New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
ONE MILLION FOR MISSIONS.
GREAT WORK OF THE METHODIST CHURCH

|
devoted to the purposes OF missions, all raised within
| the fiscal year OF the Missionary Society. Already
the has been reached within lew thousands
OF dollars and morning will probably crown
with success the splendid labors OF the men, women
| ami children to reach the goal set before them two
| years ago
million year for missions! Every Jealous
| worker in the ranks OF the Christian Church knows
what harvest OF souls the planting of that will
| yield. Every ardent Methodist and every friend who
has contributed to the end will be thrilled with PARDON
able pride the church of John Wesley has devoted
such mighty SUN to the spreading of the Gospel
None but those who have been actively engaged in
evangelical work can fully realize the possibilities OF
such a contribution but all lima zine great the
| benefit of the work must be- And the Methodist
Church has reached tbs high mark only to resolve TO
attain a still HI. her standard.
AN INSPIRING STORY
The story the achievement is full of inspiration for
the future. When the Missionary Society organ
ized lack in the first quarter of his century,
trbutions limited to the hundreds. In 1889 the
limit OF 100000 was passed and growing through
the years with but slight backward fluctuations, in
1888 the receipts missions exceeded three
OF million dollars. The exact figures the fiscal
year ended October 81, 1888 were S7J1,4G9
The collections tor 1884 showed decne-only
1871, 10 made the aggregate OF bequests and
| triDutons.
| In the autumn OF that year Chaplain Charles c.
| McCabe, one OF the secretaries OF the Missionary
Society," raised tue cry million for missions !" and
1t found splendid response in the hearts OF the
Methodist people. The necessity of a generous
income had been sorely felt in the Church aid
used from sheer necessity when the imperative need
OF it perfectly known. hen the call for a round
million sent forth member OF the Church could
deny that the want was real but there room for
doubt whether the increase could be secured But tho
batecy stirred all the deepest depths of Methodist
enthusiasm, ana the churches, the districts, the
| fprpu and he hayq phntng ifa rim
ing tones since. In 1885 the income II to
$o26,s2o, and when the fiscal year closes o-morrow
the additional sum OF nearly 100000 will probably
| be in the hands of the > cIety
In the front ranks of the workers have been Chap
lain McCabe, the Rev; DR.. John NJ Reid and the Rev.
Dr. William Butler the founder OF miss Travel
ling and speaking at meetings and conferences,
these have stirred the deepest interest every where
and parted the purses OF the most thrifty Chap
lain McCabe's scheme OF action, which supplemented,
or rather led, the wolk Of appeal by address, was
worthy OF the shrewdest political organizer. He put
organization into every of the $4,000 parishes
| in the denomination and strove to reach every in
diyidual member OF the Church.
| CHAPLAIN MCABE'S PLANS
Studying the income of 1884, Dr. McCabe found
| that outside of receipts account of requests,
Increase of 54s per would be required reach
| the goal of a million year. Including legacies the
total would only need to be 332 per cent and
IL was certain that these could be relied on fill up
any deficiency in the direct contributions. But it
the Chapalns aim stimulate general contributions,
of the raising of million dollars from all
promised campaign for So7 to make the Methodist ap
propratiOn for missions OOO 900 raised by collec
tions only.
| A chart was prepared, three feet by two. On
side printed maps of the TWO hemispheres with
the fields of specially active missionary devotion
colored in red Appealing quotations from the Scrip
ture, and sentences from Wesley, David Living
stone, the African explorer Emerson and prominent
| cerg ymen printed about the maps On the
other side a list of the Church conferences, with
the number of members and the name of the presiding
elder of each district in each conference. Against the
of each presiding elder placed the actual col
Lotions for the fiscal year. and next to that column the
allotment to each district for the million dollar appro
| priation.
Thus at glance could be the actual gifts of
each district and the sum that an increase OF 542 per
cent would require The charts were issued every SIX
months and where the collections in any district
ceeded the quota under the mil ion-doar apportion
| ment the sum printed in specially large figures
Thus glance would show in what district the zeal OF
people had ahead OF their snare in the increase
required to attain the mathematician line. In a few
instances, where individual parishes had endured
calamity business disaster, the apportionment was
a special one, but the rule to figure out and ask
for increase Of 54a per cent over the income OF
| 1854.
| HOW THE WORK WAS CARRIED ON.
| Broadcast through the country these charts
sent coupled with circular appeals to minister and
| layman to help in the undertaking, and set the
machinery of Christian money-gatherIng at work.
They showed how small the additional burden
that the parish asked to assume and at the
| a
| like banner toward which they were being beckoned
| to victory. An active corresp ondence was kept up
day after day questions were answered, appeals aud
| direction given explanations made aud advice was
rendered. and the workers of the home office of the
Missionary Society kept busy the centre OF
literary bureau that would to its spirit and
success those OF politicians in the shade.
Help from the secular press was sought and large
response given in the spreading OF news and the
use OF items likely to SOUR interest In the noble cam
| paigD. Nickel and penny subscription cards we're
brought into play to arouse the enthusiasm OF the
children the Sunday-school catechisms had IN
cOrporated In them questions and answers relating to
missionary work. and the devices were numerous by
which the enterprise advertised and furthered
But the busy lauors OF Secretaries Reid and McCabe
and The great army that so generously has seconded
their efforts bring their reward at the close OF the fiscal
year. The sixteen years experience OF Chaplain
| McCabe in the Church Extension Society had rpened
| him we'll for this religious campaign.
EXTENT or METHODIST MISSIONS.
| The Methodist missions employ 2,5OS missionaries
| and 1897 assistants in the domestic field in the
foreign field are 116 missionaries and ~ assistants,
exclusive of 500 native preachers and LAZY Sabbath
teachers The foreign missions received for the
current year $40 $50; the home missions 1891 300.
With 81 900 900 year TO rely upon hereafter the
division of the appropriation will be equal. Talking
modesty but earnestly ABOUT the great work now com
| pleted Dr. McCabe said
should be forgotten that the expenses OF the
Missionary Society are less than per cent OF the
sum raised owing to the fact that part OF tho office
expenses paid Dy the rents OF the Mission building
measure of the work OF the Methodist Church. we
have two other missionary societies-the Womens
| Boards of Home and Foreign Missions which raise
over 5000 900; 6 that the aggregate given by the
denomination tor the fiscal year just closing will be
| over 81, 2O00O This certainly marks new era in
the history of Methodsm justhes the enthusiastic
language OF Bishop Hurst, who in recent letter to
me said AXE heart my brother every sol nd you
hear is that OF victory East and West there Is more
enthusiasm for the grand of missions than have
ever known before -, -,
Nearly 900 workers receive their support in whole OF
In part from treasury. We have vast system o.
home MISSIONS which take in the frontiers OF the VEST
the colored popua alton OF the South and tho indias
We also have missions among the ored popu'a
. t I'D ha We been brought into Church through
their i agency We have missions missions. in India China
japan, Cores, Singapore, Bulgaria, Turkey. Italy,
O..