The Portland daily press., 1891-10-14
CHRISTIAN WORK IN FOREIGN PARTS.
what the American Board Has Done
During the Year.
Tidines of the Missions Made Public
in the Reports.
Opening OF the Annual Convention
In PittsfieId, Mass.

PrTTsFIELD, Mass, october 13.-The eighty
second annual meeting of the American Board
began here today. Rev. DR.. Storrs the president
announced that quorum was present. He open
ed the meeting by scripture reading and prayer.
DR.. Jenkins, pastor of the First Congregational
Church, welcomed the gathering.
The committee on nominations was appointed
as follows: DIR. Edward Halves. Of Burlington,
VT, President Franklin Carter of Williams Col
lege; DIR. William Hayes Ward, editor OF the New
York Independent; Professor Franklin W. Fisk
Of the Chicago Theological Seminary, and Ed
ward A. Studley of Boston.
An outline OF the report of the prudential COM
mittee.ec the home department was read by Sec
retary Alden. Three corporate members of the
American Board have died during the year: Phil.
lip L. Moen. Henry M. Dextsr, d. D., and Moses
A. Herrick. Five missionaries and IA assistants
al otheps recenty annoInted will saiI SOON. Tyen-
ty.eight have returned or are on the way.
OF the district secretary's work in the middle
district, Secretary O. III. Daniels reports that he
and IA returned missionaries made $50 addresses
among the churches at an average cost for travel
ling expenses of S1.36 each. An unusual number
OF pastors have preached missionary sermons and
much literature has been distributed. Yet 441 Of
lib churches In this district have made gifts
to the cause The total amount received from
gifts and legacies is S232,833, a gain over last
year Of S56,69t. From the Middle district, 500
special meetings are reported. A marked in
crease OF interest was awakened in a proportion
per cent over last year, and 221s per cent in do
nations. The total of donations and legacies in
1890 was sSs, ,o22.s5 IN 1891, s11s,o5e.49. OF
our 1000 churches In the interior, three quarters
have less than leo members each, and more than
half less than 30.
marked feature in Field Secretary Creegan's
work has been a series of missionary rallies iu
New England cities with prominent speakers.
The result is marked increase in public Interest.
The churches were invited this year as last to
hold simultaneous meetings and tn result was
very good. The report closed with detailed
comparison of receipts from donations with those
Of former years, ys, y, which showed donations @ this
542.04 and S72,715.70 over the average for the
last five years. The legacies were S406, ,458.41 /.
a gain over last year of So 666. 80 and above the
annual average for the last two years, S65, 1851.
Adding the income from the general permanent
fund. the total from gifts and legacies for the
the donations OF this year will be needed If we
are not to fall behind the scanty appropriation
made this year.
lures, including the cost of missions, OF S824,-
O48. "a; balance on hand, August 81, 1891, S764-
90; total, s824,812.69. The receipts were as
follows
From the legacy of Asa Otis.... -. SO,9O7. .S5
From the legacy of Samel W. Swett.. 100000
Interest on general permanent fund. 10,495.46
1924 ,326.50
Balance on hand, Sept. !, 1890........ 487.O9
Tetal...... 1924 ,8l2.69
The "Morning STAR fund for repairs amounts
to 4,526 40; the permanent fund of the board
1859, .33; general permanent fund, $215 5,492-
come fund for oficers. applied TO salaries,
S3,5l4.6S; VIM. White Smith fund, S35, 900;
Harris School of Service fund from j. N. Harris,
New London, Conn.,, held in trust for support OF
In &2b.00u.
Anatolio College endowment fund, Sl,8l9.28
Hollis Moore memorial trust fund, So 900; Mission
scholarship fund. $1,000; Euphrates College te-
male teachers fund, $2500; Benjamin Schneider
memorial fund to give aid to needy students in
the annual survey Of the missionary fields was
read by Secretary Clark. In Papal lands success
has been more marked than ever before: Re
trenchment has told heavily on the work in India
but the missions there have held their ground and
made some progress. In Japan, Notwithstanding
peculiar diftieulties it has been year Of progress
one thousand members were added to the church
es toward the close of the year. A great reaction
Is reported 10 public sentiment in favor Of Chris
tanlty Although Christian numbers but one III
1000 OF the population, they had 13 Of the 300 In
the frst national parliament In Asiatic Turkey
ms board is ga ALMOST the only gospel agency oveI
tne money Of the board Is devoted to
this this field: The years work has given
part In the worlds life. In Africa the field Of
missionary labor has grown four folds in two de
CduoS; ~ our tnIeo neiuS We nave Only seven
more lab0rerS than We had among the Zulus
twenty years ago. In the Pacific Islands we note
the North Pacific Missionary Institute at Homo
lulu with new buildings and added facilities. Ex
cept on Ponape where the violent aud unwar
ranted course of the Spanish authorities has
suspended our work and driven out fve mission
aries, the work in the Micronesian field has had
good success. The general summary for 1891
shows: Missions, 81 stations and out stations,
1928; places for stated preaching, ,2S6 average
congregations. 70,329: whole number of laboreIs 5
sent from this country, 638; native labOrerS
2,645; churches, 4l0; church members, 38 1926;
added durinO vaar E6A