The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-08
The Comprehensive and Systematic Manner
in Which the Task of Raising this Sum
Is Being Carried Out.
The Success ofthe Undertaking Depend
ent tOn Chaplain McCabe's Efforts.
Evangelist Harper Kirwin's Method for Con-
verting the People Along the New York
and New Jersey Coasts.
Special to the Indianapolis journal.

This Is the latest rallying cry of the Method
lists, and it suggests tremendous undertaking.
The denomination has determined to make the
annual appropriation for missionary work 81 ,000,
600, and with Characteristic energy has set about
raising this vast sum. Foremost in the work is
Chaplain McCabe, famous as the greatest beggar
on the continent. 1t is according to his plan and
under bis direction that the money is to be raised,
and with the cooperation of the missionary
board, will be expended.
The Methodist missions are divided into two
fields, domestic and foreign. In the former
there are employed 2,509 missionaries and 2, 1897
assistant missionaries. The appropriation for
this branch for the current year was 1891, 300.
In the foreign field, which is limited only by the
boundless oceans, there are 116 missionaries and
~ assistants. But they do not include ali the
workers. There are 592 native preachers and
teachers for 1,427 Sabbath schools. The appro-
priation for their work was $40 536 With
81, 100000 to spend it is proposed to make an
equal division between the two fields of $500, 900
each.
When the leaders of the denomination made
up their minds to devote million dollars for
missions, they summoned Chaplain McCabe and
asked him for the money. He hadn't it with
him, but he thought he could get it before the
1st of January. That was in June last. 1t will,
be seen from the foregoing that the total ap-
preparation for the current year was 1927, 1856.
This was made, on the strength Of contributions
from the churches during the fiscal year just
closed. 100000 IN excess of any previous year.
The missions then were never more literally
pfaH ~.
the amount a million was simply demand upon
the parishes to add to their recent increase more
than another 100000 Such task might stag
ger any one but a McCabe. To him it came as
a cool breeze in summer; it inspired him to the
greatest exertion of his life His first thought
was Of the more than IL, 900 parishes in the de-
nomination. A plan must be devised by which
each district should be induced to contribute to
the extent of its resources. After that, special
efforts could be made by himself and other sue
cessful mendicants
The plan adopted is a masterpiece of invention
and system. The Methodists have been getting
subscriptions for missions since 1912, so that the
Chaplain had the experience of history as well
as some knowledge of his own to draw from for
suggestions Old and new material were COM
bined in the plan, but its form. the new features
and the application must be placed to his credit.
His first step was to consult the contribution
lists for 1884, the year of the great increase al
ready mentioned. The Chaplain is quick at fig
ures. and he readily calculated that the denomi-
nation must increase its greatest contribution by
54s per cent. to bring the amount up to the de-
sired total. He saw that such demand would
be very disheartening in some quarters and SO
he cast about for some way to relieve the press
ure. He looked up the records Of bequests
to the cause for period extending over
several years, and made up his mind
that if worst came to worst, he
could rely upon the general average of income
from this source. Allowing for bequests then,
the parishes would have to add to their greatest
efforts only 33 1-3 per cent This was hard
enough, and the more the Chaplain thought
about it the more he was inclined to conclude,
with the thief in the fable, that man might as
well be hung for sheep as a lamb; which. trans
lated, means that if parish could raise the
lesser amount additional, it could, with proper
coaxing, raise the greater, and that the parish
shall do, quoth Chaplain McCabe. He would
have no depending upon egaces. So he pre-
pared grand map of his scheme, about three
feet by two, printed on both sides. On one side
is geographical representation of the two bemi
spheres. with the mission fields actively cult
waited designated in colors. There are, also ap-
propriate quotations from the Scriptures,
as well as epigrammatic utterances by
John Wesley, David Livingstone, the explorer,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, and famous divines
On the other side is list Of the church confer
ences. with the number of members and the name
of the presiding elder placed against each. Also
against each is the amount of its share in the
million for missions as figured by the Industrious
chaplain, In some cases, where the individual
parishes have suffered il-fortune, or for
other good reason are really unable to 10 much,
special apportonment has been made, perhaps
upon the basis Of 33 1-3 per cent additional, or
even less; but in most cases the amount asked
for is 541 per cent. above the contribution of
1884. This big document is for general distri
button throughout all tho parishes of the church
in this country, and contains, in addition to what
has been described, an earnest appeal to the
reader to aid in the undertaking.
No time was lost in sending this chart to the
pastors everywhere, and the work could then be
called begun The chaplain knew from long ex-
perience that money is not always to be had or
the asking, and other machinery of mendicancy
was set in motion. A circular letter was ad-
dressed to the pastors of the denomination, call
ing their attention to the apportonment for their
respective parishes, and setting forth in earnest
language the Importance of the work to be ac-
complished, and the crying need of more money
for missions. Then the letter continues: IF
you fail In the congregation, please go from
house to house, finding the last man, the last
woman and the last child, and securing q con-
tribution from each. "A Million for
Missions has become the watchword of the
church" To supplement the effect of this letter.
the assistant secretaries at the New York Office
arranged TO keep in active correspondence with