The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-01
MAY BE SPLIT IN MISSION WORK
N THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Dissatisfaction With the Course of the Board
Mission is GroWing-Unusual Situation in
Episcopal Affairs in Alabama-Troube
About Womens Work in Missions.

, staying qualities OF that in charge OF men,
and mission interests entrusted solely TO
women are, they say, certain not TO COM
msnd that respect from men in the
churches and in the world that interests
would that had strong men identified with
them. Furthermore, competition is as bad
for church as for business. It is the day
of combination. and yet none of these
men have as yet been so bold as to bring
forward a resolution looking to the sug-
gestion OF combination with women in
mission effort. They declare that there
must be, if the best results are TO be OBJ
tanned, an end to competition in the fields.
Especially. though, ought there to be an
end to competition in the presentation of
claims to the givers at home.
RECEIPTS INCREASE
Receipts of the boards managed by men
steadily increase, but they do not increase
as they would were women to labor for
them. Women are getting more and more
interested in missions, and as they do so
they exert more influence over financial
resources, and put forth greater activity
in the collection of money. Meanwhile
large schemes OF evangelization devised
long ago by the men are suffering from
lack of finances. A remedy nobody seems
as yet able to propose. The men say they
do not propose to curtail the liberty Of ac-
ton on the part of the women. Yet they
co want the best effort put into missionary
effort and they claim their effort is better
than has Yet been shown by the women.
These conferences are TO be continued TO
the end that some practicable plan of ac-
ton may be devised, including a form OF
words in which it appears to be safe to
convey the conditions of things to the wo-
men.
It Is coming to be fad with churches
and individuals able TO afford the same,
to have a missionary in the foreign field
! SO great is the hold the notion has obtain
ed that the Presbyterian Foreign Board IS
unable to furnish men and women in suffi-
Client numbers to satisfy calls. More
! churches are applying TO support their own
| workers than can be accommodated, and
as for individuals, the number of rich men
: and women who want TO support individ-
| uai workers in foreign fields is beyond any
| thing ever before known
! THE CRY FOR MONEY
Years ago the cry was for open doors.
| The fields We're closed. Next came ap-
! rea!s for volunteers. Few wanted were
| anxious 10 risk their lives and surrender
| home advantages. During the last ten
| years the cry has been for money. The
| fields were open and the number Of yolun-
| teers far in advance of the ability Of the
/ Boards to send. Now the funds are com
| ing. especially if the church or the in
! uiTiduai can support alone q whole mis-
sion station or pay the WAGES of a par
! ucular missionary. The notion used to
| obtain that almost anybody who was pious
| and willing to 90 could get sent to the
] foreign field Such was never the case
| but at the present time the requirements
| for the foreign field approach those of the
| most exattng Of professional positions
! Hardly more than one-third of those who
| apply arc accented by any of the Boards
! The whole r1IJptrI- canrrlad f.. .I,n l,a-r
I men and women.
| physical examination. quite as rigid
| as that demanded by an Insurance com
| pany. has to be stood at the outset. Next
| the home record of the applicant in the
way of mission effort, is examined. I is
| held that the man or woman of twenty
! five. anxious to go abroad must have
| sn0wn aptitude for the work of saving
souls at home, if he or she be likely TO
1 have aptitude among heather abroad.
| Where they are to so TO countries like
| Japan, China. Korea. etc, where lar
! guage must be learned, persons with apti-
| tude for Language study are required
, Most Boards hold th2t persons who have
| not first mastered Creek cannot success
| fully study CT inese. boards are not find
! ing any IUtne in securing applicants for
| places in China, because of the troubles
! there. Men and women stand ready in any
| numbers TO so to Pekin TO replace those
| who may have fallen there. 1t is said that
| at least ten times as many volunteers
| have offered already as there are work
ers in the China field, and it is not yet GER
| tain that any are wanted.
CONFERENCE AT NORTHFIELD.
Some Of the most famous missionary
workers of the world Will speak at the
| Students Conference at Mortified, which
| begins June 18th and lasts until July Sth
| The Rev. Dr. Jacob Chamberlain, who has
| spent many years of his life in missionary
work in India. was TO have returned to
!! the field Immediately at the close of the
! Ecumenical Conference. but stayed over
! to address the Students Conference and
! the Young Women's. Christian Association
which follows it. Chinese missions will
| be represented by the veteran worker, the
| Rev. DR.. William Ashmore, and the Rev
| Dr. Tonn G. Patton will tell some OF his
! experiences in the New Hebrides Mr..
! Robert Il. Speer. one of the secretaries of
| the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis-
| sions will also address both conferences
| Other speakers al the Students Confer
! ence Will be Bishop Vincent, the Rev. r.
| A Torrey, of Chicago and President j .
(! G. Schurman, of Cornell University.