FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL.
Published Monthly by the Foreign Mission Boarrt of the Southern Baptist Convention.
'‘all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye. therefore, and teaoh ALL NATIONS.”
Vol. 17— New Series.
RICHMOND. VA„ JULY. 1886.
No. 12.— Whole No. 216.
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„
railing off, and the Board is compelled to go
into bank and borrow money to meet the
Foreign Mission Journal.
RATES PER ANNUM:
I. For pup its bPjmmtoly nc4re*«ed, either to same
or to different i>oetofllcci* j
One copy . . . 35 cte.
Three copies or . 33 Hots. it piece.
II. For iiurknees tent to one person, who «hull be
rei|*on«lbie for their distribution :
Four copies for *1, or more nt . 25 cte.
Twenty- the copies for fft. or more nt . 20 cte.
One Hundred conies for $15, or more nt..]fl ct*
47* Flense remit by Draft, Postal Order, or In
tered r.etter, end notify ue promptly of nny
la address.
Address. FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL.
Richmond, Va.
FOREIGN MISSION BOARD
OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION,
bocuruD at niOHMONI), VIRGINIA.
I’ltlSIDHHT—
И.
IJ. HARRIS.
YlCE-PiiKem.NTB _ Joshua I.everlng, Mil., O. W.
Tomkle*. I,n„
О.
II. Wlntton. Va., N. A. Halley, Kla.,
Theo. WMtfi'lil. N.O., II. I'. Rugby, Ky.,.T. J.b. Ren-
froe, Alabama, It. S. Duucaii, luo.,
Я.
II. Uarroll,
pressing claims ol our work.
We beg our pastors and churches to see
to it tliat^ we have regular collections, and
prompt remittances, that we may be relieved
as far as possible of this burden.
irur, nmu.um, ib. o. i'uuviwi, mv., j>. a, ba.IUll.
Texas, W. L. Kilpatrick, On., Chat. Manly, S. O.,
J. ai. Senter, Term.. J. II. Searcy, Ark., Qeorce
Whltfleld, Mies., W. F. Attklsson, W. Va.
ConnierOHDiNO Seen
кт л и
Y— II. A. TUPPER.
Тпкжвип
Kit-— J . o. WILLIAMS.
RecoKDiNO Skciuctahy—
Л.
II. CLARICE.
Auditor— JOSEPH F. COTTRELL.
Hoard or Makacikhs.— II. K.Elly«on, J. II. Win¬
ston. W. E. Hatcher,
Г.
W. Jone*, J. Pollard. Jr.,
S. O. nicpton, .T II. Hut «on. W. U. Tbomne, W. W.
Lnndnim, w J. Shipman. Geo. Groper. R. W.
Power». O. ILKylnnd,
I/.
U. lln re el t, T. P. Mathews.
VSTAU communications in reference to the
business of this Hoard should be addressed to
H. A. TurrEK, Corresponding Secretary,
Richmond. Va.
DR. H. H. HARRIS.
In tlie retirement of this honored brother
from the editorial chair, the Journal has lost
an able and wise editor, whose wide informa¬
tion, varied scholarship, and facile pen will
be sadly missed. It was only tiie considera¬
tion that tlie health of our brother could not
stand his multiplied labors and responsi¬
bilities that allowed tlie lloard to consent for
a moment to ills retirement.
Hut we are glad to say that, ns President
of tlie Hoard, we shall still have the benefit
of his wise counsel in tho proper conduct of
the paper.
PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARIES.
Scarcely a letter comes from our mission
aries that does not contain the request,
expressed or Implied : " Brethren, pray for
us, that tlie work of the l.ord may have free
course among us.” This is not a mere for¬
mal request. It comes from burdened
hearts, who feel the need of God’s blessing,
and pine for the sympathies and prayers of
God’s people.
Do we heed these requests ? Do our pas.
tors, in their pulpits, their prayer-meetings,
and their private ministrations, remember
these noble men and women who have gone
" far hence to tlie Gentiles ? " Do our dea
cons, our Sunday-school superintendents,
our private members, pray for our mission
aries ? Are their names household words
in our families? Are they often mentioned
around the family altar, or breathed in secret
prayer? Of one thing we are very confident,
if there were more prayer for our mission
aries and their work, there would be more
liberal giving, and a more frequent response
to the call of the great Captain : " Here am I—
send me.”
PRAY FOR THE SECRETARY AND FOR THE
BOARD.
The brother who gets out this number of
tli
о
Journal, amid other pressing duties, begs
that its imperfections may be excused. By
our next issue the Hoard will probably make
permanent arrangements for tlie conduct of
thisimporlant enterprise. Meantime we beg
our subscribers to renew, and our friends
generally to increase our circulation.
REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS.
Contributions to our Board should be
regular, as well as liberal. We are needing
money to meet tlie drafts of our missionaries
every month— every week during tlie year,
and we must look to tlie churches to furnish
it as needed.
Scon after the meeting of the Convention
the Eutaw Place church in Baltimore had a
meeting at which Dr. Ellis, the pastor, made
a strong presentation of the claims of the
Southern Baptist Convention, and a sub¬
scription of about $2,200, for Home and
Foreign Missions, was made on tlie spot.
Brother Joshua Levering writes to the Secre¬
tary that he may count on at least £ 1,200
Гог
Foreign Missions from this church.
How it would simplify our plans and re¬
lieve our embarrassments if the churches
generally would meet, and, after due consid¬
eration, infotm us just how much they will
give to our work during the year.
The •' summer drought ” is upon us, and
while our expenses do not decrease, our
collections at this season usually show a sad
We rarely hear in our public services, our
prayer meetings, or around our family altars
the petition ” God bless our Secretary and
our Board. Give them wisdom and discre¬
tion, zeal and sanctified tact, in conducting
ariglit the great interests committed to their
charge.” And yet there are no men who
more need the prayers of tiie churches, who,
through tlie Convention, have laid on them
heavy, almost crushing responsibilities.
We have— the writer of this paragraph
will say in the absence of the Secretary,
and will print before lie can see it— one of
the most accomplished, untiring, wise, and
self-sacrificing Secretaries with whom a
Board was ever blessed. The Board are
unanimous in feeling that lie lias done and
is doing his work grandly, although he has
on his shoulders burdens under which two
such men might well falter. But we feel
sure that no one can realize more fully than
he, his constant need of divine grace, and
guidance in the great work committed to his
charge. We beg, then, that much prayer be
made for our Secretary, that lie may be
shielded and protected from all harm in his
long journeys, that his life and his health
may be preserved, and that God's spirit may
enlighten and guide hint in tlie many deli¬
cate and perplexing questions he is called
on to decide, the grave problems he must so
constantly solve. And no one not familiar
with their duties, who does not know the
perplexing questions they are called on to
decide, the many weary hours they give to
the consideration of tlie different phases of
our work, can at all appreciate the grave
responsibilities put on our Board, and their
pressing need of the warm sympathies, and
fervent prayers of those who have imposed
on them these burdens. " Brethren pray for
us.” Let there frequently go up from our
pulpits, our prayer meetings, our family
altars, and our places of secret prayer, the
petition : “ Oh 1 Lord, bless our Foreign Mis¬
sion Board and its Secretary; that they may
have wisdom, zeal, and efficiency in the
management of tlie great interests com¬
mitted to their care.”
ILLNESS OF MISS MARY TUPPER.
Tiie illness of our accomplished and de¬
voted missionary teacher at Salliilo, Miss
Mary Tupper, lias been a source of great
anxiety to tier friends. Our latest informa¬
tion is that she is better, but still very sick,
and we are sure that continued prayer will
ascend that God will mercifully spare lier,
and soon restore to her loved work one of
the most, self-sacrificing and useful mis¬
sionaries whom this or any other Board ever
had.
A Christian mother whose son had died
as a foreign missionary, was met by a friend
who said to her, "See now what you get by
sending your son to the mission field." The
motiier with true Christian heroism, replied,
“ O, that I had another son to give to the
grand work of foreign missions.” — Ex¬
change.
We knew a Christian motiier, who, several
years ago, when her son wrote her from the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, that
the foreign missionary spirit was running so
high there that it was " dangerous for one
who does not want to be a foreign mission¬
ary to breathe this atmosphere," promptly
replied: “Well, my boy, I only pray that
God will count you worthy of entering this
great work. I should thank God if lie
should put on me the high honor of sending
all of my boys to labor among the heathen.”
What a contrast is this spirit from that
of the old brother, of whom Dr. Poindexter
used to tell, who was often using in his pub¬
lic prayers the petition, " Oh, Lord, raise up
and send forth more foreign missionaries."
One day his pastor went to him, and said:
“ I am glad to tell you, my brother, that the
Lord has graciously answered your prayer.
Your son John has decided to offer himself
as a foreign missionary.” “ Oh, no 1 ” was
the emphatic reply, “ I did not mean that.
1 was not praying for that. I was asking the
Lord to send somebody clse's boy. My boy
shall not go."
We need to come to the point of asking
the Lord to send our children, and of count¬
ing it a high honor if He shall hear our
prayer.
CORRECTION.
Our treasurer, John C. Williams, Esq.,
who is one of the most accurate and accom¬
plished accountants of the city, requests us to
say that, in posting to his Ledger receipts
from Louisiana, lie niisposted £135.12 to
another State, which caused him to report
to the Southern Baptist Convention £873.64
from Louis'- .la, instead of
£1,008.76/
re¬
ceived from that State, as acknowledged in
the foreign Mission Journal. Brother Wil¬
liams, of course, regrets this error- very
The like will probably never occur
Even Homer may sometimes nod.
much.
again.
The young ladies of tlie Sunday-school
class of Miss A. G. T., of First' Baptist
church, Richmond, Va., sends eight dollars
for Senorita Marla Oropegn, of the Madero
Institute, Saltillo, Mexico, .
A CRY FROM AFRICA.
In a recent public address in London, Dr.
Laws, of the Livingstonia Free Church Mis¬
sion in Central Africa, said :
" Every hour 720 of our fellowmen die in
Africa, and of these only 2 have ever had
the opportunity of hearing about Jesus.”
Day of Prayer for Foreign Missions.
Acting on a suggestion from Great Britain,
the officers of the American Board have re¬
solved to observe Sunday, November 7th,
as a day of special prayer in behalf of
foreign missions throughout the Protestant
world.
The following statistics were presented by
our gifted brother, Rev. Dr. F. M. Ellis,
of Baltimore, in n speech before tlie last
meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention,
and deserve a wide circulation and careful
study among our people :
Our Southern Baptist Convention-Field. —
Of the 100,000,000 nominal Christians of the
world reported in 1S85, over 3,135,000 were
Baptists, divided into 1,408 Associations,
over 34,000 churches, 24,000 ministers, (not
all pastors.) Over £9.000,000 were con¬
tributed by them for benevolent work in
1SS5. Of this entire Baptist strength of the,
world, there are in tlie United States 1,305 '
Associations, 29,000 churches, 16,000 minis-'
ters, 2,57Z,23S members. Of tiie £9,000,000
of benevolent contributions, about f 7,000 000
was raised by the Baptists of the United
States; and of tlie 150.000 baptisms in 1885,
about 136,000 were in tlie United States.
The Southern Baptist Convention, — Nine¬
teen of the forty-nine States and Territories
of the Union are on our field, and nearly
20, 000, coo of the 55,000,000 of the population
of the Union. Including Mexico. Central
America, Cuba, Hayti, San Domingo and
the other islands of tlie Antilles, we have nt
our home field 34# millions of people.
Of the 1,305 Baptist Associations uf’the
United States, 844 are on the field of our
Convention. Of the 29,000 churches, ive
have 22,000 on our field. Of the 16,000
ministers, we have nearly 12,000 on our field.
Of tlie 2,572,000 members, we have over
1,800,000 (800,000 of these are colored) or
228,000 more white Baptists than there are
in the North.
Our 22,000 Baptists churches South gave
in 1885, for Home and Foreign Missions,
about £230,000, while our Northern churches
gave over £Soo,oco! Of the aggregate con¬
tributions of the Baptists of the United
States in 1SS5, over £7,114,000, there was
raised by our churches South £1,643,000 — or
about 90 cents per member.
Of the 125 Baptist institutions of learning
in this country, 78, or 62# per cent are in
the South. Ofthe 91 religious periodicals
published by Baptists in the United States
and Canada, 46, or a fraction over 50 per
cent, are in the South.
Of the 136,000 baptisms reported byou._
churches in tlie United States in 1885, over£
100,000 were on the field of our Convention ‘
Of the 3S3 Baptist churches organized in
1885 in the United States, 229 were on our
Southern field ; while of the 226 meeting
houses erected, but 89 were on our field.
What a field 1 What a power for God the
Baptists of the South might be 1 God help
us to be all we can be!
s
i
1
r
An old and useful missionary of our
Board, Rev. A. B. Cabaniss, thus speaks, in
the Western Recorder, of matters concerning
whicli lie is fully informed :
But few people at home are aware of the
magnitude of the work in which our
Foreign Mission Boards are engaged. Our
Board at Richmond combines the work of
six or eight of our Home Boards. Here in
America we have our Bible societies, publi¬
cation societies, Sunday-school societies,
tract societies, education societies, church
extension societies, womanjs mission socie¬
ties, and foreign mission societies, with their
separate boards and separate collections.
Now our one Foreign Board nt Richmond
has to carry on the work of all these boards
in the foreign field, if they can get the
means. That the work of all these societies
is more needed in tlie foreign field than in
the home field, no well-informed .Christian
can doubt. Let all our people rimember
hereafter, when they are making their con¬
tributions to our Foreign Board, that they
are giving for the work of five or six boards
nt once. Do not be surprised, then, if your
pastor should tell you that lie thought' you
ought to make a laTger contribution for tlie
Foreign Board than to nny board at home ;
and by this he does not wish you to give less
for the Home Board, but more for the
Foreign, which covers so mudi larger field
of work in its different departments.
The call for the education of our heathen
converts, and the theological training of our
young preachers in heathen lands, is an im¬
perative necessity, if we wish to make them
intelligent Christians, capable of elevating
their heathen neighbors. Again, this edu¬
cational training will prevent their mixing
heathen rites and ceremonies with their
Christian services. Ignorance is not the
mother of devotion, but of many supersti¬
tious errors into which many of the apos¬
tolic churches fell. /-«J
