A Foreword CONTENTS FOR OCTOBER, 1911 The United Forward Movement. Rev. Wm. H. Foulkes, D.D. The Budget System. James D. Moffat, D.D., LL.D. The Minimum Budget The Board of Foreign Missions-The New Persia The Budget and Persia. Abram Woodruff Halsey The Living Word in Persia. Miss M. K. Van Duzee Medical Work in Urumia: Educational Work in Persia. Rev. S. M. Jordan "The New Persia." Rev. Frederick N. Jessup The Board of Home Missions The Budget and Home Missions Some Things A New Strategy Neglected Fields Survey by the Home Missions Council Principles of Co-operation in City Evangelization. Hubert C. Herring, D.D... Interdenominational Co-operation with Reference to the City A Country-wide Movement in Behalf of Men and Boys The New Seminary and the New Preacher. Edgar P. Hill, D.D. The Survey Work of the Department of Church and Labor. G. B. St. John.. The College Board-Robert Mackenzie, D.D., Secretary The Board of Ministerial Relief-B. L. Agnew, D.D., LL.D., Cor. Secretary 465 465 466 467 469 470 470 472 475 480 483 484 487 487 490 491 491 493 495 497 498 500 505 507 508 511 513 515 The Board of Publication and Sabbath School Work-Alexander Henry, D.D., Sec. 517 OUR CHURCH, ITS BOARDS AND OFFICERS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Office, Room 515, Witherspoon Bldg., 1319 Walnut The Board of Home Missions.-Office, 156 Fifth Ave., The Board of Education.-Office, 1319 Walnut Street, The Board of Publication and Sabbath School Work 519 521 tary, Rev. Alexander Henry, D.D. Business Superin- The Board of Ministerial Relief.-Office, 1319 Walnut The Board for Freedmen.-Office, 513 Bessemer Bldg.. The College Board.-Office, 156 Fifth Ave., New York, THE ASSEMBLY HERALD is the Official Magazine of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., and is published HORACE P. Camden, Bus. Mgr. THE ASSEMBLY HERALD, Tenth and Scull Sts., Lebanon, Pa. 1328 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Lebanon, Pa. Post-office as second-class matter. REV. WM. HIRAM FOULKES, D.D., OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION. T HE glory of the Church is to make Jesus Christ known in His saving fulness unto the ends of the earth. The Presbyterian Church has always recognized this truth, and has determined henceforth to magnify it. To that end, its entire household of missionary and benevolent agencies which have enjoyed the constant favor of God and the increasing support of the Church, has been banded together in a far-reaching United Forward Movement to enable the whole Church to realize and to fulfill this purpose. The aims and methods of these agencies have been remarkably unified. They are determined each in its own sphere to stand for all the work of the Church. Efficiency and economy in administration; cooperation and harmony in their relations together before the Church at large; zeal and fidelity in the discharge of their several tasks; the intensifying and expanding of their various phases of work; joy and enthusiasm on the part of each in the work of all,-these are assets in the new movement of the administrative agencies of the Church. A problem growingly complex; the need for specialization of the most efficient sort; the demand for Christian culture of the highest type; the appeal of children and youth for the knowledge of the Word of God; the challenge of the crowded city and the cry of the scattered country; the intensive and extensive phases of national problems; the fusing of many bloods into One blood; the provision for the nurture, support and gracious relief of a gospel ministry of increasing power; and, finally, the climax of her responsibility in entering the open door of the nations of the entire earth, and in evangelizing the one hundred million souls for whom Christ died and for whom the Presbyterian Church alone is responsible; these, in part, are the liabilities of this new movement of Presbyterianism. The all-cooperating, every member contributing method of this movement is in readiness for full operation. The challenge of a world's need and the call of a Risen Lord are insistently sounding. The Holy Spirit of God manifested in the revival of that greatest of all graces, the grace of giving, throughout the entire Church on the part of every member of the Church, for all the work of the Church will alone suffice to make the Church solvent in the eyes of her Lord. Presbyterianism, as a living Church, is being weighed in the balance of a great opportunity. The consecration and response of the individual members of the Church will turn the scale. Will every member be willing in this the day of His power? Will you? WH The Budget System JAMES D. MOFFAT, D.D., LL.D. FORMERLY OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION. HEN Paul had a great deal of money to raise to relieve the poverty of the saints in Judea, the first thing he did was to devise a method. He took for granted the benevolent disposition of the Christians of Corinth and Galatia, but fully realized the importance of a good system in order that their willingness to help their brethren might be utilized to the utmost. A very large amount of money was neededfar more than could possibly be given by them in a single collection, however liberal they might be. Therefore the method that Paul thought out and adopted included the following specifications: First, an opportunity to every member to contribute. The rich alone were not rich enough to contribute all that was needed. The greater number of people who were in moderate circumstances, or poor, could probably give more in the aggregate than the small number who were rich. Second, a weekly setting apart of what could be spared out of their earnings. There was not enough money in their possession at any one time out of which they could spare any large amount, but they were earning and receiving money regularly, and at the end of each week could set aside some of it. If this practice were kept up for some time, the aggregate would be surprisingly large for the gifts of poor people; and we know that the practice was kept up for more than a year. Third, conscience was appealed to, as a guide to each one in determining the amount he should give. His contribution should be "as God had prospered him." These three specifications constituted the method or system that Paul put into operation, and while we do not know what the financial results amounted to, we do know that no better system of church finance has since been devised. The Budget. In formulating what has come to be termed the Budget System, for the raising of the money to carry on all the benevolent and missionary work of our Church conducted by our nine Boards, we have followed the model that Paul furnished as closely as possible. The chief difference is this, that while the early Church had but one object for its contributions, we are contributing regularly to support nine distinct agencies. Our benevolent interests have been distributed. Instead of each church member contributing to all causes, each one has been tempted to make discriminations, to select one or more causes for his benevolence and to neglect the rest. This tendency to discriminate has been fostered by the necessity resting on each Board to make the best possible presentation of its own cause, THE ASSEMBLY HERALD regardless of what deficiency of revenue might befall other Boards. To counteract this tendency and to secure some of the benefits of the unity that prevailed in the early Church, the "budget" was devised. The Boards themselves initiated it. Its purpose is to bring about the understanding in the minds of all church members that our Church is appealing to its members for assistance to carry on its one great work of evangelization. This work is so great that its execution must be committed to nine agencies. Instead of these nine agencies appealing to the churches in a competitive spirit for patrons and money, it is now the one Church that appeals for a sufficient amount of money to carry on its work, and when that amount is received, the judicious expenditure of it is committed to the several Boards. It will take time to get the system fully installed; but one of the most effective steps was taken by the last Assembly, when it sanctioned the plan of co-operation that had been agreed upon by the Boards and the Executive Commission. The Boards and the Executive Commission will now work together to get every church to make provision for the installation of that part of the system that belongs to the churches. The Every-Member Pledge. The Budget System can not be a moneyraising system until the churches do their part. That part is simply to put into operation the practice that Paul introduced into the Corinthian church. When he exhorted that church (I Cor. 16:1, 2) he may not have intended that all other churches down through the centuries should adopt the same custom; but it certainly becomes a duty to do this as soon as it becomes evident that the Church can find and adopt no better system. We have now the testimony of many hundreds of churches T 467 that have tried the method, that it has yielded results far in advance of any other known to them. A brief statement of what each church should do in introducing the budget plan will make it evident that the plan has advantages that are other than pecuniary. First, let the pastor, elders and trustees in conference carefully consider the form of pledge and literature relating to it, and then they can adopt it intelligently. In such a conference there may be objections raised, but these can be met. Second, let the pastor preach, or otherwise present the plan to the people. In doing this, it may be well to make clear that no attempt will be made to force all members to substitute the new plan for any one to which some of the members may be attached; but to give the scriptural plan a fair trial, an opportunity will be afforded to give every member a chance to make an intelligent choice. Third, let a good committee be appointed to canvass the congregation, show and explain the pledge to every member, and ask him to consider his duty in the matter and to fill out the pledge in such way as his conscientious judgment may decide. The committee should be large enough to distribute the work, so that it may be speedily done and with small cost of labor and time to the committeemen. This personal canvass has been found to be very profitable to both parties, aside from the pecuniary returns. It is to be much regretted that some churches have omitted the personal canvass and relied upon the mail for distributing the pledges. In all effective church work the personal element is of immense importance. The first year's experience may not be wholly satisfactory, but with proper care there will be an increasing number to adopt the pledge. The plan should be presented anew each year, for no system will work itself. Introduction of the Budget System REV. W. H. HUBBARD, D.D., EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION. HIS year for the carrying on of the Missionary and Benevolent work of our Presbyterian Church through its several appointed PERMANENT AGENCIES something over three million dollars, at least, is expected from the churches and their several Missionary organizations. This unity of effort includes all the Permanent Agencies working through their representatives in each department, and all the co-operative committees of synods and presbyteries, together with the Executive Commissions of General Assembly synods and presbyteries. It is expected that all offices of every grade of every local church |