The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-10-18
MEETING OF
A, B. {. f. NJ.
Under the Shadow Of
Calamity.
MARTYRDOMs IN CHINA
Statistics Of the Work Of the Great
Missionary Body in its Nine
tieth Year.

annual meeting of the American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
convened this morning in Pilgrim Con-
gregational Church and will be in ses-
sion three days. Between two and three
hundred corporate members, officers of
the American Board and women's auxil-
home fields, as well as prominent minis
ters and laymen from many Congrega-
tional churches, were present. Rev. DR..
Michael Burnham, pastor of Pilgrim Con-
gregational Church, delivered a short ad-
dress of welcome, A fitting response to
Dr. Burnham's eloquent remarks was
made by Samuel B. Capen, LID, of
Boston. president of the American Board,
who said, in part:
There will be two thoughts constant
ly before us all through these meetings.
The first is that it is the closing year of
the century. which will be known in mis-
tory as the great missionary century.
"And the second thought will be the
fearful story from China. Never before
have we held our meetings under such a
shadow. We remember the noble men
the martyrs crown; we remember the
native Christians who have not hesitated
to show their fidelity by shedding their
ife-blood, and our prayers will go out to
the home friends whose hearts are bleed
ing and torn. Nineteen years ago In this
city, the Shan 81 Mission was inaugural
ed. this year 1t has been practically ex-
terminated in awful massacre.
"St. Louis has held many conventions,
planned business the last few years but I
venture to predict that none has been as
as the meeting of this American Board.
1t reaches in its influence around the
wcrld and has to do with the mightiest
forces that can lift the nations.
'The interest of the press in all these
gr eat world movements Is one of the most
significant things of this generation. How
different all this is from the conditions
even twenty years ago. to say nothing of
the periods in the early history of the
Board.
And it ought to be noted to the credit
OF the daily press as well as the great
magazines that as rule they have un-
cerstood the great crisis in China.
Speedily the great truths came home to
them that the Chinese uprising was not
chiefly because of the missionaries. They
saw that the great reason was the in
justice of the great foreign nations in
Stt diiHS pOTtS anu teFTllOIy ana tne
commercial progress which had often
selfishly and heartlessly run rough shod
over Chinese traditions and which was
depriving laborers in great numbers of
their employment. am not familiar with
the facts in the West, but our press in
the East has editorially recognized the
humanity and unseifishneSs, at least of
most of our missionary effort When we
hear of sweeping criticisms, let US re-
member there is another side, and recall
the great service the missionaries render
for humanity and righteousness"
Rev. Charles r. Daniels, DID,. secretary
of the home department. read his annual
report which is the special report of the
prudential committee. 1t was as follows:
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
The report of the prudential commit
tee, home department, stated that death
had claimed from the ranks OF the cor
porate body ten of its members whose
services have ranged from 1851 to 1885,
During the year forty new missionar-
les have been sent to their several fields
OF appointment-eleven men, three of
whom are physicians. and twenty-nine la
dies, twelve the wives of missionaries and
two of them physicians.
| 1t is expected that at the coming ses-
sion of Congress a bin will be introduced
including. among other features, the re-
peal of the legacy tax to institutions OF
literary, educational or charitable char
acter. During the past year there has
been rebate in rent to the Congrega-
tional missionary societies from the
Congregational House income of $1,124
The press has been an effective agent for
good. The magazines and the secular
press have aided the work greatly.
In addition to the missionaries assigned
under the auspices of the forward move
ment committee, some twenty-tw two mis-
| SiCnarieS mtC9i0norv favv, box
been assigned through other agencies. In
two cases missionary families have been
taken by individuals In two cases by en-
deavor societies grouped for the purpose
| In two cases by churches grouped, and
the other cases by individual churches
The Missionary Herald circulation is In
creasing, though slowly. The Congrega-
tional Work enters about 10000 families
The wants OF the children are still me,
by the Mission Dayspring, issued con-
| jointly by the American Board and the
Woman's Board.
trict secretary makes the following re-
port from the Middle District, including
Connecticut and Ohio, and the Middle
and Southern Atlantic States:
| The total receipts are only slightly less
than last year, notwithstanding 81, 900, ,0OC
has been gathered for the sufferers in
India from organizations largely center
ing in New York
The contributions from the living have
increased $16,5s5, while the legacfes have
decreased by the sum of Sl7,276 From the
Y. p. 8. G. E. and Sunday schools there
mas been gain of $1,94 The women
nave increased their gifts s1,019
The Rev. A. n. Hitchcock, Phi D., dis
trict secretary, presents the following re-
port from the interior district, the dis.
trict including fourteen States and Terri.
tories west of Ohio. and the Southern
mississippi States: The twelve or fifteer
churches which have undertaken tnf
support Of their own foreign missionary
pastors, while largely increasing thei,
gifts during the past year, have not in ali
| cases fully renewed their pledges at the
expiration Of the year. There has been
an Increase in donations from all sources
OF $3.50. Additional gifts for famine re.
lief and orphan work have probably ag.
gregated $4,000. The number o,
churches contributing from some sources
has increased by eighty, while the mum.
ber taking public collections is less by
thirty There has been a gain also
in Sunday school contributions
I The Rev. Walter Frear, general agent
makes the following report for the Pa.
cif1c Coast agency:
| Mission freight was sent by the Aeolus
a schooner newly built for the Jaluit So.
ciety, and by the Queen of the Isles