The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-13

Ciety receipts was reached in 1876, when
they We're s577.4o0. but in 1909 there
fall of 10 S5l6.o1o The society is especially
active in Cuba. where its work ranks
among the largest OF Protestant bodies.
The American Board and the American
Missionary Association. both Congrega-
tional do not close their years until the
fall. but the former. which cleared its debt
last year. finds its receipts $500 ahead Of
last year. but 20 have realized several dis
Couraging months. notably February.
when. instead Of increased receipts. il had
decreased ones. Pledges on the debt are
coming in satisfactorily. but the officers
say the condition OF the venerable board
are not satisfactory. The American Mis-
sionary Association. which has managed 10
keep out OF debt for some years, finds its
receipts $500 ahead Of last year. the half
year being just completed The associs-
tons usual income is about 100000 year.
That of the American Board varies great
ly. Last year it was $4,000.
The Missionary Society of Methodists
North has got its open-door emergency
committee into working shape, and ii is
making progress towards the S1.5O0.0O0 goal
which IL set for high water mark this year.
hSoitldItS III the lDIUi u dhoAtipudl &C.
retaries 10 prosecute the Emergency Fund
have been named The society was COM
PEELED last year. 10 make a cut Of per
cent. in the appropriations. owing TO in
adequate support from the churches. Yet
the facts are that receipts OF the mission
airy society slowly but steadily increase,
and the average per Methodist member
rises. 1t was in 1920 that the total income
- /, a. In,
s. reached the 10000 mark and in 1897 the
g. 10000 mark. And it has never gone back
ward 1t has now permanently passed the
sl,300,OO0 limit. It's annual report is just out,
and last years income the one over which
It bewails its inability to go forward and
organize an open-dOOr committee. was 81
$4,000, an amount never reached before
save in 1899. when the income was $.376OoO
The average gift per member is 451z cents
very low, when compared with most other
religious bodies. but an average that grows
steadily. Back in the eighties the average
was below 10 cents. Since 1885 it has gone
above that figure. several times above 80
cents. The debt of the society is $4,000.
XXX
Episcopalians adopted, last year, after
agitation that had covered decade or
more. the apportionment plan of asking the
different diOceses for definite sums. II is
explained in the plan that the apportion-
ment is not a tax nor an assessment, but
merely an opinion, based on percentages of
sums spent for parochial support. of what
ought TO be contributed for general work.
There was complaint because the American
Church Missionary Society, small auxil-
airy. omitted, but the omission has
been corrected. Several dioceses said
promptly the apportionment was too low,
and asked permission TO give more. Wheth-
er by accident or otherwise, all dooeses TO
do so belong to the so-called Low Church
ones. LOudest complaints about excessive
demands came from the advanced do
ceses of the middle West. During the first
six months only part of which were I'M
der the apportiOnment, the increase, just
announced. was 46 per cent. This is not suf-
fciently large to realize the entire increase
of the apportionment, but il is re-
garded as large enough to prove the wis
dom of the plan. The amount is ex-
elusive OF most of the sums collected for
special work in the Philippines. The total
Protestant Episcopal General Mission re-
ceipts last year were $780, 900. The amount
apportioned was s524.5OO. and the amount
= Spent by this religious body upon its home
earNUPsst year was 81, 664,OO
XXX
Roman Catholics are making special ef-
forts this jubilee year TO make the Peters
pence large. The aim is to send more from
America this year than the entire pence
has amounted to of late years. This aim
will mean a remittance of at least $4,000
This is exclusive of other sums sent for
other purposes. although most such sums
are wrongly included by the general public
in this pence fund. The fund is for the per-
sonal use of the Pope, and for the present
1t is used largely in maintenance of the
contention for temporal power. Catholics
of America send little to Rome for mis-
sions. the United States itself being mis-
sion field. To date. Catholics in several do
ceses report receipts far in advance of
their anticipatiOns. Those who are saying
and they are not few, that people do not
give money to church causes as they once
did, ought to consider that the total mis-
.sionary contributions from every religious
body in America in 1892 did not reach 80
600. In 1902 they amount 10 $l4.5O0.OOO or
possibly, little more. And this figure is
larger in gross and per member than ever
before in the history of missions.