The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-07

RACES. The Assembly did so, but in very
| milo way If score or two Of our missionaries
| In CHINA had been maltreated ard murdered OF
| the Chinese, we would be inclined to think that
| such act would deserve the severest censure,
and that the murderers, and all who should
1 sympathze with them, would be referred TO In
| appro pirate terms. But from the resolutions OF
| our Assembly. nobody would suppose that any
/ Cinnamon had been murdered.
| The gross receipts of the board on church
| erection for the year were "a 1t had
under its care during the last twelve months 222
churches. chapels andparsonages. The amount
| or aid granted to these was $S4. GAG. o.
/ The object of the board of education is to aid
| young men who feel called to the work of the
ministry. but who are not able to pay for their
education. How many OF our 660O ministers
| have been aided by this board while prosecuting
their studies is not stated but that goodly pro-
portion of them were go aided there Is no
| doubt The income of this board during
| the past year was $50. 2l746 The fact that many
of our ministers are laid aside from active work
| by reason Of age and infrmity; the fact that
ninety eight Of our ministers died last year, and
| the further fact that we have l20) churches to-
| day without past0rs-thesa facts are Significant.
| They should lead Christian parents, as well as
pastors and Office bearers of the church, to cry
| to God that he may incline the hearts OF many
of our young men to consecrate themselves to
| Him in the work of the holy ministry. How
| it would gladden. my heart if some of our young
men would heed this suggestion and pray over
III, II so De tney mtgnL see tn6lr way CLEARLY W
engage in this blessed work.
| 1t is twenty one years since our church began
| its work among the freedmen It's twenty-frst
annual report is full of encouragement. We
| have 266 missionaries in this field of whom 236
are colored. Some of these ministers have to
care for four. six and even seven churches. The
| field occupied by our church lies for the most
| part in the Carolnas, Georgia and Ten
nessee, although few are scattered
here and there in Maryland. Virginia, Ken
tt7ok
and Indian Territory. The rapid increase OF the
colored population is fact that must not be ig-
nored. The census of 1880 gives 6,037, 8I2, an
increase of "a per cent in ten years. Three
colored. Almost the same thing il true of Loui-
siana and Mississippi. OF these more than
6,000 600 there l. APO. 600 voters, and 76 per
cent of these voters can neither read nor write.
Surely not only Christianity. but patriotism,
should prompt every Christian church
in the land to to the rescue
of these enfranchised but ignorant fellow
citizens, 30 that they may be properly trained.
rightly to enjoy and to use the rich treasure
that has been put into their hands. For the
carrying on of these missions our church has
given, during the past year, $ll3,9lS. When
cause, trust we will all respond cheerfully and
| literally. 1t is q most worthy cause. The
| capacity of the colored man has been demon
strated. Some Of the colored ministers who were
| in the Assembly gave proof OF that fact: They
can be, and they must be, educated.
elevated. Christanized, and we must do
| our part toward that great end We should re-
member that, if not to so great an extent. yet to
great extent, it is true now, as In the days OF
| slavery.
| There is a blind Samson in the land
Shorn of his strength and bound in bands of steel
Who may. in some grim revel, raise his hand,
And shake the pillars of this Commonweal,
| Till the vast temple of our liberties
A Shapeess mass OF wreck and rubbish lies.
That blind Samson is the uneducated immoral
negro, with the ballot in his hand Wisely and
eloquently did the secretary of this board call
the attention of the Assembly to that fact.
These ignorant colored voters have tho power,
in respect of numbers, to control seventy five
electoral votes. They could elect sixty-one Con-
gressmen and sixteen Senator'S. The ballot In
their hands is an official notice served on this
Nation, all sections and all parties OF it, that
such power put into such hands bodies no good to
this Republic unless their hands are guided by an
educated mind, and unless they are controlled by
an enlightened conscience.
The board of ministerial relief reported bal
ance of some SIC. 900 ia the treasury at the end
of the year. The whole amount received for this
cause was $120, 437. 10, Of which nearly $l8.500
goes into the permanent fund. The number of
| families aided by this board during the year was
| 4S4 OF these l9l were disabled ministers. 265
were the widows of ministers and twenty-eight
were orphan families. The whole number in
cluded in the families aided was about
| two thousand. The SUCCESS which has
attended this board during the year is due in
great measure to the elders of our churches,
| and especially to the movement inaugurated at
| the meeting of our assembly in Cincinnati. in
| 1885. in which movement one OF the elders OF
| this church took an active part Our church
must not relax her efforts, but rather increase
| them in behalf of this board. until its perma-
nent fund will be such as TO provide for the re-
| lief of every needy minister's family in our
church.
The board on aid for colleges was
| organized only three years ago. and already
| it has proved its right to exist.
| Already it has come to the aid of forty col
| leges and academies. Twenty-six OF these
I would not have been in existence but for this
newest of our boards. Its receipts last year
were more than three times that received by 1t
the first year. and it will doubtless increase in
| favor with our people until it becomes a mighty
power in the interests of higher education.
The whole amount contributed by all our
boards during the year has been 81, 9o4 661, an
increase over the previous year of $208, 556.
| This is WELL but it might have been better 1t
will be better next year If only all our people
| can be aroused to the Importance OF systematic
and conscientious giving. OF course what orr
church has given to our beard is not 1.-THE of
what it has given for other departments OF
church work at home. Its contributions here
| will probably amount to nine or ten millions OF
! dollars.
| In speaking of the success that had attended
| the preaching of the gospel. Dr. Mcleod quoted
| from the reports a statement that revivals
| have been one of the most important factors in
| the progress of the church. Ingatherings are
| approximately the measure of what the church
| is doing. The tabulated statements indicate that
nearly 1000 of our churches have enjoyed re-
vivals during the past year. As to the acees-
| sions to the churches upon confession, brief
retrospect may be of interest and profit.
After the reunion, in 1867, the reports
show that there was general increase
| in the numbers received, until the highest
| number, 1920 in 1876 was reached. From
| that time there has been steady decrease in
| the numbers 1877. 068; 1873, 80 al; 1879,
80 1876; $780, &c, S3l; 1881, % 344. in which year
| the lowest point was reached. Since that year
| there has been a corresponding heavy increases:
1882, $685. 1883, 80. 1872; 1884, "a, 936; 1885, AZ
/ 972 From the tabulated statements received it
is safe to say that this year the accession con-