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THE

MISSIONARY OBSERVER.

AUGUST, 1883.

The Annual Meetings.

THE Annual Meetings of the Society were held at Bradford during the week of the Association. On the Tuesday afternoon the Annual Committee Meeting was held in Infirmary Street Chapel; Mr. W. R. Wherry, of Bourne, occupied the chair. The Secretary presented the report, which was taken as read, and the Treasurer submitted the Cash Statement. As regards business matters of general interest the following may be mentioned.

MR. AND MRS. WOOD'S RETURN AND RETIREMENT.-The letters relating to this subject, together with the minute of the Committee, will be found in the Missionary Observer for November and December, 1882. At the Annual Meeting, at Bradford, it was agreed that Mr. Wood's salary be continued until the end of the year; but that, with the view of securing the pastorate of a church-in which he has the hearty wishes of the Committee-he be set free from serving the Mission as deputation.

REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.-The Treasurer having informed the Committee in February last, that the present expenditure of the Society was about £500 per annum in excess of the income, the Sub-Committee was appointed to investigate and report. This Committee held several meetings-carefully examined and compared the receipts and expenditure of the past ten years-and presented their report at the Annual Meeting, at Bradford, whereupon in was resolved::

1. That the Sub-Committee be thanked for the able and exhaustive report they have presented.

2. That as we require an addition of at least £500 per annum to maintain our present operations, and as no material reduction in the expenditure can be made without serious injury to the Mission, we agree, as ministers and representatives, to use our endeavours to augment the annual income of the Society by at least the amount required.

ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE. - The Sub-Committee, appointed to promote organization among the churches for Mission purposes, reported to the Annual Meeting as follows:

Your Committee have held two meetings during the past year, and on one or other of these occasions the whole of the churches in the denomination have passed under review. Reports have been received and considered, and where thought desirable the churches have been communicated with.

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They are pleased to be able to state that most of the churches show by constant and increased subscriptions, that interest in Mission work is not diminishing; at the same time they regret to say that many are not doing what your Committee venture to think they could and ought to do, and others are doing absolutely nothing. This state of things appears to them to rise from two causes:-(1.) Inability though numerical or financial weakness. (2.) Want of proper organization. To this latter cause they wish most earnestly to call the attention of pastors, deacons, and representatives, being sure that where the claims of the Mission are faithfully represented, and opportunities given to the congregations to subscribe, a liberal response will follow.

Your Committee have further to report that the Subscription List shows no striking variation from the average of former years. Out of a total of 190 churches, 93 reports an increase, 43 a decrease, and from 48 churches, including 11 of over 100 members, they have received no report. The average for subscribing churches is 2s. 94d. per member.

THE COMMITTEE, for the years 1883-4, is as follows:-the ministerial members being nominated by the Conferences of which they are members.

ALLSOP, Rev. S. S., Burton-on-Trent.
BALDWIN, Mr. B., Loughborough.
BANNISTER, Mr. J., Burton-on-Trent.
BARWICK, Mr. E., Nottingham.
BEXON, Mr. A., Nottingham.
CARRINGTON, Rev. E., Swadlincote.
COLMAN, Mr. S. C., Peterborough.
Cook, Mr. T., Leicester.
Cook, Rev. R. P., London.
DEAN, Mr. G., Derby.

DOWEN, Rev. Z. T., Macclesfield.
DYSON, Rev. W., Halifax.
ELLIS, Mr. E. C., Derby.

FITCH, Rev. J. J., Nottingham.
FORTH, Rev. J. C., Leicester.

GOODLIFFE, Mr. A., Nottingham.
HALEY, Mr. E., Halifax.
HARRISON, Mr. T. H., Derby.

HILL, Mr. H., Nottingham.
HOOD, Rev. E., Coventry.
HUNT, Mr. W., Nottingham.
JONES, Rev. J. C., M.A., Spalding.
LAWTON, Rev. J., Heptonstall Slack.
LEE, Rev. A. H., Walsall.

MADEN, Rev. J., Old Basford.
MARCH, Rev. W., Todmorden.

MARSHALL, Mr. T. W., Loughborough.

ORTON, Rev. W., Grimsby.

PEARCE, Rev. C., Tring.

RICKARDS, Mr. S. D., London.

ROBERTS, Mr. C., Peterborough.

SALISBURY, Rev. J., M.A., Hinckley.

STARKEY, Mr. J. H., Wirksworth,

WHERRY, Mr. W. R., Bourne.

WILFORD, Mr. J., Leicester.
WINKS, Mr. J. G., Leicester.

The Annual Public Meeting was held on Wednesday evening in Hallfield Chapel, Manningham Lane, and was largely attended. After singing a hymn, prayer was offered by the Rev. J. J. Fitch, of Nottingham. The Mayor of Bradford (Alderman F. Priestman), presided, and stated that it gave him great pleasure to preside of that meeting, as he belonged to the Society of Friends, which also had a Foreign Mission Association, and therefore they had a common ground. Reference was then made to Orissa and Madagascar, after which the Secretary read brief extracts from the report, and the Treasurer made the annual financial statement. Interesting and instructive addresses were delivered by the Revs. T. R. Stevenson, of Derby, C. W. Skemp, of Bradford, and H. Wood, of Orissa.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF THE TREASURER.

The following is the statement made by the Treasurer, Mr. W. B. Bembridge. He said:

I am pleased that the report of the Secretary precedes my Financial Statement, and that you hear of the work done before you hear the report of the ways and means. I think his report is in every way gratifying and satisfactory, and I most heartily wish that mine was more in harmony with his. I am sorry to report that the shadow of a deficit still beclouds and darkens the horizon of our finance, and produces a depression which obstructs the enthusiastic prosecu

THE ANNUAL MEETINGS.

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tion of our work. This, however, I am very thankful to say, that our increasing deficiency is not the result of a decreasing revenue: it is only the result of what is possibly a too great liberality in our executive, who are so very anxiousand laudably anxious-to extend our operations in India and Rome, that in their zeal they have over-estimated the income of the last three years, and pushed too far the doctrine of some good men, who say, "Send out your men, increase your stations, have faith in God, and the money will be sure to come." Well, Sir! we have taken their advice, but, to my regret, it was not good advice, for the money has NOT come-at any rate in equal proportions-and hence I appear before you with a considerable deficit for so small a Society, and have, along with my statement, to make the appeal, like many other treasurers, for an increased income of at least £500 per year, and I trust my appeal will not be in vain, but that after the eloquence and pathos, and powerful inspirations, that we are expecting from those around me, we may be moved to a more constant advocacy of Mission work at home, to a renewed diligence, an increased zeal, and to a liberality which is only bounded and restrained by the impossibility of giving more to the Lord and Master of us all.

My Financial Statement is as follows:

...

Ordinary Contributions from the Churches and Individuals
Special ditto for School, Orphans, Native Preachers, Bible-women-
for New School-room at Cuttack, and for Rome

£ S. d. 3202 12 4

559 14 8

Grant from Bible Translation Society (for which our special thanks are given)

150 0 0

Received from Legacies, Dividends, Interest, &c.
Transferred from Capital Account

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3350 8 3

189 14 5

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Amount contributed in India and from Mission Press

Amount received and collected in Rome, by Rev. N. H. Shaw

Our Disbursements are the following:

There was a balance due to the Bank last year of

Paid to Missionaries and their Children, with Passages to and from

Orissa and Rome

...

Itineracy, Incidentals, &c.

...

Paid to Native Preachers, Bible-women, and Scripture Readers
Paid to Schools and Orphans in Orissa

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Mission College, Students, Books, Tracts, &c.
Contributions to New School-room in Cuttack

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Paid Rome Missionary and Evangelists, and sundry expenses
Paid in England as Annuities, Pensions, &c.
Do. do. for Agency, Deputations, &c.

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Paid in England for Publications, Collecting Books, Boxes, &c.,
Expenses of Mission House, and other Incidentals
Disbursements in India by the Missionaries ...

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It should be remembered, that in transferring £600 from Capital Account this year, to Current Account, our real deficit is no less than £1,134 10s. 11d., or £303 more than last year, notwithstanding that the amount of Legacies had been more than an average, namely-£285, as against £10 last year.

This, to me is a very serious deficit, to have been created within three years; and it has seriously engaged the attention of the General Committee during these Association meetings.

But I am still not only hopeful, but confident, that the cloud which overshadows us can and will be removed. The fact is, our Executive have been suffering lately from a form of heart-disease, which we may call an enlargement

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of that vital organ. It is not that we are less able to help, or less willing, for during the last four years there has been steady increase of income; and this year, in Orissa and Rome, and in England, there have been increased gifts to the amount of £262 10s. 3d., independent of legacies. But the heart of your Committee is larger even than your increasing purse, and their sympathies than their means. Well! brethren, the only way out of the difficulty that I see is this-to increase the size of the purse, and make it correspond to the size of their heart. We cannot go back from our engagements-we cannot withdraw our men-we cannot give up our stations-we cannot proclaim ourselves exhausted, in face of all the priestcraft of Rome, and the brahminical power in Orissa. Certainly not! Nor need we, brethren. The real fact is, we are not fully developed and it is for our ministers, our deacons, and our churches, at. once to organize, to rally to the Mission standard, and to "come up to the help of the Lord," etc. I do not wish to be long; but, with such a deficit, you must allow me a few minutes to express my thought about this matter, and to remind some of our friends how much of this financial obstruction lies at their door. Our balance due to the bank may be readily turned into a surplus, if some of our churches, both large and small, will only take the trouble to look into the Report of 1882. We have churches, who are doing right nobly and well for us all round. Foreign Mission, Home Mission, College, Building Fund, and Special Fund-all share in their bountiful beneficence; while others, if they do anything, do the smallest possible amount to be called denominational churches at all. This I also find, that those churches who best help us, really help themselves, and enjoy the most peace, prosperity, and true Christian life. Now, I do not wish to complain of any church if it is doing its best; but I do wish to stimulate those who are not. We have churches in this grand county of York who are satisfied to give us an average of 4d., 10d., 10d., and 1s. 2d. per member per annum. We have in and about Nottingham, churches w ho are satisfied-I suppose they are satisfied, or they would do better-who give us 1s., 1s. 5d., and 1s. 9d. per member. We have one church in Warwickshire, of more than 200 members, whose contributions are nil, and another that only averages 5d. per member; while even in London, the great centre of civilization and commercial enterprise, one church gives us 1s. 3d. per member, and another 2s. 8d. Now I think their is some one to blame in such churches-either the minister, or deacons, or collectors, or somebody-for sure I am they can and ought to do more; and while in the villages of Leicestershire and Cheshire and Lincolnshire, in the cities of Lincoln and Peterborough, and in the towns of Beeston, Castle Donington, Burton-on-Trent, Walsall (Vicarage Walk), Birmingham (Lombard Street), Leicester (Carley Street), at Bourne, and at Ripley, the average is 4/-, 4/6, 5/-, 5/6, 6/-, 6/6, 8/-, 10/-, 12/-, 30/-, and 35/- per member. I say it is not just to those who do so well, to know that by the indifference or feeble sympathy, or even lukewarmness, of others, this deficit, so ugly and hurtful, has practically been allowed to grow. Why, Sir, in a word, we have eighteen churches, containing 6,166 members, who give us but £528 2s. 3d., as against eighteen other churches, containing 3,415 members, little more than half the number, who give us £796 8s. 2d. Surely, then, it must appear that there can be no great difficulty in raising our income by £500 per annum. These eighteen churches, with their 6,166 members, can do it. If the 3,415 members give you an average contribution of 4s. 8d. each, why should not the former give you 4s. 8d, each ? If they do, what will happen? Why, just this, as where they now give you £528 2s, 3d., they will then give you £1,266 10s. 8d., or an increase of £738 8s. 5d. to our income, Who, then, shall say we cannot do more for the Foreign Mission?

I have now well-nigh done. Allow me only to add, that if the ministers, or deacons, or collectors of any of these churches are pricked in their consciences, or doubt my word or my figures, or need our help in organizing for an increased income, I shall be most happy to do my best, and I am sure the Secretary will. to encourage and instruct them in a renewed effort to increase our funds, Brethren! something must be done, and you are the men to do it. The deficit is really correctly stated over £1,000; and we must, for our credit's sake, for the prosperity of the Mission; in the interests of humanity, of civilization, and of the Saviour's kingdom-nay, for Christ's sake-we must secure its redemption, and further income, for increased aggressive power!

Extracts from the Sixty-Sixth Annual Report.

THE Committee of the GENERAL BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY, in submitting the SIXTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT, are thankful to state that the work of the Mission has been steadily pursued during the past year. They are also pleased to add that, both in Orissa and Rome, at the head quarters of Juggernath worship, and of Papal power, the labours of their brethren and sisters have been attended with the Divine blessing. ORISSA.

The work of the Society in Orissa has, during the year, been carried on in its manifold departments. Preaching the Gospel in the vernacular has always been regarded as of the highest importance. In bazaars and markets, in fairs and festivals, in crowded cities and in solitary hamlets, the people have heard, in their own tongue, the story of God's love.

The printed Gospel, in many languages, has been scattered far and wide, and in places where no missionary has ever been, the entrance of God's word has given light. In a village beyond Sambalpur, Mr. Pike was surprised that the people were familiar with the name of Jesus; and on asking how they obtained their knowledge-as no missionary had been there before-he was informed that it was from a book which was brought from Pooree twenty years ago. The tract, being in a dilapidated condition, was exchanged for a new one, which would also testify of Christ.

To the preparation of Scriptures, tracts, and a Christian literature, earnest attention has been given by the different brethren. Dr. Buckley is engaged in preparing a marginal reference Bible in Oriya, a work which will be of great service to the native Christians.

Into the Mission Press, Mr. Mulholland has thrown considerable energy. Finding that printing by the old hand-press was too slow, he sent for a modern printing machine, which was made to order, and dispatched to India. In trying, however, to get printing machinery into Orissa, there seems strange misfortune. For instance, a machine purchased some years ago by Mr. Brooks, after it had been safely conveyed from England, was lost in a river in Orissa on its way to Cuttack; and on Tuesday last, June 12th, tidings came to hand that the British India Steamship Chinsura, in which the new machine-a double crown "Wharfedale"-was being conveyed from Calcutta to Orissa, had been stranded near to False Point. Whether the machine will be recovered from the wreck is not known at present, but fortunately it was insured for £146, the amount it cost.

In the Educational Department of the Mission great activity prevails. At no former period were there so many opportunities for gaining access to the young as in the present day. And knowing the vast importance of this branch of Mission work, your brethren and sisters are doing all they can to bring the rising race under Christian instruction and influence. For this purpose, not only do they keep up the old village schools, in which an elementary education is given, but schools of a higher class have also been established both for natives and Europeans —for girls as well as for boys. Sunday-Schools, too, have become more popular, are better conducted, and are exerting an immense power for

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