The Baptist Missionary Society
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THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY (Founded 1792) 143rd ANNUAL REPORT For the year ending March 31st, 1935 LONDON PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT THE CAREY PRESS 19, Furnival St r e e t , E .C . 4. Telegraphic Address; “ Asiatic, Fleet, London." Telephone; Eolborn SSSi (S lines) CONTENTS i’Aoi-: THE PARTNERSHfP OF THE GOSPEL ................................... 5 FINANCE 7 THE W ORK: INDIA, CEYLON, CHINA, CONGO ............. 8 WOMEN’S W ORK ......................_ 34 OUR MEDICAL WORK IN 1934 44 AT THE HOME BASE .................................................................... 49 THE MISSIONARY ROLL CALL, 1934-35 .................................... 52 MAPS ........................ 54 PART II. THE SOCIETY : COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS, 1934-35, &c. 59 LIST OF MISSIONARIES ......................................................... 75 STATIONS AND STAFF.................................................................... 95 STATISTICS AND TABLES ............................................................ 103 SCHOOLS FOR MISSIONARIES5 CHILDREN ............................. 131 PART IN. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY ................................... 135 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DONATIONS ... 135 DEFICIT ......................................................................................... 13!) LEGACIES (General).............................................................................. ]J.U WOMEN’S F U N D .............................................................................. 141 MEDICAL FUND ............................................................................... 142 BIBLE TRANSLATION AND LITERATURE FUND ............. 144 GIFT AND SELF-DENIAL W E E K .............................................. 145 LONDON BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION ........................ 146 ENGLAND: COUNTY SUMMARIES........................ 154 WALES : COUNTY SUMMARIES .............................................. 187 SCOTLAND : COUNTY SUMMARIES ...................................... 203 IRELAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS AND ISLE OF MAN ... 200 SPECIAL FI N D S ................................................................................. 20S SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THREE YEARS ... 210 GENERAL SUMMARY OF CASH ACCOUNT ........................... 212 TREASURERS’ CASH ACCOUNT ... 216 SPECIAL FUNDS ACCOUNTS ................................................. 218 AUDITORS’ CERTIFICATE .............................................. , ... 222 GIRLS’ AUXILIARY ....................................................................... 223 THE “ WANTS” DEPARTMENT ................................................. 224 TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR AT HOME AND ABROAD ............................................................................................ 225 The Baptist Missionary Society 1 9 3 4 - 3 5 ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD YEAR ANNUAL REPORT THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE GOSPEL HE following pages tell the story of the great “ Partnership in the T Gospel.” To put first things first, there is the partnership to which God has called us in His grace, that of being fellow-workers with Him and of sharing in His great redemptive purpose for the world. The wonder of His choice of us and trust in us never dies. That this partnership is real and not fiction is evidenced in many ways. We have been admitted into the secrets of God. A great theologian of the last generation gave as his interpretation of that saying of Paul, that he was a debtor to Greek and to barbarian, the meaning that Paul had really learned what the Gospel of Christ was as he saw it moving amongst the cities of Asia and Europe, saving and redeeming men of all classes. Anyone who reads this report will once again rejoice at the all-embracing Gospel of our Lord. He will understand the Love of God as something deeper and vaster since he has heard the call to share the good news with others. God’s mind is read more clearly as His purpose for all mankind is followed out in deed and action. ****** * UT there is more than that; there is the evident imparting of B strength. Who is sufficient for these things that are set out in this story ? How could these things have been accomplished if there bad not been an accompanying power of God ? This is not of man, nor of man’s device, but of God. And that it is real is also made clear because of the demands that have been made upon us. True is it that it does not begin with a demand, but with an undeserved bestowal, and the very call of God to us is not of our choosing. Still the demand remains that we should give our all in answer to all that God has done for us. 5 6 ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. [1935. HERE is another partnership—that which we have one with T another as churches in the homeland; for it cannot be empha sised too often that the work of the Baptist Missionary Society is under taken abroad because the churches at home are united in the enterprise. The Society has no existence apart from the churches. Its Com mittee is appointed by the churches, and its reports must be presented to the churches again. It is true that certain churches have their own particular interest, especially when someone from their midst goes forth into the service of the B.M.S. But the work is only possible because of the partnership into which the churches have willingly entered. This report is now presented partly in order that the churches may understand what has been done at their call and in their name. Possibly the most striking feature is that of the candidates who have come forth and are now serving Christ in far-off lands. They are the fruit of the missionary spirit to be found in our churches, the spirit by which finally churches live. For if there be no missionary spirit the church must die. Nothing binds our churches together like this common enterprise in the Gospel. * * ***** HE third partnership is that which we have with those who now T constitute the churches which have sprung from our missions in India, China and Africa. There always has been a partnership of fellowship. Anyone reading the story of the first days must have marked how this was emphasised by Carey and his colleagues. The story of the formation of the first church in India is always exhilar ating reading, and the same may be said of China and Africa. Who can forget the story told by Thomas Lewis of the formation of the church at San Salvador, with its five members, and how the five have now become thousands. We must never lose this sense of fellowship. It is what we offer to a world broken, distracted, divided, full of sus picion, for underneath all differences of land and language, tradition and custom, rank and education, those who are Christ’s in the far lands are one with us in the Gospel. They and we have one common possession in Christ. We have been saved by the same Gospel. We owe the same allegiance. We are guided by the same Spirit. We worship the same God and Father. We have the same faith con cerning the Kingdom. ******* T A 7E especially rejoice with those who have entered into this partner- V V ship for the first time. In many places in all our three fields the ingathering has once again been most encouraging, and we welcome these new adherents to the cause of Christ. This partnership in fellowship has been developed greatly in the last few years. The 1935.] FINANCE 7 churches are more and more undertaking fuller responsibility, and are entering upon a larger share in their own government. Notably is this the case in certain parts of India and China, and in this new form of the partnership we rejoice. Mission and church are in fellowship as never before. Not that there is less need for the missionary, but probably his work will take a new direction. He will bring to the younger church the experience that has been gained through the centuries in the homeland, but he will also receive, as indeed we in the homeland may expect to receive. In no land yet have the glories of Christ been disclosed in their fullness. We shall receive inspiration from these younger churches ; greater revelations of the one God we all worship ; new hymns setting forth His majesty and His grace; and the West will become debtor to the East again. But it is all within the Partnership of the Gospel. FINANCE URING the year we passed through many changes of hope D fulness and despair with regard to our financial position. We started with high heart because the deficit of the previous years had been cleared, and also because we had balanced the budget for 1933-4. It was thought that it had been made clear to the Churches that not only would it be necessary to maintain the general income, but also to increase it by £15,000. Soon, however, it was clear that the receipts from the Churches were falling back very considerably, and when Christmas came we found we had received £7,000 less than on the corresponding date in 1933. An appeal was immediately made to the Churches, and their response in the last few months of the financial year was very remarkable. Not only was the leeway made up, but when the books closed it was seen that we had received from the Churches nearly £5,000 more than in the previous year. It was perfectly clear that this had only been achieved at the cost of great sacrifice, and all our hearts were full of thankfulness. However, our expenditure had also increased beyond our estimate, partly because of the exchange rates still going against us in China and Africa, and also because it was necessary to send out to the field, earlier than had been expected, certain of our missionaries who were in training. The result was that there was remaining upon the Society a debt of £4,868. Immediate response was made to our appeal to clear this amount, and we are confidently hoping that in a very short time it will have been entirely removed. In order that the work may go forward, the help of all is asked. 8 ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. [1935. THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE GOSPEL IN OUR OVERSEAS WORK HE Gospel of Christ is unsearchable riches, bestowed freely by God T upon all who mil receive His grace with faith and obedience. The Church is the trustee of this treasure. Every Christian has a share not only in the enjoyment of all the bounty of Christ, but in the stewardship of it.