The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-31
THE w. F. M. S. STATISTICS
THERE ARE NOW 151 ,s65 MEMBERS
OF THE SOCIETY.
The Secretary, Mrs. Gracey, Also
Makes "a Report on the Work
Accomplished.


Last night, to large audience at Rob-
erts Park Church, Mrs. j. II. Gracey, secre-
tary of the general executive committee of
the Women's Foreign Missionary Society of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, read her
annual report. This last year, she said,
has been a year of great development but
yet a testing year. The war and the great
political questions which have arisen, while
they have claimed the attention of the
women of the society, have not diverted
them from their work She proceeded to
show by statistics the strength of the So
ciety.. There are in this country 1872 auxil-
larry societies with a membership of 1880.
The total number of societies is $685. and
the total number of members is 1866.
These societies have contributed to the gen.
eral fund 1927, 614, an increase of $13,676 over
the year before. This large amount of
money is made up of small contributions
and few large sums have been given by in
dividuals. This, in the secretarys opinion,
is the result of complete organization. Nine
teen thousand mite boxes were dstrib-
uted in order that the pennies should not
escape. Mrs Gracey told of the extension
Of the society into Germany and Switzer-
land, and these two countries contributed
1924 to the fund during the last year.
During the past year Bishop and Mrs.
Joyce made a tour of China, Japan and
Korea to inspect the work being done by
the agents of the society. Mrs. Joyce en-
tered west China, where no other American
women except the missionaries have dared
to go. They reported that the system of
schools and churches was in excellent con-
dition and the movement in the three coun-
tries was progressing more than satisfac-
torily. DR.. Goucher and Bishop Foss trav-
eled over India making conversions and
looking after the work of the missionaries
there Bishop Foss described among other
incidents, on his return, CT a nine days
journey made OH foot by forty-nine women
and girls, carrying their tents on their
heads, simply for the privilege of being
present at service held by the bishop.
When the service was over the women
started on their weary return trip, satisfied.
Never before said Mrs. Gracey, con-
tinuing her report, has the society had
to chronicle the deaths OF as many mission
aries as it did during the last year. Lena
Schenck worked for many years in the
isolated field of Bulgaria and founded there
admirable school for girls Phoebe
Rowe. one of midas own daughters, won
women from idoatry and degradation.
Maud Simons spent ten years in Japan as
one of the most efficient of missionaries.
There is a custom among the missionaries
when one OF them starts on a visit to the
home country, to form for her an escort of
love to the steamer. Miss Rowe, participant
ing in a service of this kind, went out in
steam yacht and on the return trip was
so seriously hurt in an accident that she
intended to visit her home in a few weeks.
Mary Hastings went to Mexico twenty-four
years ago. she founded a school which
was pronounced by the Mexican govern
ment to be the best in the republic. She
knew what it was to be prosecuted and
she had been stoned in the streets. Hun
dreds of Mexican women when she died,
attended her funeral She was an ideal
educator"
The society now has It's missionaries in
the field, and twenty-four OF them are
boarding schools and 454 day schools, with
1900 pupils. The missionaries in China are
among the foremost in every forward move
ment in that rapidly changing country.
An address on the history of the society
was made by Mrs. Julia Lore McGrew, of
Cleveland O., when Mrs. Gracey had fin
ished her report When the society was or
ganized, she said, no one dreamed of the
magnitude to which it has grown. Mrs:
McGrew served as missionary for several
years in India. She said that one who has
not visited that country cannot imagine the
horrible condition of community which
crime Is deified; where there can be- no sin
because the sinner is God The first two
missionaries sent out by the society were
Isabel Thorburn and Clara Swain, and their
resources were only $4,000.
Mrs. McGreW believed that philosophers in
the years to come will look upon the most
important feature of this century to be the
rapid trend toward the unification of ma
tions. She told of the passports which We're
necessary in Europe at the beginning of
the century. They were as big as a blank
et-sheet' newspaper. Now one can travel
through all countries with passport which
which is rarely shown. This condition, she
said has been brought about primarily by
the spread of the kingdom of peace. He
who does not believe in foreign missions .
said Mrs. McGrew, docs not believe in
JESUS Christ
Before the collection was taken up Pres
ident Foss thought wisely and called upon
Mrs. Mind to say a few words to the con,
gregation. Mrs. Mind, little, white-haired
old lady, who looked more like the verA-
ess that had stepped out of a frame, rose
and talked spiritedly of the work of the
society and the need for encouraging 1t with
funds The effect of her words was appar-
ent on every face and undoubtedly had a
result.
The programme, of the committee for this
O'clock-Devotional services, in charge
of the Topeka branch.
Reports of official correspondents: North
China, Mrs. Alderman; central China, Mrs.
Skidmore; west China, Mrs. Crandon: Foo
Chow Mrs. Stevens; Korea. Mrs Skidmore.
Mrs. Caldwell, of California, an evangel-
list, will conduct the devotional hour at
o'clock this afternoon, followed by an ad-
dress by Mr. VIM. e. Blackstone, of Chi
cago. Mr.. Blackstone is a large contributor
to the w. f. NJ S., having built at his own
expense the large deaconesS home at Nit
ira, India. The evening service will be de-
voted to the interests of the work in China.
Short addresses on the evangeistic. educa-
tional and medical phases of the work will
be given by Miss Lydia Wilkinson, of Foo
Chow: Miss Alice Manton. Kui-Krary, and
Miss Julia NJ. Donahue. of Hing-Hua- To
morrow night meeting is to be held called
"a Night in Japan" Wednesday night a
mass meeting will be held. The committee
expects to finish its work by Thursday
noon.