VOL. XLVII.
CHARLOTTE, N. 0,
MAKE YOU
DAY, SEPT. 17, 1925
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONVENTION;
OR LIFTING UP A STANDARD OF
EFFICIENCY
An Address Delivered by Rev. O. M. McAdams, Thursday, July 23,
on the floor of the Sabbath School Convention of
McClelland Presbytery, Due West, S. C.
Every annual convention has
the privilege of standing upor
the shoulders of the annual
conventions that have preced
ed it, and lifting the standard
of efficiency in Christian service
a little higher. It is the privi
lege of every annual convention
to start with its program just
at the point where the preced
ing annual convention left off.
If we do not accomplish more
in this annual convention than
we accomplished in the last
annual convention, then we
shall not have made the proper
use of our privileges and oppor
tunities. It is our privilege to
accomplish more in life than
our fathers and mothers ac
complished. Every generation
should rise a step higher on the
ladder of civilization than the
generations behind it. And
so on, world without end, there
should be progress everywhere.
The law of God’s world is a law
of progress, or a law of growth,
Everything in nature grows.
The dead only is done. And even
in the realm of the dead
changes are continually taking
place. Everything in God’s
world is moving on. The sun
itself is moving through space
toward a poin^ in the constel
lation of Hercules, at the rate
of about 16 miles a second, and
carrying tne wnoie soiar system
with it. Every day the bodies
of mortals are dissolving into
their chemical elements, and
their souls are moving on into
the next world. _
There is no standing still or
marking time in the natural
world and God intends that
there shall be growth in the
spiritual world.
The children of this world are
wiser than the children of the
kingdom in many things. Stu
dents of current events will re
call how only a while ago the
voices of American statesmen
sounded aloud from one end of
this nation to the other, calling
upon the people of America to
prepare. “Prepare, prepare,”
was wafted on the wings of the
air. Prepare for war in times
of peace. In the tremendous
shaking of world powers and
the godless rush of the nations
of earth for what they consid
ered their places in the sun, the
national prophets of America
foresaw the crumbling and fall
ing of these United States un
less the nation prepared to meet
the demands of the future.
There is such a thing as liv
ing for the future. We live for
the future by preparing for the
future. We who are living to
day should make preparations
for those who are coming to
morrow. As we stand upon the
bridge that connects the pres
ent with the future we can hear
the tramp of the teaming mil
lions of the future. Are we
nrenared for their coming?
When we who are living today
shall have gone from this world
we shall leave behind us, as
every generation has left, a
legacy to posterity. The legacy
handed down to those who
come after us may be good and
it may be evil. The great Wil
liam Shakespeare makes Bru
tus say: “The evil that men do
lives after them; the good is
oft interred with their bones.”
But we are giving due respect
to the grealt writer when we
see the other great truth,
namely, the good that men do
is not always interred with
their bones, but it lives on and
and on from generation to gen
eration.
There are many ways in
which we may live for the fu
ture, but the one special way
that should concern us in this
our annual convention is lift
ing up a standard of efficiency
in Christian service.
Two thousand three hundred
eighty-five years ago, a Hebrew
prophet in whose veins flowed
the blood of nobles, spoke to
his people who were at home in
their native land in behalf of
the members of the Hebrew
race who were still in the
strange land where their fath
ers and mothers had been car
ried as slaves. In speaking to
those at home this old Hebrew
prophet and statesman said:
“Go through, through, go
through the gates; prepare ye
the way of the people; cast up,
cast up the highway; gather up
the stones; lift up a standard
for the people.” Isaiah 62:10.
The prophet calls upon those
at home to prepare the way
and lift up a standard for the
people. The Hebrews in the
strange land are to come home
and live in the land promised
by Jehovah to their fathers.
In the Old Testament there is
a very little said about the im
mortality of the individual, but
a great deal is said about the
immortality of the Jewish race.
Israel may be earned away in
to captivity again and again,
but the prophets of God refused
to believe that the time would
ever come when the Jewish
race would be no more. r>ui
they believed that a righteous
remnant would return from
captivity and live . on and on
through the ceaseless ages of
eternity. The task of the peo
ple, therefore, was to prepare
and lift up a standard for the
future. God' intinaeriffie -race
to live forever. The prophets
of God had a deathless faith in
the immortality of the Hebrew
race. The race would never die
out. The thing for them to do
was to prepare for the future.
The task of our annual con
vention is to prepare the way
for our young people. And in
preparing the way the standard
of efficiency in Christian service
must be lifted up, and the
stones in the highway of pro
gress must be removed. Our
program of education must
touch all phases of life. Our
great Church has come to real
ize that Christian education
expresses itself in the develop
ment of the physical life of the
child. Our educational pro
gram must include the play life
of our young people. The
world war caused our States to
awake to the importance of the
physical development of its cit
izens. The world war taught
that our nation was a diseased
nation. And the State began
to look after the health of its
citizens as never before.
We are born to die, but the
vital statistics show that we
are dying too fast. We are dy
ing to© young. Man ought to
live out his time as allotted by
the Scriptures, three score years
and ten, or 70 years. Accord
ing to tne iacis oa bwcu^
well as the promise in the
Scriptures, every man ought to
live until he is seventy years
of age. But we have been care
less about our own health and
the health of our young people.
Thus a great many of us have
gone to heaven before time. We
are not invited up there until
we become seventy years of age
at the least. So our education
al program develops the physi
cal life of our young people to
the end that they might live
out their allotted time.
If there is anything that can
be said against the educational
program of the Christian edu
cators of olden times, it is that
their program provided for ed
ucation of young people only in
spots, whereas the Christian
educational program of today
includes all the needs of life and
plans to meet those needs. An
adequate Christian educational
program must include the play
life of our young people. “ All
work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy.” Play is one of Jack's
inalienable rights. But our ed
ucational program must seek
to guide and direct the play life
of Jack. Too often he has been
left to develop his own idea of
a wholesome and worthy play.
The man or the boy does not go
astray during his work hours;
but he goes astray during his
leisure hours—during his hours
for recreation and play. How
many groups of our young
people know how to spend an
evening together in wholesome
and worthy play ? You say
they know how to dance, and
dancing is play. That is true.
But is there anything whole
some and worthy about the
dance? Does it contribute any
thing to the moral welfare or
the moral uplift of our young
people? Call the roll of the*
men and women who have made
the world better because they
live in it, and then tell us how
many received their inspiration
for Christian service in the
dance hall?
Automobile riding is a phase
of recreation, but there are so
many evils connected with the
automobile until our education
al program cannot afford to
overlook that phase of recrea
tion. Of course we would not
take a form of recreation from
our young people without re
commending that they be given
another form of recreation
which is more in harmony with
the life of our Master and
Teacher. The task, therefore,
of our Christian teachers is to
give to our young people a form
of recreation better than the
dance and which will do less
harm to their Christian lives
than the dance halls and auto
mobile petting parties.
In lifting up the standard of
the intellectual development of
our young people must not be
overlooked.
“Were I so tall to reach the
pole,
Or grasp the ocean in my span,
I must be measured by my soul,
The mind’s the standard of the
man.”
Our young people ought to be
encouraged to remain in school
until their minds are sufficiently
developed to meet the demands
of life. The 136 schools rang
ing from kindergarten to col
lege and theological department
and the 469 teachers that our
church supports in order that
our young people might obtain
a Christian education are a tes
timony to the faith and interest
that our great Church has in
Christian education.
Christian education seeks
not only to develop the body,
mind and soul, but it also trains
the child along lines which in
spire patriotism or love for our
country. Our young people
ought to be trained into a con
sciousness of citizenship. The
child ought to be taught to feel
that he is an American citizen.
The colored child is not gen
erally taught that America is
the black man’s land as well as
the white man’s land.
The first permanent settle
ment was made in this country
in the year 1607 at Jamestown,
Va. Twelve years later the
black man came to Jamestown,
(1619.) Thus for 306 years the
black man has toiled side by
side in this country with the
white man to make this nation
as it stands today the richest
nation on earth. And when
ever, however or wherever the
enemy has threatened to come
within our gates, the black man
has gladly shouldered his gun
and marched bravely to the
front with the white man in de
fense of his native land. It is
very refreshing and inspiration
al to walk across Boston’s Com
mons and look at the monumenl
erected in honor of Crispus At
tucks who was one of the first
four Americans to shed sacrifi
cial blood for American Inde
pendence in the Revolutionary
War. ua !
(Continued next week)
J TO I"/'!
THE BUDGET FOR THIS
1 CHURCH YEAR
Princeton, N. J.
To the officers and members of
tile Presbyterian Church, U. S.
loved in Christ:
f The following Important facts
presented to you by direc
of the General Assembly,
tey are so serious and signifi
t as surely to arouse your
yerful interest and loyal re
mse. v
For years the offerings of our
urch have continually in
ed and this, in many cases,
been due to personal sacri
and heroic self-denial; how
er, the increase has not been
proportion to the ability of
whole Church nor to the'
ands of its expending mis
>nary and benevolent work.
The entire contributions for
last year were less than $10,
000,000 out of an approved
budget of $15,000,000; conse
ently, all our Boards were
pered in their work. The
,rd of National Missions and
Board of Christian Educa
tion reported deficits amount
ing to $703,000; additional*ob
ligations from other years rest
upon the Church to the amount
of $540,000. Therefore, unless
these debts are to be enlarged,
or costly and disastrous re
trenchments are to be made,
ottr offerings must be increased
this year by the amount of at
leasts $2,000,000. An 'Increase}
of $5,000,000, however, will be
required to supply the recog
nized needs of our Boards.
To meet so critical a situation,
the General Assembly resolved
upon “the organization and
nrosecution of a vigorous, na
This entire budget of $15,
000,000, including as it does all
existing debts and comprising
the gifts of our nearly 2,000,
000 members, is not unreason
able or fictitious or visionary. It
was computed With conscien
tious care and it represents
only the imperative require-.
ments of our work at home and
abroad.
After its adoption, nearly a
year ago, this budget was ap
jjortioned among our churches,
so tht every congregation is now
familiar with its own quota.
With these quotas in mind, the
Assembly has not proposed a
debt-raising campaign, nor the
erection of new machinery, nor
the introduction of novel meth
ods, but simply a determined
effort on the part of the Church
to lift the level of its benevo
lences to the amount already
apportioned by its Presbytery.
Many churches did not con
tribute their quota, last, year;
many others, however, regard
ed their quotas lightly, as fan
ciful or arbitrary goals impos
sible for them to reach. Some
allotments ipay be unfair, some
readjustments by Presbyteries
may be required, some Weak
churches may need help from
the strong; but the level of our
offerings absolutely must be
lifted so as to assure at least
an aggregate of $12,000,000 for
this Church year. If every
congregation would contribute
its quota, the entire budget
would be raised, all our obliga
tions would be met and all our
Boards adequately financed.
What is the quota of your
chureh? Will you not make a
new and determined effort to
rjyfoft it? In no case will the
task be easy. The level can
not fee lifted, however, simply
py emphasizing obligations and
outlining programs, but only by
a fiew and definite and individ
ual offering of ourselves and
our goods to God, that thus we
may prove what is His good and
acceptable and perfect will,
k jn behalf of the General As
CHARLES, R. ERDMAN,
; H , - V' Moderator,
LEWIS S/M&DGE,
Stated Clerk.
McClelland presby
tery.
The Presbytery of McClelland
convened in the Schofield Pres
>yterian Church, Seneca, S. C.,
it 8:00 P. M., September 3,1925.
[be opening sermon was
reached by the retiring Mod
erator, Rev. J. S. Williams, D?
5., text, “What is man that thou
irt mindful of him? Or the son
>f man that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little
ower than the angels ana i
irownest him with glory and
lonor.” Psalm 8:4-5.
“They said therefore unto
iiim, What must we do, thajt
ve may work the works of
Sod?” St. John 6:28.
After the sermon Presbytery
vas constituted with prayer by
Rev; B. F. McDowell, D. D. The
rolf was called and Rev. J. G.
Porter was elected Moderator
uid Rev. J. H. Toatley, Tempor
iry Clerk.
Rev. N. Bell, of Catawba
Presbytery, was accorded a seat
is a corresponding member.
An offering was taken, an
nouncements were made, and
Presbytery closed with prayer
i>y Rev. N. Bell.
Friday Morning, Sept. 4.
The Friday morning session
consisted in reading, correcting
snd approving minutes, appoint
ing temporary committees, en
rolling tardy members: Rev. E.
A. . McCorkle and Elders Drum
mond and Butler.
Revs. 0. M. McAdams and
B. H. McFadden were nominat
ed principal and alternate min
isterial commissioners, respect
ively, to the next General As
sembly. Elder J. E. Hall was
nominated principal lay commis
sioner and Elder Drummond,
alternate.
rroi. u. d. jonnson, uiretaur
of Stewardship in the Presby
tery, and Rev. J. H. Toatley,
Chaittftaft Uf*PreSbytery*s~ ©onp
mittee of the Board of Nation
al Missions, reported.
Prof. A. A. Adair, S. S. Mis
sionary of Fairfield Presbytery,
was given the privileges of the
floor. Prof. Adair spoke of the
Sabbath School work accom
plished through the work of
Mr. P. A. Flack in McClelland
Presbytery during the summer
months, and introduced Mr. H.
N. Sullivan, who is the newly
appointed regular Sabbath
School Missionary for McClel
land Presbytery*
Rev. C. W. Francis, chairman
of the Presbytery’s Committee
on Christian Education, and
the Chairman of Presbytery’s
Committee on Program and
Field Activities, Rev. C. M,
Young, D. D., reported.
The hour for preaching hav
ing arrived, Rev. J. E. Jack
son, Synodical Evangelist,
preached a most excellent and
timely sermon: theme, “God’s
Remedy for Sin.” Text;, “Be
hold the Lamb of God that tak
eth away the sin of the world.”
St. John 1:29.
Friday Afternoon.
The outstanding accomplish
ments of the Friday afternoon
session follow:
Rev. J. G. Porter, the Direc
tor of Missionary Education,
reported.
The five-year period of the
Stated Clerk, Rev. 0. M. Mc
Adams, expires March 31, 1926.
Rev. J. H. Toatley, of Due West,
S. C., was elected Stated Clerk.
Rev. Toatley’s period of service
as Stated Clerk of McClelland
Presbytery begins April 1, 1926.
Rev. 0. M. McAdams was
elected Chairman of Presbyte
ry’s 'Committee on National
Missions.
Rev. J. S. Williams, D. D.,
Chairman of Presbytery’s Com
mittee on Ministerial Relief and
Sustentation, reported.
The Woman’s Presbyteria!
Missionary Society reported
through its President, Mrs. J
H. Toatley.
The Treasurer of Presbytery
Rev. 0. M. McAdams, reported
This report was approved bj
the Presbytery’s Auditing Com
mittee.
The Presbytery ordered iti
Stated Clerk to notify Dr. E. J
Grregg, Treasurer of the Synod
>f Atlantic, that McClelland
Presbytery will cooperate with
lim jth his efforts to raise the
Synd3ical assessments.
Rey. E. A. McCorkle made
the report for Presbytery’s
Committee on Foreign Mis
sions.
The Chairman of the Com
mittee on Vacancies and Sup
plies recommended that Mr. W
C. Jones continue as Stated
Supply of Carlisle and Union
through the, winter months.
Presbytery approved.
The next place of meeting
was left in the hands of the
Stated Clerk. The session closed
with prayer by Rev. C. W.
Francis.
An appreciative audience was
present Friday night and
heard the Woman’s Presbyterial
Missionary Society, give an ex
cellent, interesting and inspi
rational program. A collection
of $25.00 was given.
Most excellent music was
given by the choir of St. James
Methodist church of Seneca.
Rev. B. M. McFadden read
the resolutions of thanks, and
Presbytery adjourned with
prayer and the apostolic bene
diction.
Four of the ministers of
Presbytery were absent: Rev.
J. M. Johnson, D. D.; Rev. H.
Y. Kennedy, Rev. W. R. Coles,
D. D., and Rev. Leslie E. Ginn.
Sunday, Sept. 6.
An appreciative audience was
present Sunday morning. Mu
sk was given by the choir of
Ebenezer Baptist church. Rev.
0. M. McAdams preached Sun
day morning and Sunday night.
May God bless Rev. J. S. Wil
liams, D. D., and family and
the people of Seneca.
0. M. McADAMS,
Stated Clerk.
OAKLAND CHURCH NOTES.
t -t*----, ..... >■*#*>■ ■atr_T>m*m-Z’-<*r
Beginning August 31 and
ending September 6 a revival
meeting was held at our church.
This was one of the greatest
spiritual awakenings in the
church and community we have
experienced.
Monday night our pastor,
Rev. J. A. Ramseur, preached a
strong, searching sermon.
Tuesday night Rev. W. G. An
derson, of Lexington, who con
ducted the meeting the balance
of the week, came. His sermons
were persuasive, strong and of
such a character as to make
each individual “Come to him
self.” Each night, too, Rev. An
derson seemed more zealous and
full of the Holy Spirit.
During the week two grown
men and 12 children and young
people decided for God. Thir
teen of these joined the church.
Many Christians vowed that
they would live nearer to God.
Sunday was a great day. At
the morning service Rev. Ander
son used as a text, John 10:9:
“I am the door.” It was a great
sermon.
In the afternoon just before
the Lord’s Supper was given he
preached a short sermon on
“The Death of Christ.” His viv
id illustrations caused everyone
to enter into the spirit of
the occasion. Three infants arid
three other persons were bap
tized. The last service was
Sunday night.
A collection which amounted
to $26 was taken for Rev. An
derson.
All the services were well at
tended. We hope Rev. Ander
son will come again, and pray
God’s blessings on him as he
labors for the Master.
We are sorry to report that
Miss Lula Belle Johnson is ill.
Mr. Odell McConnaughey and
wife, of High Point, are visiting
their father and their sister,
Mr. David and Miss Alice Mc
Connaughey.
Misses Ruth Miller and Mary
Howard Carr left for Scotia
• College Monday where they will
resupne their studies when
i school opens. We shall miss
. them very much,