten churches. A training class for
Christian workers was organized and 1,140 men came, some walking
890 miles over mountains and valleys, through deep snow, In-February
weather, consuming twenty-four days In the journey, that they
(night attend the classes. One missionary, who went out In 1902, now
has seventy churches under his care. In a letter to the Board of
Foreign Missions he says: "I am writing at midnight after a hard
but a wonderful day. Tomorrow I must walk twenty miles, ex
amine forty candidates for baptism and preach in the evening. Can't
you send me some one to help me?"
In China remarkable things are betokening the awakening of a
great revival after the Bleep of ages and a corresponding opportun
ity for the evangelical propaganda. That great developments are
Imminent In China Is Indicated by such things as the abandonment
ot the queue by high officials, the imperial edict abolishing foot-1
binding, he promise of a new constitutional government, the pro
posal of a new legal code, the decree that a master or western learn
ing shall be a condition of civil service, the establishment of over
6,000 schools in one province,, the decision to teach the' New Testa
ment in 'the public schools of two provinces, the appointment of the
western Sunday as a legal holiday. A movement Is on foot to es
tablish at Nanking a union university to be supported by the Metho
dists, Bisclples and Presbyterians.
The Pelyang Educational Institute has Just published a primer
entitled "Peace Between People and Church," which bears the im
primatur of H. E. Yuan Shlh-Kal, viceroy of Chill-Li. It la. an at
tempt upon the part of the native official class to render a popular
and orderly account ef Che origin, development and Influence ox
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ftshu1 Pr-tSrUn church; Rev. td.l r.J PrE
LOCAL. COMMITTERS IX CHARGE OF CONVENTION
RBV. SAMUEL. R. MOFTT5TT, D.
D.. PINO YANG. COREA.
& W. TORDAW, rr.TNCTMl
MISSION fCHOOL AT
KAN. PERSIA. .
Christianity In China. One chapter deals with "the treatment oY
foreign missionaries In China." The treaty of 1843 being referred to'
as permitting foreigners to propagate their religion, and says
"Afterward all the restrictions upon the propagation of the faitl
were removed."
Aboirt-slxyears,aEO Protestant missions were first organised'
to the Philippine Islands. In Japan It took seven years' to make the
first convert, fifteen years in South Africa and twenty In Mongolia,
while within six years of the landing of the first Protestant mission
ary In the Philippines the Presbyterians alone have seventeen,
churches with 4,127 communicants. ,
In Africa the story Is the same. One missionary at Elat preaches
very Sunday to 1,000 blacks. Blsliop Tugwell of Western Equa -tortal
Africa and his workers In the field have sent abroad an earnest
appeal on" behalf of the most populous part of the continent ot
Africa, Northern Nigeria, which has recently come under the British,
flag. The Sudan lies south of the great Sahara desert and extend
1,000 miles from east to west, reaching almost from the Red Sea .
to the Atlantic ocean. It is said to have a population equal to that
ef ths United States. .
The Syria mission costs $55,000 a year. This $55,000 maintain)
forty missionaries and 204 native helpers, representing 8,669 com- .
nrunlcants and 7.600 adherents, supports schools enrolling 6,500
pupils, two hospitals, which treated last year 11,000 patients; a pub
lishing business which put out last year 59)18,949 pages of printed
matter.
"Where in America," asked Dr. Brown of the Presbyterian Board:
of Foreign Missions, "do $56,060 maintain twenty-nine churches' with,;
10.000 members and adherents,. 121 schools with 6,540 scholars,
two hospitals, a great printing press and a salaried force ot 844 per
sons?" ,
Onslaught Against Islam 1
Even Turkey is presenting new opportunities for Christian work
The collegiate Institutions Antolia College at Marsovan, Euphrates
College atHarput, Central College, at Aintab, St. Paul's Institute A
Tarsus, International Collepeat Smyrna, Central Turkey OoUeg,
for girls at Mara&h, and the Collegiate and Theological Institutes aj
Samokor, Bulgaria are all crowded and over-crowded with students. j
and need funds for scholarships, enlargement and running expenseaui
Medical work has special significance In Turkey and all classes reo-,
ognlze the great value of Christian physicians, giving them uniquss
opportunities to do Christian .work, - 1
Corresponding to the opportunities for missionary work there law
an awakened and growing interest rn foreign1 mUslens la the horn
church. There is a feeling among the men of the church that nod. .
only is it not chivalrous and manly to throw all the responsibility!
for foreign missionary work upen women and children, but that th
opportunities now dally opening cannot be met successfully In this
way alene. Therefore they are taking an active Interest which
heretofore they hare not psesessed. First there came the Presby-.
terlan Brotherhood convention at Indianapolis last November, which
aroused enthusiasm among Presbyterian men beyond the most san-
guine expectations of Its prometers. Now follows the Men's Mis
slonary convention, which seers te have aroused no less enthusiasm ,
to provide one way In which the. newly aroused energies ot Presby---
terlan men may find one outlet of practical endeavor.
In New Yorkw Washington. Chicago, Des Moines and other dtlen
have been held supper table conferences ot Presbyterian business men. '
at which the opportunities and obligations of foreign missions was,
thesubject under discussion. , , ,
A study of the program shows that (his convention will be three
days and nights of typical Roosevelt life, so strenuous is the pace
marked out Aside from the deliberations of the convention props
la" the Auditorium, conferences will be held In various churches and!
at the seminary. The seminary will be headquarters for all student
attending the convention. The conferences are scattered over the
city with the thought of giving each section the benefit of the cony
vent Ion, since it might not be convenient for people, desiring to attends
to go to the Auditorium each day or night. Again the delegates may;:
la this way mingle with the peeple and various churches, attending
this or that conference as suits their desires.
Program for the Convention
t
The convention will be opened at the Auditorium Tuesday nlgh
with Rev, Ira Landrith of Nashville, Tenn., as chairman. A mala,
chorus ot 100 voices will that and each succeeding evening lead tO
the singing. "The Foreign Mission Enterprise" will be the subject,
of chief discussion that first night and it will be dealt with by Re.
George Alexander, D. D.. LL. D., president of the Board of Foreign
Missions and pastor of the University Place church. New York City.
Wednesday morning former Governor Beaver of Pennsylvania wlU
fire the first big gun of the day with an address on 'We are His WlU
nesses of-These Things." Hunter Corbett and Revs. 8. A. Moffatt ot
Corea and S. M. Jordan of Persia will talk on "Visions of the Fo
eign Field," and Robert E. Speer will sound the keynote of the whole
convention with an address on "The Distinct Foreign Mission Re
sponslbillty of the Presbyterian Church." Wednesday night J.
Campbell White of Alleghany, Pa., will tell "What the' Men of the
United Presbyterian Church are Doing," in this work and Dr. R. F,
Coyle of Denver, ex-moderator and one of the biggest men of the
church, will talk on "Men of Might in Missions." .
Thursday, the last day. of the convention, will be a busy one.
"Methods" will be the theme ot the day. That will be getting
down to bedrock, for it is "methods" this convention Is called for
Andrew Stevenson, president of the Young Men's Christian assocla
tion in Chicago, will preside. "Educational Methods" will be ex
ploited by Dr. Halsey, "The Pulpit" will be defined In its relation bj
Prof. Hill of the McCormlck seminary. "Tithing and Foreign Mis-
alons" will be the subject of an address by Rev. F. O. Ballard, D. D
pastor of Memorial Presbyterian church, Indianapolis; "How to
Finance' ths Field" will be told by Dr. Charles E.. Bradt and "Or
ganlzation Methods" will be described by David McConaughy.
From this convention Dr. Hunter Corbett will start for his noma,
In Chins and the last address upon the program, Thursday night,
will be that of Dr. Corbett on the subject, "A Parting Message to
tbs Men of America." There is a tinge of pathos In the parting
wltn Mr. Corbett, for he has already reached his forescore and tea
and leaves America this time, after a year's furlough, crowned wlt4
the highest distinction within the gift of his church, probably not
ever to return from the distant land of China which he has been sOd
J
Continued on. fags Two.)