The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-02
Interest in Foreign Missions Declining.


An American missionary makes the frank
acknowledgment that the interest in foreign
missions has of late years been declining
among the religious people of this country.
He is the Rev. GEORGE WAsHBURN, President
OF Robert College, at Constantinople an in
stitution founded and supported for the con-
version OF the Mohammedans by contribu-
tions from the United States; and what he
says is as follows:
There is less interest in foreign missions In America
than there has been any time during the last thirty
There has been increase OF contributions com
mensurate with the increase Of wealth aud population
in the country. Tho societies depend more and more
upon legacies which represent the feeling Of a past
rather than present generation"
There can be no doubt Of the truth OF the
above. In proportion to their wealth the
church-going people are now giving to for
eign missions to missions for the conversion
OF the heathens far less than they contrib
uted a generation ago. And what money is
obtained is only got after the most painful
efforts. The cost Of collecting it eats up
very considerable fraction OF the amount.
Formerly the evangelical denominations,
as they are called, made the degree of inter-
est in missionary work test OF the religious
contributions were those for the conversion
OF the heathens The foreign missionary
societies held the first place in esteem among
all those organized for the propagation OF the
Gospel. The hearts OF the people were fired
by reports and appeals from the mission
aries, and faith in the wisdom and efficacy
of their efforts was not lacking. In proper
ton to the wealth of the churches at that time
the contributions were large.
Now, however, the solicitors for missionary
money are frequently turned away by those
who can well afford to give what they ask
for, and much more. Their stories Of hard
ships encountered and OF triumphs to be
achieved are not needed. Perhaps they are
even received with concealed skepticism.
The old appeals which once stirred the en-
thusiasm Of all pious souls, and made mis-
sionary meeting peculiarly fervid, have
largely lost their inhammatory power.
What Is the cause Of this decline In mis-
sionary zeal among the religious people of
the present time? In the first place, it is
due to the prevalence Of religious skepticism,
or, il not that, religious Indifference among
church members. 1t is necessary that
church should be firm in its faith and
earnest in its convictions, quick Jealous, and
enthusiastic, and take q consuming interest
in the propagation Of its religion. Is that the
condition of the Church at the present day?
Moreover, the younger generation have
not the old confidence in the efficacy Of the
missions to the hcathens. They know far
more about them as they actually are than
was known thirty years ago. There is less
glamour than formerly in regard to mis-
sionary work. Exactly what sort of work it
is, oftentimcs by no means disagreeable
begins to be understood, whereas then it was
only imagined, and usually very falsely
imagined Accurate knowledge has dis
spated the old romance touching the lives
of missionaries and OF heathens.
People, too, now put the cost OF missions
to the heathcns against the results accom-
plished, and they are apt to think that the
money might be better spent in other ways.
They do not think it necessary or wise to go
to Asia to convert wicked people, and to en-
tighten the darkencd, when we have at home
so many wicked to convert, 50 many in
darkness who need to be led into the light
and 80 many in suffering whose wounds
Christian charity should bind up.