New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-05
official work of the Methodist Episcopal Church in

lain McCabe, who Is the enthusiast OF the Church
Extension Society, has completed subscription OF
100000 for q loan fund TO build new churches:
while the s0cietys regular operations show receipts
of nearly $4,000. The Womens Board spends
about 100000 per annum IN Its work among
heather women, and easily and inexpensiyely col
lecs the funds from year ito year. 1t has been re-
markably successful in furnishing lady phya-
clans and teachers for India, China and
Japan; and its work IS so managed as
to assist that of the General Missionary
Board. The latter organization will report
this year an increase of about $685. 900 in It's colec
tons from the churches. Last year the increase
over the previous year was about $40, O00-so that
the annual collections have gone up more than
$4,000. or about 20 per cent in the two years
The gain in the actual total work Of the other two
societies is in the same proportion. The three or
CARNATIONS drawing their funds from collections
made in the same denomination are now receiving
| and discussing about 100000 a year to extend
Christianity by Methodist agencies and methods,
and about fourth of this is an increase made in
short period.
1t Is a notable fact that there has never been
whisper of mismanagement or misrepresentation in
either of these societies. The plans and methods
OF the General Committee have been SO unani-
mously approved that prominent member recently
said that he wished there were just a little discOn-
| tent to deal with-it would, he thought, make an
audience for the facts respecting the honorable his
tory of the Missionary Board Some prospect of
this sort Of criticism was offered by book pub
lished this year by the brilliant volunteer mission
airy engineer known to NethOdists all over the
world as California Taylor" The book turned
out, however to be more criticism Of the bishops
than OF the Missionary Society, and its points were
snch as the great body of Methodists cared nothing
about though the author is a popular favOrite in
the whole Church. William Taylor got his pet name
by great success as revvalist in California
a quarter of century ago. He IS vigorous
enthusiastic and Independence good missionary
society in himself. AS to his independence, story
runs that bishop once wrote to him formal notl-
fcation that he was expected to report in South
India for work. Taylor replied: Dear Bishop
have your order to report for work in South India.
The Holy Ghost orders me to 20 to South America,
and | shall accept the appointment of the Holy
Ghost" Taylor has planted good many missions
and schools on the principle of making them self
supporting at once, and more recently his work has
been largely that Of founding schools III South
America. These schools, opened III Catholic COM
munites, have to be secular to exist at
all. At meeting held this summer, one of Tay
loTs superintendent stationed in Chilli
brought down the house by remarkable anti-cli-
max. IF" he said, we should be so unfortunate
as to have conversion in one of our schools it
would blow us all INTO the Pacific" 1t is for such
as these that the last book of Taylor has
not awakened much interest in the subject. If
churches can be planted in heathendom on the self
supporting principle Methodists would doubtless be
glad to keep their money for other purposes but
while they see that genius like Taylor can plant
In, hat lla
South India, they do not see any evidence that the
Taylor plan can be worked on larger scale and in
hard fields like Italy and North India.
There is, however some discomfort inside as well
as outside of the committee with the painful slow
ness of some of the missionary operations. The OBJ
jective point of the movement is self-susaining
churches built up by the societys agents, and an
opinion prevails that in some fields the missions
are remaining dependent altogether too long.
This judgment may be just respecting particular
fields but l. should be revised to the whole work.
In the first place the appropriations not all made
for current expenses. The WOmen's Foreign Mission
airy Society has collected and disbursed since
March, 1869, about 100000; and 1t has property
In foreign lands valued at about $l25,OOO. The
Missionary Society has property in foreign
countries which valued at more than 81 SOC, 900.
This property is in churches, schoo-houses
buildings the converts and their friends contribute
considerable SUNS. The total collections within
the foreign missions for all church purposes were
last year nearly 5000, 900. The American money
sent to these missions was a little in excess of
$500 900. If we do not mistake the meaning OF the
statistical tables in the Methodist year book nearly
10 per cent of the money expended in the foreign
missions was collected from the converts. This Is
certainly promising showing.
The larger part of the Missionary SOciety's funds
is expended IN the United States Some of it is laid
out upon Indians and foreign residents among us;
more goes to the founding of new churches. The
Church Extension Society devOteS itself entirely to
giving aid in building churches on American
soil ut the rate of one day the year
round Adding together the foreign outlay
of the Missionary Board and the women's
society. we find that about $450,000 is annually
sent abroad by the Methodist Episcopal Church for
missionary uses. large part Of this sum IS ex'
pended for educational and phlanthrOpc purposes
and for property to be used by the missions. II we
set down the collections of the three societies at
5000 900 per annum, may make a new distrlbu-
tion of this sum as follows For new churches in
the United States, about $150,000; for church
property abroad, $50 900; for education and phi
Ianthropy abroad, $200,000 for evangellzing
foreigners 5000, 900; and for the mainte-
nance of missions in our own country, 100000.
These figures show that the MethOdIsts are still
very practical people and that they equally con-
cerned about "the heather at home" and the
heather abroad
We took occasion a few days ago. in the interest
of the Republican party, to fay the chairman of