G66 



REFORMED CHURCHES. 



1893: Number of particular synods, 11; of 

 classes, 35 ; of churches, 603 ; of ministers, 598 ; 

 of licentiates, 20 ; of families, 53,993 ; total now 

 in communion. 97,520 ; number of baptized non- 

 communicants, 41,324; of catechumens, 36,037 ; 

 of Sunday schools, 884, with 119,758 members; 

 of baptisms during the year, 5,597 of infants and 

 1,194 of adults; of members received on confes- 

 sion, 5,435. Amount of benevolent contribu- 

 tions, $246,419 for denominational and $84,030 

 for other objects; amount of congregational 

 contributions, $1,095,764. The contributions to 

 the Board of Domestic Missions exceeded $86,- 

 000 the largest amount ever contributed in 

 one year. The board likewise returned a larger 

 number of admissions to the mission churches 

 than in any previous year. The arrangements 

 with the Presbyterians and Congregationalists for 

 the observance of comity in the operations of the 

 home missions had been efficient in preventing 

 unnecessary multiplication of churches and fric- 

 tion resulting therefrom. The board had aided 

 in its Eastern and Western fields 177 churches 

 and missions, having 10,409 members and 13,100 

 pupils in Sunday schools, in which 1,066 mem- 

 bers had been added on confession. 



The Board of Foreign Missions returned a 

 total of receipts from all sources of $111,672. 

 The missions (in China, India, and Japan) in- 

 cluded 15 stations, 202 out-stations, 26 ordained 

 and 43 unordained and assistant missionaries, 

 36 native ordained ministers, 356 other native 

 agents, 55 churches with 5,799 communicants 

 and 467 received on confession during the year, 

 4 theological schools with 58 students, 14 semi- 

 naries with 333 male and 393 females pupils, 

 and 154 day schools, with 4,315 pupils. The 

 hospitals (China and India) had 18,870 patients. 



The ninth annual missionary convention of 

 this Church was held in Newark, N. J., Nov. 14 

 and 15. Subjects pertaining to domestic and 

 foreign missions, the part of the young people 

 in missionary work, and woman's work for mis- 

 sions were discussed. 



general Synod. The eighty-second General 

 Synod met in Asbury Park, N. J., June 8. 

 The Rev. Cornelius Brett, D. D., was chosen 

 President. The Special Committee on Federal 

 Union with the Reformed Church in the United 

 States reported that all the classes except that 

 of Arcot, India, which was excused on account 

 of its distance, had reported their approval or 

 disapproval of the union and of the recommen- 

 dations made in the majority report of the pre- 

 vious General Synod. Sixteen had approved, 18 

 had disapproved. Among those disapproving 

 the South Classis of Long Island overtured the 

 General Synod to invite the co-operation of the 

 Reformed Church in the United States in per- 

 fecting the plan of federal union that shall in- 

 clude all the Reformed Churches holding the 

 presbyterial system. The General Synod adopted 

 the following resolutions and minute : 



In view of the nature of the reports received from 

 the classes on the proposed federal union, the fol- 

 lowing is recommended : 



Whereas, A majority of the whole number of the 

 classes have reported to this synod their disapproval 

 of the proposed articles of constitution and federal 

 union between the Keformed Church in America 

 and the Keformed Church in the United States with 



the amendments and understandings submitted by 

 the last General Synod in order that the mind of the 

 Church might be ascertained ; therefore, 



Resolved, That this synod accepts these reports as 

 evidence that the mind of the Church is not in favor 

 of the adoption of the said proposed articles of con- 

 stitution and federal union, and that further consider- 

 ation of the said articles be indefinitely postponed. 



While offering this recommendation, the commit- 

 tee deem it proper to add that in their judgment the 

 disapproval reported by a majority of the classes does 

 not in the least degree indicate any want of fraternal 

 affection for and confidence in our brethren of the 

 Reformed Church in the United States. It only in- 

 dicates that for some reasons in some classes, and for 

 other reasons in other classes, the Church is not 

 ready to consummate this plan of union at this time. 



Nor does the disapproval reported cast any reflec- 

 tion upon the commissioners of the two Churches by 

 whom the proposed plan of union was devised. No 

 others stand, or deserve to stand, higher than they in 

 the confidence of their brethren. The tusk which 

 they undertook was not assumed by themselves, but 

 was imposed upon them by the Churches. It was 

 difficult by reason of both its magnitude and its nov- 

 elty. It is no disparagement to them that such an 

 attempt does not prove immediately successful. Not- 

 withstanding the partial failure and the consequent 

 disappointment ot many cherished hopes, their work 

 has not by any means been in vain. Through the 

 negotiations and correspondence and personal and 

 fraternal intercourse which have been carried on in 

 recent years, the two sister Churches have become 

 better acquainted with each other, the ties of con- 

 fidence and affection between them have been 

 strengthened, and although the present effort toward 

 a closer external union has not succeeded, it will 

 serve to prepare the way for the success which God 

 will surely grant, and, as we believe, at no distant 

 time. Whether it is advisable at the present time to 

 devise some other and more acceptable plan of union, 

 we leave it to the wisdom of the synod to decide. 



Also, without further recommendation, we leave it 

 to the wisdom of the synod to decide what course to 

 adopt concerning the overture from the South Classis 

 of Long Island looking toward a federal union of a 

 broader scope. 



The synod commended the subject of the Sun- 

 day opening of the Columbian Exposition to the 

 hearts and consciences of the people, urging 

 them to do all in their power to prevent the sec- 

 ularizing of the Lord's Day through the fair ; 

 recognized the unanimity of the Chicago breth- 

 ren and of the Reformed Church generally 

 against Sunday opening ; appointed June 25 as 

 a day of special prayer for God's blessing upon 

 his day of rest, and for union in praying " that 

 he will overrule so that the counsels of the un- 

 godly shall be put to naught, and so that our 

 American people may learn to honor him and to 

 be true to their heritage " ; and declined to par- 

 ticipate in the Parliament of Religions. A 

 resolution of the synod condemned the act of 

 Congress requiring registration of the Chinese 

 as " a direct violation of treaty obligations, a 

 stain on our national honor, prejudicial to Amer- 

 ican interests, commercial, educational, and re- 

 ligious," and directed a memorial to be sent to 

 the President and Congress asking for its earli- 

 est possible repeal. The Arabian mission, which 

 had been established a few years before at Bos- 

 rah, Turkey, by individual enterprise, was incor- 

 porated with the General Synod's Board of For- 

 eign Missions. 



II. Reformed Church in the United States. 

 The statistical report of this body for the past 



