The Baptist Missionary Society
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY (Founded 1792) 137th ANNUAL REPORT For the year ending March 31st, 1929 LONDON PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT THE CAREY PRESS 19, FURNIVAL STREET, E.C. 4. Telegraphic Address: “ Asiatic, Fleet, London." Telephone: Uolborn 6888 ($ lines.) CONTENTS. PAGE STILL EXPECTING-STILL ATTEMPTING .......................... 6-8 OUR FINANCES, 1928 8 FROM THE FIELDS ............................................................................9-16 OUR W OM EN’S W O R K .......................................................................... 17-22 OUR MEDICAL W O R K ..........................................................................22-27 HOME BASE AUXILIARIES ...............................................................27-30 THE MISSIONARY ROLL CALL, 1928 ... 30-32 PART II. THE SOCIETY : COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS, 1927-28, &c. 33 LIST OF MISSIONARIES ............................................................ 48 STATIONS AND STAFF ................................................. 68 STATISTICS AND TABLES ................................................. 75 PART III. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY ..................................... 109 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AN D DONATIONS ... 109-112 GIFT AND SELF-DENIAL W E E K .............. ... '.. 113 WOMEN’S FU N D ................................................................................... 116 MEDICAL FUND ................................................................................... 117 BIBLE TRANSLATION AND LITERATURE FUND .............. 119 LONDON BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION .......................... 120 ENGLISH COUNTY SUMMARIES ................................................ 128 WALES : COUNTY SUMMARIES ................................................ 160 SCOTLAND: COUNTY SUMMARIES .............. 177 IRELAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS AND ISLE OF MAN ... 180 SPECIAL FUNDS ................................................................................... 182 SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THREE YEARS ... 184 GENERAL SUMMARY OF CASH ACCOUNT ........................ 185 TREASURERS’ CASH ACCOUNT ............. 188 SPECIAL FUNDS ACCOUNTS .............. 192 AUDITORS5 CERTIFICATE ............................................................ 194 THE “ WANTS” DEPARTMENT ................................................ 196 GIRLS’ A U X IL IA R Y ........................................................................ 197 TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR AT HOME AND ABROAD ............................................................................................... 198 The Baptist Missionary Society 1928-9 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR ANNUAL REPORT, 1929 STILL EXPECTING— STILL ATTEMPTING AN INTRODUCTION N the inheritance that is ours, come to us from William Carey, we have his Enquiry, also his Translations of the Scriptures, and also Serampore. Perhaps greatest of all, we have the two I headings for the sermon preached at Nottingham on May 31st, 1792— “ Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” And now, after 137 years, the mind of the Society might be expressed in identical terms. It cannot be overlooked that the men of the time staked everything upon God. Fuller writes to Carey, when certain leaders of the day were timid : “ For my part I believe in God, and have little doubt that a matter begun as this was, will meet His ap probation, and that He who has inclined the hearts of so many hitherto so much beyond our expectations will go on to incline them ‘ not to lose the things which they have wrought.’ I confess I feel sanguine, but my hopes are fixed in God.” And Carey replied : “ I expected they would do just as they have done. But the cause is of God . it is God’s work.” And it is just because it is God’s work that these first phrases retain their meaning and carry their urgency to-day. We do not know in what lines their expectation was drawn. What would Carey and Fuller and the others have said, had they foreseen the Jerusalem Conference of last year ? How their hearts would have thrilled to see the representatives of the younger churches from all over the world uniting with those of the older churches to consider the one work of God on the earth. We cannot tell, but we may be sure of this, that they would still say : “ Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” For however far we may have ad vanced, or whatever may have been accomplished, none can pretend that the end is yet. We are still expecting and still attempting. Somebody said recently that the permanent elements are those 5 6 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPOET. [19 2 9. that are reproducible. Forms and fashions vary, but the power of God remains, and His grace, and also the utter need of men and the call to proclaim. The story is told of one who was black in colour, who visited the little chapel in which General William Booth was converted. He stood near the brass tablet commemorating the event. The minister of the place was near by, and this dark stranger turned to him, saying, “ Is it allowed to pray here % ” “ Certainly,” said the minister. Then came the unexpected prayer : “ Do it again, Lord, do it again! ” It is because God does it again and again that the Society remains in vigour and in testimony, and that this Report is possible. What, under God, Carey was enabled to do so far back, is also true of China and Congo. It may be interesting to give certain figures concerning our three great Fields, marking what has been done in the last fifty years, and also intimating that which has been achieved in the last twenty-five. INDIA. CHINA. CONGO. Mis Teac Church Mis Teac Church Mis Teac Church sion her Mem sion her Mem sion her Mem ary Evan ber ary Evan ber ary Evan ber Staff. gelists. ship. Staff. gelists. ship. Staff. gelists. ship. 1878 .. 38 100 3,330 2 7 44 ——— 1903 .. 176 415 7,335 50 135 4,652 58 56 607 1928 .. 193 768 19,218 104 540 10,728 105 1,183 11,739 THE ARTHINGTON FUND. A particular interest of these figures lies in the fact that the Arthing- ton Fund has now come to an end, after about twenty-five years* administration. When the gift of £466,926 was accepted, it was a great venture of faith on the part of our Society at the time, but not so much for them then as for us to-day. They accepted the gift, surely believing that when it came to an end according to the con ditions, the Society would not then surrender the work but would carry it on to further issues. That time has now come. We cannot tolerate the thought of abandoning Stations like those at Lushai in India, Yalemba on the Congo, and such an Institution as the Gotch- Robinson Memorial in China, to mention but a few. The times are too critical in all three of our Fields to speak of abandonment, and also they are too full of opportunity. With opportunity, of course, goes obligation, and our financial obligation is a further £9,000 a year. It cannot be emphasised too often or too clearly that this is a tremendous call to the churches that support the Society. 1 9 2 9 .] STILL EXPECTING STILL ATTEMPTING 7 THE CONGO JUBILEE. A feature of the year under review has been the celebration of the Congo Jubilee, and here perhaps is the opportunity to set out certain figures. T h e C o n g o W o k k . 1888. 1898. 1908. 1918. 1928. Stations, Sub-stations and places regularly visited 5 20 402 862 893 Church Members 6 267 3,117 6,629 11,739 Native Workers — 24 188 830 1,183 Scholars 116 1,111 9,004 20,978 30,967 Surely these figures give a title to the celebrations, and yet behind the figures are so many stories, now becoming happily familiar to this present generation, of devotion, enterprise, exploration, drudgery of translation, the acquirement of new languages that had no literature, the overcoming of superstition and fear, witchcraft, cannibalism and all such things, the healing of the body, the bringing in of the new Light, the declaration of the love of God, the sacrifice even to death of so many, and the ripening Christian character of those who heard the Word and responded. This and so very much more constitute the record of fifty years. There would appear to be only one thing to do, and that is to give praise to God. CHINA. China is still troubled, and although it would appear that the Nanking Government seems more likely to bring about peaceful con ditions than any other of recent years, none would be so foolish as to prophesy. Even the most sanguine seem to think that many years must pass before conditions in China will be peaceful once again, for there is a ferment in the land, and the contending forces are many. As in all such times, the trouble is finally spiritual. Yet we must thank God for two facts. The first is that Missionary Societies, and our own amongst them, were in the land before this trouble broke out, and, secondly, that, again and again, the Chinese Christians have shown a marvellous loyalty and fidelity. INDIA. A glance' ¿t the Report from India will show how many are the difficulties that confront us there. Attempts are being made here and there to set the churches in a freedom by which they may govern themselves, but it must not be imagined that this is in any way an easy task. It would appear as if we were putting out into the open a somewhat tender plant, when the winter blasts have by no means 8 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. [1 9 2 9 . passed away. Some form of sheltering is still necessary. Co operation, in which the missionary takes his place, and sometimes a second place, must be the new order. Here again even to suggest abandonment would be disastrous. There are also political issues arising, in which the younger churches find themselves. We need to pray that all wisdom be given, and courage likewise, to those whose land is India by birth, and to those of our number who have made it their land by adoption. Yet even here, surely, our word must be that we are still expecting and still attempting. There is, behind all, a greater expectation than ours, in which, indeed, ours finds its root and its meaning ; it is the expectation and the achievement of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.