The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-21
American Board in the
Foreign Field.
Summary of the Work of
Eight Decades.
Eighty-Seventh Annual Meeting
Next October.


be held here Oct. @ TO 8, Tuesday TO Fri
day 1t is hoped that the Eastern nd
Western constituencies will be well rep
resented. The American Board was or
ganized at Bradford, Mass, June 20, 1910.
Prior to this few local societies bad been
formed in New Eugland with special re-
ference to the needs of the neglected por-
tions of our own country, including the
Indian tribes; but no attempt had been
made to send missionary from America
toany foreign land. Samuel j. Mills (born
April 81, 17S3,) whose mother had conse.
Grated him In his infancy to missionary
service entered Williams College In 1905,
and sought to awaken an interest in mis-
sions During that first year a memor-
able missionary prayer meeting was held
by the students under the shelter of a
Laystack, to which they were driven by
rain, and the impressions of that hour
led TO such results that the spot where
that meecling was held has been called
the "birthpace OF American missions.
Two years later (lS08,) society was
the Ierson of its mem bern, q mission to
the heathen," but this organization was
kept secret, "lest, as they said, "we
should be thought rashly imprudent and
should so iniure the cause we wish to
promote.n Mills, Gordon Hall and James
there met Samuel Newell, Adoniram Jud-
son and Samuel Mott, Jr., who were fall
of the same mind as to missions. After
consulting with their professors at An
dover and Others, particularly with DIR.
Samuel Spring of New buryport, and Rev.
Samuel Worcester of Salem, Mills, Newell,
Mott and Judson presented their request TO
the general association OF Massachusetts,
which that year (lSl0) met at Bradford.
Hall and Richards would have also APP
pc red, as desiring ''to attempt a mis-
sion TO the heathen," had II not been
feared that so large number of appli-
cants would alarm those before whom
they were TO come. The association COM
mended the motives and plans OF the
young men. and under the lead of Messrs.
Spring and Worcester organized the
American board "for the purpose of de-
vising ways and means and adopting and
prosecuting measures for promoting the
spread OF the gospel in heathen lands. i"
Nine commissioners were chosen, five
from Massac chusetts and four from Con-
necticut. IL was not until two years later
that charter could be obtained from the
State OF Massachusetts,. The petition was
strongly opposed during two sessions OF
the Legislature. and the bill was moro
than once rejected. 1t was finally passed
June 20, 1872.
FIRST DECADE, 1s11-1s20.
The first annual meeting was held at
Pennington, Conn, September 8, 1910.
Five commissioners were present, with an
audience of one person. A prudential
committee OF three was chosen. Rev.
Samuel Worcester was chosen secretary,
which Office he held for several years ia
connection with his pastorate in Salem.
Until 1918 the prudential committee met
from two TO Six times year as occasion
might arise at Hart ford, Boston, New
buryport, Salem, Andover or Charles
town. In 1915 they beagn to meet quart
erly. The receipts for the first year
amounted to S999. 81. ana as there was no
prospect of securing sufficient funds TO
support the applicants foy missionary SER
vice, Adoniram Judson was dispatched to
England in January, 1911, to confer with
the officers of the London Missionary
society tablisheu 1851 in reference to
joint support and direction of American
missionaries. The proposal was courte-
ousiy declined in hope that these young
men would be supported by their country
men. The same year (lsl1) Jeremiah
Evarts was chosen treasurer and the fact
was made public that Mrs. Mary Norris
bad bequeathed $50, 900 for foreign mis-
sions. The board resolved to send out
Judson, Mott, Newell and Hall to estab-
lish a mission in Asia. On the 9th of
February, 1912, these four men and
Luther Rice were ordained in the Taber-
nacle Church, Salem. Judson and Newell,
with their wives, sailed from Salem
February 10; the other three, with the
wife Of Mott, from Philadelphia, few
days later. Reaching Calcutta June IL,
1872, Me ssrs. Judson and Newell were
orcered home by the British East India
Company, on the ground that their com
mercial interests would be jeopardized by
an attempt to interiors with the religious
faith OF the Hindus. They went to the
Isle of France, where Mrs. Harriet Newell
cd har nr irif ~
te ration and her early death produced
! profound impression, and served to
awaken deep interest in missions. Dur
Ing this same year Messrs. tucson and
Rice changed their views on the subject
OF baptism, the former going to Burma
and commencing Baptist mission there.
This event lead to the formation OF the
American Baptist Missionary Union i'm
May. 1914. Messrs. Hall and Mott, driven
from Calcutta, reached Bomb bay February
II, 1913, and after negotiations extending
over many months, permission was given
them, December ~, to remain, and thus,
among the Marathas OF Western India,
the first mission of the American Board
In foreign lands was established. The
Ceylon Mission was begun in 1916, in the
northern island OF Jaffna, on the arrival
OF Daniel Poor and four associates. Dur
ing the same year a foreign mission
school was established at Cornwall, Con-
necticut, with the design of educating
neathen youth in this country, plan
which was abandoned I'm 1896. Missions
were opened among the Cherokee Indians
in 1917, and among the Choctaws in 1918.
In 1915, October %, II persons, two of
them ordained, sailed from Boston in the
brig Thaddeus, to begin a mission at the
Sandwich Islands. Among the number
were three native Hawaiians, educated at
the Cornwall Mission School. On arriv-
ing al the islands, IL was unexpectedly
found that the people had abolished
idolatry ana were ready TO receive Chris
tian teachers. Pliny Eiske and Levi Par
sons sailed November 81, 1919, to COM
mence mission I'm Palestine In 1923
the income of the beard, for the year end
August 81, was $50, ,9Ig 81, and the total
receipts for the first ten years amounted
10 s2u2, ,379,l1.
SECOND DECADE, 1s21-1s3o.
Early i'm this period revivals occurred
In the Ueylon Mission, and at Brainsrd
and other stations among the North
American Indians. In 1921, on the death