Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1917 — BIBLE WEEK FOR ARMY [ARTICLE]

BIBLE WEEK FOR ARMY

CHURCHES OF AMERICA BEHIND MOVEMENT TO BUILD UP ARMY MORALE. American Bible Week, for the purpose of equipping our soldier* and sailors and the American Army in France with khaki Testament*, is announced by the American Bible society, in co-operation with the Federal Council of Churches, for the week beginning Sunday,-De-cember 2nd. The goal of this campaign is $400,000, which has been undertaken in response to repeated demands from Army and Navy chaplins, the Y. M. C. A., and other agencies working for the spiritual welfare of the boys at the front. The ' campaign has the united backing of practically every denomination. The Bishops of the Northern Methpdists, the Southern Methodists, the College of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, the Congegationalists, the National Service Commission of the Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Church, and others, <■ have already pledged their support to what may be described as a movement to put the church behind the American Army in France.

The little service Testaments issued by the Society, small enough to fit conveniently into the soldier’s comfort kit, printed legibly on good paper, free from the usual trappings of gilt and morocco, and bound instead in the khaki of the service uniform, is a book for the fighting man, and will, according to the Bible Society, carry into the trenches the message of a religion militant for righteousness, the religion of purity, strength, and sacrifice. Military leaders are reported to confirm the Society’s belief that this message, translated into life, will do much toward building up and sustaining army morale, ■ and toward promoting that spirit necessary to victory. In this connection the Society quotes a letter recently sent to an American soldier by Gen. Pershing: “Hardships will be your lot. Temptations will befall you. But the teachings of our Saviour will give you strength.” Theodore Roosevelt has given the campaign hearty endorsement, saying, “I very earnestly hope that the good people of the United States will furnish you with the means to do this work. Every soldier and sailor of the United States should have a Testatment. The American Bible Society is the organization through which the work can be done in the best Ministers and laymen throughput the country are meeting on November 27th, to plan the campaign and to organize local churches for the week of-December 2nd tq 11th. The Society is receiving the warmest support of the Administration.