Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-10-03
THE AMERICAN BOARD.
The Great Meeting Which Opens I'm Port
Hand To-day.

the Great Meeting Which Opens I'm Port
land To-day.
The American Board of Commissioner,
for Foreign Missions will meet in City Hall
Portland, this morning, and continue in ses.
sion for four days. This meeting will bring
to Portland upwards Of 5000 visitors, and
will be ons of the most important event. in
the church history Of this State An account
OF the origin of the board, the objects it has
IN view, its growth for the past ~ years and
the work it has accomplished will
time.
ORIGIx OF THE BOARD.
The American Board of Commissioners
for Foreign Missions owes its origin to Sam
uel j. Mills, an undergraduate of Williams
College. Mills. when a mere boy, took a
great interest in the subject of carrying the
Christian religion to the heather in foreign
countries. and the idea grer in his mind as
he increased in years In college reformed
a society called The Brethren whose OBJ
ject was Ito effect. in the persons of its MT n:
hers, a mission or missions to the h, athen -
This society was transferred to the Andover
Seminary in 1863. and is still IN existence.
About the year 1910, petition signed by
Adnnlram Judson. Samuel Mott. Samuel j.
Mills and Samuel Newell, was presented to
the General Association sf Massachusetts
This petition asked that means be furnished
to the four petitioners to go to foreign coun-
tries and preach the gospel among the
heather. Thus the attention of the General
Association was called to the idea of foreign
missions. The subject had been for some
time previous, a matter of serious thought to
some of the older ministers, but this petition
was the thing needed to set the ball in mo-
ton, which was to gather an immense mo-
mentum as it rolled along through the
years. 20.
The petition of the young Men was grant
ed. with some notifications, and they sailed
for Asia in 1912. The General Association
appointed board of commissioners for for
eign missions to oversee the work. This is
the American Board, which is to meet in
Portland to-day, but it has grown out OF
all knowledge of the original board.
The board first consisted of nine members.
It was incorporated in 1912 with l. members
as follows:
William Bartlett. Newburyport.
Samuel Spring, d. d., Newhuryport-
Joseph Lyman, ID. d., Hatfield.
Jedediah Morse, ID. d.. Charlestown.
Samuel Worcester. d. D., Salem.
Hon. William Philips, Boston.
Hon. John Hooker, Springfield.
Hon. John Treadw ell, Ii. d., Farming
ton, Conn.
Rev Timothy Dwight, d. ID. LII. d.,
president of Yale College.
Gen. Jedediah Huntington, New London,
Conn.
Rev. Calvin Chaplin. Rocky Hill, Conn.
The act of incorporation stated that the OBJ
ject of the board was Ito propagate the gospel
in heather lands by supporting missionaries
and diffusing a knowledge of the Holy Scrip
lures"
GROWTH OF THE BOARD.
In 1918 the board consisted of 26 members,
including Jesse Appleton, ID. d., president
of Bowdoin college and General Henry Sew
all of Hallowell.
The charter provided that members were to
be elected by ballot at an annual meeting. but
the number was not limited. One third OF
the members must be clergymen, Onethrd
laymen and the remaining third may be
chosen unfortunately from either clergy
men or laymen.
At the annual meeting in 1919, class OF
members called corresponding members was
added to the board. These were not expected
to attend meetings or to vote in the board.
A class called honorary members was admit
ted in 1921. Clergymen are made honorary
members by the payment of $50 and laymen
by the payment of 500. Honorary members
cannot vote, yet they are allowed to take part
in the deliberations of the board and serve on
committees. etc. In 1860. the semi centen-
NAL of the board, the number of honorary
members was 1879.
Three hundred and fifty eight persons have
been elected corporate members from the be-
ginning. In 1860, the number of corporate
members was ga. In 1881 the corporate
members numbered 222. The corporate men,
beers from Maine, at present, with the date OF
election. are as follows:
1856, William w. Thomas, Portland.
1864 John J. Carruthers. DID, Portland.
1870, John q. Fiske. D.. Bath
1870. Joseph S. Wheelwright, Bangor.
1877, Hon. Joseph Titcomb, kennebunk.
1880 Hon. James W. Bradbury. Augusta.
1881, J. C. Holbrook, ID, Portland.
The deceased or resigned corporate men,
bers from this State with the dates of their
election and death or resignation have been
as follows
Election Death or hes ghatioh