The American Board I a raat lite “2s WOM oer TEFEN What It Is. 4 How It Works. * Where It Works. The Forces at Work. 1913-1914 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS, 14 BEACON STREET, BOSTON, MASS. ~~ ~ The American Board WHAT IT IS T is the oldest foreign mission- ary society in America, having been organized June 29, 1810, at Brad- ford, Mass., during the session of the General Association of Massachusetts. Its charter was received from the General Court of Massachusetts in 1812. Its object, as stated in its char- ter, was “for the purpose of propa- gating the gospel in heathen lands by supporting missionaries and advanc- ing the knowledge of the Holy Scrip- tures.” From the beginning it sought the co-operation of all Christians, without distinction of sect, who de- sired “to propagate the gospel among the unevangelized nations.” This un- denominational character has been maintained through the century of its life. During the century various re- ligious denominations have with- drawn from its support, believing they could labor for the same great object more efficiently through de- nominational boards, but the Amer- ican Board, still receiving support from churches and individuals of 9 © different names, is in the main sup- ported by Congregationalists. HOW IT WORKS The Board is composed of Corpo- rate Members; at the beginning the number was nine, but there has been a gradual increase until in 1914 the number is 380. These Corporate Members are elected by the Board it- self, but in recent years, in large de- gree, on nomination of State or local Conferences in the different States of the Union. After 1915, the members of the National Council will become members of the Board, in place of those now nominated by ecclesiastical bodies. A Prudential Committee of twelve members, of which the President and Vice-President of the Board are e-+- officio members, is chosen to conduct the affairs of the Board during the interim between the annual meetings. This Committee meets at the Rooms of the Board in Boston, usually week- ly, directs the conduct of the mission- ary work, appoints missionaries, and designates fields of operation, seeks to secure funds for the support of its work, and appropriates the same. Three Corresponding Secretaries, for 3 the Home and Foreign Departments, are appointed, and one Editorial Sec- retary. These officers, with two As- sociate Secretaries and the Treasurer, meet with the Prudential Committee, but have no vote The Prudential Committee also ap- points district secretaries for the In- terior and Pacific Districts, at Chicago and San Francisco, and assistants in the Home and Foreign Departments. One of the General Secretaries of the Board is now located in New York and has special charge of the Middle District in addition to participating in the general administration of the Board. In close co-operaton with the American Board are three Woman’s Boards, each having a separate or- ganization, and directing their efforts in behalf of women and children. The missionaries they adopt receive appointment from the American Board, and their appropriations pass through the Board’s treasury. Their united contributions for the year 1912-13 amounted to over $294,694. The cost of the work, involving the maintenance of over 600 mis- sionaries; grants, for native Christian laborers, numbering about 5,000; 4 grants for schools, colleges, hospitals, industrial work, etc., together with the work at home, called for an expendi- ture of $1,055,921.71 in the year 1912-13. The total cost of collecting these funds and the support of offi- cers, agents of all kinds, publications, correspondence, and all home ex- penses was eight and one-half per cent. WHERE IT WORKS The American Board has twenty missions, of which three are in Africa, four in Turkey, three in India and Ceylon, four in China, one each in Japan, the Philippines, Micronesia, Mexico, Spain and Austria. The principal statistics of each of these missions are given here, arranged in the order of their establishment. 1. Marathi, in Western India, 1813. Stations, 9; out-stations, 144; mis- sionaries, 45; native helpers, 436; churches, 60, with 7,699 members, 382 added last year; pupils under in- struction, 6,905. 2. Ceylon, 1816. Stations, 6; out- stations, 23; missionaries, 15; native helpers, 486; churches, 21, with 2,170 members, 109 added last year; pupils under instruction, I1,294. o 3. Western Turkey, 1819. Sta- tions, 6; out-stations, 97; mission- aries, 74; native helpers, 450; church- es, 44, with 4,384 members, 175 added last year; pupils under instruction, 9,427. 4. Madura, in Southern India, 1834. Stations, 10; outstations, 353; missionaries, 44; native helpers, 798; churches, 35, with 7,610 members, 395 added last year; pupils under instruc- tion, 12,615. 5. Zulu Branch, South Africa Mission, 1835. Stations, 10; out-sta- tions, 90; missionaries, 26; native helpers, 645; churches, 26, with 6,307 members, 560 added last year; pupils under instruction, 5,491. 6. Eastern Turkey, 1836. Stations, 53; out-stations, 95; missionaries, 47; native helpers, 352, churches, 51, with 3,098 members, 143 added last year; pupils under instruction, 7,563. 7. Foochow, in Southeastern China, 1847. Stations, 5; out-stations, 98; missionaries, 46; native helpers, 302; churches, 73, with 2,616 members, 355 added last year; pupils under instruc- tion, 2,753. 8. Central Turkey, 1847. Stations, 6; out-stations, 61; missionaries, 39; native helpers, 362; churches, 37, with 6,835 members, 157 added last year; pupils under instruction, 7,478. Micronesia, in the Caroline, Gilbert, Marshall and Mariana groups, 6 1852. Stations, 5; out-stations, 38; missionaries, II; native helpers, Ior; churches, 36, with 5,126 members, 554 added last.year; pupils under instruc- tion, 2,500. (Last year’s figures. ) 10. North China, 1854. Stations, 7; out-stations, 89, missionaries, 68; native helpers, 250; churches, 11, with 4,355 members, 335 added last year; pupils under instruction, 1,947. 11. European Turkey, 1859. Sta- tions, 6; out-stations, 52; mission- aries, 33 native mi helpers yoo 5 churches, 21, with 1,640 members, 126 added last year; pupils under in- struction, 788. (Last year’s figures. ) 120 e)apan, 1 OOO mn otations ater out-stations, 55; missionaries, 66; and, including statistics of Kumi-ai churches, 152, with 21,170 members, and 410 added last year; Japanese laborers, 149; pupils under instruc- tion, 2,050. 13M Opal 16724 taG Ol ties Ota stations, I5; missionaries, 5; native helpers, 28; churches, 8, with 247 members, 44 added last year; pupils under instruction, 891. TARA eXICOs 1G 72 sa LALiOnsas 4 out-stations, 52; missionaries, 12; na- tive helpers, 24; churches, 14, with 1,156 members, 36 added last year; pupils under instruction, 650. (Last year’s figures. ) TS sUiStlid lOc eum OLation, il, df out-stations, 66; missionaries, 4; na- tive helpers, 32; churches, 27, with 2,065 members, 109 added last year. 16. West Central Africa, 1880. Stations, 5; out-stations, 32; mission- aries, 31; native helpers, 231; church- es, 5, with 948 members, 146 added last year; pupils under instruction 4,327. 17. Shansi, in Northwestern Chi- na, 1882. Stations, 2; out-stations, 16; missionaries, 18; native helpers, 89; churches, 2, with 386 members; pupils under instruction, 585. 18. South China, 1883. Stations, 1; out-stations, 41; missionaries, 7; native helpers, 118; churches, 3, with 5,000 members, 365 added last year; pupils under instruction, 659. 19. Rhodesian Branch, South Af- rica Mission, 1893. Stations, 2; out- stations, 5; missionaries, 18; native helpers, 24; churches, 2, with 236 members, added last year, 6; pupils under instruction, 489. 20. Philippine Islands, 1903. One station at Davao, Island of Minda- nao; ott-stations, 12; missionaries, 4; native laborers, 10; churches, 1, with 104 members, 11 added last year; pu- pils under instruction, 239. In these 20 missions there are now 104 stations, at which missionaries reside, and 1,434 out-stations, where regular work is maintained, under the 8 supervision of the missionaries, but in the immediate care of native labor- ers, ordained and unordained. THE FORCES AT WORK The total number of American mis- sionaries connected with these 20 mis- sions is 613, of whom 169 are or- dained, 192 wives of missionaries, and 206 unmarried women. Of the total number 47 are physicians. The native force working with our missionaries is over eight fold larger, namely, 4,993. Of these natives, 312 are or- dained, 565 preachers wunordained, 2,722 teachers, and 1,388 are laborers in other forms of Christian activity. The Churches. There are now 629 churches, connected with which are 83,152 communicants, of whom 3,990 were added by confession the past year. The number of adherents in connection with these churches is in- completely given as 193,742. Statis- tics, also incomplete, report 1,269 Sunday-schools, with over 74,100 scholars. The Schools. It is in the training of the young who can become preach- ers, teachers, and laborers for Christ in all lines, that the hope of the mis- sionary work lies. In the missions of the Board there are 1,503 schools of all grades, having under instruction 78,051 students. Of these schools, 14 9 are theological and training schools and 148 are colleges, boarding, or high schools. Over 15,000 of the pu- pils are in schools of higher grade, and from among their number are coming many most efficient Christian laborers. Medical Work. The 47 medical missionaries of the Board, 13 of whom are women, are doing a wide human- itarian work closely identified with the preaching of the gospel—maintaining 27 hospitals, 44 dispensaries, etc.— reaching annually over 350,000 pa- tients, and thus most effectively pre- senting the gospel of the Great Phy- sician to people who are quick to re- ceive their beneficent ministrations. Christian Literature. The Board’s missionaries are engaged in giving to the people of different lands a pure Christian literature. Millions of pages are sent out each year, carrying the Word of Life in the languages of the different countries where work is done. The Industrial Department. More and more is it felt that in connection with the schools there is need of train- ing the hand and eye as well as the head and the heart, and in the line of self-help, as well as for the best devel- opment of the pupils, industrial train- ing is now introduced in many of the schools. In this way many pupils are 10 largely supporting themselves, while they are being prepared for Christian service. THE DEPARTMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE With over three thousand Christian Endeavor Societies and over six thou- sand Sunday-schools to reach, this de- partment has a large field. Two dis- tinct methods are being pushed. The first is Missionary EDUCATION. The emphasis of the year is placed upon missionary education in the Sun- day-school, and plans will be sent up- on application to superintendents and teachers for this great work of the church. Wherever the matter can be enthusiastically presented to Sunday- school classes the interest is genuine and deep. ‘“Five-Missionary-Minutes- a-Sunday,” is the new method of pre- senting brief exercises. Attractive courses in mission study have been prepared for the young people of the Endeavor Societies and the Sunday- school. Supplemental helps in the way of instruction to leaders, charts, maps, etc., are supplied for all courses. We have special programs on our great missionary heroes and on our varied fields, ready for use. Up-to- date pamphlets are being issued to make the missionary enterprise vital 11 and interesting to the young people of the new generation. Leaders of young people should be in touch with the department. The second great method is THE STATION PLAN. The result of mis- sionary instruction should be mission- ary giving, and missionary giving among young people can be greatly increased by having definite work on the field. Tue Station PLAN MEANS Your Own Worx Asroap. Share- holders receive an engraved certificate for the wall and four report letters a year from the Station chosen. The personal touch with both the work and the workers has stirred new interest among the shareholders who num- ber nearly one thousand. Let us help you introduce this plan. * Send Contributions to Frank H. Wiggin, Treasmrer, 14 Beacon St., Boston, Mass. Literature and leaflets of the American Board may be had by addressing: Joun G. Hosmer, Congregational House, 14 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. Or at the District Offices: Rev. Epwarp Lincotn SmitrH, D. D., 287 4th Avenue, New York City. RewrA. NeW HircHcock,) DY D429) So. La Salle Street, Chicago, Ill. Rev. H. Mervirte Tenney, D. D., Lachman Bldg., Fremont and Market Sts., San Knancisco,,Gale 12