MORAVIANS. 



defining its financial policy as to missions the 

 Synod declared that "a mission is suported by ti 

 home province in the early days of its existence 

 either out of the general mission exchequer or out 

 of the proceeds of businesses existing lor the 

 purpose The aim of mission work, however, is 

 to create in the mission fields self-supporting, 

 independent churches, which shall look tor no 

 help from abroad, but raise all the money that 

 is necessary for church and school and tor the 

 salaries of 'their ministers, according .to the abil- 

 ity of their members." The minute further de- 

 fined the relations of the missions, etc., in the 

 different steps bet ween entire dependence and 

 complete self-support. The Mission Board was 

 authorized, if means allow, to found and carry 

 on in the West Indies one theological seminary 

 for the West India provinces. Mosquito Coast, 

 and Demerara. and one in Surinam: to make ar- 

 rangements for the training of native ministers 

 in the Himalayan Province: and to provide for 

 the further education of native ministers in con- 

 nection with the training school at Guadendal. 

 The Mission Hoard was further commissioned to 

 lay before the members and friends of the Church 

 a complete and unreserved and detailed statement 

 of the condition of the missionary operations as 

 :i whole. A declaration was made in the adop- 

 tion of these rules that the office of bishop as 

 such carries with it no connection with Church 

 government. 



The Rev. Edward C. Greisler, president of its 

 Conference, was elected bishop of the Eastern 

 Province of the West Indies. 



A special grant of 1,000 was made to Antigua 

 for the payment of its debt and of 500 for re- 

 pairs, and a loan of 1,500 was made to Kingston, 

 Jamaica. 



In a formal statement the Synod again declared 

 " its adherence to the fundamental doctrines of 

 the Church as given in the second chapter of the 

 general synodial results of 1889. The Synod holds 

 that all that is essential is expressed there, and 

 that nothing therein should be changed either by 

 additions or by omissions. At the same time the 

 Synod declares that it accepts all Holy Scripture, 

 Old and New Testament, which is the source 

 of these doctrines, as the word of God, given by 

 God as the rule of our faith and life, and that we 

 are determined to adhere thereto with all earnest- 

 ness and faithfulness." The declaration further 

 urged fidelity to these principles, and continued: 

 "As to the request of the Synod of the Northern 

 American Province, to the effect that the staff 

 of every educational establishment in the Unity 

 shall l>e called upon plainly to declare their ad- 

 herence to the fundamental doctrines of the 

 Brethren's Church, the Synod declares such pro- 

 fession of faith to be the concern of the individual 

 provinces. At the same time all intrusted with 

 the management of our schools, and especially of 

 our theological colleges, are admonished and re- 

 quested conscientiously to do all in their power 

 to bring up our young people in the spirit, the 

 doctrines, and the principles of our Church." 



The reports of the committee in charge of the 

 work of evangeli/ation in Bohemia and Moravia 

 recited the course of events during the past ten 

 years, showing slow progress. Stated services 

 wore held at 20 places, with a membership of 

 57. The accounts of the decade showed a deficit 



of $1,250. The contributions from America had 

 averaged $1,500 a year, those from the German 

 Province $3,821, and those from the British Prov- 

 ince $680. The revolt in Bohemia against Roman 

 Catholic ecclesiasticism was interpreted as a call 

 to prosecute the evangelistic work. 



The committee in charge of the leper hospital 

 near Jerusalem reported that the number of in- 

 mates had risen from 20 to 37. The institution 

 was under the charge of Charles and Anna Schu- 

 bert as managers, and the actual attendance on 

 the patients was in the hands of three deacon- 

 esses (in future to be four), who belonged to the 

 Deaconess Institute of the Brethren's Church at 

 Niesky. Two of the number had adopted the 

 \vork of the home as their life work. Among the 

 improvements in the property of the institution 

 was a steam disinfecting apparatus, the gift of 

 tne Emperor of Germany. 



The New Constitution. In the revised con- 

 stitution of the Church as adopted by the Gen- 

 eral Synod the general divisions of the Unity are 

 classified as: (a) The four self-supporting and 

 independent divisions the Brethren's Unity in 

 Germany, the British Province, the American 

 Province, North, and the American Province, 

 South; (6) the 15 mission fields; and (c) the 

 Brethren's Church in Austria. The General Synod 

 is the legislative body of the whole Church, and 

 consists of members ex ojficio (certain missionary 

 and provincial officers) ; elected members, includ- 

 ing nine delegates from the German and British 

 districts respectively and nine from the two 

 American districts, which for this purpose are 

 counted as one; one delegate from each mission 

 field entitled to such representation; and not 

 more than five missionaries called by the Mission 

 Board, with also advisory members. These mem- 

 bers of the General Synod, while considering the 

 welfare of their own provinces and being gen- 

 erally guided by their directions, are expected to 

 be primarily solicitous for the good of the whole 

 Church. The General Synod relegates to the pro- 

 vincial synods the right to elect their bishops, 

 while it reserves to itself the election of bishops 

 for the work of missions among the heathen. 

 The General Synod will meet every ten years, but 

 special convocations may be ordered by the Gov- 

 erning Board. The Governing Board or Unity's 

 Board, which takes the place and the general 

 power of the former Unity's Elders' Conference, 

 consists of the Mission Board and the directing 

 boards of the four independent provinces. Its 

 organization and functions are so shaped as to 

 give the provincial boards more freedom in their 

 own administration than they had before, while 

 it remains as the central body for reference and 

 appeal and for ultimate decision in matters that 

 may touch the unity as a whole; and it will act 

 when necessary in the intervals between meetings 

 of the General Synod, holding meetings at which 

 each corporation shall be represented by one dele- 

 gate (the two American provinces having one 

 delegate and one vote each), except that the 

 Mission Board is given two delegates. -The Mis- 

 sion Board will have its seat at Berthelsdorf, 

 near the General Synod. Provision is made in the 

 constitution of all the committees and of the 

 Mission Board for the even representation upon 

 them of all the three nationalities German, Brit- 

 ish, and American of the Church. 



