Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

workers."ary'ress,".world."Vineyard GleaningsPresident Signs Bill Aiding Church PapersWASHINGTON, D. C.-(RNS) President EisenhowerSigned legislation allowing churches and religious organizations to enter their publications as second class mail withouthaving to maintain separate subscription and membershiplists.Under previous law, church organizations have for manyto obtain a signed statement from their members that a partof their contributions should be regarded as a subscriptionto the periodical.Scientific and fraternal organizations have for manyyears been able to send their publications to members upona simple resolution of their boards of directors. However,this privilege was not extended to churches since they do notgenerally collect specific membership dues or fees.Missouri Synod Increases Budget Forty-two Per CentST. PAUL, Minn.(RNS) A record budget of $12,900,-000 for 1956 was adopted here by the fiscal conference ofthe Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It is forty-two percent higher than the 1955 budget of $9,100,000.When the conference chairman, Dr. F. A. Hertwig of Detroit, called for "no" votes and was greeted by silence thedelegates burst forth with the doxology, "Praise God fromWhom All Blessings Flow."Gideons Distribute More Than Thirty Million BiblesGideons International has distributed a grand total of30,362,077 Bibles since its founding 57 years ago, WilliamW. Gothard, executive director, reported at the organization's 56th annual convention here.He said the Protestant businessmen's group had circulated 27,346,037 Scriptures in the United States, 1,598,995 inCanada,and 1,417,045 overseas.Inadequate Salaries of Pastors Scored by ReportThe salaries of Protestant Episcopal clergymen rank"somewhere below the wages of carpenters, but slightlyabove those of truck drivers." This estimate of the clergy iscontained in a commission report scheduled to be discussedat the forthcoming triennial general convention of thechurch in Honolulu next September.Ministerial earnings, the report notes, are far belowthose accumulated by doctors, lawyers and engineers. Theyare "way down near the bottomof teachers and socialin the honorable companyTo prove its point, the report asserts that the mediancash salary for the whole church is $3,600. It emphasizesthat this is not the average, but the "half-way" figure.Labor Leader Urges Everyday Use of ChristianityA labor and religious leader pleaded with his Congregational fellow-laymen to put Christianity to work in theireveryday lives. He is Albert Whitehouse, president of theKentucky State CIO council. Whitehouse told the first national convention of the Congregational Christian Churches'Laymen Fellowship that "Jesus Christ was considered aradical far more radical than Karl Marx ever dreamed ordared to be." Whitehouse read Christ's plea to a world to repent and turn to God for salvation. He pointed out thatChrist's plea was made to all people regardless or race,creed or color. "This was the most revolutionary conceptof justice ever heard of. It is still so today130and we don'thave enough people preaching and living it like Christ did,"he said.Commenting on this statement in NOW,LeTourneau Technical Institute, Tom Olson says: "It is unpublication ofusual for a labor leader to exhort his hearers to "repent andturn to God forsalvation.'So many people feel no needwhatever of turning to God for salvation, and many otherswho may admit such a need, feel that the turning is that of'turning over new leaves.' " "It is true," continues Olson, "asthe labor leader said, that such a message is as 'revolutiontoday as then, but it is the truth and should be soundedforth with trumpet voice -'Repent and believe the Gospel!' "Modern Improvements Being Enjoyed in Holy LandAlthough visitors to the Holy Land are surprised to seehow little the habits and customs of Bible times havechanged, there are some advances and many modern improvements are being enjoyed. Late in July, residents ofNazareth got runningdrivers started usingwater in their hemes and Jerusalema modern superhighway."Water development is the pivot of this country's progdeclared Prime Minister Moshe Sharett as he turnedthe valve that joined Nazareth to the nation-wide watersystem. Citing his satisfaction that "the inhabitants of thiscity can heave a sigh of relief as their toil of drawing andend,"carrying water in buckets comes to an the PrimeMinister noted that the Government has devoted specialattention to the needs of Nazareth, a "town of historical renown sacred to the entire Christian(The water supply of Nazareth has been most scantythroughout history as there are no nearby water resources.The town has always depended upon its cisterns and a fewsprings that frequently ran dry in the summer even after anaverage rainy season. This year, due to the drought, theArmy has been bringing water to the town in tank trucks.The town located in the Hills of Galilee is linked to theMekorot lines in the Jezreel Valley by five miles of pipes.)A few days later, at the formal opening of the NesHarim (Miracle of the Mountain) road, Mr. Sharett said:(Continued on page 133)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansaito promote Bible Standards ofDoctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer*;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing Editor?Frank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental Editor*Rev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $8.00 ; Simile CoDiei10 cents.British Isles.R- B' Ly