82 



BAPTISTS. 



The annual assembly of the Baptist Union of 

 Great Britain and Ireland was held in London, 

 beginning April 24. The Rev. Dr. John Clifford 

 was chosen president for the year. The council 

 reported 16.805 baptisms during the year, a high- 

 er number than in any year since 1894; an in- 

 crease of 50 churches, 3 chapels, 8,438 members, 

 1,030 teachers, and 11,917 pupils in Sunday 

 schools, 90 local preachers, 35 pastors in charge; 

 70059 expended on new chapels, as against 

 4297(5 in 1897; 47,080 on improvements and 

 additions, as against 56,800; and 77,113 in re- 

 moval of debt, as against 50,418. The union's 

 income, under various heads, had been 18,390. 

 The Ministerial College, at Dublin, had been recog- 

 nized as qualifying theological students for the 

 inscription of their names in the Handbook list 

 of ministers. The idea of a Baptist Church house 

 had taken shape, and the erection of a building 

 for such purpose was intended on the site of the 

 Kingsgate Street Church, which was to be demol- 

 ished in the course of street improvements. The 

 council had already taken measures for the insti- 

 tution of a special fund in honor of the coming 

 in of the twentieth century, to be collected by 

 the beginning of the year 1901. A resolution was 

 adopted by the meeting instituting this fund, to 

 be called the " Twentieth Century fund," and fix- 

 ing the amount to be raised at " a quarter of a 

 million pounds from half a million Baptists." It 

 was further ordered that this fund should have 

 four sections the historic, in memoriam, Sunday- 

 school, and young people's sections, the last sec- 

 tion being divided so as to appertain to the Chris- 

 tian Endeavor and to other kindred societies. A 

 historic roll was ordered prepared, to contain the 

 names (if possible, subscribed by themselves) of 

 all contributors and collectors of ten shillings and 

 upward; that the fund be opened and the his- 

 toric roll begun May 7, 1899, and the roll be 

 closed March 31, 1901, after which no fresh names 

 shall be received; that friends be invited to con- 

 tribute to the in memoriam section in memory 

 of their loved ones and of a Baptist ancestry, and 

 an in memorial roll also be formed; that both 

 rolls contain only names of subscribers, not 

 amounts; and that both be preserved among 

 the historical documents at the Baptist Church 

 House. A special committee was instituted to 

 take charge of matters relating to this fund. The 

 fund was allocated as follows: 125,000 for the 

 evangelization of the country, church extension 

 in London and large towns and cities and villages 

 where the Baptists are not adequately repre- 

 sented, and where the religious need is not met 

 by other evangelical churches; 30,000 for the 

 assistance of the weaker churches and the main- 

 tenance of their pastors; 30,000 for the annuity 

 fund for aged ministers and the widows of min- 

 isters; 0,000 for the establishment of scholar- 

 ships to be held at some seat of learning, open to 

 any students in the Baptist colleges who intend 

 to enter the home ministry; not exceeding 34,- 

 000 for the erection of a Baptist Church house; 

 and 25,000 for educational and other objects 

 which in the judgment of the council may appear 

 to be desirable in the interests of the denomina- 

 tion. While all contributions were required to 

 be placed at the full disposal of the council, in 

 accordance with the general provision for the 

 allocation of the fund, the option was left to 

 donors to assign to either " close " or " open " 

 (communion) churches that proportion of their 

 contribution which is allocated to the scheme of 

 church extension. The council was authorized to 

 unite with the Baptists of the United States and 

 Canada in sending a deputation to the Czar of 



Russia to ask for a mitigation of the sufferings 

 of the Stundists unless there should be a favor- 

 able change; and a deputation was authorized to 

 seek an interview with the King of Saxony in 

 behalf of a removal of the disabilities under which 

 Baptists in that country are placed. Resolutions 

 were adopted congratulating the Church Mission- 

 ary Society arid the Religious Tract Society on 

 their centenaries; protesting against the estab- 

 lishment of a state- supported Roman Catholic 

 university for Ireland; protesting against the 

 publication of S.unday editions of the daily news- 

 papers ; and honoring the memory of Oliver Crom- 

 well, whose tercentenary was in celebration. 



The annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary 

 Society was held in London, April 20. The re- 

 port showed that the total receipts of the society 

 had been 75,331, or about 2,500 more than 

 in the previous year; and the expenditure had 

 been 71,301, an increase of 319. The review 

 of the various mission fields as presented in the 

 general report was interpreted as showing much 

 cause for encouragement, especially in that it in- 

 dicated a large increase in the membership of 

 native churches. 



The general receipts of the Zenana Mission for 

 1898 amounted to 9,921, while the expenditure 

 exceeded the income by 728, but 300 had been 

 contributed toward reducing this deficit. The 

 society employed 61 missionary workers in India,, 

 with 213 native Bible women and school-teach- 

 ers, and 7 European missionaries in China. 



The capital of the Baptist Building fund, as re- 

 ported' upon at the annual meeting, April 27,. 

 stood at 51,692, and by its means 271 churches 

 had been aided during the year in their building; 

 operations. 



The income of the Bible Translation Society for 

 1898 was 1,246, and a small balance remained 

 over the expenditures. The reserve fund stood at 

 a little more than 1,600. 



The autumnal session of the union was held' 

 in Leeds, beginning Sept. 27. The regular open- 

 ing meeting was preceded by a meeting for the 

 reception of fraternal deputations from other re- 

 ligious bodies. The Rev. Dr. Clifford presided 

 and delivered the opening address, on the subject 

 of The Christ of the Coming Century; or, The 

 Primitive Christian Faith in its Application to 

 the Institutional Life of Men. A " first ad interim 

 statement " was made concerning the " Twenti- 

 eth Century fund," the chief work on which, 

 since its inauguration in May, had been prepara- 

 tory organization. Every county association had 

 unanimously and enthusiastically adopted the 

 resolution to support it. Three hundred and 

 ninety-six of the 2,224 churches had so far ap- 

 pointed their secretary for the fund, received lit- 

 erature, and begun their work, while only 176 

 churches had as yet made a financial report. The 

 Welsh churches had conferred and promised 

 50,000. Irish Baptists had promised 5,006. 

 Considerable gifts were mentioned as having been 

 pledged by a number of English churches, besides 

 32,000 which had been secured at the spring 

 meeting of the union from a few persons. A reso- 

 lution was adopted pledging the assembly to put 

 forth every effort to raise the fund. Another 

 resolution recognized the great difficulties of her 

 Majesty's Government in its relations with the 

 Transvaal Republic and the great disabilities 

 of which the Uitlanders complained, but prayed 

 the Government to be so patient and moderate 

 that all the world might see its desire to avoid 

 strife in securing justice. Another resolution con- 

 demned the reconviction of Capt. Dreyfus by the 

 French military court; and another called atten- 



