578 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



20th. The principal feature of the session was 

 the consideration of communications from a 

 convention of colored ministers of the denom- 

 ination, which met at the same time. The ob- 

 ject of the latter was to consult upon the 

 means of organizing and strengthening' the 

 Church among the colored people. The con- 

 vention, among other things, asked that the 

 Synod be authorized to create presbyteries of 

 colored ministers, and that provision be made 

 for the organization of a synod of colored min- 

 isters, when the requisite number of presby- 

 teries shall have been formed. The first re- 

 quest was referred to the synods, and the second 

 was laid over until an occasion should arise to 

 decide upon it. The convention also sought 

 assistance in building and furnishing churches 

 for colored congregations; and asked that a 

 plan be devised by which colored ministers 

 could receive theological instruction. The mat- 

 ter of help in building churches was commended 

 to the whole Church. The colored ministers 

 were invited to select a location for a theo- 

 logical institution, and measures were taken to 

 cooperate with them in establishing it. It was 

 agreed on both sides that it would be for the 

 best for the ministers of the two races to meet 

 in separate judicatures. The Assembly advised 

 against establishing new schools of a higher 

 grade than a preparatory, recommending that 

 advanced scholars be directed to the institutions 

 already established. On account of defects in 

 the returns, no report of statistics has been 

 rendered. The number of colored ministers 

 is computed at 53. Cumberland University has 

 IV teachers and 758 students, including those 

 in the preparatory departments. New depart- 

 ments have been organized, and the library 

 has been very much enriched. McGee College 

 Mission has 190 students. Other institutions 

 are reported prosperous. A theological de- 

 partment is to be established at " Camp Blake," 

 where fifty-three students have already been 

 cared for. It has been offered the theological 

 library of the late Dr. Murdoch, of Yale Col- 

 lege. The Board of Publication (capital $6,- 

 989.91) has issued nearly 25,000 volumes. Its 

 receipts for the year were $9,807. 



IV. SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The 

 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 

 in the United States (Southern branch) met at 

 Mobile, Ala., on the 20th of May. The Kev. 

 Stuart Robinson, who has been conspicuous for 

 several years past by his participation in the 

 "Declaration and Testimony" movement in 

 Kentucky, was chosen moderator. A promi- 

 nent subject of attention related to the work 

 among the freedmen. The committee, who 

 had been appointed to correspond with the 

 Northern Church, reporting that their corre- 

 spondence had developed no practical plan of 

 cooperation in this work, the Assembly deter- 

 mined, on the motion of the committee, that it 

 was^'not prepared to take any steps contem- 

 plating the proposed concert of action." A 

 general and uniform plan of operations among 



the colored people was finally adopted. It 

 contemplates, " for the present, separate, par- 

 ticular churches, with their own deacons and 

 elders, and, at the same time, instruction by an 

 educated white ministry, until they can prove 

 their ability to produce a competent ministry 

 of their own." It provides, with the consent 

 of the colored people concerned, for the estab- 

 lishment of separate colored churches, to be 

 united with adjacent white churches under a 

 common pastorate ; they are to elect deacons 

 and ruling elders, and to be represented in the 

 upper courts by the pastors in charge of them, 

 and by the ruling elders of the white churches 

 with which they are associated, "until they 

 are sufficiently educated to warrant their be- 

 coming independent." Where no white church- 

 es are accessible, evangelists may establish 

 colored mission churches, and preside over their 

 sessions in admitting members and exercising 

 discipline. Suitable colored men may be made 

 exhorters, under the direction of pastors or 

 evangelists, and, where colored candidates are 

 able to stand examination, they may be licensed 

 and installed over colored churches, either still 

 holding their connection with the white church- 

 es, or ecclesiastically separated from them. 

 The plan provides for the appointment of sy- 

 nodical committees to carry it into effect, and 

 advises that assistance be rendered colored 

 candidates for the ministry, and encouragement 

 be given colored Sunday-schools. The report 

 on foreign missions was very favorable. The 

 subject of the spiritual care of the Southern 

 people who have emigrated to Brazil, and, 

 contingently, of the propagation of the Gospel 

 in that region, was referred to the missionary 

 committee, with instructions to take such action 

 upon it as they should think proper. Ap- 

 proval was rendered of evangelistic work, and 

 recommendation made of efforts to increase 

 the measure of its influence. An effort will be 

 made to raise the minimum of pastors' salaries 

 (last year $600) to $750. Reports of evangelis- 

 tic labors, from 13 of the 47 presbyteries con- 

 nected with the General Assembly, showed 

 good results. All the interests of the Church 

 were represented as in a flourishing condition. 

 Among the new presbyteries reported was that 

 of Central Ohio, which is connected with the 

 Synod of Kentucky. 



The number of Sunday-school scholars in 

 18 presbyteries is about 8,000. 



The receipts of the sustentation fund were 

 $31,703.50, from 652 contributing churches. 

 All the funds show increase in receipts and 

 in the number of contributing churches over 

 the previous year. 



The cash receipts of the publication fund 

 were $29,746.20; assets over and above liabil- 

 ities, $36,819.74. Pages printed, 17,833,500. 



The Union Theological Seminary reports 4 

 teachers and 26 students, and the theological 

 seminary at Columbia, S. C., 26 students. Tho 

 library of the former contains 5,800, and that 

 of the latter, 18,117 volumes. 



