(3) To continue the conduct of evangelistic work among the students of our Presbyterian Colleges in coöperation with the Board of Education.

(4) Wherever necessary, to urge that Presbyterial and Synodical Committees be so changed in membership as to bring competent men into active service.

(5) To coöperate with the Committees of Synods and Presbyteries in arranging for and conducting conferences on evangelistic work.

(6) To present to the Presbyteries as rapidly as possible the system of Presbyterial evangelism known as the "Chester Plan."

(7) To appoint a sub-committee which should correspond with other Presbyterian and with Reformed Churches throughout the world concerning a possible coöperation with their Evangelistic Committees.

(8) To consider the request of the Presbyterians in California that the General Assembly's Committee conduct an evangelistic campaign in connection with the PanamaPacific Exposition in 1915.

We have now to report the steps taken by your Committee in their effort to carry out these instructions. A meeting for reorganization was held in Atlantic City immediately after its reappointment and authority given to the Executive Committee to appoint a new Secretary. At a meeting of the Executive Committee held in Philadelphia on June 16 the selection of Rev. George Gordon Mahy as Secretary was reported and his appointment confirmed.

A STUDY OF THE FIELD AND ITS NEEDS.

At this meeting it was decided to ascertain as far as possible the evangelistic conditions of the Church, and the Secretary was directed to make such a study in order that the Committee might determine:

I. The need for an increased evangelistic effort in the individual churches.

II. The nature and extent of the existing Presbyterial and Synodical supervision of the evangelistic work of the churches. III. To what extent, if any, the church desired the continued coöperation of the Assembly's Committee.

I. The Need for an Increased Evangelistic Effort in the Individual Churches.-Through the kindly offices of Dr. Roberts, our Stated Clerk, we were able to secure the following classification of the churches by growth as represented in additions to their membership on examination for the year 1911. The figures here shown most clearly illustrate the

need for an increased evangelistic effort in the individual churches.

Growth of the Church by Additions to Membership on

Your Committee regards these totals as an urgent reason why this Assembly should send to the whole Church an earnest summons to a more definite and consecrated evangelism and should commission us as your representatives with such powers and instructions as will enable us to effectively present your action to all the churches.

II. The Nature and Extent of the Existing Presbyterial Supervision of the Evangelistic Work of the Churches.-A study of the Presbyterial supervision of the evangelistic work of the churches was made by direct correspondence with the Stated Clerks of the Presbyteries and the Chairmen of Presbyterial Committees responsible for the evangelistic work in their fields.

Prompt and full replies were received from 246 Presbyteries. These enabled the Secretary to make a careful tabulation of the detailed information contained in the replies and to present a clear report with illustrative charts to your Committee at its meeting held in Columbus, O., on September 27. This report showed: (1) That of the 246 Presbyteries replying to our inquiry, 120 had appointed Evangelistic Committees, and 79 had committed to Home Mission Committees the responsibility for their evangelistic work. The report further showed that only 42 of these 246 Presbyteries had developed a clearly defined plan of Presbyterial evangelism, and that only 29 of the whole number reporting had undertaken and afterwards abandoned Presbyterial evangelistic work. These facts clearly indicated to your Committee that Presbyteries recognize their responsibility for the direction and development of evangelistic work, but that their Committees as appointed have been inactive for the reason that they have been without such leadership as would enable them to map out a plan of action or to develop their resources for the support of their work.

III. To what Extent, if any, does the Church desire the Continued Coöperation and Help of the Assembly's Committee? -The replies to the question whether these Presbyteries would welcome the aid of the Assembly's Committee were so clearly and emphatically in the affirmative and were accompanied by so many urgent requests for immediate coöperation, that the Committee has found it difficult to cover the field in any satisfactory measure, and at the same time do thorough work. These requests came from 187 Presbyteries which desired the help of the Committee either in strengthening the work which they had already begun or in helping them to set up a new program.

THE WORK AMONG THE PRESBYTERIES.

As a result of the correspondence had with the churches and Presbyteries in connection with this study of conditions and the publication and circulation throughout the Church of the facts elicited by it, there was an immediate awakening of interest among the Presbyteries. This brought out many inquiries concerning methods of Presbyterial evangelistic work, and resulted in the appointment of Evangelistic Committees by 61 additional Presbyteries, so that at the present time 181 Presbyteries report Evangelistic Committees. In view of this awakened interest and inquiry and the important relation of these Presbyterial Committees to the evangelistic work of the Church, your Committee determined that the best pos

sible way in which to carry out its instruction by the Assembly, "to stimulate the evangelistic spirit in the Church" would be to render them all possible assistance. The Committee therefore instructed its Secretary to enter into direct correspondence with all Presbyterial Committees, and to send them from time to time in printed form such practical suggestions concerning methods of work as we might be able to glean from the experience of those Presbyteries which had developed a definite evangelistic program. In addition to this, it was decided that the Secretary should visit during the winter as many Presbyteries as possible and confer with their Evangelistic Committees. Accordingly conferences were arranged with Committees and interested leaders in the majority of the Presbyteries in the Synods of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Baltimore and in a number of the Presbyteries in five of the Synods of the Middle West. These visits almost invariably led the Committees strengthen their organization and to take a firmer hold upon their work, with the immediate result that many of the churches which would otherwise have allowed the year to pass without a direct effort to win men and women to Christ were led into an earnest evangelism.

This work of visitation among the Presbyteries in the eastern Synods was headed up in an Institute on Presbyterial Evangelism, which was held in Atlantic City, N. J., on February 27 and 28. This gathering was attended by representatives of forty-two of the sixty home Presbyteries in the four Synods of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Baltimore, these representatives coming from as far west as Buffalo and as far south as Washington-many of them at their own expense for railroad fare. Evangelistic conferences were also held in connection with seven Presbyterial meetings and at the fall meetings of eleven Synods. Speakers for these conferences were furnished by the Committee at its expense. At the time of the writing of this Report, preparation has been made for a similar Institute to be held at Louisville, Ky., May 14 and 15, for the representatives of the Presbyteries in the Synods of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky. It is the firm belief of your Committee that this work of visitation among the Presbyteries and the conduct of Institutes with Presbyterial Evangelistic Committeemen will raise up in every Presbytery a group of men who will be able to furnish both the inspiration and the leadership required for a consistent and continuous policy of Presbyterial evangelism.

Six Presbyteries have during the year adopted the "Chester Plan" and others are ready to do so. Your Committee is

advising these Presbyteries, however, to enter upon this work only after careful consideration and when they are sure that they will be able to give it adequate support for a period of at least three years. These Presbyteries are therefore seeking to strengthen their hands for a permanent work, rather than to enter hastily upon a program which they may afterwards be unable to maintain.

We desire to record our appreciation of the nobility and self-sacrifice of the men in our Church who have served on Synodical and Presbyterial Evangelistic Committees. They are burdened with their own pastoral cares, but they have cheerfully and bravely accepted the additional responsibility which this committee service involves. They have aroused the pastors and churches in many sections of our Church to a greater activity and earnestness in soul-winning. Without their cordial coöperation and help it would have been impossible for your Committee to have done the work which this Report presents.

EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE COLLEGES.

In response to an invitation from the Chairman of your Committee, representatives of the Board of Education and of the Student Department of the Y. M. C. A. were called into conference shortly before the meeting of the last General Assembly, in order to decide upon a method of coöperation which would make more effective the evangelistic work conducted by your Committee and the Board of Education in our Presbyterian colleges. Since the meeting of the last General Assembly, a final conference was held in New York City, which was attended by representatives of the Student Department of the National Board of the Young Women's Christian Associations, in addition to those present at the former conference. As a result of these conferences a method of coöperation was devised which insured not only the interest of the college authorities, but the coöperation of the Christian students affiliated with the College Associations. Under this plan of coöperation your Committee secured the speakers for the college campaigns, the Board of Education prepared the way through correspondence with the college authorities, and the local Student Associations, acting under the direction of the National Student Committees, took an active part in the preparatory work. The expense of these campaigns was shared equally by your Committee and the Board of Education. Speakers were sent to forty-three colleges. The reports from the speakers and from the college presidents show that the encouraging results reported by your Committee