New-York tribune., 1891-10-14
THE BOARD BEGINS WORK.
OPENING OF THE PITTsF1ELD MEETING.


2 this afternoon Dr. r. S. Storrs, Of Brooklyn. the
president OF the American Board. opened the session
After reading part OF Paul's second letter 10 Ine
Church at Corinth the president offered prayer FOL
lowing the approval Of the minutes OF the last meet
Ing came an address OF welcome from Dr. j. H. Jeh-
kns the pastor of the First Church. in which the meet
ings are held DR.. jenkins expressed the hope tbet
Dr. Storrs had ever tolerated the thought OF resign
ing he would defer announcing II until after the tour
meeting at Pttsfeld The president, in his reply made
direct reference to his own resignation but auuou
to the resignation OF Dr.. Anderson at the last Ft's
field meeting be had reacHed the age OF seVehN'
Dr. Stors said that like DR.. Woolsey, OF laie Coese
Dr. Anderson had probably resigned when seVeh1s
years old lest he might not know when TO withdraw
lie remained In Office after reaching that age Dr'
stors was seventy years old last August
Dr. f. X Alden, tne home secretary, read the report
Of the Prudential Committee. Langdon s. Ward the
treasurer read tire financial report and Secretaries ~ w.
Clark and Judson Smith presented views OF the work III
the foreign fields In the evening Dr. f. b. Weop'
pastor of the Shawmut Congregational Church Oh
Boston. delivered the annual sermon.
This is one of the largest meetings ever held by the
Board and missionaries and theological stuuenus
than usual present. Among the clergyInen ana
laymen present. IN addition to the officers. are D. n
Beach Cambridge; ex-President Bartlett, of Dart
mouth College DIR. Behrends. Brooklyn; E. W. Blatch
ford Chicago; DR.. Bradford. Montcair. n. j.; DR..
E. E. Clark Of Boston; DR.. Carter. president OF VIII
Jams College, Colonel Franklin Firbank, ST. Johns0ury
Vt; DR.. Lyman Abbott. Brooklyn DR.. A II. Plumb,
Boston DR.. Frank Russell, NewYork ex-Judge Ship
man, Hartford President Thwing, Adelbert Univer-
sity, Cleveland. Ohio; DR.. 5. II. Virgin New-fork !;
President BalAntine. Oberlin President Gates. Am
herst John D. Gutter New York d. Wills James, New
York: DR.. William Hayes Ward and the Rev. f. NJ.
Bliss of "The Independent NewYork, and Dr. J. f.
Rankin. Washington.
In his address Of welcome DR.. jenkins said
that the place where the church stands has been
consecrated ground for than 123 years
Berkshire County he declared to be missionary
county, the first missionary society organized In Massa
chusetts having been started in 1895 Berkshire, too
gave 30 the Board the nlustrious mon Ozark Hopohs)
who filed for thirty years the presidents chair Ihe
pastor made this pleasant reference TO DR.. SorTs :
at is especial pleasure Mr. President TO welcome
you. You are In part Berkshire man. once you
found a summer home in our hills. We are glad 10
welcome you as the fortunate chosen Of God to
make again Of what threatened TO be two parues
In the constituency of the American BOARD GRATITUDE
for these eminent services prompts us TO treat you 50
well that II you have tolerated for moment ue
thought OF fav1ng the place YOU fill you Will resolve
to hold il until the Board meets again In Pttshed"
Dr. Storrs said that he was here in 1866 ana he
rave a number Of remniscences Of that meeting
Only three Of the corporate menberS present at lhs
meeting from Massachusetts were here then. Dr.
Thompson chairman Of the Prudential Committee Dr.
Clark one Of the secretaries and Mr. ward the te1s-
urer. Mr. Ely and Dr. storrs are the only ones
present from New York who were here then Al lha'
time there were 139 ordained missionaries. Now there
Are 1so ordained missionaries and 538 missionaries
cent from this country with 2648 native preachers
From this Dr. storrs concluded the Board should lee
spirit OF courage
DR.. Alden's paper showed that only three OF the
corporate members had died during the year. Five
missionaries and fourteen assistant missionaries have
Ql OQH
other missionaries and assistant missionaries have re-
Gently been appointed. Twenty eight have returned to
their field of labor after temporary rest In this coun-
trv The Rev. c. H. Daniels. OF New-iorh'
told 81 the $50 addresses made by the missionaries.
Dr. Alden then gave q financial resume OF ue year
The gifts were $494 463 49, of which S31o'o 80 were
for epecial objects, additional to the regular gnts
,b,ch enah,ed the committee to appropriate this ad
oitinnal amount greatly to the relief OF the missions
Tho Iepaojes had also been greater than in any pre-
yious year with the exception OF the two years WHICH
the Otis and Sweet bequests came into the treasury
the sum Of S2o6 ass Al having been received Froo
these two bequests and from Tie income OF the gen
eral permanent fund.- enough additional hso Deeh re
ceived to bring up the total to Ss24o4s o4 as inc
actual amount expended Inc paper cloScu wiz"
strong appeal for increased gifts
The report of the treasurer gave the figures In de-
tail which were mentioned by the secretary. From IL
II is learned that the Otis legacy is now reduced 10
BIO6 1872 So while the Sweet legacy has buahCe VI
snly about 1000.
Secretary Clark's PAPER reviewed the work OF ule
Roard in Papa lands European Turkey and Japan
In all these fields the year just closed has been one OF
growth and progress by the means at the olspoSdi u
the Board DIR. Clark concluded:
1t is to be hoped that the impending retrenchmeh'
the coming year may be averted, and individuals and
churches will be found ready and glad to sustain and
enlarge work OF grander promise than was ever be
fore presented in the mission fields of the American
Board"
secretary Smith discussed the work Of the twelve
missions OF the Board in Asatic Turkey, the Chinese
Empire, Africa and the Pacific islands After mar
rating the work in detail, he said "under the cait
of the Board through twenty-one missions, planted
amid great populations, giving access 10 more thsi
100000 900 souls and encirclng the GLOBE comprising
more than 900 great cities and strategic points Whe
the Gospel Is regularly preached and Christian schoo
are maintained employing 53S missionaries, seconded
by force Of 2649 native preachers and teachers, IN
cluding 40 churches with 1926 communicates gath
ertng an army OF 46,403 pupils in schools OF al
grades from the theological seminary and college Oh
the one hand TO the common school and the kinder
earten on the other, minsterng medical relief 70 100,
600 patients and distributing the Scriptures and Chris
tsn literature by millions of pages annually, th'
sublime work of evangelizing the pagan nations Ii
moving forward amid multiplied proofs Of Gods favor
and the day of redemption for lost world is hasten
ting space.'
DIR. Webb whose life outlined in The Tribune
this MORNING. never had a more sympathetic audienc
than ttn one which gathered this evening to hear hi
eloquent discourse His text was "For we ore labor
ers toeether with God" He took up the labor Il
vhicr Christians are called and then considered tn
conditions of becoming fellow-workers with God II
urped the obligation 10 meet the Providence Of God
ttAs missionary In speaking OF the principle whc
should guide the Christian in giving TO missions, DR.
Webb related tbs incident
partshioner says 70 his pastor: Did understand
von N cav sunday morning in your pulpit that ma
owns any property in this world-nO stocks, no bonds
no houses, no landsi such teaching strikes me a
not only radical but revolutionary in the last degree
and II this Is to be the doctrine of the pulpit then al
have to cay Is that my pew is no place for level
beaded business man."