New-York tribune., 1901-04-07
covRISArIoy AMONG MISSIONARIES.

Y Il
The present day tendency TO form comona-
.,,s ond +rusts is by no means confined 10 the
business of money making. Social ana religlouS
institutions feel the same pressure 10 pool their
issues for common work, and many persons VINO
look with aDprehension at industrial complha-
tions ardently long for church unions ana hIS
sionary trusts. This longing Is due III part VI
course TO religious conviction or the dutS vi
Christians to be at unity in the communion Oh
one visible church. For practical purposes II 'S
stimulated more by realization OF the econolh!
and efficiency Of large organizations ana 'he
desirability of careful division OF the neid Oh
work among such separate bodies as continue 10
eris+ so as TO avoid the wastes of competition
The Congregational churches are Just no"
actively discussing the desiIabity OF uniting
their various general societies so that all HIS
sionory work may be administered under one
authority and the appeal 10 the people Tor
funds be concentrated into one great effort Inc
Cougrecationallsts now support six national
organizations The American Board OF 'oh-
missioners for Foreign Missions, founded III
1910 Is the best known OF these, ana expehus
about S5o0OOO year maintaining churches'
schools and higher institutions OF learning
abroad The Congregational Education Society
was organized in 1916 Ito assist worthy stu
dents in colleges and theological seminarles
| .'who are educating themselves for the Congre-
"gational ministry" II gives aid toward the
current expenses of weak Western colleges
some of which ought TO live. while others are
unfortunate monuments to the III judged denom
ipa,iopa, enterprise which has dotted this coun
fry with struggling and unnecessary colleges OF
various religious affiliations. The Congrega-
tional Home Missionary Society dates from
1896. and spends S5oo,o00 a year organizing
churches in this country. The American MIS-
sionary Association is an outSrowth OF the anti
slavery struggle. 1t was organized IN 1910 py
persons who would not receive contributions
from the profits of slave labor to carry on mis-
sionary enterprises. Its average expenditure Is
about 100000 year, and 1t pays particular
attention to the negroes in the South and the
Indians and Chinese in the West. 1t is extend
ing its schools in Porto Rico since the acqui-
sition of that island by the United States. The
Church Building Society formed about 1860
tn stand between the churches and the army Of
beegars and solicitors who on their own respon-
sIbity plead the needs Of distant religious
enterprises 1t investigates appeals for church
buildings and missionaries and keeps the de-
nomination informed as to proper objects of
aid but does not raise money itself The Con
cregational Sunday School and Publishing Soci-
ety Ia a self sustaining organization which pub
fishes Sunday school books and papers.
The three leading socletleS-tne American
Board the Home Missionary Society and the
American Missionary Association-have hith-
erto held separate annual meetings, making 1t
n rule to keep out of one anothers way as TO
time and place The smaller societies dof not
hold annual meetings, but sometimes unite in
the exposition of their work. These annual
meetings have generally been large and success
ful. though the Home Missionary Society has
not attracted the attention or support given TO
the other two. perhaps owing to the less pictu-
rescue nature of its work Now it is proposed
10 consolidate or federate, and some of the
organizations have voted favorably on prelimi-
nary propositions. The idea of Il great trust for
Congregational work appeals to the imagination
in the churches, and the organizations them
selves enjoy harmonious relations and contem-
plate union without jealousy, but they find
many practical difficulties in their way. A gen
eral Congregational assembly to consider the
whole missionary problem could be held only
in the largest cities, and the societies might
lose the hold they now have on their respective
constituencies by making circuit of smaller
towns. The question OF equitable division of
receipts also arises. Some propose two meet
ings one for foreign work-that is, for the
American Board-and one for all the others. 1t
Is feared even then that the present advantage
of setting each line of work dstnctively bafore
the people specially interested in II would be
lost and there are many who predict that the
income after consolidation or federation would
not equal the present aggregate Of contributions
10 separate organizations. The idea Of giving
half of the receipts of united meetings to foreign