The Newtown bee., 1897-09-03

Missionary Work in Turkey.
REV HENRY s. BARNUM, WHO HAS BEEN A
MISSIONARY UNDER THE AMERICAN
BOARD FOR THIRTY YEARS IN THE SUI
TAN's COMMONS, GIVES INTERESTING
ADDRESSES IN THE CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH.,
There are only two missionaries Of the
American Board, whose field Of labor is
Turkey, that are now enjoying a fur
Tough in the United States, and those who
gathered IL the Congregational church
both at the morning and the evening SER
vice, last Sunday, were indeed fortunate
to have the privilege Of hearing one of
these two missionaries tell of the condi-
ton of things In the land where the cres-
cent waves. Rev Henry s. Barnum, who
gave two addresses at the church, is the
brother of Mrs w. B. Sniffen of Sandy
Hook. He has seen term of service of
80 Years in Turkey, and though now
passing we'll the Goth milestone of life's
journey, he fully expects to return to the
Orient In October of 1898. He ia a grad.
uate Of Yale university, class of 1862 aud
of Auburn Theological seminary, and is,
therefore, man thoroughly equipped for
a work where men of no ordinary calibre
are demanded for efficient service. Rev
Mr. Barnum's addresses were listened to
with closest attention by large audiences
both morning and evening, and his :sum-
and plain that even the younger ones
must have gone away Instructed. Only
running sketch of the addresses can
bere be given. At the morning service
Mr. Barnum, In part, said: 1.-The region
in Turkey which is covered by the sta
tions of the American Board was not
passed over at any time in His ministry
by our Lord. 1t embraces the sites of
the seven churches to which messages
were sent in the Apocalypse of John, and
was also the scene of the labors of the
Apostle Paul during his first missionary
journey. The country is conspicuous in
the absence of large cities, Smyrna with
it's 100000 inhabitants coming next to
Constantinople, and in having no great
rivers. There are also in this large re-
gion no factories of any sort worthy the
name. Railroads are only of recent in
PRODUCTION, and now there are but "a few
miles. A short line runs from Constan-
tinople to Angora; two railroads 60 out
of Smyrna.
"The American Board has occupied the
country as a missionary field since 1881,
when DIR Goodell took up work at Con-
stantinople. The working force in the
employ Of the American Board, Including
two who are to sailssfr New York on
Saturday, numbers 35 men and II wom-
en-. There are some discouragements
connected with the work; but where, In
any part of the world, are Gods messen-
gers laboring with no failures and moth
ing that at times leads them to despair
and grow faint because of the way? One
of these reasons for discouragement is q
failure on the part of some of the mission
airy churches to come to self-support.
That is the aim of the American Board
at every station, as quickly as pos
sible to throw the churches into self
sustenance. A church that is supported
by fund, where the members never
know the meaning of sacrifice, lie in bad
way. Another reason for discourage
ment is that in Turkey Christianity mas
in measure lost It's aggressive character.
1t has now been long enough In the coun-
try to become settled thing, to take Its
place as one of the regularly instituted
societies of the land. 1t has grown out
of the freshness of it's young life. Still,
the indirect influence of Christianity is
everywhere seen. 1t is seen in the less
important place given to pictures in the
Gregorian CHURCHES; not that pictures in
themselves are a bad thing, but in the
Gregorian churches they had become
largely objects of worship. The attitude
of the missionaries toward the Gregorian
church is not that of hostility. They dc
not wish to destroy that church, but te
educate and purify it, as far as it needs
publication, to make it's life more spirit
ual, to retain all Of the inspiration ther'
is about It's service and forms. The fol
lowing figures show that there are man.
things to encourage In the work of tn,
American Board in Turkey. The averag
Sunday congregations are $4,000, an
this in Protestant community of $4,000
There are $4,000 church members gather
ed into Ill churches. Under the care Q
the American Board are four colleges
40 high schools, $50 common schools
10000 pupils. The missionaries have
through years of observation and exper
{ ence, come to see the wisdom of the RI