BAPTISTS. 



63 



visited, 32,948; families found without the 

 Bible, 1,730; families supplied with the Bi- 

 ble, 2,188 ; Sunday-schools organized, 250 ; 

 churches constituted, 48; visits on vessels, 

 3,371 ; Bibles given to seamen, 48. The num- 

 ber of copies of new publications issued during 

 the year has been 161,500 ; new editions of old 

 publications, 451,000 ; tracts, 820,000 copies ; 

 Young Reaper, 3,075,940 copies; total pages, 

 222,845,020, an excess of more than 40,000,000 

 over last year. Gratuitously distributed by 

 missionaries, etc., 9,521 books, and 514,170 

 pages of tracts. Forty-seven white and twenty- 

 eight colored preachers have been provided 

 with small libraries, and 250 students and 

 others have been supplied with one or two 

 books each. Money value of such grants, 

 $12,566. The society accepted the basis of 

 union with the Bible Society unanimously. 

 The thirty-seventh anniversary business meet- 

 ing of the American and Foreign Bible So- 

 ciety was held May 20th. The receipts for the 

 year were reported at $30,186.46 ; expendi- 

 tures, $29,629.82; balance, $556.64. From 

 the beginning, the gross receipts have been, 

 from all sources, $1,106,580.92, and the society 

 has put into circulation 2,230,583 volumes of 

 Scripture at home and abroad. The report, in 

 favor of union with the American Baptist 

 Publication Society, was adopted. It trans- 

 fers the entire Bible work to the Publication 

 Society ; the name of the .joint organization to 

 be selected after union. The consummation of 

 the union is dependent upon action of the New 

 York Legislature to amend the charter of. the 

 Bible Society. Subsequently, there was a joint 

 meeting of the two societies, in commemo- 

 ration of the anticipated completion of the 

 union. The thirty-seventh anniversary of the 

 American Baptist Home Mission Society was 

 held in Boston, May 29th. The report of the 

 Executive Board showed that, six years ago, 

 less than $36,000 constituted the total annual 

 receipts of the society, while during the past 

 year more than $144,000 has been paid into 

 the treasury. The number of missionaries 

 then employed was 96, now there are 276. 

 The embarrassing debt that hung over the so- 

 ciety two years ago has been liquidated. 

 Thirty-two States and Territories are repre- 

 sented in the contributions to the funds this 

 year. One-third of the missionary force is 

 employed in the South. Secular education has 

 been prosecuted there to the extent of specific 

 contributions for that purpose, and the prepa- 

 ration of colored preachers has been carried 

 on with energy. The Indian missions are re- 

 covering from the hindrances of the late war, 

 and the work among the foreigners in the West 

 has been vigorously carried on with good re- 

 sults. The church edifice fund has been in- 

 creased $30,000 by the will of the late Tracy 

 H. Harris. There are demands for increased 

 effort in the Northwest, along the line of the 

 Pacific Railway, on the Pacific coast, among 

 the Southern freedmen, and in the Republic of 



Mexico, and the Board is profoundly impressed 

 with the importance that every lawful and 

 possible agency should be employed to draw 

 forth larger offerings. 



The anniversary of the American Baptist 

 Free Mission Society was held in Richmond, 

 Ya., in May. The cash receipts were reported 

 at $17,222.54, and the expenses at $16,603.88. 

 Twenty-four missionaries have been employed 

 in the home work ; eleven in Virginia and the 

 District of Columbia; the rest in the Gulf 

 States. Of the foreign missions, the number 

 of members in the Bassein mission is stated at 

 5,883, or more than one-fourth of all the 

 Christians in Burinah ; and of those in the in- 

 dependent Vintore and Luther's mission, at 

 2,416, with over one thousand pupils under in- 

 struction. The former mission contributes 

 nearly 9,000 rupees annually, and the latter 

 over that sum. The ministers of the Japanese 

 mission are engaged in translating and print- 

 ing the Bible in Japanese. The society decided 

 in favor of cooperation with the Consolidated 

 Convention and Home Mission Society. 



The anniversary of-the National Theological 

 Institute was held on the 20th of May. The 

 report showed that 90 students were obtaining 

 an education at the Washington school, thirty 

 of whom were in the theological department. 

 The Richmond school has 195 pupils, with two 

 Latin and two Greek classes. These, with the 

 schools at St. Helena, S. 0., and Augusta, Ga,, 

 are in a thriving condition. Special instruction 

 has been given by Rev. Dr. Parker to 588 

 colored teachers and preachers in several 

 places. The receipts were reported at $14,615. 

 A resolution was adopted concurring in the 

 unification of the work under the direction 

 and control of the Baptist Home Missionary- 

 Society, and recommending that the institute 

 at Washington, D. 0., be adopted and sustained 

 by the society. 



The Southern Baptist Convention met at 

 Macon, Georgia, on the 6th of May. The 

 condition of the colored people was a promi- 

 nent subject of consideration. The mind and 

 intention of the convention were expressed by 

 the adoption of resolutions recognizing the 

 high and sacred duty of giving a pure gos- 

 pel and enlightened ministry to the colored 

 population, and recommending district and 

 State associations to pay especial attention to 

 their religious instruction and spiritual in- 

 terests. The Domestic Mission Board is prose- 

 cuting its work among them, as well as in the 

 German and Indian missions, with all the en- 

 ergy in its power, but suffers from the lack of 

 money. Similar reports were made from the 

 Sunday-school Board and other agencies of the 

 Church. A favorable report was given of the 

 conferences with the American Baptist Home 

 Missionary Society. The foreign missions were 

 represented in a progressive condition. An in- 

 teresting feature of the sessions of the conven- 

 tion was the presence of Mr. Broadus, as a 

 delegate of the Worth Street Baptist Church 



