THE FOREIGN COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF MISSIONS TO THE CLERGY OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 23 BIBLE HOUSE, JT ew York. January lo^ iSyd. Deab Brethren : TliG embarrassed, condition of affairs in the Foreign Depart- ment, already made known to the Church, has enlisted the most deliberate consideration on the part of the Committee ihat the facts pertaining thereto might be put in order and dis- tinctly presented, a special Committee was recently appointed who repmded on the whole subject of the condition and work of the Committee. That Beport was adopted, and it was ordered mat portions of it be put in the form of a Circular and sent to the Clergy. Ifc is given below. Faithfully yours, SAM’L D. DENISON, Secretary and OenR Agent pro-tern. REPORT. The Committee to whom it was referred to consider and report upon the condition and work of the Foreign Committee, beg leave to present the result of their deliberations under the following heads. 1. The financial Condition . — We find that the cash receipts for last year— the year closing with September — were $89,724.74, while the cash disbursements were $106,198.76, showing an excess of pay- ments over receipts of $16,474.02. This excess added to $16,231.46 the excess of payments over I’eceijits for the preceding year, makes an aggregate of indebtedness at the commencement of the present 2 financial year of $32,705.48. Ordinarily a moderate arrearage on the first of January has occasioned no anxiety, as the receipts by the first of June have removed it, leaving a balance in the Treasury. But when for two years and more the expenses of the Committee have exceeded its income at the rate of over $16,000 per annum, it is made painfully evident that the financial condition of the Com- mittee claims special attention. The Church has devolved upon the Foreign Committee the responsibility of administering the affairs of its Foreign Missions. But in the discharge of this responsibility, we think the Foreign Committee should not, as a rule embarrass itself, or those whom they represent, by debt. The Committee are but Trustees, to use to the best of their ability, such funds as may be intrusted to them. We therefore recommend that it be made a special and primary object with the Committee to free itself at the earliest practicable moment of its pecuniary indebtedness. 2. Prohahle Receipts for the present Year . — It is not possible to estimate with exactness, in advance, what the receipts of the Com- mittee may be, but we may approximate it. During the last }^ear the cash receipts were as follows : From 946 contributing parishes (being less than one-third of the whole number) $66,066.35, or an average of $69.83 from each contributing parish. From individuals, $8,369.26. From legacies, $8,616.05. From interest, $6,673.08. Total, $89,724.74. There was also given to the Committee to be held in trust forty-two shares of Railroad and 'Canal stock, face value, $4,200. Estimated value, $5,695. Judging from the receipts during the quarter ending with the month of December, we may reasonably hope that the receipts from the Churches will not fall below those of last year. Special gifts from individuals, also legacies, are so fluctuating and uncertain that we can hardly approximate any particular amount, but we think as much will be received from these sources this year as last. In a word, we think the Committee will realize during the year a sum equal to that of last year — say in cash, about $90,000. Upon more than this we do not think it will be safe to depend. I B 3 We pass in the third place to consider 3. The Prohahle Expeoises for the Present Year . — Here again we can only make an estimate. Were the Foreign Committee free to arrange from month to month its expenditures, according to its receipts, there would be but little difficulty. But this cannot be. The work being in distant, and for the most part, heathen lands, it is absolutely necessary to make the estimates a year in advance. Then again, the laborers in the field have to be entirely supported by the Committee, they have no other resources. Owing to the distance of these fields, and the difficulties of exchange, the Com- mittee must arrange to make its remittances at least a quarter in advance. Besides this, the Committee of one year receives from the Committee of the preceding year the scale of work and expenses which then existed. To diminish this scale by recalling Missionaries would not only break up the work, but for a year at least, involve expenses as great as to continue the laborers in the field. These circumstances show the difficulties' in which the Com- mittee are placed, and the imperative need of ample and reliable resources. The estimates made at the beginning of the year have been care- fully revised, and according to our best judgment, the amount required for the year will be about $87,028. Add arrearage at the beginning of the year $32,705 and we have the sum of $119,733 to be provided for. From the foregoing it is evident that one of three things must be done. The receipts must be largely increased ; or the expenses be largely diminished ; or the debt must be enlarged. 4. The Future Policy to he Pursued . — While the embarrassments of the Committee continue we do not think it will be right to send out new laborers, or even to supply the places of those who may be providentially removed, nor to incur any additional expenses, except in cases of absolute necessity. While rigidly adhering to the rule here suggested, we should deprecate the recalling, unless as a last resort, of any of the laborers now in the field. W^e trust the Com- 4 mittee and the Church will be spared so great a grief and humilia- tion. But this rests with the Church rather than with the Com- mittee. 5. The Relations of the Gommittee to the Church generally, and to the Church's worh in the Foreign field. It is well that these relations be better understood than they seem to have been. The Committee is but the agent of the Church, chosen and commis- sioned to superintend and carry on a certain part of its work. This it does under general, and sometimes specific instructions ; but never does it sever its connection with the body whose agent it is, and never is its work any other than that of the whole Church. The Committee therefore has the right to expect the sympathy and co-operation of the whole Church, and not of a fraction of it, as has been the case. The fact that only about one-third of all the parishes of the Church have contributed at all during the past year to the Foreign work, betrays a want of confidence or interest which is exceedingly depressing and discour- aging. If this state of things arise from a want of confidence in the Committee, then it would be better for others to take their place ; if it be from a want of interest, then we should deplore it and do all we can to remedy it. But to keep a body of brethren in the responsible position of the Foreign Committee and expect them to carry on the work of the Church in its most difficult department, when the Church withholds the means of doing so, is not only un- Christlike but cruel. 6. Method of Collecting Funds . — Hitherto it has been the custom of the Foreign, as well as of the Domestic Committee to take a large and active part in the collection of funds for Missionary purposes so that it has come to be expected that these Committees will send their Secretaries and Agents through the Churches to preach, make addresses, and take up collections, and it not unfrequently happens that where such visits are not made no collections are made. It also happens, that if at the time fixed the weather be inclement, the amount received is much less than it otherwise would have 5 been. But this amount, whatever it may be, is permitted to repre- sent as it were the Missionary zeal and liberality of that parish. Again it results under this method that only the larger and stronger parishes are visited, for it will not pay to visit the smaller and weaker ones, and yet the one class need the Missionary spirit just as much as the other, and the mites of the poor aud the weak are just as necessary for the well being of the whole Church as the larger sums of the rich. In a word, the present system is unequal, partial, and uncertain. It restricts the privilege or duty of giving to the few, instead of distributing it among all. It discriminates in favor of those who least need its help, and leaves the others, in a measure uncared for, and it is exceedingly irregular in its operations. But perhaps the most serious objection to it is the fact that it practi- cally devolves upon the Committee a responsibility which belongs to the parochial clergy. The rector of the parish is its head ; he is the pastor of the flock. While he preaches and ministers the gospel to them, it is for him above all others to keep them well informed of the progress and wants of the Saviour’s kingdom on earth, and see that their alms and offerings are systematical!}^ gathered, and as systematically distributed among the various objects which need their help. But this is not an incidental work, depending upon the weather, or the visit of some stranger, but is an indispensable part of the daily care and teaching of the faithful minister of Christ. Under God it will depend on him whether His people are well informed and active in the Missionary cause or not. Let this idea but gain the ascendency, and not only will all outside collecting agencies disappear, as unnecessary, but the parishes, great and small throughout the land, will soon be found in harmonious aud active co-operation in the work of the Church at home and abroad. Such a system would relieve the Committee of the large expense of collecting agencies, and of a most oppressive burden. It would be their pleasure and their duty to give their best energies to the proper administration of their work abroad, and to keep the whole Church promptly and regularly supplied with such information 6 from the various mission fields as would quicken and encourage a Missionary spirit among the people. This plan would secure a far more certain, regular, and growing income to the Treasury, and enable the Committee to act with greater promptness and independence than they can do under the present system. With the example of the great Missionary organizations in Great Britain, and of some in this country, we do not feel that a change in the policy of the Committee in this respect, would be a doubtful experiment, but a great and lasting gain. We would therefore recommend that the Foreign Committee take early measures to effect this important and most desirable change. To this end it is suggested that a circular letter be sent to the Bishops and Rectors throughout the Church asking for their co-op- eration. Let it be distinctly understood that henceforth the respon- sibility of collecting funds would rest upon the Rectors and not upon the Committee, and we believe the result will be encouraging and happy in every respect. The Committee cannot close their report without alluding to another matter. By the Constitution of the Board of Missions the world is made the Missionary field of our Church. This field is divided into two parts — and two only — the Domestic and the Foreign. The Do- mestic Field embraces the work within the limits of the United States; and the Foreign the work without those limits. By this arrangement the Missionary work of the Church was kept before the people in its two great departments — the Domestic and the Foreign. But in the changes which have taken place by reason of the organization of separate commissions for the Indian work, and for the work among the Colored people, the Foreign department has been placed at a great relative disadvantage. These commis- sions have complete organizations of their own, and go before the Churches with their special appeals in behalf of their special work, and yet they are hut departments in the Domestic Field. The prac- 7 tical result is — the Domestic department has three hearings before the Churches where the Foreign work has but one. At the meet- ings of the Board of Missions, and at Delegate Meetings the collec- tions are not, as formerly, divided equally between the Domestic and Foreign departments, but they are distributed in equal portions among the four Committees — the Domestic, the Indian, the Col- ored and the Foreign, so that the Foreign department receives but one quarter, while the Domestic department receives three quarters of the amount. This inequality we think is unjust, and cannot but work a great wrong to one part of our common Missionary work. It is to be hoped that the Board will at an early day restore its Foreign department to the equality with the Domestic department which the Constitution secures to it, and which it formerly had. In the meanwliile an earnest appeal is made to brethren throughout the Church to render such prompt and efficient aid to our Foreign Mis- sions as their embarrassed circumstances require. • > ' h- K.AV ■ I •’ ■ T . . ■• ^-, i . y ' J '*> .t. -• \ ■ f ■■■.'■. A.- -V ,'i ■'. ^;V ■■ % ••••V > j r’' ■ >’!- • ' ^ - • ■ ■ ■ , 1.>1- ■ \ -. . s'.-^ • * ...\ vV' -■• . ?, »'.'.v?’A.^ Vi 'v; v- r;^ t>j' ' ^ ’i .►. •'••“ * • "-'vl -v •■ ', ■r ,■?< • .• - '■.'.'>'•■■■ mm