CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



141 



during the year for special objects ; to the disturbed 

 financial conditions at home; and to the constant 

 problem of carrying on the work abroad with in- 

 adequate means. Notwithstanding all efforts to in- 

 crease receipts and diminish expenses, the year had 

 closed with a debt of $40,000, only $5,000 less than 

 that at the close of the previous year. The receipts 

 from all sources had been $687,209, and the ex- 

 penditures $727,500. A special sum of $10,000 

 had been given for the endowment of a professor- 

 ship in Poochow. The general summary of the 

 work showed that there were in the 20 missions of 

 the board 101 stations, 1,271 out-stations, 1,617 

 places for stated preaching, 169 ordained mission- 

 aries, 17 of whom were physicians, 11 other physi- 

 cians ; 841 women, 10 of whom were physicians and 

 168 wives of missionaries ; and 4 other assistants ; 

 making 531 laborers from the United States ; 220 

 native pastors, 417 native preachers and catechists, 

 1,713 native school-teachers, 260 Bible women, and 

 307 other native laborers ; making a total of 2,977 

 native laborers, and of 3,508 American and native 

 laborers together ; 465 churches, with 47,122 mem- 

 bers, 4,602 members added during the year, and 

 59,701 Sunday-school scholars. The whole number 

 af members from the beginning was approximately 

 iven as 143,392. In the educational department 

 rere returned 18 theological seminaries and sta- 

 tion classes, with 316 students for the ministry: 113 

 irding and high schools, with 7,029 pupils (3,454 

 male and 3,575 female), and 1,139 common schools, 

 with 46,963 pupils : making the total number under 

 instruction 56,625. The native contributions, so 

 far as reported, amounted to $118,753. Of the 

 lissions of which special mention was made in the 

 eport that in south China was spoken of as hav- 

 ing displayed a remarkable expansion of the Chris- 

 tian communities and growth in Christian work, 

 while the native Christians had responded most 

 generously to the call for contributions. It was 

 loted also that converted Chinese returning from 

 the United States had, in many instances, given 

 liberally, both in money and personal services, to 

 the work. In the other missions in China Shansi, 

 north China, and Foochow the development had 

 also been valuable, the churches were crowded, 

 new centers were opened without effort. In a sin- 

 gle station of the Foochow mission 5,000 persons 

 fere said to have given up idolatry and heathen- 

 3m, and to be desiring a place in the Church. The 

 "iree missions in Africa had had a year of success, 

 ["he year in central and western Turkey had been 

 sen more quiet, and increased interest had been 

 lanifested in spiritual things. In European Tur- 

 key, where the work had been among the Bulga- 

 rians, more attention was being given to the 

 Albanians. From eastern Turkey, " notwithstand- 

 ing the intense suffering and terror throughout the 

 fhole nation," there had come no word of fear or 

 iscouragement. A special paper on the mission- 

 ary outlook in China, embodying the results of the 

 observations of a deputation that had made an in- 

 spection of that field, recorded that the gains dur- 

 ing the past decade had been rapid, and were 

 increasing every year. So far as the work of the 

 board was concerned, new methods were not 

 needed, though they might require modification 

 from time to time. School, medical, and evangelical 

 work supplemented one another, and seemed to 

 meet the demands of the field occupied. The mis- 

 sionaries were scholarly, devoted, conscientious, 

 wise, careful in the use of missionary money, well 

 informed as to matters concerning the whole earth, 

 and almost uniformly successful. The report of 

 the committee of fifteen appointed in 1897 to con- 

 sider certain financial and economical questions 

 recommended that the missions in papal lands 



be not given up, but rather strengthened ; that 

 no less money than now be expended in educa- 

 tional work ; that self-supporting churches be 

 encouraged by the board in the future, as they 

 have in the past ; that deputations be sent from 

 the United States to various mission fields regularly 

 and with reference to their needs ; that systematic 

 effort be put forth continually to increase interest 

 in the work of the board among all classes; that 

 special effort be made to increase the constituency 

 of the board, and that so far as may be, corporate 

 members in future be chosen to represent groups 

 of churches or districts, and because of their 

 ability or willingness to aid in diffusing knowledge 

 of the work of the board. A special committee 

 was appointed, consisting of two members of each 

 of the four co-operating committees, to employ and 

 pay the salary and expenses of a man to go among 

 the churches, awaken enthusiasm in them, and per- 

 suade single churches or groups of churches, insti- 

 tutions of learning, and individuals to undertake 

 the support of single missionaries. An appropria- 

 tion was made to meet the expense of this enter- 

 prise. For the first time in the history of the 

 board a woman, Miss Margaret J. Evans, of Carle- 

 ton College, Minnesota, was chosen a corporate 

 member. 



Triennial National Council. The tenth Trien- 

 nial National Council of Congregational Churches 

 met in Portland, Ore., July 7. The Rev. F. A. 

 Noble, D. D., of Chicago, was chosen moderator. A 

 report was presented concerning the International 

 Council which was to meet in Boston, Mass., in 1899, 

 representing that the meetings would begin Sept. 

 20, to continue through seven working days ; that 

 the number of delegates from the United States, 

 from England, and from other countries would be en- 

 larged, severally, from 100 to 200, making the whole 

 number 600 ; that the programme would be arranged 

 by a committee of six in conference with a committee 

 of the English Congregational Union, and the preach- 

 er of the sermon would be named by the English ; 

 and that a proposal by the Boston Congregational 

 Club to be responsible for the proper entertainment 

 of the members of the council had been accepted. 

 A report on union with other denominations men- 

 tioned conferences that had been held with repre- 

 sentatives of the Christian connection looking to- 

 ward close federation rather than toward organic 

 union. It recommended that a representative 

 council or conference of the Protestant churches in 

 the United States and Canada be called, to meet in 

 the city of Washington in the year 1900, for the 

 purpose of forming an interdenominational union, 

 to meet at regular periods, and serve as a visible ex- 

 pression of the unity of the churches, and as a com- 

 mon bond in the fellowship with each other and 

 their service of the Lord Jesus Christ. A report 

 was also read on denominational comity. The 

 committee on the John Robinson memorial church 

 at Gainsborough, England, to be built at a cost of 

 about $35,000, recommended that American Con- 

 gregationalists give $5,000 toward the extinction 

 of the debt, thus making a contribution of $1 

 from American Congregationalists to $6 from 

 English. A report on the training of ministers, as 

 adopted, recommended, "that of candidates for the 

 Congregational ministry all who can should take 

 full academic training and a complete course in 

 the theological seminary ; that while recognizing 

 the call of God to exceptional men of limited edu- 

 cation to preach the Gospel, our theological semi- 

 naries, educational societies, and churches should use 

 increased care to maintain the intellectual and edu- 

 cational standard of the Christian ministry. We 

 deem the present an opportune time for councils, 

 churches, conferences, and associations to make 



