CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



139 



Islands, had been occupied as a new missionary 

 center. Indemnity for losses incurred in Turkey 

 during the massacres of 1895 and 1896 had been 

 paid over to the United States Government, and 

 would be distributed as soon as the formalities 

 could be complied with. Increase in the number 

 of native pastors, the average congregations, Sun- 

 day-school pupils, churches, and church-members 

 was recorded in western Turkey. In central 

 Turkey a Home Missionary Society had been or- 



fanized by the native brethren. In European Tur- 

 ey gain was marked in all the main features of 

 the work. The conditions in China and progress 

 in recovery after the Boxer disturbances were 

 reviewed. In Japan the theological seminary of 

 the Dosisha had been opened again, under a 

 Christian constitution, and the Mission of the 

 United Brethren was cooperating in sustaining 

 it. In Austria a mission house had been dedi- 

 cated in Vienna, restrictions on the holding of 

 religious meetings had been relaxed, interest in 

 temperance work was increasing, and the popular 

 Protestant movement was growing. The church- 

 membership of the mission had increased 17 per 

 cent. Nine hundred copies of the Sunday-school 

 helps in Bohemian, prepared for the mission there, 

 were called for for Bohemian populations in the 

 United States. In connection with the enterprise 

 called the Forward Movement, there were now 82 

 churches and 3 individuals supporting 105 mis- 

 sionaries. The Twentieth Century fund was rep- 

 resented to amount, in cash and pledges, to nearly 

 $100,000. The committee on corporate member- 

 ship recommended a change in the make-up of the 

 body under which the committee shall be required 

 to choose only one-half instead of three-fourths 

 of the membership of the board from nominations 

 made by the State associations. In an effort to 

 secure contributions and pledges for the payment 

 of the debt of the society, it was announced that 

 $48,000 had been given by an unknown friend 

 which could be applied for the purpose. Contribu- 

 tions were asked for and the whole of the remain- 

 ing amount of the debt $54,000 was secured in 

 less than an hour. 



National Council. The National Council of 

 Congregational Churches met in its eleventh tri- 

 ennial session at Portland, Me., Oct. 12. The 

 Rev. Amory H. Bradford was chosen moderator. 

 The report of the secretary showed that during the 

 three years since the last preceding meeting of the 

 council there had been gains of 36 churches, 7,485 

 members, and $1,023,906 in home expenses, while 

 losses had occurred of 1,211 in children baptized, 

 13,961 in membership of Sunday-schools, 32,103 

 in membership of Young People's Societies, and 

 $547,260 irr benevolent contributions. The report 

 of the National Council Ministerial Relief fund 

 represented that the assets had increased to $125,- 

 135, and that 58 persons were receiving relief, in 

 grants ranging from $20 to $200. The total re- 

 ceipts on account of the council for three years 

 had been $52,075, while the expenditures had 

 been such as to leave a balance in bank of $14,- 

 000. The Committee of Fifteen which had been 

 appointed by the previous general council to 

 consider the relations of the six benevolent soci- 

 eties to one another and to the churches made 

 a report embodying recommendations which, as 

 approved by the meeting, urged upon all the im- 

 portance of laying added emphasis upon the mis- 

 sion work at home and abroad to which Congre- 

 gationalists are pledged ; requested each church to 

 endeavor by a personal canvass to reach all its 

 members with an appeal for some gift to each of 

 the six missionary societies; suggested that the 

 churches make October a missionary month; that 



they make provision for insl.ru--l in;_r the young 

 people in the Sunday-schools ami ( liristian En- 

 deavor Societies in everydepai I im MI f UK,- mis- 

 sionary work; that tin; mission. try knowledge 

 and interest of candidates for ordination and in- 

 stallation be made a subject of faithful inquiry; 

 approved of the appointment of all salaried ofli- 

 cers of the six societies by executive board-, of 

 one administrative head, and of a limited repre- 

 sentative governing membership for each of l.he 

 six societies; urged the five home societies to try 

 the experiment of a united annual meeting, allow- 

 ing the meeting of the American Board to remain 

 unchanged for the present; recommended the in- 

 stitution of an advisory committee of seven mem- 

 bers by the executive boards of the five home 

 societies to hold State meetings, and to which all 

 questions of joint action shall be referred this 

 committee, with the addition of a member from 

 the American Board, to take measures looking to 

 the organization of conference and State mission- 

 ary committees and to labor for the adoption of 

 definite and systematic plans of benevolence by 

 the churches, and that the committee appoint a 

 secretary of systematic benevolence; that there 

 be one monthly missionary publication devoted 

 to foreign and home work; and that manuals of 

 instruction and information be issued suitable for 

 permanent use in Sunday-schools, Young Peo- 

 ple's Societies, and other similar organizations. 

 A report on Comity, Federation, and Unity cov- 

 ered the subjects of cultivating closer relations 

 with the brethren in Canada, cooperation with 

 other bodies in general, the observance by the 

 Congregational churches of the principle of com- 

 ity, and exchange of declarations of good-will 

 with other bodies. The proposition approved by 

 the council of 1898 on federation of churches was 

 again referred to a committee, the members . of 

 which were to be chosen with a view to their 

 being able to carry out those plans so far as 

 they might now be found practicable. The com- 

 mittee was requested to provide that, proposals 

 for federation, such as have been found advan- 

 tageous in Great Britain, be referred to other de- 

 nominations in the United States, either through 

 their own initiative or through the National Fed- 

 eration of Christian Churches and Workers, or 

 such other agencies as might seem available to 

 accomplish the object. The project for establish- 

 ing foundations of a religious character in con- 

 nection with the great State universities was ap- 

 proved. The preparation of a system of graded 

 Sunday-school lessons was advised. While not 

 questioning the propriety of solemnizing the mar- 

 riage of a party who has been shown to be in- 

 nocent in divorce proceedings the council urged 

 upon the ministers the duty of withholding sanc- 

 tion from those whose divorce has been secured 

 on other than scriptural grounds. A committee 

 was appointed to report to the next council on en- 

 richment of the worship of the churches. A board 

 of fifteen trustees was constituted to have charge 

 of the council's Ministerial Relief fund and its 

 administration. Plans adopted by some of the 

 seminaries for the training of women for service 

 as deaconesses were approved. Approval was 

 also given to the proposed erection of a Pilgrim 

 Memorial Church at Plymouth, Mass. 



Congregationalisms in Canada. The fifty- 

 fourth annual meeting of the Congregational 

 Union of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was 

 held in July. Papers were read and discussed re- 

 lating to the practicability of present-day preach- 

 ing, the minister's conversion work, and the pros- 

 pect of forwarding the work of the home churches. 

 The Woman's Board of Missions occupied three 



