Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1900 — BIG CENTURY PLANS. [ARTICLE]

BIG CENTURY PLANS.

EVERY CHURCH HAS AMBITIOUS PROJECTS. Religious Denominations Asking for f loo,ooo,COO— Methodists Have Four Movements, the Financial One Being Far Toward Success. With the exception of half a dozen, every religious body in the United States and England has on hand some new century forward scheme. Methodists of Fngland set pace, and Methodists of the United States brought the idea over the Atlantic. The start was made along finances, and so it has come about that the religious emphasis of the new century observances is, on the whole, monetary rather than spiritual. Smaller religious bodies, and also religious societies, have copied the idea, and there is, at a moderate estimate, $100,000,000 asked by the religious bodies of the United States on the hinge of the advent of a new century. Methodists have no fewer than four new century movements on hand. The principal of these is the raising of $20,000,000 with which to pay debts on churches, to strengthen charitable efforts, to endow colleges, and to help the fund* for aged ministers. To date almost exactly $10,000,000 has been subscribed the largest part for church debta Churches in different cities are organizing, some have already done so, and with the advent of the new year they will make combined efforts to raise a fund with which to pay off debts on all churches within the respective city limits. About $3,500,000 has been subscribed for educational purposes, and nearly $1,000,000 for philanthropies. In England the 'lVesleyans have raised practically all of their 1,000,000 guineas. Among educational institutions the university that lias gotten the most to date is the Ohio Wesleyan, and the American at Washington has done uext best. Together these institutions have raised over $1,000,000. Methodists have also a misaion fund in hand. The Missionary Society will try to iner'ease its receipts from $1,300,000 a year to $2,000,000. Methodists South seek to raise a fund of $2,000,000, to be employed in a manner similar to the $20,000,000 fund of Methodists North. The general conference in Chicago last summer authorized a spiritual movement, which aims to get 2,000,000 new members as a uew century task. It placed Bishop Tboburn at ths head of this movement, but his uncertain health throws much of the labor upou others. Pre*byteriuns Want Money. Presbyterians North and South havA financial new century schemes on hand, and the former have a Sunday school membership plan. The moderator of the General Assembly North, the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Dickey of Philadelphia, is spending his entire time in the interest of money raising. Presbyterians seek to pay church debts, provide for local improvements, help the work of the synods, endow colleges and mission boards, and increase offerings for work in China and other foreign fields. There is a Sunday •chool movement which seeks to get 500,000 children into Presbyterian schools in addition to the 1,000,000 already there. Cougregttionalists have not entered heartily into a new century scheme either here or in England. The only plan in band is she raising of $250,000 with which to strengthen the American board. The suggestions made by the Baptists of the North are being adopted by Baptists, white and colored, in the South. These suggestions have a slight reference to money matters. The only reference is to greater system in giving to all denominational benevolences. During the opening week of the new century many Baptist churches will hold all-day prayer meetings, and the fourth Thursday In January will be kept as a (lay of prayer for On the third Sunday in April Baptist ministers will preach on denominational progress during the century, and nt the anniversaries next May one day will be given to speeches on Baptist achievement in all the world. Two years or more ago Roman Catholics discussed the plan of taking a census of numbers and property throughout the world, with a view of publishing early in the new century the impressive facts or data in mass nnd so making before tbe world such a tremendous showing as only the Church of Rome could moke, of material and spiritual acieveuient. The holy year has been observed and the census idea seems to have been forgotten. At any rate tlic American churches are not yet in the work of taking this census. On the closing night of the century mass was said in all Catholic churches, a dispensation having come from Rome authorizing it nt this unusual hour. Episcopalian* and Ijitbrrnna. Episcopalians nnd Lutherans are not making much of the new century coming. The former will make much of the approaching Lent, not alone in a religious sense, but also in the Sunday schools. Lent will see more services than ever before, nnd the children in the schools named will push tjielr combined offerings for missions beyond the SIOO,OOO limit, a •tint which they have had for several years, but have never yet reached. The new Brotherhood of St. Andrew President is trying to put new life into that organisation, nnd n part of the plan is the holding of a summer instead of nn autumn national convention next year. Lutherans are getting ready to observe with much formality the 400th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther. They talk of founding a Lutheran university as a memorial of the occasion. Ths date is 1017. Christian Endeavorors take note of the new century by recommending all State conventions during 1001 to hold celebrations nnd by appointing the Cincinnati convention in July as a time of special rejoicing. Editor Oswald Ottcndorfer of New York Staats Zcltung died. lie waa prominent in polities. In Austria, his native country, he established nnd endowed several charitable institutions for which the Emperor desired to decorate him. He refused because lie was an American efrti*en. There are 300,000 French Canadians, of whom 25,000 an? voters, in Massachusetts. It was dfccovered that many counterfeit gold pieces are in circpiation in Haytl. ,