The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-16
RELIGION IN CONGO
MrssroNARrEs OPPOSE A GOVERN
 MENT SCHEME.
Belgfan Protestants Propose TO Dis- place All Others and the Pisn Has Met with Much sa
 Despair.
pysALoIs CARTEREE

BYfALOIS CAHTfShEr'
 Brueseis, May 15.--A memorial ID which the Rev. Paul Rochedteu. presi- dent of the Synod of the Protestant Churches in Belgium, shas submitted 70 the consideration of the Belgium Mn ister Tor the Colonies fa schcfne TOT the gradual displacement of the for- eisn Protestant missionaries on tre Congo by Belgian Protestants. fs subject # sy.esiai lptes~ss.
 The principal British missionary so- cieties on the Congo Is Balolo Ms sion. a branch of the Regions Beyond Missionary Union. of which Dr. H. Grattan Guinness is the Acting Di- rector. n
 The Baptist Society maintains in the Congo thirty-nine missionaries. twen- ty-fve mlssiona-ies wives and ledy missionaries. one hundred ard eighty eight evangelis.s. ard four hundred and eighteen primary tea >hers. 1t Las founded over four hundred stations and branches. and more than nine thousand children regularly attend it's numer- ous sch ools. It has created three hos pitals and nine dispensaries under the direction of two certified doctors, and q special fund has lately been raised for the construction of new hospital at Bolobo which promises to he the most important medicai insti.u.io in the Congo. Last year the funds ullot- ted by the Baptist Missioffar ry socie- ty for work oa the Congo arnomnted to over ss5,0o0. The Congo Balolo Mission possesses six mainN stations in the region of Balolo and the Lulanga. and its, annual budget of expenditure for the Congo has amounted over large number of years to between s40,- 900 and s66.000.
 The Baptist Missionary Society has sent first reply to M. Rochedieu's memorial. but has not committed it. self to any of M. Rochedieu's propos- als. The General Committee of the. Baptist Missionary Society in London still has the memorial under considera- ton. and in no case will any action be taken without tfe fullest discussion and weighing of the proposals in all their bearings.
 The Rev. William Wilkes, secretary of the Regions syond Mission, nag given some definite information about the attitude of his council, which, like- wise. has replied to M Rochedieu's memorial. MT. WilkesT says: e
 w. heartily welcome. the very cor dial reference contained in M. Roche- dieu's memorial regarding the work of the British, American and Swedish missionaries on the Congo. The mis- sionaries have always been desirous of working In harmony with the govern ment of the-Congo State, and 1t Is only because they have felt obliged to pro- test against the terrible abuses which have come under their personal notice that they have come to be regarded as hostile to the State. But just be- cause their presence and their work In the Congo have been a valuable means nf I,an n1r rfr,n vinced that it is in the best Interests of the Congo State itself that we should continue our missionary opera tions along the present lines.
 I'M. Rochedieu suggests that all the Protestant missionary societies on the Congo should accept the President of the Synod of the Belgian Protestant Churches as the recognized intermedi- ary between themselves and the Bel gian Minister for the Colonies. To do so, however, would be to surrender rights directly guaranteed to us by the General Act of Berlin.
 Whatever arrangement 1t may be possible to come to in the future, the present time. when negotiations are still in progress between the British and Belgian governments as to the terms on which the, latter should rec ognize the annexation of the. Congo State by Belgium. is certainly not op- perfume for such step as M. Rochs- dieu suggests."
 How do you regard the proposal that foreign Protestant missionaries on the Congo should gradually be replaced by Belgians?' was asked.
 MT. Wilkes replied:
 That proposal Is one of the most extraordinary features of M. Roche 'dieu's memorial, As he himself savs. the Protestants in Belgium form only a very small fraction of the popuIa- tlon, and in considering the suEseHtiop that they should take over the work of the British. American Sand Swedish societies on the Congo, the fact cannot be ignored that up to the present Bel gian Protestants have done nothing as body to support missionary en- terprise on the Congo.
 If they now wish to engage. in such work there is plenty of room fin the Congo State both for them and for the missionaries at present at work there.
 'eThe Congo State covers an area of over 900,00o square miles, and though M. Rochedieu bears much apprecIatad testimony to the development of our work. 1t has as yet touched only the fringe of the vast population of the Congo. Needless to say we should heartily welcome the presence in the Congo of Belgian Protestant mission aries working in conjunction with the British. American and Swedish mis- sionartes, and any help which we could give, If 1t should be decided to found a Belgian Protestant Mission in the