The Portland daily press., 1898-10-05
AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS.
Annual Convention Begun Yesterday
at Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids, Mich, October 4,.-The
American Board of Missions of the Con-
gregational church, began its annual con-
vention in the Park church this after.
noon. General Byron NJ Cutcheon deliv-
cred an address of welcome; President u.
NJ. Lamson of Hartford, Conn, respond
ed. The committee on the report Of treas
urer reported that they were enthusiastic
in their approval of the work of the treas
urer and the administration of the financ-
es of the board. They believed that q
sufficient advance could be made to clear
the board of debt and reinforce all of the
90 missions distributed throughout the
world.
The Rev. Judson Smith, D. D., one of
the foreign seretaries read report on the
can board in which he said;: The eyes OF
the world are upon the far East, as they
have never been before for two SCORE
years. The destiny of China seems to be
wrapped up with the fate Of the great Eu-
ropean powers. At the very same time
events have brought our nation to the
Philippines and held US there, as If to sur
vey, ii not to participate in the progress
of the drama. The question of the far
East, whether we will OR not, takes prece-
dence of all interests in the West Indies.
The fate of the most numerous people on
the earth is taking shape, ancient GUS
toms and hoary faiths are giving way and
the best science and art, machinery and
life and culture Of the west are invading
the Celestial empire and preparing Rem
aissance there which reminds us OF the
great awakening in Euorpe in the 10th
century if it does not surpass in sweep
and power. The missionary work is quick
fa fool tJ,n nf oil fO
reap the benefits of 1t. In truth, it is it,
self in no small degree the cause Of the
changes We witness.
The evening sermon was delivered by
Rev. r. r. Meredith of Brooklyn. N. Y,
his subject being the 'sOutpouring of the
Holy Spirit on Missions and Mtssiona~
ries."
the home secretary:
There has been one insistent probiem
confronting your committee all the year.
From whatever point the busin sss came
it was always the same perplexing resist
less fact, namely, how to carry on tbs
work which the churches have intrusted
to our hands when the means are totally
inadequate. The salaries of missionaries
were reduced by ten per cent. in all the
fields save two, and the native agencies
were reduced by from forty.fYe to fifty
per cent. Thirty-fve hundred churches
which are contributors to the work were
asked to do little more If possible, and
letters were addressed to the non-contri-
buting churches, simply asking, earnest-
~ but kindly, that the facts be told and
an opportunity be given to gather the
dimes or the dollars.
Three thousand three hundred and thir.
ty. three churches have share in the sup
port of the work, and 1881 have not con-
tributed. We believe that distinct bles-
sing has come to the former. 70 the lat
ter there has been as distinct loss.
Of the over 5000 Sunday schools con-
nected with our denomination, but $40
have as such made contributions to the
work of the Board. Is 1t not time that
ali our schools of Bible study should be
SO instructed tnat the host of 750, COO
children thus enrolled should belong TO
the advancing army of conquest.
The Endeavor societies to the number
of 1924 have sent their offerings to the
work, leaving 1866 societies to be heard
from. The very conception of Christian
Endeayor should require a leadership en-
thusiastic in the missionary enterprise.
The women of the churches have done
their part nobly. ALI their pledges have
been well met, and there has been an adj
vance. They have taught every church.
and pastor the lesson of painstaktng
effort to enlist everyone in the privilege
of giving.
hCOLlE 1Os
The regular donations from churches,
societies and individuals we're S431. 1929,
a gain from the previous year of s14, s9S. II.
OF this capital sum, S1S0.656.Sc came
through the contributions of the several
Woman's s Boards. representing an increase
of $l2, ZIG 80 above the receipts of tie pre-
Yious year from the same source (From
the Woman's Board Of Missions,
SllS, sos s5; from the Woman's Board Of
the interior, S57, 572. 90; from the Wom-
ans Board Of the Pacific, $4, 464. 45; and
from Canada, Sill. 5O)
These figures show, apart from the
gifts from the Woman's Boards, loss in
the receipts to the distinctive work of the
words, the churches have barely held
their own during the year.
In the matter OF legacies there was re-
turn to something like the amount OF
previous years through an increase over
the previous year OF SSS. 743. "a, whioh
sum has been the means of overcoming
the loss of income from the exhausted
Otis and SWEET funds, which did such
royal service through SO many years.
The income from the permanent funds
Of the Board shows that such funds have
materially improved during the year,
giving an increase of $l,04S. 05 above the
previous year, and being larger by con-
siderable than the income during some
of the most prosperous years in the early
nineties.
Iosoffer to give $:5 to the Board, as was
the case recently, under the cast-tIon
provision that some new and distinctive
work be started with it. to be heard from
frequently, places upon the Board a hard