Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1901 — BIG CENTURY PLANS. [ARTICLE]

BIG CENTURY PLANS.

EVERY CHURCH HAS AMBITIOUS PROJECTS. Religions Denominations Asking far ®Methvdists 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 England set the 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 tret p tire-fnnds-for aged ministers. To date almost 'ex' actly $10,000,000 has been subscribed, the largest part for church debts. 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 $1,000,00*1 for philanthropies. In England the Wesleyans have raised practically all of their 1,000,000 guineas.

Among educational institutions the university that has gotten the most to date is the Ohio Wesleyan, and the American at Washington has done next best. Together these institutions have raised over $1,000,000. Methodists have also a mission fund in hand. The Missionary Society will trv to increase 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 new century task. It placed Bishop Thoburn at the head of this movement, but his uncertain health throws much of the labor upon others. ‘ Presbyterians Want Money. Presbyterians North and South have 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 school movement which seeks to get 500,000 children into Presbyterian schools in addition to the 1,000,000 already there. Congregationalists have not entered heartily into a new century scheme either here or in England. The only plan In hand is the 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 'rtference 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 day of prater for colleges. On the third Sunday in April Baptist ministers will preach on denominational progress during the century, and at 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 and so making before the world such a tremendous showing as only the Church of Rome could make, of material and spiritual acievement. The holy year has been observed and the census idea seems to have been forgotten. At any rate the 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 at this unusual hour. Episcnpaliant and Lutherans. Episcopalians and 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, and the children in the named will push their combined offerings for missions beyond the SIOO,OOO limit, a stint which they have hud for several years, but have never yet reached. The new Brotherhood of St. Andrew President is trying to put new life into that organization, and a part of the plan is the holding of a summer instead of an 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. The date is 1017. Christian Endeavorers take note of the new century by recommending all State conventions during 1001 to hold celebrations and by appointing the Cincinnati convention in July us a time of special rejoicing. Editor Oswald Ottendorfer of New York Staats Zeitung died. He was prominent in politics. In Austria, his native country, he established and endowed several charitable institutions for which the Emperor desired to decorate him. He refused because he was an American citizen. ' There are 300,000 French Canadians, of whom 25,000 are voters, in MaMachusetts. It was discovered that many counterfeit gold pieces are in circulation in Hay th