COUNCIL PROPOSES
“LIFT THE LEVEL”
EFFORT
Because of the serious finan
cial condition of the boards of
the Presbyterian Church and in
an effort to raise the full budget
of $15,000,000 for the present
church year, the General Coun
cil, through its committee on
program and field activities has
proposed a “Lift the Level" ef
fort. The purpose is to increase
its average annual giving of
$5.84 to the benevolence boards
of the church this year to $8.01’,
which would result in the rais
ing of the entire budget to $15..
000.000.
The four boards have agreed
to cooperate in the “Lift the
Level” campaign for a “supreme
effort to raise the budget,” and
all field forces of the boards will
be enlisted. The campaign will
be a concerted effort entirely
within the budget, it is pointed
out by Dr. James G. Bailey, field
director of the committee on
program and field activities, and
will not be a debt-raising cam
paign. Dr. Bailey calls atten
tion, however, to the aggregate
indebtedness of the Church of
$1,240,000, $700,000 of which
represents the deficit last year of
the Boards of National Missions
and Christian Education and
$148,000 of which is a New Era
Movement debt and $390,000 an
Interchurch World Movement
debt. The New Era and Inter
church debts are being gradual
ly reduced by the boards fro|m
current income, as provided for
by action of the General Assem
bly The General Council has
warded the church that in any
event the Church must make a
gain of more than $2,000,000 in
its gfving to the boards this year
to prevent further -deficits -and
to discharge debts.
Official announcement of the
conditions confronting the
Church and of plans outlined
will shortly be made in a com
munication from Moderator C.
R. Erdman and Stated Clerk L.
S. Mudge to all churches and ses
sions. Personal effort will at
once be made to bring this de
termined effort to raise the
budget before all Synods and
Presbyteries in order to secure
their favorable action and the
commendation of the plan. A
resolution has been prepared to
be offered to all Synods for their
consideration calling their atten
tion to the situation and deter
mining “that this Synod ap
proves the proposal of the Gen
eral Council and the Assembly
for a united ‘Lift the Level’ ef
fort tp be directed through the
Presbyteries to the sessions and
boards of trustees of all our
churches, in order that quotas as
allocated may be taken most se
riously and substantial advanc
es made in benevolent giving
and special appeals for debts and
deficits entirely avoided.”
An official statement has been
prepared to be circulated among
all Synods and Presbyteries. It
indicates that a committee of
five business men was appointed
by the General Council to con
sider the problem of debts and
deficits of the boards. This
committee, consisting of J. Wil
liston Smith, George C. Barber,
Ralph W. Harbison, J. J. Ross,
and S. Frank Shattuck, recom
mended that a determined effort
be made to raise the entire budg
et of the Church, and the goal be
“A Debtless. Church, March 31,
1926.”
This committee also recom
mended an immediate survey by
each board of its organization
and proposed expenditures, with
a view to ascertaining whether
further saving may not be ef
fected ; and the organization
and prosecution of a vigorous,
persistent and nationwide cam
paign to raise the entire budget
of the church.
This campaign was put under
the direction of a committee of
five of the council with the Mod
erator and Stated Clerk at its
head,” says the official state
ment. “The plan adopted tc
carry out these recommendations
which were adopted by the Gen
eral Assembly, is to lift the lev
el of the Church's giving to the
boards for 1925-1926 from
$9,722,529 to at least $12,000,
000.
“This is recognized as the min
imum step up, which is absolute
ly necessary to prevent retreat
and disaster in our work. It is
but a step toward the budget of
needs. $15,000,000, already ap
proved and apportioned to the
churches. That goal is still be
fore us. But we say with des
perate earnestness ‘We must
reach at least $12,000,000, or
suffer sore embarrassment and
disaster.”
“No deficit raising campaign
is to be put on. No new and sen
sational methods are to be em
ployed. The plan is simply to
reach every church and every
member with a thoroughness
never achieved before. It is pro
posed to do this through official
apprach to the sessions of the
Church. If every church mem
ber will give as proposed, and
every church loyally endeavor to
reach its quota according as God
has prospered it, the boards will
receive not only $12,000,000, the
budget of absolute necessity,
but may get the budget of need,
$15,000,000.—The Continent.
WHEN TWO PRAYERS MET
AT GOD’S THRONE.
(This is absolutely a true sto
ry of what happened at Greens
boro this year.)
It was in the month of May,
1925, in Greensboro, N. C., when
a wealthy white man of a fash
ionable residential section, and
a prosperous business man,
knelt down in prayer to God be
fore breakfast, in his closet at
home, and prayed this prayer:
“0. God, help me that I may
Whether it was on the same
day or not that that white gen
tleman and Christian prayed
that God help him that he help
others, that a poor, honest,
clean, hard-working, Negro
widow woman, in an humble cot
tage prayed that God help her,
we cannot say; but she prayed
this prayer: “0, God, help me;
I am a lonely, widowed woman.
For my fatherless children. I
have fought a good fight, I have
kept the faith. My child now is
about to be graduated in June of
this year. I have no money;
she has none. Without the ne
cessary funds they will not let
her be graduated with her class.
0, God, help me and show me
the way.”
Going about her work think
ing, the thought came to her of
a white man here in Greensbo
ro who was quite a friend of her
husband during his lifetime.
Dressing herself she went to a
colored man and asked him if
he would call up Mr. -and
see what time he would be" in
his office. The appointment was
made at once and the colored
man agreed to go with this col
ored mother to see this wnite
man. At the proper hour the
three met in the gentleman’s of
fice. Upon introduction, the
gentleman said, “Yes, madam, I
knew your husband well and I
have often wondered how you
were getting along. What may I
do for you this morning?”
Clearing her throat and at the
same time fearful that the
amount she wanted was too
much to ask for as a personal
loan upon no security, she began
thus: “Sir, my daughter has
finished high school at Bennett
College, but she can’t come out
with her class unless I can get
up the money.” “How much is
it you must have, madam?” he
asked. “Thirty dollars,” she said.
“That is not enough. I am go
ing to write you a check for $50
and don’t you worry about pay
ing it back. Just do the best
you can and if you find that you
can pay it back, do so at your
pleasure. It was only this morn
ing that I prayed to God to help
me to help others.” And she
went away happy and hv ' child
\ v
was graduated with the class.—
The Bulletin, Greensboro.
URBAN LEAGUE EXECU
TIVE ENCOURAGED BY
PROSPECTS IN WEST.
Eugene Kinckle Jones, Execu
tive Secretary of the National
Urban League, has just re
turned to New York after a
7,500 mile trip to Pacific Coast
cities where he investigated the
social conditions among Negroes
and inspected work of the Ur
ban League in cities of the mid
dle west.
While enroute he visited Den
ver where the National Confer
ence of Social Work of which he
is the only colored member of
the Executive Board held its an
nual meeting. From Denver Mr.
Jones visited Los Angeles where
there is a thriving Urban League
supported by the Community
Chest to the extent of $11,300,
San Diego, San Francisco, Oak
land, Portland and Seattle. He
found a Negro population of
3,000 in Portland, of 4,000 iif
Seattle and San Francisco, Oak
land 10,000 and San Diego
3,500—all fertile fields for Ur
ban League work
Mr. Jones states that the
League further plans to stimu
late interest in the Urban
League’s plan of organization in
these coast cities.
it,*, rr.
In Minneapolis, Mr. Jones acw
dressed the students of the De
partment of Sociology of the
University of Minnesota and in
St. Paul spoke on the subject of
“The Negro in the North” from
Radio Station WCCO main
tained by the Washburn-Crosby
Flour Mills in cooperation with
the Chambers of Commerce of
St. Paul and Minneapolis. Mr.
Jones also addressed Urban
League mass meetings in
Saint Paul and Minneapolis
where the Minneapolis, l^agu&
A. L. Harris, former “Fellow”
of the League and teacher at
the West Virginia Collegiate In
stitute, as Executive Secretary.
The Urban League is now
supported by community chests
in twenty cities. There are
twenty-nine Urban Leagues with
offices and staffs, requiring the
expenditure this year in the
neighborhood of $400,000, in
cluding the budget of the na
tional office.
In speaking of the Nation
al Conference of Social Work,
Mr. Jones states that in his
opinion this organization is one
of the most democratic national
movements in America. In ad
dition to having set speeches by
prominent white members of
the conference, on the “Menace
of Racial and Religious Intoler
ance.” Throughout the confer
ence there was woven into the
fabric of the discussion a thead
of racial interest which indicat
ed that the more than 3,000 de
legates there were thoroughly
aroused to the importance of
developing better relations in in
terracial contacts that our dem
ocratic institutions may be pre
served.
One cannot look into a great
boiler to see how much water
it contains, but running up be
side the boiler is a tiny glass
tube that serves as a gauge. As
the water stands in this tube,
so it stands inside the boiler.
And so our friendliness to
ward mankind is the gauge of
our friendship toward the un
seen Christ. By precept and ex
ample, through commands, mir
acles and parables, Christ has
taught us how to express our
friendliness to others.
The Bible is not like any oth
er book, and cannot be taught
like any other book It must be
taught with reverence. You
cannot get anything out of a hu
man being until you trust him,
and you cannot appropriate the
truths of this book unless you
have confidence in it. A man
vague in his faith can do a lot
of harm,—he is no teacher of
the Bible.—Dr. Howard A. Kel
ly.
York.—The launching
operation of in
committees, the hold
of economical justice and
of discrimination in
fe is the plan of
crusade of the
for applied brother
race relations” by the
Council of Churches in
Circulation of leaflets
matter dealing with
necessary in
is being made by
relations commission of
which held its fifth
meeting in Atlanta
ago.
by the race rela
as to the co-operative
to be entered into
following effect:
the facts; let the
of America continue
and discussion
the use of their pul
lecture platforms to
facts of race and race
the light of day. Let
the newspapers and
to give larger space
to the whole
information.
interracial comerences:
The pagt years have demonstrat
ed the effective utility of con
ferencesv between thoughtful,
conscientious leaders of racial
groupsto discuss conditions that
them and to adopt
deal with the situation,
nferences have been
ectiye where surveys
n made by competent
beforehand to secure
a basis for such confer
d program making. The
ions Sunday is commended as a
step in this direction.
“3. Interracial conferences:
Experience has shown that
small committees of white and
colored men and women have
been indispensable for effective
ly carrying out constructive pro
grams of race relations, espe
cially in the local communities.
Let the Christians and churches
in each community and of the
nation increasingly give atten
tion, service and support to such
committees.
“4. Justice through law: The
churches have joined the cam
paign to abolish lynching in our
land. That campaign has met
with success as shown in the
rapid reduction of the evil. Let
the churches continue the cru
sade until America is a lynch
less land. Let us go forward
with a campaign for speedy and
impartial trial for those accused
of crime and for justice in the
courts that shall guarantee to
every citizen, irrespective of
creed or color, full protection of
our laws.
Economic justice: The Ne
gro as a producer has many
handicaps in agriculture, indus
try and commerce because his
white neighbors do not regard
him as a man to be dealt with
on the basis of capacity and
worth. The voice and hand of
the churches and of Christians
generally should be raised that
equal economic opportunity shall
be accorded every person on the
basis of his ability. Amicable
race relations in industry and
business are of vital concern to
religion.
“6. Removal of discrimina
tion: The churches of America
have a challenge to the very
principles they- profess in the
discrimination in housing condi
tions, school facilities, travel ac
commodations and other public
provision of our communities.
For the sake of our own ideals
as well as for the protection of
our fellow citizens, we are called
upon to abolish and to prevent
these discriminations.
“7. Our children and young
people: The education of our
young people in attitudes of ra
cial respect and appreciation is
so vital for the future that the
churches cannot ignore thia re
sponsibility as a part of their
program of education,
“The white and Negro people,
the two largest racial groups in
America, profess a common re
ligion and common ideals of de
mocracy. They possess mutual
interests wrought out through
generations of contact. As a re
sult the American churches
have probably the most unique
opportunity in the world to dem
onstrate the processes of inter
racial co-operation that will in
fluence racial groups every
where."
C.S C.&S. M. NOTES
(From the Office of the Dean.)
Following out our line of
thought of last week with refer
ence to our platform speakers,
the woman chosen to address
the meeting is Mrs. Agnes B.
Snively, of the Division of Mis
sions for Colored People, who
will have as her subject, “The
Presbyterian Church at Work in
the World.” Being connected
with Headquarters Staff it is
readily evident that Mrs. Snive
ly is quite able to handle the
above subject.
In casting around for an out
standing layman of the Synod to
address our meeting, the Com
mittee chose the Honorable Mr.
W. P. Evans, of Laurinburg, N.
C., who is one of the race’s pi
oneer business men. He stands
high as a churchman, and is a
man whose counsel and leader
ship are sought far and wide.
Mr. Evans will be the popular
speaker for Tuesday, August
25. ^
As we stated last week, the
Committee felt that our Convert*
tionj.is old enough now to have
attract men on its program who
have achieved national promi
nence in some line of endeavor.
The Committee with one accord
voted to invite Prof. W. W. San
ders, of Charleston, W. Va., to
bestow that honor upon us.
Prof. Sanders is an educator
of national prominence. Having
served as a teacher in the public
school system of W. Va., and
then as State Librarian, for the
past 10 or 12 years he has been
State Supervisor of Negro
Schools, having served under
four governors of the common
wealth of West Virginia.
As a token of the esteem in
which he is held in the educa
tional world, at the last meeting
of the National Association of
Teachers in Colored Schools,
Prof. Sanders was elected Pres
ident of this great body, and will
preside over its sessions that
will be held in Durham the last
of this month. He will address
our convention on Friday eve
ning, August 28.
THE D. V. B. S. PROJECT IN
CATAWBA SYNOD.
By F. C. Shirley.
At this writing we are in the
midst of the D. V. B. S. pro
gram in Catawba Synod. The
response received from the pas
tors and Sunday school workers
in this project this summer has
been very encouraging. Follow
ing are a few quotations from
letters of leaders wh oare con
ducting schools this summer:
Rev. A. H. George, Wilson,
N. C.: “Our school was brought
to a close Wednesday night. Our
daily attendance this year was
in excess of 100 in lace of the
fact that the Bhptists conduct
ed a school also.”
Dr. J. H. Hayswood, Lumber
ton: “The D. V. B. S. here has
been a success. The people took
right hold of the idea and sent
their children in for what they
could get. And from the
throngs present each day the in
dications are that much good
has been done.”
Dr. J. L. Hollowell, Statesville:
(Continued on page 4)
Mrs. W. J. Jones, Reporter.
Sunday at the 11 o’clock ser
ies Rev. Miller spoke from the
Mh Psalm and 17th verse: “The
pricked shall be turned into hell
ind all the nations that forget
God.”
The speaker said by way of in
troduction: “I am glad it is a
bit cool this morning; my sub
ject is ‘Hell.’”
In the good old days men dis
iussed both heaven and hell,
pointing out the horrors of
tne one as well as the bliss of
the other. Now the subject
‘Hell” is presented in a mild
form as though going to the
place of punishment was a long
steep.
Discussing the terms, “wick
sd” and “forget God,” the
speaker took up two of four
propositions, namely—
What do we according to
Scripture understand hell to be?
rsj it simply a state of being or
both a state and a fixed place?
What is the nature of the pun
ishment? Is the term “fire” real
[>r figurative?
The subject as discussed made
a profound impression on the
well-filled auditorium.
The Missionary Society met
with Mrs. Wynn, on Lindsay St.,
on Thursday afternoon. The
Society is planning to have one
month’s vacation from the
weekly meetings, beginning Au
gust 1st. The meeting was well
attended, and at the close deli
cious refreshments were served.
The banners for finance and
attendance have been with the
fjarnest Workers’ Class two
Weeks.
class
have installed a telephone in the
manse and made appropriation
for a drinking fountain in the
vestibule of the church.
The J. R. Nocho class gave
an entertainment last Thurs
day night at the church. Quite
a success was had, both in fi
nance and pleasure.
On Sunday last delegates were
elected to go to the Dis. S. S.
Convention which convenes at
Mt. Airy, August 6th. The dele
gates are as folloXvs: Misses
Nettie Fuller and Marietta
Mears and Mr. W. M. Bergens;
alternates, Miss Susie Miller and
Mr. Wm. Barber.
Mrs S. Preyor has gone on
her vacation to different points
of the State and will return Sep
tember first. Mrs. Preyor will
be much missed from our circle,
for she is a noble woman and a
real missionary worker. We
hope for her a very pleasant
vacation.
Mrs. Ed. Cecil has been very
ill, but at this writing she is
much imoroved.
Mr. Cundiff, President of the
Earnest Workers’ class, who
has been very ill, is out again,
much to the delight of his class
mates and many friends.
ATLANTIC SYNODICAL CON
VENTION AND SCHOOL OF
METHODS.
The Synodical onvention and
School of Methods of Atlantic
Synod will begin August 17th
and will last for one week. We
are looking forward to a great
time.
We are expecting delegates
from every department of the
Church. Our program this year
has many new and attractive
features. Our teaching force
and public speakers will be as
good as ever.
If you have not registered
please do so at once Send reg
istration fee to Dr. 0. W. Long,
Cheraw, S. C. Rooms will be at
a premium.
A. A. ADAIR, Dean.