Dear Brethren, the time has again rolled round in which we are to meet together to confer as to the best and most efficient means to carry out the will of our Divine Master in the furtherance of his kingdom here upon earth. Since our last session in Cooperation, many have been the casualties -- many the changes that have taken place. Thousands have passed the bourne of time and are now among the solemn realities of eternity. Their change has been a blissful or a woful (sic) one. Thousands, again, have been ushered into this world and have commenced life either for a blessing or a curse to themselves or others.

The land which gave us birth, and whose free and liberal institutions we so much appreciate, is at peace with all the nations of the earth. We look upon this state of peace as one of the greatest blessings which our heavenly Father can bestow upon a people. While other nations of the earth have drawn the sword and engaged in murderous strife. The olive wand of peace is still stretched out over our happy land.

God has blessed us with a superabundance of the good things of this life. But though so abundantly blessed let us not be lifted up with pride. The angel of peace still hovers over our happy land, though our tables and our granaries groan with their burdens, it is in God's power, whenever we act unworthy of the blessings which he has bestowed seen proper to bestow upon us, to let loose the demon of war upon us, and to cause meagre (sic) famine to stalk abroad through our hitherto prolific land, to send the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

But notwithstanding these temporal blessings which it has pleased God to bestow so liberally upon us our people; notwithstanding there is peace and fulness (sic) of bread, yet a rigorous famine prevails in our midst, it is the famine of the word of the Lord. The ways of the Zion languish because few come to the solemn feasts. Each one goes after his idol, one to his farm, another to his merchandize, another to his amusements and his pleasures, but few there are who stand for God and his word. But still there are some who have not defiled their garments -- there are some who have not bowed the knee to Baal. We are called loudly called upon to remedy this state of affairs. The Lord has sifted the Church in this Valley most rigidly, and whether we are to regard this in the light of a blessing or a curse, with some be a question. It may be, and doubtless is, a blessing if we only take instruction therefrom. Let us then endeavor to shun the rock on which others have been wrecked. Let peace and harmony, the offspring of christian love, reign in our midst. Let all we do be done to the honor and glory of God. Let us act too in accordance with the injunction of the wise man, and whatever our hand finds to do, to do it with our might, knowing that the time of our labor, will soon come to a close, that the day of our probation will soon end. Let us strive to restore that confidence which our former bickerings and strife had well nigh dissipated.

Your evangelist has found, to a very considerable extent, a want of confidence existing, not only toward preacher, but among the members of some of the congregations toward one another, and this has had a tendency to beget coldness and lukewarmness, and an inefficient cooperation of the brethren. There has been, from the same cause, a sparing hand in the distribution of necessary means to further the interests of the cause. Brethren, some of them at least, have been afraid to give least they should be found contributing their means to purposes which would prove altogether abortive.

The teaching and efforts of your evangelist have not so much directed to the reformation of the world as the to that of the church. For it is very obvious that if the church could be rendered pure and zealous, that the most efficient step shall then have been taken toward the breaking down of the strong holds of Satan. While however the church, in a congregational or an individual capacity, does not show a commendable love and zeal, the efforts of an evangelist toward converting the world will necessarily be abortive. The church should not impose the whole burden of converting the world upon the evangelist. He is but to proclaim the glad tidings to men of the world, while the church is to cooperate with him by their lives and their substance. It, the church is to be a living epistle, read of all men -- the commentary on the truths which the evangelists proclaim to the world.

Whether your evangelist has been successful in his well meant efforts, time only can reveal. He however hopes for better times in this part of the moral vineyard. If we would realize these hopes we must set to work with our might, see that our lives are blameless in the sight of all men, lift up our prayer to the Lord that he bless the cause, that he send forth laborers into his vineyard, be willing to contribute the unrighteous mammon for the procurement of the true riches, remembering that God loves the cheerful giver, remembering too that our wealth is but a deposit of our heavenly Father, that we are but the stewards or dispensers of the same, and that we must hereafter render up an account of the manner in which we have used the goods of our Lord.

Let us resolve this day, Brethren of the Shendandoah Valley Cooperation, to renew our covenant with our God, to resolve to shake off that weight which has hung like a fatal incubus upon the cause in this Valley. Let us resole (sic) to act up to the full extent of our abilities, and to set aside distrust and that fatal lack of confidence which have paralized our efforts heretofore.

At the last session of our cooperation, upon my declining to again take this field, your choice fell upon bro. John Pirkey, but in consequence of business matters he was unable to take the field at that time. At his solicitation, and without the approbation or disapprobation of this body, I consented to take the field until this session of cooperation. Whether or not this digression from the arrangements of the cooperation assembled last fall at New Providence meets with the approbation of this body is for its member to say.

Your evangelist has confined himself mainly to five preaching points viz. New Providence, Walnut Spring, Zion, Fair View, and Edinburg. He has also preached at Strasburg, Saumsville, Christian Meeting House and Sandy Bridge Hampshire county. Since our last session there have been eleven additions, 8 at new Providence, 2 at Christian Meeting House and one at Walnut Spring.

All which is respectfully submitted.

April 19th, 1956
J. A. Cowgirl