The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-28 00:00:00

WESLEYAN FOREION MISSIONS.

On Sunday last two sermons were preached in
the Wesleyan Chapel, liidderiniuster-street, b)
the Rev. R. Keyworth, pastor, in aid of the
above Missions. Collections were made at the
close of each service, which amounted to .tti us
11d. .

The annual meeting in connection with the
Wesleyan , Missionary Society was held in the
above Chapel, on Monday. Mr. O. Baldwin, of
Kingswiuford, occupied the chair, and was sup-
ported on the platform by the Revs. R. Key-
worth, W. Humphries, I. Jones, O. Mather, J.
Thomas, and A. Palmer ; and Messrs. O. Pear-
son (thornhilo, W. Pearson (Bed Hill), 1. Por-
ter, J. Kinsey, S. B. lcke, W. Powell, ac., ac.
The total receipts of tholVesleyan Missionary
Society during the year le7o have been
£149,767 5s 11d, and was £4,190 in advance of
the preceding year. Ihe expenditure has been
£147,854 12s Id, leaving a balance of £2,412 to-
wards the accumulating deficiencies of former
years. The gross amount contributed to the
Birmingham District Auxiliary for the past yeur
has been £4,064 58 11d, an increase of £l2l lOs
10£ upon the previous year. The following sta-
tistics of the society give a general view of its
operations in different parts of the world :
Central or principal stations, called circuits,
occupied by the Society in various parts of to.
world, 799 ; increase on the year, 41. Chapels
and other pi...whim! places, 6,2J0; increase, 162.
Ministers and Assistant Missionaries, includiog
supernmuaries, 1,099; increase, 42. Other paio
agents, 4,435 ; increase, 461. Unpaid agents,
92,410; increase, 1,269. ',tee and accrediteG
church members, 166,i92; increase, 6,097. 0..
trial for church membership, 17,360. Scholars,
deducing.; for those who attend both the day anti
Sabbath schools, 204,060 ; increase, 22,200.
Printing establishments, 7. The contributitn,
and collections in the Stourbritige circuit duriog
the past year amounted to .1:160 lUs 2d; juvenile
offerings, £33 Os 2d, of which stun £8 lls
was eAlected by the Stourbridge children.
The proceedings were commenced by singing,
and prayer by the Rev. R. Keyworth.
Thu Chairman spoke at souse length very fav-
ourably upon the subject, and called upon
The Rev. W. Humphries to read the report
for the past year, whioh stated that the society
was in s very satisfactory and Nourishing con.
dition.

The Rev. R. Keyworth, the pastor, then ad-
dressed those present, and moved a resolution to
the effect---" That this meeting acknowledges
with gratitude to the Most High, the success
which has attended the efforts of such associa-
tions." Thu rev. gentleman spoke at some
length on the work the children had done, alai
that might be done for the cause, and earnestl
solicited the aid of all interested in the associa-
tion, and spoke of the advantages England pos-
sessed for establishing Missionary Societies, to
enable missionaries to be sent all over the world
to preach the liospel to those poor heathens
who were still in the dark.

Thu Rev, 1. Jones, of Birmingham, congratu-
lated those present for having so good a meet-
ing. The speech the Chairman had given them
WAS a very good one, and he was very much
pleased with it. Britain is very different now,
in the 111th century, to what it was 18 centuries
ago. Christianity was introduced into England
about the ,ight century, by sonic missionary.
It was said that St. Augustine was the first to
introduce it into this country, but there is a tra-
dition that Bt. Paul came over, or prepared sonic
of him apostles to come here to preach the Gos-
pel. It was in the Jut century that St. Aligns-
tine preached some of his doctrines here, which
have since developed themselves into Itonianisru.
England Was brought up to her present state
• through Christian doctrine, anti they had great
cause to be thankful. He related an incident ha
one of the lives of Benjamin Franklin, whom,
he said, always relieved a beggar when he
th.,ught it was a case of necessity, and told him
not, to Ming the money back to him, but when
he was in a position to do so to give it to the