New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
FACTORY: I54 AND I56 WEST I9"srReN
rRGED TO BE SELFSCPPORTING.

r,opr,1cv MISSION BOARDS JOIN IN A CIRCULAR
LETTER no THE CHURCHES IN OTHER LANDS.
pos,on Nav AT q meeting OF the officers and
CONSERVATIVES OF foreign mission boards ana socl-
cites in the United States and Canada he'd IN the
Church Missions House. New-iork. on FEBRUARY
a. a committee appointed 10 drait JOINT Ic''er
IN se,f-support in mission churches and send II to
the missionaries of the societies represented ana
their native pastors. churches and helpers IN an
parts OF the world The names or the members OF
the committee attached 10 the letter that they
have prepared and which is about TO be sent on us
world wide mission. 1t is the first time In the MS
tory Of American Christian missions that snch a
Joint circular letter has been issued The letter Is as
follows
To them that have obtained like precious fa!th
with US in the righteousness OF our Goa anh Paw
Jesus Christ especially TO those churches Nhl'h nave
been established through the nsirumentality Oh '.e
Brethren in the Lord: It seemed good to US, as
In large sense representing the "hole mrs
tan church in Amerea to send you j9 fol o,
We seek for yoa the best things We nave Ioi our
selves plant a native church drawing lis mat
rial support entirely from haiiye e9innuH'y, TO- ,o
be minisieret - by native pastoral. anu - DE
self-supporting self governing ana self-pFop"sauhs
Firsi-For your own sake We believe your own
strength and growth WI defend laIssy np,n y on
e9n ana oeed es III s t. zee h ever sSsy d
not an American chuIoh 81 a foreign 'nufch - any
missions have ia some cases for a long series ~
years devoted iims aud money ~ ms thl' we
responsibility fur established W"Ik ~ a relation 81
slHr,e on-0peralinn IA rhurnh extension ahl fl'-
SECOND We desiIe u for the s,ha ~ your own
count iInen. 80 inne a. fni continue W depend "l
10 sil lhey not continue 10 i,Eail Tho ieltl"n ~
hfs 90 I9,sn ,fs, sn9 ~ G Ss 's ssds,
10 hoi multitude 80 i,tail h',n NV W. he Eye
,eason - n."s" n', " u, ,gess T''' ~ wv
ihlfi We deslie 4 FOR tho yoill which s'lll lle.
no, much longer 10 6e bestowed on Tho ieglons Al.
ready visited With the 1os~l ~ fh9nh h", 90,
| Tor YOU 10 bear a share with all other christian
people. This you can TO In tnres waSs FiIst y,
vide for yourselves you can relieve ne mission
funds that now come 10 yo9r si scond ySa o%y
| operations. II you have sometimes Thought ma
some OF our missionaries have said too much about
self-support and your duty to gly' ,he GOSPEL I,
| others. we assure YOU In so doing they represent
the matured convictions and the practice OF those
in sending you this message we DO not intend I.
withdraw from you such measure % 1cp rs ~ n .n
| der. Yours in Christ.
This is signed by Judson Smith. secretary OF th'
| American Board S.sL. Baldwin. secretary OF thu
Methodist, Episcopal Board y. Cobb. secretary o
| the Reformed Board: William Dulles. jr.. treasurer
Samuel W. Duncan. secretary Of the Baptist Union
| and w Henry Grant. secretary OF the Presbyterian
Board me COMMITTEE bss on nrsearsS ter
| correspondence the subject with which II deals
WIN that bs the urah l u the M
Missionary. Union OF Boston. with upward OF 30
paying more than half OF their pastors salaries an
| church expenses The deductions from such return
as these from Burmah would naturally be that self
| supporting churches possible In all mission
| fields as the Burmans cannot be considered. OF Al
people. either the most industrious or peculiarly
affiuent. ,,. ,,,.
The returns from the American Boards Turke
missions from ten Asatic stations. snow that HiH
| Communicates have contributed an equivalent q
si4s,i or 81 GO a member, and for all purposes IN
cluding education 81 20 member. The older an
more elevated classes OF the jana mission OF III
American Board. begun in lsl5. have, out OF sixtee
churchee nine entirely self-supportlng and IN
other seven more than half so. Next TO th!s stand
the Madura Mission. with seventeen seIf-supportin
churches and the Marath mission