THE 1 day m is s io n s FIFTY-FIFTH AHHUAL REPORTS r a J OF THE Board of Foreip Missions OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA, AND THIRTIETH OF SEPARATE ACTION, WITH. THE Treasurer's Tabular and Summary Report o f Receipts For the Year Ending, April 30th, 1887. N E W Y O R K : PRINTED FOR THE BOARD, 26 R e a d e S t b e e t , REPORT The Board of Foreign Missions respectfully presents to the General Synod the following report of its operations for the fifty-fifth year of its organization, and thirtieth of inde­ pendent action. To the facts and statements herein em­ bodied, it earnestly invites the most serious attention and prayerful consideration. Never before has the Board felt more solemnly impressed with the greatness of the work committed to it and to the Church, nor with the absolute need of wisdom from above, and the loftiest spirit of consecration to the service of the Lord, if His work is to be done with credit to ourselves, with anything like justice to the claims it makes upon us, and with the honor due His name. STATE OF THE MISSIONS. The reports from all the Missions, herewith presented, show a degree of progress that is in India and China, on the whole, encouraging, and in Japan, surprising. Briefly told, the record runs as follows: A m o y .— To five of the eight churches connected with this Mission, fifty-eight souls have been added on confession, forty-seven of whom were baptized. Twenty-five of these were received to the church at Sio-Khe. At this point, a church building was erected a year ago, by means of the gifts of the children in our Sunday schools. Thus early has their offering been owned and blessed. During the last year a house has been built for a preacher, with additional accom­ modations for a missionary family. The foundation is thus laid for the new interior station, for which the Mission has been so long praying. Land has also been purchased for a church at Tong An, with sufficient guarantees for secure possession, at a cost of #1,620. 4 REPORT ON Notwithstanding the number of accessions, the faith of the brethren has been sorely tried by the necessity of excom­ municating twelve church members, and by the death of twenty-eight. The net gain in the number of communicants is only thirteen, and the total membership 802. These ex­ periences should not discourage. Light and shadow, gain and loss, are mingled in the history of every church, and the wise exercise of Christian discipline is one of the best proofs of true spiritual life, and surest guarantees of healthy growth. The contributions of the church members amounted to $2,076.29, being $2.59 per member, almost exactly. The Mission has long urged the necessity of more vigorous measures, looking to the provision of trained men for the native ministry, and a more efficient oversight of the pa­ rochial schools. For this educational work they have set apart the Rev. P. W . Pitcher, who has entered upon it with commendable zeal and efficiency. The schools already show signs of improvement under his influence and direction. A r c o t.— The Arcot Mission reports the addition of ninety- five to the churches upon confession of faith, and the acces­ sion of several new villages, embracing twenty-eight families and 103 souls. The changes that have taken place within the bounds of certain churches, where the number of re­ movals from various causes has been great, reduce the net gain of communicants to fifty-nine. The whole number is now 1,669. The number of adherents is increased by 118. A further increase in the number of native helpers of twenty- four makes the whole number reported 186. The contribu­ tions of the native Christians, for all purposes, amounted to rupees 1,789.14.10, or about $760.75. The amount of evangelistic labor reported, in addition to the maintenance of the regular religious services at stations and out-stations, presents these surprising figures : Preach­ ing, 12,964 times, in 6,009 places, and to audiences number­ ing 436,835 people, accompanied by the sale or free distribu­ tion of more than 12,000 books, tracts, leaflets and Scriptures or Scripture portions. So wide a seed-sowing needs only the watering of the Spirit of G-od to produce a most abundant and glorious harvest. For this the Church should unceas­ ingly pray. The removal of the Arcot Seminary from Chittoor to FOREIGN MISSIONS. 5 R a n ip e t — a suburb of Arcot— was made necessary by the unhealthfulness of Chittoor. So far as the seminary is con­ cerned, the step has proved in every way judicious, though it has left Chittoor without a resident missionary. The health of the scholars has improved, the number has been in­ creased— seventy-seven being in attendance— and the work of the school prosecuted with comfort and success. In accordance with the suggestion of the General Synod, made in 1886, the Mission has taken steps toward a separa­ tion of the Theological department from the Arcot Seminary, and the establishment of a distinct institution for theological instruction. Rev. Wm. W. Scudder has been unanimously appointed and set apart by the Mission for this work, so soon as it is practicable to begin it, No better or wiser selection •could have been made, nor has the Mission any greater need at this time than that full facilities should be given it at once, for the successful prosecution of this wise design. The en­ dowment of $50,000, approved and recommended by the Synod, is not too much for such a purpose. It has yet, how­ ever, in great part, to be obtained. One permanent scholar­ ship, in the sum of $2,000, has been founded, and the income of two others pledged for a series of years. Dr. Chamberlain has been charged by the Board with the work of securing the whole amount. Had not the state of his health prevented, it is reasonable to suppose that much more would have been accomplished. His plan— approved by the Board— embraces the establishment of two native professorships at a cost of $10,000 each and fifteen scholarships of $2,000 each— the title of each chair or scholarship to be given by the donor. It is believed that no worthier object— or one offering larger spir­ itual results— could be presented to the sympathies and benev­ olence of those among us to whom the Lord has given the requisite means. It is therefore— with its earnest-hearted advocate— commended anew to the Synod and the church. The re-opening of the Arcot Dispensary, Tinder the care of Dr. Hekhuis— as reported last year— has restored to the Mission an efficient agency for reaching the people with the Gospel message. More than 7,000 patients have been treated in hospital, etc., and have thus not only received relief from bodily ills, but come, also, under the influence of Christian teaching and example. 6 REPORT ON The work of all the schools has been prosecuted as usual, and with good success. Opposition to the Caste girls’ schools at Vellore— instituted by Brahmins, in the shape of heathen schools in the immediate vicinity of our own— has completely failed of its object. In other stations beside Yell ore, Zen­ ana work is reported. This most interesting and effective method of introducing the Gospel into heathen homes, and among their ignorant and spiritually degraded women, must henceforth be recognized as among the regular and import­ ant agencies employed by the Mission. The extent of its application is necessarily limited by the want of suitable agents, and the means to carry it on. Ja p a n .— T he growth of the Union Church of Christ, in Japan, during the past year, and the openings for further efforts., have been simply marvellous. To have had so large a share in promoting it is a privilege and an honor, for which our most grateful thanksgiving is due to the Lord who has wrought so wondrously through His servants. The Report of the Council of United Missions (now increased to five by the addition of the Missions of the Presbyterian Church (South) of the United States, and the German Re­ formed Church), supplemented by later statistics, shows 55 churches, of which 25 are self-supporting, connected with the Dai Kwai (Synod), organized in 5 Chiu-Kwai (Classes or Presbyteries). The number of adult members is 4,682, an increase of 1,454, or about 45 per cent., during the year. The number of adults baptized was 1,118, of children 215. The reported contributions were Yen 9,811,225, the equiva­ lent of about $7,930, U. S. gold. The work of the Missions has been efficiently furthered and supplemented by the activity of the newly organized Board of Home Missions of the Union Church. The organization and activity of this Board are a marked token of the vigorous and independent life of this rising Church. The map which accompanies the Report shows the number of places occupied by the Missions composing the Council, and the Board of Home Missions. It was prepared in Japan, under the careful supervision of Rev. J. L. Amerman, by whom, also, a sufficient number of copies (3,000) was presented to the Board, to allow of its presentation at this time, to the FOREIGN MISSIONS.