REFORMED CHURCHES. 



691 



pupils. Amount of contributions to denomina- 

 tional objects, $178,878; to other objects, $223.- 

 784 ; received for congregational purposes, $1,- 

 047,779. The net increase of membership for 

 the year was 3,066. The report records that the 

 churches of this communion are now " scattered 

 over 4 States of the Union, with a classis in 

 Arcot, India, and the Gospel is preached in 4 

 languages." 



An important part of the work of the General 

 Synod is the receiving of reports upon a large 

 number of funds intrusted to its care and man- 

 agement. The total sum invested in bonds and 

 mortgages, bonds, other property, and cash in 

 bank was $979,088. Among the funds held 

 and administered as such are: The Parochial 

 School fund, $11,507; the Permanent Semi- 

 nary fund, $143,921 ; the James Suydam pro- 

 fessorship of Didactic and Polemic Theology, 

 $60,000 ; the James Suydam legacy for the main- 

 tenance and support of James Suydam Hall, 

 $20,000 ; the James Suydam legacy for repair 

 and improvement of building and grounds of 

 the Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, N. J., 

 $20,000; the James Suydam Fund for Repair 

 and Improvement of Professorial Buildings, 

 $11,134; the Gardner A. Sage endowment of 

 professorship of Old Testament Languages and 

 Exegesis, $50,000 ; the Gardner A. Sage endow- 

 ment for maintenance and support of the Gard- 

 ner A. Sage Library, $35,000 : the Gardner A. 

 Sage endowment for the purchase of books for 

 the Gardner A. Sage Library, 20,000 ; the Gard- 

 ner A. Sage endowment for the maintenance 

 and support of Peter Hertzog Hall, $25,000; 

 the legacy of Mrs. Ann Hertzog for keeping 

 the Peter Hertzog Hall in good order and re- 

 pair, $10,000; the Angelina Silvernail fund for 

 the maintenance and support of the Theological 

 Seminary, $23,027 ; the Hope College Endow- 

 ment fund, $36,568 ; the professorship of Didac- 

 tic Theology at the Western Theological Semi- 

 nary. $30,000 ; the seqond professorship at the 

 Western Theological Seminary, $12,490 ; the 

 Education fund, the interest of which is devoted 

 to assisting young men in preparation for the 

 ministry, $146,707; the Van Benschoten fund, 

 $19,926; the Arcot Theological Seminary fund, 

 $55,069; Widows' fund, $83,176; the Disabled 

 Ministers' fund, $62,473 ; and there are also 

 other smaller funds. 



The Committee on Sabbath Schools and Cate- 

 chetical Instruction reported to the General 

 Synod the number of schools as 857, and the 

 total enrollment as 114,422, showing a gain of 

 4,664. Two hundred and fifty-one schools had 

 given $11,468 for foreign missions. The schools 

 had given $5,678 for domestic missions and $1,- 

 924 for the Church Building fund. Three hun- 

 dred and sixty Christian Endeavor Societies had 

 contributed $2,929 to foreign and $296 to do- 

 mestic missions. 



The receipts of the Board of Domestic Mis- 

 sions and the Church Building fund, as reported 

 to the General Synod, had been $67,552. One 

 hundred and ninety-one churches and missions, 

 or 14 more than in the previous year, had been 

 aided ; the salaries of 128 missionary pastors had 

 been supplemented ; the number of families in 

 the missionary churches had increased from 7,739 

 to 8,171 ; the number of communicant members 



from 10,409 to 11,871 ; 1,091 members had been 

 added on confession ; and the mission Sunday 

 schools returned 14,378 members. 



Eighty-nine students were returned as on the 

 roll of the Board of Education. 



The Board of Publication had transacted a 

 business during the year amounting in round 

 numbers to $20,000 ; while the total of donations 

 had been $1,483. The board had issued 1,288,770 

 printed pages of denominational literature. 



The whole amount received for foreign mis- 

 sions was $106,571. The report related that 

 when in order to avoid increase of debt by 

 reason of the contraction of income consequent 

 upon the financial stringency, the missions 

 were directed to reduce their expenditures 6^ 

 per cent, below the amounts asked for, some of 

 the missionaries voluntarily cut down their 

 salaries and allowances, and' others made gifts 

 rather than inflict a blow upon the work. The 

 Arabian mission had been transferred to the 

 management and supervision of the General 

 Synod's Board. It was not, however, merged in 

 the board, but continued its distinct organiza- 

 tion and kept its own funds. The Woman's 

 Board had contributed $27,133 to the mission- 

 ary work. 



The General Synod met in Asbury Park, N. J., 

 June 6. The Rev. E. A. Collier, D. D., was 

 chosen president. A special committee ap- 

 pointed by the previous General Synod to com- 

 pare the old and new versions of the Heidelberg 

 Catechism made a report reviewing the synod- 

 ical history of the new version, and expressing 

 the opinion that the authoritative original for 

 this Church was the Dutch version which was 

 approved by the Synod of Dort. The Synod 

 thereupon repealed the action of the- General 

 Synod of 1886 adopting the new version of the 

 Heidelberg Catechism which had been reported 

 in the Synod in 1878. The Committee on Fed- 

 eral Union between the Reformed Churches 

 in the United States holding the Presbyte- 

 rian System presented its report, upon which 

 the Synod resolved that pending the action 

 of the classes the committee be continued, that 

 it be authorized to meet with committees on 

 negotiation of other denominations, and that 

 further to facilitate the action of the classes it 

 be instructed to print and send to the stated 

 clerks of every classis a sufficient number of 

 copies of the plan of federal union for every 

 pastor and elder. A third professorship that 

 of Historical Theology was instituted in the 

 Western Theological Seminary, and the Board 

 of Superintendents of the seminary was author- 

 ized to raise an endowment of $30,000 by an 

 appeal to the whole Church. It was ordered 

 that the General Synod share with the several 

 Classes the power of nominating professors, and 

 that each nomination be made by ballot after a 

 season of prayer. The faculty of each of the 

 theological seminaries was given the right to 

 appoint one of its members as a delegate to 

 the General Synod. In response to a memorial 

 calling its attention to a volume on inspiration 

 published by ex-Prof. De Witt, formerly of one 

 of the theological seminaries, the Synod replied 

 that Dr. De Witt had resigned his professorship 

 two years before, that he was now a member of 

 one of the classes and held no official relation to 



