132 



CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



teen new churches had been organized and 5 

 dropped. In the development of the Church work 

 during the past ten years, 122 churches had been 

 established, only 8 of which were connected with 

 pre-existing schools. The 54 mountain churches 

 (included in the 222) had 1,013 members. The 

 ministrations of their pastors usually covered 

 from 2 to 5 different church organizations, some- 

 times many miles apart. The Indian missions in- 

 cluded 21 churches with 34 out stations, 1,303 

 memlKTs. 2,803 Sunday-school scholars, and 211 

 pupils in the 5 ordinary schools, and were served 

 by 4!> white and 42 Indian missionaries and 

 teachers. The churches had contributed $2,419 

 for benevolence and self-support. A decrease in 

 the number of schools during the past ten years 

 was accounted for as the result of changed condi- 

 ti.ms of education among the Indians. In future 

 attention would be predominantly given to direct 

 evangelizing and mission work among these people, 

 rather than to increase of educational work, or 

 even to the permanent maintenance of the present 

 schools. From the work among the Chinese were 

 returned 21 missions, 43 workers, 15 of whom 

 were Chinese, and 1,440 pupils in schools, 183 of 

 whom had given evidence of conversion. A work 

 in Porto Rico, now in its second year, comprised 

 2 schools with 8 instructors, 292 pupils, and 1 

 evangelist. The committee of nine appointed by 

 the six national Congregational societies to con- 

 sider plans for the readjustment of their work so 

 as to secure greater unity of action and economy 

 of administration, brought in a report embodying 

 recommendations that all the six societies hold 

 a joint annual meeting in the month of October, 

 while provision shall be made for a united mis- 

 sionary conference also each year in a part of 

 the country where the annual meeting is not 

 held; that the six societies adopt a common 

 basis of representation by delegates to the an- 

 nual meeting, the delegates to be selected each 

 year either by the churches directly or by the 

 local conferences acting for the churches; that 

 each society have its separate executive board 

 and committees, and its separate budget of re- 

 ceipts and expenses; that each society have its 

 own secretary, to be appointed by its executive 

 board ; that the treasuries of the societies be com- 

 bined in two offices with two treasurers, one to 

 be located in Boston and the other in New York 

 city, and that these treasurers, respectively, be 

 chosen by the local executive boards acting to- 

 gether; that the solicitation and collection of 

 funds for all the societies be under the care of a 

 special subcommittee of 9 members, to be com- 

 posed of representatives of all the societies, which 

 shall be given the powers and facilities (specified 

 in the report) to reach the Church in an effective 

 manner; and that there be such an adjustment of 

 the work or territory as will secure greater econ- 

 omy, and prevent two societies from doing similar 

 work upon the same field ; if two or more societies 

 fail to agree upon the adjustment of work or ter- 

 ritory, the committee of nine provided for above 

 to be a committee of arbitration on the matter, 

 tin- vote of 7 of them to be decisive. This report 

 ^ in be submitted to the six missionary societies 

 for di-i Mission and future action. The committee 

 of five appointed in 1899 to consider the relations 

 of this association with other benevolent societies 

 of the- denomination and such administrative ad- 

 justments as minht help toward their federation 

 and toward the efficiency of the work of the asso- 

 ciation, piv-ciitcil a report, of which three resolu- 

 tions \MTC ailoptcil. while three others were laid 

 on the tatile to he taken up when the movement 

 toward unity on the part of the other missionary 



societies shall have reached a stage more appro- 

 priate to their consideration. The resolutions 

 that were adopted approve the steps already taken 

 toward a closer alliance of the societies, and 

 promise co-operation with the efforts of the com- 

 mittee of nine toward that end; recommend the 

 holding of one general conference of the benevo- 

 lent societies each year, where the work of all the 

 societies shall be presented, to constitute their an- 

 nual meeting; and advise the publication of a 

 single monthly magazine for the representation of 

 the interests of all the societies. 



The seventeenth annual meeting of the Wom- 

 en's Home Missionary Association was held in 

 Springfield, Mass., October 18. The Bureau of 

 Woman's Work reported that the contributions 

 in the past twelve months from women's mission- 

 ary societies had been $24,073. Forty-four mis 

 sionaries had been assigned as special representa- 

 tives of the State organizations to whose support 

 in the mission fields of the association those or- 

 ganizations were pledged. The literature of the 

 association had been circulated freely. 



The thirty-second annual meeting of the Wom- 

 an's Board of Missions of the Interior was held 

 in Chicago, October 23. The total receipts of the 

 society had been $77,032, being $2,770 less than 

 those of the preceding year. The gifts of the 

 Young People's Christian Endeavor Societies and 

 of the Young Women's Societies had amounted 

 to $9,347, or $1,709 less than in the previous year. 

 Seven missionaries had returned during the year 

 to their fields after furlough; 13 Avere at home 

 on furlough, 4 of them from China; 4 had re- 

 signed ; and 4 new missionaries had been adopted. 

 Nearly $4,800 had been raised on a " Century 

 Call " for $20,000. 



Congregationalists in Canada. A statisti- 

 cal report presented at the annual meeting of the 

 Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec in- 

 cluded returns from 64 out of 81 churches. In the 

 province of Quebec 17 churches had 1867 mem- 

 bers, with 1,572 members in 15 Sunday schools. 

 In Ontario 47 churches had 4,322 members am 

 49 Sunday schools 4,507 members. The annual 

 meeting of the union was held at Montreal ir 

 June. The Rev. Dr. George, principal of the Con- 

 gregational College, was elected chairman for 

 1901. The work of the churches in the home field 

 and the " Forward Movement " in the Northwest 

 Avere reA'iewed. Concerning foreign missions a 

 report was made of the Chisamba Mission ir 

 Africa. An invitation Avhich had been offered bj 

 the Canadian delegates to the International Con- 

 gregational Council to hold its next meeting in 

 Montreal was approved. A number of religious, 

 social, and practical questions Avere the subjects 

 of addresses. A committee was appointed to con- 

 sider the practicability of a Congregational Union 

 for Canada. 



Congregationalists in Jamaica. The Con 

 gregational Union Assembly in Jamaica adopted 

 a TAventieth Century scheme, the principal fea- 

 tures of Avhich are the holding of special meeting 

 in all the churches Avith the view of raising the 

 standard of spiritual life and service; a revision 

 of the lists of church members; the printing in 

 1901 of a memorial A-olume giving the history of 

 each church Avith its roll of members: and a fund. 

 to be composed of gifts of 5 shillings and up- 

 ward, for local purposes, home mission Avork. and 

 other objects of the union. 



Congregationalists in England and Wales. 

 The statistics of the British Congregation:!! 

 churches for the year ending December 1, 1S!)!. 

 shoAV that on that date there were in England 

 and Wales (including the Channel Islands) 4..~>!)2 



