Eighty-First Annual Report of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Reformed Church in America The Fifty-sixth Year of Separate Action Organized, 1832 Independent, 1857 Incorporated, 1860 MISSIONS Amoy, China, 1842 Arcot, India, 1853 North Japan, 1859 South Japan, 1859 Arabia, 1894 Presented to The General Synod at Asbury Park, New Jersey, June, 1913 THE GATEWAY TO A HINDU TEMPLE SV ANNUAL REPORT, 1913 The Board of Foreign Missions respectfully presents to the General Synod its Eighty-first Annual Report, the Fifty- sixth of its separate and independent action. The year has been a normal one from the home adminis­ tration point of view. The attention of the Church at home has been called to its work in Asia through the medium of literature, by the visits of Missionaries at home on furlough, and by the Secretaries. Possibly more than in recent years has been accomplished by these personal presentations of the missionary enterprise, since the furloughs of more Mis­ sionaries synchronized in this twelve-month. The welcome which the churches have given to these messengers from the far-flung battle line has been very real and has greatly enriched the experiences which they will carry back with them to their respective fields of service. The number of Missionaries now enrolled in the service of the Reformed Church is 140, being seven more than at the end of 1911, most of the additions having gone to the field which has waited longest for reenforcements—Japan. There has been unexpected movement among the Missionaries by reason of illness, while two of the Missions have been called upon to suffer loss by death, each of one of its members, the one rich in years and in service, the other young in years but rich also in the life he had lived and the service he had given. Mrs. John Van Nest Talmage passed to her reward after forty- seven years laden with gracious ministries. Mrs. Talmage, the widow of the great missionary to China, Dr. Talmage, who first went upon this service in 1847, survived him twenty years. Through much weakness in her later years, she con­ tinued her faithful service to the last and left not only help­ ful memories, but deep influences upon her colleagues, both American and Chinese. Dr. Sharon J. Thoms had given only fifteen years to Arabia, but they were full of missionary iv FOREIGN MISSIONS. activity and of ministries of healing. His early and accidental death left in deep sorrow the Mission which he had served so faithfully. In the course of the year two stations were added to our Missions as advanced centres of activity and influence. The number of churches remained the same, three additional native ministers having, however, entered upon the service of these churches. Approximately 200 communicants were added to the 45 churches, the total number now standing at 6,000, nearly 145 more communicants having entered the churches this year than last. It is interesting to note that the good women who serve in the Missions have added 33 to their num­ ber. The Boarding Schools—important nurseries for Chris­ tian training and leadership— are now 26, a gain of two in the year, while the pupils in them have increased by 325. The Day Schools have also shared in the increase, there being nearly 50 in addition, with 300 more scholars. It is an impressive fact that 12,225 Asiatic boys and girls are receiv­ ing a positive Christian impress in the 225 institutions main­ tained by the Missions, and that 135,000 patients have come under the Christlike ministries of our 17 Hospitals and Dis­ pensaries. There are furthermore large financial returns accruing each year through these agencies both from the fees received from scholars and patients, who are able to make contributions toward the expenses involved, and from Government grants- in-aid. Not less than $50,000 were probably received in this way last year and applied to the further usefulness of these institutions. In one Mission alone the sum received on the field amounted to 60% of the appropriations of the Board for the maintenance of its work apart from missionary main­ tenance. Similarly the contributions of ■ the churches have grown, this year by $2,250, or 17%. This represents the gain on so much as comes to the knowledge of the Missions, much the larger portion passing through the channel of the Native Churches. The 'Board regrets that the progress in spiritual things illustrated in the Mission Fields is not similarly manifest in JUNE, 1913. v all respects in material things at home, and that consequently it presents its financial report to General Synod with a deficit in receipts as compared with expenditures, for the second time in the last twelve years, the amount being about $17,800. There is a difference also of $28,500 between the total receipts of this year and last and of $20,000 in total contributions, both against the current year. When, however, these financial re­ turns of the year are analyzed, as in a further paragraph of this report, it will be seen that there are factors of distinct encouragement in the situation. 1. These large diminutions in total receipts are entirely covered by the loss in receipts for special objccts not included in the appropriations, $21,626.94, and by the loss in receipts on account of addition to funds, $12,078.57. Total, $33,705.51. 2. The most significant fact and one that calls for grati­ tude is the considerable gain in the collections from the churches, the real dependence in our financial receipts. The gain over the receipts of last year amounts to about $10,000, or about 6%, and is about $6,000 above the highest amount ever re­ ceived by the Board from church collections alone. This manifest purpose of the Church not only to maintain its gifts but to advance steadily upon them is surely a cause for much satisfaction. T h e M i s s i o n F i e l d s . It has become a commonplace to-day to say that the Asiatic W orld is astir and plastic. Great tides are running which should be taken at the flood and utilized in the name of God. Nations are re-shaping and new destinies are being determined. It is Christianity’s day of opportunity and of trial. Only fifteen years ago the authoritative books on Asia proclaimed its stagnation, Aloof from our mutations and unrest Alien to our achievements and desires. So high an authority upon Asiatic affairs as Mr. Meredith Townsend, the author of “ Asia and Europe,” declared only a few years ago that some mysterious fiat of unrest seemed vi FOREIGN MISSIONS. to have fallen upon the yellow races, making them inaccessible to new principles from without and stamping all foreign mis­ sions, whether of politics or of religion, as futile and vain. How short-sighted and inadequate was this view of impending conditions is clearly illustrated by the history which has been made during the year 1912 in each one of the countries of Asia where the Reformed Church is represented by strong, Avell organized and active Missions. W e need but to mention their names to realize at once the truth of this observation: China, India, Japan, Turkey. It must bring to every member of our Church a feeling of solemnity and a consciousness of large responsibility to realize that we may have a share in remoulding the ancient civilizations which have grown up through millenniums in these countries. Of the seventy nations mentioned in ancient history only two survive to-day. Of these one is scattered throughout the earth awaiting a final resurrection, and China is the other. One of the wise sayings of Confucius w as: “ You cannot carve rotten wood.” Some individuals and some peoples are like rotten wood. There is not in them the material with which great characters may be built or upon which great republics may be erected. The Chinese, however, are apparently not of this type. They live within the same zone as we ourselves, which has been called the culture zone, where man has at­ tained his highest development intellectually and morally and in which have flourished the great nations of ancient and modern times. There must be some explanation of the sur­ vival of this people through the vicissitudes and changes of forty centuries while others have passed away. The others sought to build up empires by force of arms and to perpetuate their fame by great monuments of stone. The Chinese were not of this sort. Their heroes have not been men of military renown, but rather those who have stood for ethical prin­ ciples. China is indeed material upon which a strong and enduring Christian Republic may be built. The rudiments of empire here are plastic yet and warm, The chaos of a mighty world is rounding into form. JUNE, 1913. v i i It is felt by many that America itself is directly respon­ sible for the revolution that has taken place. As the French Revolution was largely inspired by America’s success, so the Chinese Revolution was brought about and won by America’s education. It is true in large measure that the Chinese grad­ uates of American Colleges and Universities and the grad­ uates of American missionary colleges and schools in China are the leaders of China to-day. The result has been that there is a remarkable change in the attitude of the people toward Christianity.