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The Gospel Her
“LOOK ON THE FIELDS—THE HARVEST IS COME—THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONSTRAINETH US.
VoL 1.
RALEIGH, N. C., APRIL, 1888.
No. 1.
The Gospel Herald.
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Address C. DURHAM,
Rai,i;igh, N. C.
THE BOARD OF MISSIONS AT WORK
IN OUR TOWNS.
“ Mission fields” will perhaps exist until
the end of time. At present they are to be
found not only in country places, but also in
cities and towns abounding in churches and
chapels—very often right under their shad
ows, and near to the “rector’s” dwelling
and the Methodist or Baptist parsonage. In
many towns of even our own State there are
families who never attend worship, and who
know of religion and God only by hearsay;
while in our larger towns these may be num
bered by the hundreds. Let a celebrated
evangelist visit Wilmington, Raleigh, Char
lotte, and how many persons will be found
attending church for the first time in five,
ten, or twenty years! heathens in Christen
dom. Now, these people are by no means
to be left out when we come to estimate the
extent of the mission field in North Carolina.
Much as the destitution in the rural districts
may stir our hearts, and properly, there is
occasion for as deep sympathy in the condi
tion of the non-church goers in our towns
and cities, and more occasion for alarm in
view of what that condition threatens to our
country and the integrity of republican and
Christian institutions. When our towns grow
to the dimensions of cities, these, if left un
noticed by our boards of missions and by
town churches, will lapse into barbarism
and savagery as decided as is now found in
Africa. The “British savage,” and the
“New York rough,” are not a whit behind
the old-time Fiji cannibal. He takes life as
readily, and has reduced theft, burglary,
arson and assassination to a science. The
evil is one which needs no outside help in
order to its growth and increase. If leaven
is the true representative of grace, in the
heart, it is equally symbolical of evil tliere.
Indeed the latter may rather be compared to
those germs or spores, which mature in a
night and propagate their kind by scores
and hundreds and nrillions, in a few days.
Were it not for the presence of the Lord of
Hosts with his people, they could not keep
pace with the Evil One. Weeds flourish
without work, where corn languishes with it.
Evil is infectious; good is at best contagious.
The former can be absorbed from the atmos
phere ; the latter requires contact. Vice,
like an odor, enters at the'chinks and crevi
ces ; virtue needs to be invited and wooed
with doors wide open. Down hill and up
hill express the difference. Active effort
must be put forth to reach the evil in our
towns. It will not correct itself , rather in
the end if left to itself it will subvert the
good. Beginning with a theatre or opera-
house in some deserted place of worship,
thence going on to the restaurant and saloon
and ending with the gambling hall or other
“Hell,” its course in some of our larger
cities is onward—right onward and always
downward.
It is this which imparts such significance
to the work of Edward Judsonin New York.
There he is putting forth Herculean efforts to
stem the tide wdiich ought never to have
been allowed to set in. Had those “up
town” churches, when they were “down
town,” gone out into the highways and
hedges and compelled t^iem to come in—
and find a home when they came, the same
up-town churches would have been reared,
but not at the expense and to the utter ex
tinguishment of the down-town centres of
gospel influence. It is barely possible to
recover ground when once lost by neglect
like this. And if God does “not leave a
small remnant” as a nucleus, the attempt
will be attended with greater difficulties than
are to be met on virgin soil. And now for
our towns—what are we to do ? The evil is
not so imminent and threatening it may be
as in many Northern and Western towns.
But it is nevertheless coming. It needs only
to be let come. With railroads, manufactur
ing, commerce, comes population, and much
of it foreign and infidel. Are our town
churches alive to the situation? Do they
take it in? Are their pastors men of work
and wise to understand the times? Can we
bi'ing ourselves to the point of erecting two
plain churches instead of one fashionable,
stylish and costly, which may rather repel
than attract the middle and the lower or
poorer classes? With the confessional and
mass, the Catholic wields a power which
compels all of every class to attend upon
the services of the sanctuary. These, Pro
testants reject; but yet they are not power
less. Nay, if they wield surely and faith
fully the simple gospel—with its invitations,
warnings, labors of love, its unending search
after lost sheep, and travels among the lanes
and slums, and then provide a home for the
wanderers, they too may crowd their temples
with worshippers, but worshippers of a
higher order, willing, loving, adoring. And
it is a question worthy to be considered by
Boards of Missions, whether they cannot
help here, if in no other way, by giving wise
direction to the efforts of churches and pas
tors in meeting the destitution in our towns.
W. R.
HOW TO BUILD CHURCHES ON OUR
MISSION FIELDS.
Secure a good lot in the very best place
possible. It is much better to pay a large
price for a church lot well located than to
have one given too far out, or in an inac
cessible part of the town,-or if in the coun
try, too far from the public road or roads.
After the lot has been secured, adopt a
plan for the building, unless the house is to
be one costing very little money; it is always
better to have a good architect furnish draw
ings of the building, the plan of which has
been adopted. The money paid for the draw
ing is well spent, for you know just what
your house will be before the w'ork has been
begun.
THE MEANS.
Raise all the means possible with which
to build in the town or community. Give
everybody in the community an opportunity
to help in the good work. After the mem
bership, if any, and all the peop)le in the
community, have done all they possibly can,
then call on the brethren and sisters and
friends elsewhere for the needed help. But
if the work can be done by the people of the
neighborhood, do not call on the people of
other neighborhoods for help. In all the
appeals for help from those who do not live
in the community, tell definitely what the
X)lan of the liouse is, its dimensions, its seat
ing capacity, its cost, and what you liave
done or can do yourselves, and just the
amount of help you will need from others,
or as nearly as you can approximate it. And
as you are under appointment of the State
Mission Board, all will take it for granted
tljat there ought to be a church, for the
Board sends no one as missionary to a place
to fill regular appointments unless there is
hope of building up a church there. And as
we have no church extension committee,
and perhaps do not need one, it would be
well for the missionary to ask the State Mis
sion Board to second and emphasize his ap
peals for help to build his mission church.
\¥. R. Gwaltnby.
bership larger by several thousand, but our
crops have been better, and we are better
able to spare a liberal offering to the Master's
cause.
4. We have better organization for reach
ing the churches than ever before. In most
of the Associations a representative was ap
pointed for us in eac.h church whose duty it
is to see that a collection is secured before
May 1st, 1888, and the money forwarded to
Bro. F. H. Briggs, Treasurer, Raleigh, N. C.
The names of these representatives appear
in their respective minutes. In Associations
where no appiointments appear in the min
utes, the appointees of last year will be
expected to hold over. Under this plan we
ought to secure contributions from eight
hundred churclies during the year ending
April 30th, 1888. An average collection of
$4.00 per church would bring in over $8,000—
much more than w e have ever given the
Board in any other one year.
No w, let us give the next sixty days to earn
est work for Home Missions. In churches
that have preaching only once a month there
will be two chances for a public collection.
If the weather or anything else interferes in
March, see to it that the chance is not lost
in April. If our representative in any church
is sick or disabled, let some other member
volunteer to attend to the work in that
church.
Let us have for the next sixty days a long
pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together,
and we shall give ihe Home Board such a
lift as we have never given it before.
A*. G. McManaway,
Vice-President.
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT FOREIGN
MISSIONS FOR NORTH CAROLINA
BAPTISTS.
felt by our fathers ; and in the very organh
zation of the Convention, this was set forth
as one of its primary objects: “To educate
young men called of God to the ministry,
and approved by the churches to which they
belong.”
The work was great, but, wuth prayer and
faith in God, tmdertaken, and God’s bless
ing has been upon it. Hundreds have been
aided by this Board, and w’hile some have
failed, the most of them have done well,
some, very well.
Not a few- of our most useful and conse
crated ministers, at home and abroad, are
among the number. That great and good
man, so recently called from serving Christ
below', to I'eign w'ith Him above, Matthew
T. Yates, the foremost of all the missionaries
sent out by the Southern Baptist Conven
tion to preach the glorious Gospel of the
blessed God in heathen lands, w'as among
the first of the beneficiaries aided by this
Board. Brethren, the work has not been a
-failure, but a great success.
Who can estimate the wmrth of one such
man as the peerless Yates? What better use
could have been made of the contributions
given for his support while at Wake Forest,
under the patronage of this Board. The Lord
was preparing him for His great work?
And what a privilege to be permitted by the
blessed Master to take some little part in
such a w'ork ?
We have now thirty-nine young ministers
on the Board, and still others are asking for
help. To sustain these, allowing $10 each,
it will take $890 per month. The work is
great, but the Lord’s people are many, and
we are well able to sustain them, and more.
By the help of the Lord, and for his glory,
let us do it.
John Mitchell.
THE CONTRIBUTIONS LAST YEAR
from the North Carolina Baptist State Con
vention amounted to $6,656.44, and from the
Western Convention $548.75, making in all
from North Carolina $7,024.19.
OUR AIM FOR THIS CONVENTIONAL YEAR
is to raise $2,975.81 more, and make the
amount even $10,000.00. This is not a large
contribution for the Baptists of North Caro
lina. We ought to raise it. Yea, we ought to
raise much more than tliat.
WE HAVE NO PAID AGENCY IN THE STATE
for Foreign Missions. Hence we must de
pend upon correspondence mainly, and upon
the help of the pastors and the brethren and
sisters ivho ivill help us. We beg that pas
tors will preach more on missions, distribute
more literature, and liave some system for
COLPORTAGE—OUR PLANS.
brethren, a brother, or a sister, to become
responsible to the Board for .$300, recom
mend their colporter, the Board appoints
and furnishes the books (never more than
.$300 worth in the hands of the colporter, or
under his order, at one time) and the col
porter sells them at the catalogue prices, but
by the discount secured through the Board
after paying all bills, makes a living salary.
The church, the brethren, the brother, or
the sister, who become responsible to the
Board wull, if the w'ork is honestly and faith
fully done, be out notliing, and the work
will have been done. If it has not been thus
done, the colporter whom they recommended
has proved unfaithful, inefficient, or, in the
proyidenoe of God, has been unfortunate.
4th Plan.—If a man wishes to engage in
colportage and can secure the Board against
loss to the amount of stock he may wish to
have in hand at any one time, the Board will
furnish the books at the best possible dis
count, give all reasonable time for payments,
secure every possible encouragement through
the pastors and churches of his section, to
his work, and aid him with sucli gifts of
Bibles, Testaments, etc., for donation to the
destitute and needy as may be in its power.
The same discount cannot, many times, be
secured when books are bought on time, as
they would be under plan three and four,
and hence the colporter could not, with the
same work and prudence, as in plan two,
hope, by the discount alone, to make the
samesalary; but he can live, and do a blessed
work. Who will undertake it?
raising funds for this work.
HOME MISSIONS.
This paper will reach its readers at the
time when Flome Missions should be upper
most in their thoughts. In this State March
and April are the months in which most of
our churches make their annual collections
for this object. For several reasons our col
lections ought to be larger this year than
ever before :
1. The Board needs more help than it has
needed in the past. Its field of operations is
larger. It has more missionaries, and they
are accomplishing a greater work than here
tofore, and of course expenses have been
proportionately increased.
2. The success attending the work of the
Board furnishes an additional reason for
larger contributions. We should use the
Lord’s money as we do our own—where it
will yield the largest returns. Judged by
this test, the Home Board is entitled to much
more than we have been sending to it from
North Carolina. In Cuba alone 1,000 mem
bers have been added to our churches in two
years. In Texas 5,879 members were added
to the churches under the care of the Board
during the fifteen months ending September
30th, 1887. In all the other fields the suc
cess has been alike encouraging. The Lord
is thus saying to us by His blessings, ‘ ‘ Go
forward and possess the land.
3. We have more ability than we have had
for several years past. Not only is our mem-
literature.
Of this we have an ample supply and will
send it free to any one who will distribute it
carefully and prudently.
THE MONTHLY' CONCERT OF PRAYER POE
SIISSIONS
has done a wonderful work in the past.
Let all our churches revive it. To discuss
some mission field or some phase of mission
work with pra3'ers, select scripture readings
and appropriate songs would do far more
good than the regular sermon.
THE FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL
is, by far, better than it has ever been. One
article in the number for this month is worth
the subscription price for five years. The
paper is exceedingly cheap. Let all our pas
tors see that it is in the hands of their people.
THE BRYAN HOUSE.
More than $300.00 of the pledges made to
this liouse are still due. Let them be paid
as soon as possible.
OUR CHINA MISSION
has recently lost a large part of its working
force—some by death and others by broken
health; and some who have been there for
many years are growing infirm and are
bending under the weight of years. But God
be thanked there are several North Carolina
boys who are going to say to us soon, “Here
am I—send me.” May God help us to be
ready to send them at once.
Sincerely,
W. L. Wright.
EDUCATION BOARD.
The work of this Board is distinctly set
forth by the Constitution of the North Caro
lina Baptist State Convention Art. II, viz.;
The Education Board shall, as far as it
may be able, assist promising and indigent
young ministers seeking to prepare them
selves for the more efficient preaching of the
gospel.
The necessity for this work was keenly
Many letters of inquiry about this work
have been received, and many applications
to do the work have been made. I judge,
therefore, that colportage is largely in the
mind of our people, and at this time in this
department (a new one for our Board) there
is an open door. Shall we enter ? We ought
to enter and do the work. Indeed, we have
begun. Colporters are now at work. They
are doing well. There are more to follow.
This opportunity is before us, and, if we
would laj' the foundation of our worli, broad
and deep, colportage must be made to plaj'
an important part.
Intelligence, zeal, and contributions are
needed, and in the order of this statement.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS? HUW CAN WE GO
ABOUT IT ?
These questions liave come up from all
parts of the State, and I will try to answer
them.
1st Plan.—The Board appoints the col
porter for a given Association and for a
designated time; becomes responsible for a
small monthly salarj'; supplies him with
books; has from him a monthly itemized
report; secures contributions from the
churohe*s and friends of the ivork, and with
these funds and the discount on the books,
prosecutes the work.
This is the plan vigorously and most suc
cessfully worked in Virginia. It was made
one of the objects for which their churches
w-ere asked to contribute, just as to State,
Foreign and Home Missions, and they gave
last year about $5,000 to it, and the Board
had twenty colporters in the field. To do
this work, however, they had a Correspond
ing Secretary, who gave his entire time to
this one work. This is doubtless the best
plan possible. On it our Board has acted
thus far, but now feels that it would be un
wise to further enlarge the work until more
of the churches make contributions to it.
This, it is hoped, will be done soon. If so, a
colporter for each Association can be ap
pointed. What say the churches?
2d Plan.—For an Association to secure a
book fund of $250, recommend to the Board
their colporter, have their committee on
colportage purchase all books, for cash,
through us, when they can do it to advant
age, and the Associational Committee pays
the colporter such salary as the discount on
the books will justify. This plan was worked
successfully in the Mt. Zion Associatifen for
three years. It was last year adopted, and
successfully worked in many Associations in
South Carolina ; it is now the plan of their
State system of colportage. With intelli
gence, zeal and much hard work on the part
of a judicious Associational Committee this
plan can be made a success in any Associa
tion in North Carolina.
3rd Plan.—For any church, number of
REV. M. T. YATES, D. D.
Not “ Yates coming,” but “Yates dead” is
the cablegram. Gone from us, gone from
his work, gone from China, gone from earth,
gone to his rest, gone to his rew'ard. We
are glad God raised him up from our midst,
spared him to us so long, and worked
through him so mightily. We now pray
that a thousand like him may be given us,
but where even God shall find them we know
not. He lived and he died for China. His
life and death will not be in vain. Facts are
God’s fingers pointing to the final victory.
The knowledge of these is a necessary con
dition to intelligent interest in mission woi'k.
The mission fire must be fed with facts.
Judicious biographical mission historjf is not
only most likely to be read, but most lasting
in impressions for good. If we would iirop-
erlj' appreciate the divine spirit of missions
we must study the missionary' biography.
This teaches by example the power of the
gospel to illumine and transform human
character. These lives set before us new
chapters in tlie Acts of the Apostles. To fill
up our mission ranks and our mission treas
uries a larger number of our people must be
brought face to face with the facts in the
progress of the gospel—facts in the lives of
the men whom God lias thrust out to the
front. Let us, therefore, have, at once, a
short, fresh, readable biograjihy of Dr. M.
T. Yates—such a book as could be joublished
and sold for fifty cents or one dollar. If
this could be done, thousands of our people
would be lienefited by' it.
Could not Prof. W. L. Poteat gire us such
a book ?
THE QUARTERS.
During the last quarter ’oefere the Baptist
State Convention, the churches, \'er\' gener-,
ally, are interested in taking collections for
State Missions. This is done in order that
the Board of Missions may close each year
without debt. All agree that this is w'ise.
From the State Convention in November to
the Southern Baptist Convention in May our
churches are specially' interested in collec
tions for Flome and Foreign Missions. This,
too, is wise, because it enables the Boards of
that Convention to close their work each
year without debt. Very little, therefore,
has been given to State Missions, as the re
port on another page will show, since De
cember 1st, 1887. Soon after the Southern
Baptist Convention closes its next session in
Richmond, Va., will come the Chowan Asso
ciation, and from then onto the Convention
in Greensboro, State Missions and colport
age will be before the churches. That pas
tor is wisest who gives due attention to all
of these objects.
POLITICS.
Those who w'ould be wise in church work
must not wait this year till the latter part of
summer or the fall to hold protracted meet
ings and take collections for missions. This
is the year of politics, politicians and elec
tions. We can now look back over the work
for the past twenty years, and every such
year has made it specially hard on all of our
church and mission work. Let us be wise
and press the claims of these objects, before
the mind of the people is too much absorbed
in other things.