Jamaica Baptist Missionary Sogietyi
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uay lVIissioos U\nIJ ANNUAL REPORT OF THE JAMAICA B·APTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.t FOR THE YEAR 1915. OBJECTS. The objects of the Society are to provide for the Spiritual Destitution of variou!03 parts of this Island,-to support the Calabar Institution for the training of Ministers, -to assist Sunday Schools,-to send the Gospel to Africa, Central America, and to the Islands by which we are surrounded, To aid Churches in the Jamaica Baptist Union in their Building Operations and to contribute to the Rp.serve Fund of the Jamaica Baptist Union. ---:0:--- A. G. KIRKHAM, PeteT'sfield P.O., SECltETARY. Office~s and Managing Committee for 1916. TREASURER: REV. W. PRATT, M.A., KINGSTON P. O. SECRETARY: REV. A. G. KIRKHAM, PETERSFIELl;) P. O. HONORARY MEMBERS ~ REV. JOHN KINGDON, REV. W. A. TUCKER. EX·OFFICIO : REv. G. TUB.NER CHAIRMAN JAMAICA BA.PTIST UNION. REV. P. WILLIAMS SECRETARY JAMAICA BAPTIST UNION. REV. E. PRICE, B.A., B.D. PRESIDEl'o"'T CALABAR, CoLLEGE. RF:v. W. HEAD SECRETARY'SUNDAY SUHOOL SOCIETY. ELECTED: REV. J. T. DILLON, REV. W. D. BROWN, REV. W. P. SIBLEY, REV. W. D. HENDERSON, REV. J. A. JONES, REV. A. G. EUCLESTO~, REV. G. E.HENDERSON, REV, A. MILLER, REV. D. M. ROBER.TS. AUDITORS: D. BALFOUR ESQ. J. L. KING ESQ., B.A., LL.B. RULES. I.-That the Society be designated" THE JAMAICA BAPTIST MISSIONARy-SOCIETY" in connection with "THE JAMAICA BAPTIST UNION." H.-That the objects of the Society be (1) to provide for the spiritual destitution of various parts of the IsIl:\nd~(2) to support the Calabar Institution--(3) to assist Sunday Schools-(4) to send the gospel to Africa, Central America and the j slands by which we are surrolHld~d-(5) to aid Churches in the Jamaica Baptist Uuion in their building operations-(6) and to contribute to the Reserve Fund of The Jama.ica Baptist Union. lII.-That the General Committee of the Society shall consist of the Ministers and Delegates of those Churches which contribute regularly to the Society'S funds, by whom the Treasurer, Secretary, and nine others as a Managing Committee, for the ensuing year, shall be elected. Five shall form a quorum, and the MffDaging Committee shall have power to fill up vacancies that may occur during the year. IV.-Tita,t the Chairman of ,the Jamaica Baptist Union, the President of Cs labar CpUege, the Secretary of the. Jamaica Baptist Union and the Secretary of the S'U1lday School Society shall beex-otficioMembel'sof the Managing Committee. V.-'-That each Association in connection with the Jamaica Ba.ptist Union not baving a member elected on the Missionary Committee, shall have power each year to nominate one of their members as an Associate member of the Committee fortha yeaT. The nomination to be 'sent to the Secretary before the beginning of the Annual Meeting of the General Board. ' VI.-That a public meeting w ill beheld auuually, at the time of the meeting of the Jamaica Baptist Union when a list of the Committee shall be read, the accounts presented, and tJ.e proceedings of the previous year adopted. VII.-That no alteration of the Constitution of the Society shall hemad. without twelvemont.hs notice having been given at the previsus .Annual General Meeting. Grants in Aid ot Buildings. ----0--- Grants are voted to aid'in purchasing, erecting,- or repairing buildings connected with Churches belonging to the Jamaica Baptist Union, and which regularly contribute to the funds of .the Jamaica Baptist Missionary Society. REGULATIONS FOR GRANTS IN AID. 1. It.,must be clearly shown that the land on which the building stands, oris to be erected, is in Trust for denominational purposes, and the Title- is Valid. II. A complete statement of work contemplated on the mission property, and a detailed estimate of the proposed expenditure must be presented with the application for a grant. III. The Church seeking aid must have raised one-fourth of the estimat.ed amount required for the work contemplated, and the application must state how much money the Church has raised, the value of materials and of free labour given, and amount received'from other sources. IV. Before a grant is recommended by the Managing Committee, a Sub-Committee shall be appointed to inspect and report on the work proposed or in progress. V. No grant approved of by the General Committee shall be paid before the April Meeting of the Managing Committee. Every grant shall be spent and an account of its expendi_ture., be rendered, within twelve months after it has been re~eived, but it shall be competent for the Managing Committee to allow an extension of time in exceptional circumstances. VI. All applications lor grants shall be made on the authorized Form, obtainable of the' Secretary, and shall .be returned to him pro perly filled in not later than September 30th. VII. The Managing Committee shall prepare for the Annual Meeting of the Gen~ral Committee a report on the applications which were in the hands of the Secretary not later than September 30th; namely t the applications selected and the grants recommended, also the applications refused and the reasons for their refusal. VIII. Not more than £300 shall be applied annually for building ,purposes. IX. - AU applications shall be rejected as in£orlllal which do not' comply with the above regulations. EXTRACTS OF MINUTES OF THE GENERAL ~EETING HELD Arr BALACLAVA rOn Monday, 14th /1""ebruary, 1916. I. The Rev. G. Turner, Chairman of the Jamaica Baptist Union, presided. 2. The Minutes of the last Annual Meeting were read and con firmed. 3. A Synopsis of the meetings of the Managing Committee was presented. 4. The 60th Annual Report was presented. and it was resolved: "That the Report be adopted, read at the Public Meeting to-night., and printed and circulated in the usual way." 5. The Treasurer presented the Cash Statement for 1915, shew ing Receipts £1,329 5s. ltd, Expenditure £1,368 59. 7d. Deficit £39. Os. 5!d. It was resolved:-·' That the Cash Statement be adopted, read at the Public Meeting to-night, and printed and cir culated in the usual manner," 6. The Officer and Managing Committee were thanked lor their services during the past year, and those for the present year were elected. 7. Collectors and Subscribers :- Resolved: "That the Geueral Committee recognizing the devoted and faith ful services of the Collectors, and the self.denying gifts of the Sub scribers to the funds during anotLer year, hereby tt'>nder their sincere thanks to their belpers, and express the hope that they will continue their hearty co operation. S. Home Missions :- The grants to the St. Margaret's Bay) Rosewell and Worsup s,phere we:t'e determined. 6 EX.TRACTS OF MINUTES. 9. Building Grall-ts. The followi.ng,grants Wf:1re made : Frendship (Hanover) £30 0 0 Linstead 30 0 0 Staceyville 10 0 0 Sudbury 18 0 0 Union Hill ]0 0 0 Springfield 10 0 0 Hosewell 8 10 0 Claremont 22 0 0 Elderslie 22 0 0 Buckingham 30 0 0 Sutcliffe Mount 22 0 0 £212 10 0 10. The following Notice of Motion was given . (a) By Rev. P. W,illiams:- 1. "That the Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union be omitted from the Ex-officio members :of tho Managing Committee. 2. rrhut Rule 3 be altered by substituting five for nine in the third line. A. G. KIRKHAM, Secretary. THE ANNUAL PUBLIC ME-ETING OF THE Jamaica Baptist Missionary Society "VAS HELD AT BALACLAVA, ON MONDAY EVENING, 14th FEBRUARY, 1916. His HOD. \V P CLAI~K occupied the Chair. The Secretary presented the 60th Annual Report and the Treasurer the Annual Cash Statement, and addresses 'were delivered by the Rev. J. A. JONES, of Springfield and Rev. W· HEAD, of Clarksonville. The Sixtieth Annual Report OF THE JAMAICA BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOGIETYI N the last chapter of St. Mark's Gospel our Lord says: 'IGo ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." After a reference to the as cension, we read, "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following;'" The Apostle John explained years later the reason for this ready obedience: '·That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands bave handled, of the 'Vord of I.Jife." A force of illdescr,ibahle power had come into their liYes. First, they had heard the Christ. rrhey had seen him. They had touched hi111. Then at Pentecost they had received the Holy Spirit in an overwhelming BaptiBm of fire and power. Thus equipped they went forth awl preached the word, and the signs that followed proved conclusively that the ITaly Spirit was ever ready to bless a faith presentation of the truth. Hundreds of years have passed away since those glad happy days, and yet fully two-thirds of the world for which Christ died and shed his blood is still without the knowledge that an atonen-.ent has been made for all sin, and a power placed at the disposal of men whereby the do minion of sin might be destroyed. The Church of .Christ started out on its great work with everything in its favour; !:ll1d jf the power with which the early Church went 'forth had not been weak ened, the results would hava been infinitely greater. "Thile much has undoubtedly been ac;complished, we must confess that the promise of the beginning has not been fulfilled.