The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-07

which reduces the liabilities 10 ZIG. .832N. 10
Is no satisfaction that the American Baptist
Missionary Union closed their year with
dett of 81 600. The board calls attention 10
theitem of S8f.4l0.03. borrowed money, Tor
which had to be paid sl,0l49 the
price Of the tardiness OF the churches IN
making their offerings On the last day OF the
wear -I249s.33 was received. Ia the last hVe
davs. S20. .I32.03 These facts speak louder
than any argument. As the convention mas
ordered the publication of 10000 copies OF
tho proceedings of the year 1892 II Is mat
ter of moment that these documents. 40 I'M
uortant and SO expensive. should be gen
erallv distributed by the brethren. 10 whom
they Will be sent for distribution by the sec,
retaries of the convention. Here the DoAru
makes grateful Acknowledgements TO Q9i
vice presidents. whose varied ana VaJua1ie
services have been pr0motive not only Oh the
financial interest but OF all the interests Oi
the board. and whose reports are commented
~ the careful consideration Of the conVen-
tion.
TIE MISSIONARIES REPORTS
Reports Of the several missionaries OF tho
board are next given. The missionaries give
I'M detau a view of their fields. The show the
need of more ample provisions Dy the DoArd
lor the growing work In their hands. lhey
also show that much attention Is gwen Oh the
field 20 self-hep. Many of the churches hot
only do something towards thelr IocaI "a
peuses but several OF them contribute To-
evards tho work of eyangelzation. Most
thrilling accounts of successes ana lhllnlui M ~.
statements OF failures are gwen. iieart-leil
/ leroerfa aro manifested by those whose lall-
inc hoalth has compelled them 70 return 10
/ their country for recuperatlon. AHoSether
/ their views ero cheerful. ana lheT en'nu-
/ siasm In tue work undated.
/ Woman.s work IN teaching in Sunday
scbools. nj homo aud from house TO house is
more and more IN demand. They report tho
/ rum and opium habits Of the people Is vast
hlndrance- 20 their Work.
The convention is asked by the board to
unite in the tuglish auti-opium movement IN
q petition TO the British Parliament.
Rev G T. Bostic aud wife and DR.. I. Z.
Crawford have retired from the service of the
board.
The crv Of nearly every missionary in the
field is Help brethren. help. ere the feeble
hands fail and the weak limbs give way. God
save our mission"
CONCLUSION.
The report closes with the following ami
mating words
Ii is with gratitude that the board thus re-
ports the most prosperous year, on the field
ever recorded Never has there been so much
preaching and teaching. never so many bap-
tisms The future seems unprecedentedly
bright That clouds have passed over some
Of the missions Is a. true as that the greatest
good frequently comes from seeming evil;
There is neshing that the board sees ahead
which. in their opinion. does not betoken
greater progress % our work; and the pros
pect at home is even more cheering than that
/ abroad The thunder and lightning winch
/ have disturbed some In small area or our
territory haye cleared the atmosphere in
/ that limited sphere and given
/ promise OF moro healthfulness and earnest
{
\ of the board. there has never been, IN the
! history of tho Southern Baptist Convention,
/ interest in the cause OF the worlds eyange-
/ lzat0n So widespread and increasing Their
Judgment is formed from the spirit and
/ statements Of CORE sp0ndents, the missionary
! news and publications of our donominauona
papers the demand for religious literature.
and kind Of glowing missionary atmosphere
among .he churches and iu TIC aAsO OclatlOls aud
conventions wherever one goes IN our south
ern States The reason for THIS state OF things
is not hard 70 find TIE centennial year Is
upon us. Grand and arousiDg speeches have
/ been made 10y earnest. eloquent men. Our
/ cOnsecrated women have never been more en-
thusiastlcally aud sagaclouslv engaged IN
/ kndhug and increasing interest Many pas
tors have revived the monthly concert for
/ prayer. and more frequently refer 20 the sub
/ ect of fOregn missions IN their sermons and
/ lectures and more regularly and more heart
| iy bring the cause IN their public prayers.
/ before q throne Of grace The centen-
/ nIal committee Is also At work With Its plans
/ and efforts. And there can be no doubt
/ that ia the Sunday.schoOl. and IN the home,
/ and IN the marts Of business there - more
/ than usual prayer and conversation on the
/ subject Another cause is the multitude of
missionary documents that have been scat
| tered among our churches. Since May! st last
] there must have gone out OF the mission
rooms at Richmond not less than hundred
/ thousand tracts various ~ the treatment OF
/ the subject of missions and not few of them
| powerful in argument and persuasive in ap-
/ peal. There are many indications that tho
/ movement. plainly started, Is 10 80 forward
/ 10 a grand contamination aimed VI 10y the
| Southern Baptist Convention.
Ten years ago there were 800 woman's So
/ cieties that gaye us Ss,633. 95 and no 0Tgani-
/ zatiOns for missionary contributions OF the
/ children. The board had % foreign mis-
siouaries. 81 native assistants. and 81 stations.
/ - churches. with $50 members, l26 Daptlsms,
and contributions amounting o. S6tLs3. Our
/ home contributions were S4O4lO2 The
! Foreign Mission journal was little four
/ paged paper with q circulation OF 5000. Now
! the WOmans societies. organized under the
/ Womans Missionary Union, are numbered by
/ the thousands. and their contributions are
S25.0i027: some 800 Sunbeam bands have
| been formed. who contribute s3.7l3.s2, our
+ board has IN China. Africa. Italy, Brazil,
] Mexico ana Japan sJ missionaries, ~ native
/ assistants and some 200 stations. with 2 723
church members. who have reported 43i bap-
tsms. and given S3956O 90; our home coutribu-
/ tons are Sll4. .325 so. The Journal is a thirty
/ two page magazine. with a circulation of
s0mo i2,OOO. puts on permanent record valu-
| able missionary literature and is an agent
more effective than all others combined. save
/ the faithful preaching o. the whole gospel,
! which gives constant emphasis 10 obligation
/ 10 promote the worlds salvation. And with
! tins ratio of progress what may not
/ be hoped for at the end of the centennial
/ year and at the close of this century.
But our main ground OF hope IS hope foi
/ the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This bap-
tism of enlightened minds Will lead to long
/ ing for the salvation of souls and of the world
/ 10 VIII arouse 10 the sacredness OF the great
commission. the doom of perlshing millions
/ the honesty of cOnsecrating the Lords means
/ o. the Lord s service the danger Of the blood
/ of the nations coming upon the head of those
/ who withhold the blood shed tor the redeup
! tion OF the world. ~ tho beginning OF
/ the centennial year what could be
/ moro appropriate than a week of prayer
recommended by the convention, foI
| the outpourng OF the spirit upon OuI
/ Southern Lion. that the ends conteu.
! plated by this centenary. 50 far rs III ac-
/ cordance with the Divine viii. .lnay be accom-
/ plished. and that the time may hasten when