Foreign Mission Journal
Pniiliaheel “ffojsulsly by She I’nrr.Ign SSIbbSoij Board of tire ,Sonllinrn. SSuptlst Convention. r
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''ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS."
Vol. 9. — Now Scries.
RICHMOND, VA., MAY, 1877.
No. 2. — Whole No. 86
FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL
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Twenty or
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Address, FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL,
Richmond, Va.'
FOREIGN MISSION BOARD
OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION,
Located at RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
rnisti>EST-^r. L. SI. CURRY.
VtCE-rnESiDENTA,— Hiram Woods, Sid., J. A. Hnckett,
Miss., F. Courtney, La., J. II. Jetnr, Va., H. IS. McUftllum,
Fla., W, SI. Wlncftte, N. C., Henry SIcDonald, Ky„ S. Hen¬
derson, Ain., W. l‘oj>e Ycainan, Mo., W.Car»y.Gmne, Terns,
H. II. Tucker, G ft., J. C. Furman, S. 0,, Malt. Hlllsman,
Tenn., J. II. Iloone, Ark.
001ШК8ГОМШХа
SECnETAny— H. A, TUPPER.
TitKABUiiEH-J. C. WILLIAMS.
Rr.coiiDt.40 Skcketaiiy— W. H. GWATUMEY.
Auditoh— JOSEPH F. COTTRELL.
Boaud or SlANAOEns.— E. W. Warren, J 'atklns, H.
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W. K. Hutclier. E. Wortham, u. Sitting, W.
(loddlu, H.
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Harris.
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E. Dickinson, j. W. Jones, A. II.
Clarke, J. H. Wluaton, T. J. Evans. 0. If. Winston, J. It.
Oarllck. _
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TAU communications in reference to the business
of this Hoard should be addressed to If.
А. Торге»,
Correspond in fl Secretary, Richmond, Va.
The report of the Hoard fills the greater por¬
tion of onr space this month, and has delayed the
Issue of this number a week or ten days. It gives
a resunid of the past year's work, and will he found
not only Interesting now, but very valuable for
future reference.
THE BOARD ANB ITS WORK.
The Southern Baptist Convention was organized
“to promote foreign and domestic missions, ami
other Important objects.” Its Constitution provides
fortho election, “at eacli annual meeting, of as
many Hoards of Managers as In Its judgment will
bc} necessary for carrying out the benevolent ob¬
jects it may determine to promote.” There are
at present two Hoards — one at Richmond, Va.,
charged with the maintenance and conduct of niis-
slonsyo foreign countries; the other at Marion,
Ala., charged with tho home mission work. These
Hoards nro mere servants of servants, being crea¬
tures of'thc Convention, ns the Convention is of
the contributors to its work, but serving in highly
honorable, because' dlfllcult and responsible, posi¬
tions. They have no legal life, do not own property^
have no perpetuity except by annual ie-appolnt-
rnent, exercise no independent authority, but are
simply Executive Committees, dppointed by tho
Convention to manage its affairs during recess, ac¬
cording to instructions given, and to make full re¬
port at tho next meeting.
To preach.the gospel is tho duty of every Chris¬
tian ; to discharge it more faithfully, by divine di¬
rection, wo unite into churches, the churches again,
for convenience, organize Into Associations and
Conventions, not for legislation or discipline, but
for work.' There is no direct precept, that we know
of, which, requires churches thus to unite ; there
are, however, examples, as in the contributions for
Haul’s support and the collection for the poor saints
at Jerusalem. And there U abundant warrant for
trying by all proper means to secure the full frui¬
tion of scattered zeal by giving It the strength of
combination. Christianity displays the idea of in¬
dividual responsibility not less clearly than the duty
of meeting It by co-operation. The rain-drop fall¬
ing on a mountain is pure water, and has great ele¬
vation, but its power is not appreciable, it only
helps to form tho spring below; the feeble spring
cannot accomplish much by itself, but a thousand
streamlets flowing into one channel serve to fer¬
tilize the meadow, to turn the wheels of manufac¬
ture and bear the burdens of commerce. So where
the rich dews of grace fall upon hearts, influences
spring up which need only to lie combined in order
to become irresistible. Our Board is a reservoir to
collect tbeso streamlets and send them out in well-
chosen channels to gladden the waste places and
cause the desert to rejoice and blosoru as the rose.
The Board is divided Into sub-committees on
China, Africa, Italy, on Finance, Agencies, New
Fields, &c. The Corresponding Secretary, our only
salaried ofllcer, gives ills whole time to the work,
being dally in his otflec attending to the manifold
duties devolved upon him. Any matter, either of
his own suggestion, or brought to Ids attention by
others, is referred to the appropriate committee, by
them considered and reported to the .Board, with
such recommendations as seem proper. The com¬
mittees meet whenever called together. The whole
Board meets regularly on the first Monday of
every month, and at sucli other times as any busi¬
ness may. require. Reports of ofllcers and sub¬
committees are taken up in order and carefully
considered, every member being free to express his
views, both In words and by vote. The session
usually lasts from one to three hours. It is opened,
closed and Interspersed throughout with prayer for
the Divine guidance and blessing. Will not some
of our readers unite with us in this prayer on every
first Monday at 4. P. M. ?
The members of the Board give much time and
thought to the scores of questions, many of them
difficult and some, very delicate, which are con¬
stantly arising as to the best means of securing
contributions and the most judicious channels of
expenditure. They are not infallible, but they do
the best they can to encourage systematic giving,
and to make what is given effectual for promoting
the glory of God. They contribute through their
respective churches, but from their treasury they
can pay out no more than the churches put in, and
there is no obligation on them to support the mis¬
sionaries already sent out and send ethers to rein¬
force them, which does not rest alike ou every
Baptist in the whole South.
We must reserve for another .paper some remarks
on the business management of the Board.
PRAYER FOR MISSIONS.
How seldom we hear even from the pulpit prayer
for our missionaries I We well know that'lf they
are to succeed, it will not be by might, but by God’s
Spirit ; wo heartily feel for them in their lack of
Christian surroundings and the many other priva¬
tions to which they are subjected ; we truly honor
them for their work’s sake and love them for their
sacrifices; wo claim them a-, our representatives,
preaching in our stead ; then why not constantly
remember them at a throne of grace as we' do our
loved ones at homo and the ministers who labor in
our own churches?
They need our prayers — need them to cover their
heads in times of danger, to strengthen tlielr hands
in seasons of despondency, to guide their feet
through doubts and difficulties, to open before them
an effectual door and make the work of the Lord
prosper.
They ask for our prayers ; few missionaries, from
Paul’s day to the present, have ever written back
to their brethren without saying “pray for mo,”
Wo not unfrequently use these words more as a
form than as the utterance of strong desire, but-
there is a solemn earnestness In them as they- come
from the lips or pen, nay, rather from the heart,
of one who, almost alone, is sent to combat national
prejudice, spiritual darkness, moral obliquity and
false religion, made venerable by hoary age, tradi¬
tional habit and wide extent.
Let us make special prayer. Wc propose to
unite with our readers on three days, say Monday,
Wednesday and Friday, of every week, In a con¬
cert of prayer,, not exclusively but specially, for
Foreign Missions. On other days we, may simi¬
larly remember
Поте
Missions, Sunday-schools,
church work and other objects ; but on the days
named let us each, in his cloSet, pray for the be¬
nighted, and for our brethren and sisters who labor
among them, so that the petitions of many shall
rise together “like the cmvreathed smoke of a
sweet-smelling sacrifice, and mount to tho very
heaven of heavens.”
To secure still more of specialty, suppose we ob¬
serve the following order : In the morning our
thoughts will naturally turn toward sun-rise. Romo
and Lagos are'slx or seven hours east of us. When
day-light reaches us, Taylor and his co-laborers are
•bearing tho heat and burden of noon in Italy;
David and Colley, on nearly tho same meridian,
are sweltering under the vertical rays of an Afri¬
can sun. Let us think of them as engaged la In¬
structing eager learners, or preaching to ah assem¬
bled audience, or talking like their wearied Master,
who, once at midday and alone, awakened in a
careless hearer at the well-side a thirst for living
water, and through her led many to believe. Bring- ’
in g them thus in imagination before us, let us.corn-
estly and In faith ask God’s blessing on them and
on their labors.
At evening our thoughts, running over the events
of the day, will naturally follow a westward course.
Our Asiatic mission stations lio in that dlretion
some ten hours from us. As the sun leaves
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to
the sweet repose of quiet night, ho begins to shed
the beams of a new day on the coast of China.
Let us at this hour, sacred to meditation and to
prayer, remember brethren Crawford and Yates
atfd Graves, and the noble women who work, with
them. As wo prepare to retire, they arc just
awaking, it may be, from sweet dreams about tho
happy scenes of their childhood, to find themselves
shocked by the sights and sounds of cities wholly
given to Idolatry. Their hearts are stirred within,
them, but at the greatness of the work they hardly
know whether to over-tax human strength, or to
sink utterly appalled. Only divine power. can sus¬
tain them ; let us earnestly Invoke it for their help.
