Foreign 
 
 Missionary 
 
 Manual 
 
 OF THE DEPARTMENT 
 OF WOMAN'S WORK 
 BOARD OF MISSIONS 
 METHODIST EPISCO¬ 
 PAL CHURCH, SOUTH 
 
 LAMBUTH BUILDING 
 NASHVILLE, TENN. 
 
Foreign 
 
 Missionary Manual 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Department of Woman’s Work 
 
 BOARD OF MISSIONS 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church 
 South 
 
 LAMBUTH BUILDING 
 
 NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 This Manual has been prepared by the Woman’s 
 Department of the Board of Missions for the guidance 
 of its missionaries and the Secretaries in charge of 
 administrative work. It has been compiled in response 
 to repeated requests for such a statement, but especially 
 in fulfillment of the by-law of the Board of Missions 
 passed in 1924 requiring each department of the Board 
 to provide such a handbook. 
 
 The material in the Manual is not new, except in a 
 very few instances where action covering the case was 
 taken at the last meeting of the Board, but is rather a 
 collaboration of former regulations published in min¬ 
 utes, annual reports, leaflets, by-laws of the Board, 
 and methods of procedure, tested by long years of ex¬ 
 perience in the offices of the Administrative Secretaries 
 of the Board. Such a volume affords a guide to ad¬ 
 ministrative procedure, and each missionary should, 
 therefore, study it and keep it for reference. Changes 
 will be necessary from time to time, and so revisions are 
 contemplated. 
 
 The missionary enterprise is a joint enterprise of 
 Board and missionaries, and the interests of one concern 
 the other. To the preparation of the Manual, therefore, 
 there has been given a great deal of thought and prayer, 
 with the hope that the burden of the missionary enter¬ 
 prise may be placed equally on Board and missionaries. 
 The Manual is not a form of contract, but a guide to 
 action which, it is hoped, will promote efficiency and 
 make for the mutual understanding of our common 
 task. It is with this prayer that this first issue is sent 
 forth. 
 
 1 * 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/foreignmissionarOOmeth 
 
Foreign Missionary Manual 
 
 PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BY¬ 
 LAWS OF THE BOARD OF MISSIONS BEAR¬ 
 ING UPON THE ADMINISTRATION OF 
 WOMAN’S WORK 
 
 Provision is made for the administration of Woman’s 
 Work on foreign fields in the following articles from the 
 Discipline of the Church and the by-laws of the Board 
 of Missions: 
 
 Discipline, Paragraph 471, Article I 
 
 “The missionary operations of the Methodist Episco¬ 
 pal Church, South, formerly administered under the 
 Board of Missions, the Woman’s Foreign Missionary 
 Society, and the Woman’s Home Mission Society, shall 
 hereafter be administered by a Board of Missions, 
 which shall have charge of all foreign missions of the 
 Church, and of such missions in the home fields as are 
 not provided for by the Annual Conferences. The Board 
 shall carry on its operations under three departments— 
 namely: Foreign Work, Home Work, and Woman’s 
 Work.” 
 
 Discipline, Paragraph 478, Article VIII 
 
 “The Department of Woman's Work shall administer 
 the missionary work of the Church in the United States 
 and in foreign fields, primarily for women and children, 
 formerly administered by the Board of Missions, 
 Woman’s Work, and the Woman’s Missionary Council. 
 This department shall consist of the women members 
 of the Board and the Secretaries of the Department of 
 Woman’s Work, who shall constitute a standing com¬ 
 mittee of the Board. The department shall develop 
 plans and policies to be put into effect through the 
 action of the Board. The department shall conduct its 
 
6 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 work in two sections—namely, the Section of Home 
 Work and the Section of Foreign Work. 
 
 “ (a) The Section of Foreign Missions, Woman’s 
 Work, shall administer the work primarily for women 
 and children in foreign lands, and such other work as 
 shall be hereafter developed under these provisions, 
 the funds appropriated for this work, and shall direct 
 the missionaries of the Board of Missions in foreign 
 fields supported by the Department of Woman’s Work, 
 who shall be subject to appointment and general super¬ 
 vision by the bishop in charge. This department may 
 cooperate with other Boards and other Christian agen¬ 
 cies in the promotion and administration of cooperative 
 institutions and lines of work on the foreign fields. 
 The work of this section shall be administered by the 
 Foreign Administrative Secretaries of the Board of 
 Missions, Woman’s Work.” 
 
 By-Laws of Board of Missions, Section III, Com¬ 
 mittee of Woman’s Department 
 
 “1. The Committee of the Department of Woman’s 
 Work shall meet immediately after the adjournment 
 of General Conference and organize by electing a chair¬ 
 man and a secretary; these shall be elected by ballot 
 without nomination and shall continue in office through 
 the quadrennium. 
 
 “2. This committee shall meet immediately pre¬ 
 ceding the annual session of the Board of Missions. It 
 shall meet at such other times as itself shall determine, 
 provided there shall be at least two meetings during the 
 year. Meetings may be held at the call of the chairman 
 on request of five members. Ten days’ notice shall be 
 given for called meetings. A majority of the member¬ 
 ship of the committee shall constitute a quorum. 
 
 “3. The committee shall consider matters of policy 
 relating to the Home and Foreign Sections of the 
 Woman’s Work, giving such careful study to these 
 policies as will enable the department to furnish to the 
 Board such advice and recommendations as may be 
 needed to make the Woman’s Work of the Board most 
 effective, it being understood that in the administrative 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 7 
 
 direction of the office and work of deaconess it shall be a 
 committee with power. 
 
 “4. This committee shall recommend the assign¬ 
 ment of fields and the lines of work to be undertaken 
 by the women Administrative Secretaries of the Board. 
 
 “5. There shall be a Section Committee on Foreign 
 Work. 
 
 “ (1) This committee shall be elected quadrennially 
 by the department. The Chairman of the Department 
 of Woman’s Work, the President of the Woman’s 
 Missionary Council, and the Administrative Secretaries 
 of Foreign Work shall be members of this committee. 
 
 “ (2) This committee shall meet in connection with 
 the regular meetings of the Woman’s Department and 
 at such other times as the Administrative Secretaries 
 shall deem necessary. 
 
 “ (3) This committee shall consider items pertaining 
 to the work of the Foreign Section. It shall study 
 foreign policies, advise with the Administrative Secre¬ 
 taries, and make recommendations to the Department 
 of Woman’s Work.” 
 
 By-Laws of the Board of Missions, Section VIII 
 
 “Each department shall prepare a manual for its own 
 guidance and the guidance of its workers, provided said 
 manual shall be in harmony with the Constitution and 
 By-Laws of the Board.” 
 
 THE AIMS OF MISSIONARY WORK 
 
 The supreme objective of missionary work is to 
 bring individuals into fellowship with God through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord, and thus to lay the foundation 
 for the establishment of a Christian social order that 
 his kingdom may come and his will be done on earth 
 as it is in heaven. The aim includes also the establish¬ 
 ment and development of the Christian Church in 
 every land which shall be self-supporting and self- 
 propagating. Every form of missionary work would be 
 carried on in such a way as to make the largest possible 
 contribution to these supreme aims, 
 
 ^ ** 
 
8 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 FORMS OF WORK 
 
 The following are the approved forms of organized 
 missionary work for women and girls as carried on by 
 the women of our Church: 
 
 Evangelistic Work 
 
 While every phase of work in the mission field is 
 expected to make its definite contribution to evangelism, 
 certain types of work are for convenience classified 
 as distinctly evangelistic. There are at least three types 
 of such work that are being carried on by the women 
 missionaries. 
 
 1. District evangelistic work involves itineration of 
 a given area for the purpose of developing the work 
 for women and girls in the various Churches and of 
 opening new centers. It embraces the conduct of 
 Bible classes and institutes, the organization and super¬ 
 vision of Women’s Missionary Societies, including in 
 many cases the preparation of literature for the same, 
 the promotion of health and child welfare programs, 
 and the supervision of the work of the native Bible 
 women who, with the missionaries, compose the district 
 evangelistic staff. In some cases the district evangelistic 
 worker also supervises the country day schools. 
 
 2. City evangelistic work is carried on in connection 
 with large city Churches, definitely Institutional 
 Churches, and in social evangelistic centers for women 
 and girls. This work embraces every form of social 
 evangelistic activity that is approved in our own land. 
 In all evangelistic work, programs of religious education 
 for the development of Christian womanhood are em¬ 
 ployed. Evangelistic missionaries are constantly seek¬ 
 ing to develop Christian workers. 
 
 3. There are evangelistic workers who are developing 
 a distinct line of student work, involving the organiza¬ 
 tion of student volunteer bands in schools and colleges, 
 and the conduct of student volunteer conferences. 
 
 Educational Work 
 
 Educational processes are used in every line of work 
 even in the most distinctly evangelistic programs, 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 9 
 
 but there are certain forms which are preeminently 
 educational. This educational program for women and 
 girls embraces many schools carrying on strictly aca¬ 
 demic work. These schools are of various grades— 
 kindergarten, primary, grammar, high school, and 
 college—the latter being conducted as a rule in union 
 with other women’s boards. All our mission schools 
 emphasize English and music. In all fields this aca¬ 
 demic work is correlated into a system to prevent over¬ 
 lapping and to make for efficiency. There are also 
 provisions in every field for vocational training, such as 
 normal schools or departments for the training of 
 teachers, Bible schools or seminaries or departments for 
 the special training of Christian workers, and in some 
 fields even business schools or departments for the train¬ 
 ing of Christian business women. The Bible is taught 
 in all mission schools and is a part of the regular course. 
 
 Medical Work 
 
 Medical work has always been regarded as one of 
 the most Christlike forms of missionary endeavor. It 
 is one of the best ways of interpreting the real heart of 
 our gospel. In most mission fields there is a very great 
 call to alleviate human suffering and to help in the 
 training of native Christian doctors and nurses. The 
 following are the phases of medical work that are being 
 carried on: The establishment and support of a medical 
 school for women in one field and, in most of the mis¬ 
 sion fields, the support of nurse-training schools and 
 missionary nurses for the hospitals. In some fields the 
 women are cooperating with the General Department 
 of the Board and with other boards in the support of 
 hospitals. In connection with the social evangelistic 
 centers, dispensaries and baby welfare clinics are con¬ 
 ducted, and beginnings are being laid in public health 
 work. In all this a wonderful opportunity is given for 
 evangelistic effort. 
 
 Literary Work 
 
 More and more it is evident that one of the greatest 
 needs on the mission field is Christian literature. 
 
10 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Certain women who have manifested a special ability 
 along literary lines are devoting themselves entirely 
 to this work in three fields. This work embraces the 
 translation of books, especially biographies and chil¬ 
 dren’s stories; the writing of books and stories; the 
 creation and publication of children’s magazines, 
 tracts, and leaflets for the building up of Christian 
 life; the preparation of yearbooks and literature for the 
 use of Women’s Missionary Societies, including the 
 preparation of mission study books. 
 
 Associated with the missionaries are native young wom¬ 
 en who are being trained for leadership in literary work. 
 
 Industrial Work 
 
 In only one field thus far have we a separate indus¬ 
 trial school, but in almost all the fields there are self- 
 help departments in the schools where some form of 
 industrial work is carried on. The attempt is made 
 to relate this work to the need in the homes of the girls. 
 There is an urgent call for the development of this form 
 of missionary service, which requires a very specialized 
 form of training on the part of the missionaries. 
 
 Business 
 
 On most of the mission fields it is necessary to appoint 
 at least one worker, usually one of experience, who shall 
 serve as treasurer, official correspondent, and business 
 manager. These workers usually live in a port city. 
 They do the banking for the missionaries, keep the 
 financial records, arrange for sailings, and attend to 
 countless other matters. While serving primarily the 
 mission and the missionaries, their appointment is 
 regarded as distinctly missionary. 
 
 RELATION OF MISSIONARIES TO THE BOARD 
 
 OF MISSIONS 
 
 Acceptance and Status 
 
 When a foreign missionary candidate has been ac¬ 
 cepted by the Candidates Committee of the Board of 
 
Foreign missionary manual li 
 
 Missions, her official relationship as a missionary of the 
 Board begins. The definite assignment to field is made 
 by the Candidates Committee on the recommendation 
 of the Administrative Secretaries after conference with 
 the missionary. Plans for the use of the time interven¬ 
 ing between acceptance and sailing for the field should 
 be made in consultation with the Administrative 
 Secretary in charge of the field to which the missionary 
 is assigned. 
 
 Responsibility to the Board 
 
 Missionaries are not employees of the Board in the 
 ordinary sense. They are the Board of Missions in 
 action on the foreign fields. In the field and in the 
 homeland, the Board is judged by the work, the spir¬ 
 itual attitude, and the character of its missionaries. 
 Their devotion and efficient service bring honor to our 
 Lord and his cause, as well as to the Board they repre¬ 
 sent. Mistakes and imprudence reflect on the mission¬ 
 ary cause and on the Board. This remains true as long 
 as the missionaries bear relation to the Board and its 
 work, whether on the field or on furlough. 
 
 Obligation for Life Service 
 
 Missionaries are not required to sign a written con¬ 
 tract. There are, however, moral and financial obliga¬ 
 tions which should be regarded as binding on both 
 parties. While it is the understanding of the Board that 
 missionaries enter upon their work for life, circum¬ 
 stances may arise which would make this impossible. 
 Obligation to the Board should be considered so binding 
 as to delay a resignation for the purpose of marriage 
 until the close of a given term of service. Each time a 
 missionary goes to the field she shall be regarded as 
 going for a specified period of service unless prevented 
 by ill health. A missionary returning home before 
 the completion of her time of service shall bear the 
 expense of travel, except in case of her illness. Three 
 months’ notice shall be given of intention to withdraw 
 from service. 
 
12 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Recall 
 
 If a missionary evinces unfitness for the work through 
 inability to acquire the language, failure to adapt 
 herself to conditions on the field, inharmonious rela¬ 
 tions with her associates, or through any other condi¬ 
 tion that hinders her largest usefulness, she may be 
 recalled by the Board. In such cases expenses home 
 will be paid by the Board, and a temporary grant will 
 be made, provided that such aid shall cease when the 
 missionary enters remunerative employment, and that 
 in no case shall such aid exceed the regular furlough 
 allowance for six months from the date of her departure 
 from the field. 
 
 Resignation 
 
 If a resignation is necessary, it should take effect 
 at a furlough period. Missionaries who resign within 
 the first five years for any other cause than ill health 
 shall refund the amount paid for outfit and travel and 
 for missionary training, with a twenty-five per cent 
 deduction for each year of service after the second 
 year. A failure to recognize obligation for service 
 causes dissatisfaction on the part of the supporting 
 constituency. 
 
 Obligation for the Use of Time 
 
 The time and labor of missionaries should be devoted 
 exclusively to the interests of the Board and the 
 mission with which they are connected. They may 
 not receive compensation other than their missionary 
 allowance for any work unless specifically authorized. 
 Special remuneration for work shall accrue to the 
 treasury of the institution with which the missionary is 
 connected or to the Contingent Fund of the Mission. 
 The work of translating and preparing religious and 
 educational books should not be undertaken by indi¬ 
 viduals without authorization of the Board, upon the 
 recommendation of the Mission or the missionaries in 
 annual meeting. 
 
Foreign missionary manual 
 
 13 
 
 SALARY 
 
 Amount 
 
 Missionaries shall receive $750 for the first year of 
 service on the field, except in the Japan, Korea, and 
 Siberia Missions, where the salary for the first year 
 shall be $850. After the first year, the salary of mis¬ 
 sionaries shall be $900, except in Japan, Korea, and 
 Siberia, it shall be $1,000. In all cases furlough salary 
 shall be $900. In case of appointment to union institu¬ 
 tions, salaries shall conform to the regulations of the 
 institutions. The salary of new missionaries shall begin 
 with the date of sailing. All salaries of missionaries 
 shall be paid quarterly in advance. 
 
 Perquisites 
 
 The Board provides the home or room on the field 
 with heat, light, and heavy furniture, in addition to 
 salary. The missionaries pay their own board and 
 other living expenses. 
 
 OUTFITS AND REFITS 
 
 Outfits 
 
 The Board shall provide a fund for the outfit of each 
 new missionary. The amount allowed to all fields shall 
 be $250, except that in the case of the Congo Mission 
 and the Siberia Mission the amount shall be $350. 
 Medical missionaries shall receive the same personal 
 outfit as other missionaries. No fixed rule can be 
 made for medical outfits, since conditions vary in the 
 different missions. Surgical and medical outfits pro¬ 
 vided by the Board, in case of the retirement of the 
 missionary, shall be turned over to the Mission in 
 accordance with instructions from the Board. Outfit 
 allowances shall be available in time to make necessary 
 purchases before sailing and should be invested by 
 each missionary in conformity with instructions from 
 the Administrative Secretary, setting forth the special 
 demands of the field to which she is appointed. It is 
 the policy of the Board to keep missionary homes pro¬ 
 vided with heavy furniture, so that new missionaries 
 need not take furniture with them to the field. 
 
14 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Refits 
 
 After each full term of service, a refit of $150 shall 
 be granted when the return of the missionary to the 
 field is authorized. Missionaries who have served only 
 a part of a term are not entitled to a refit allowance. 
 
 TRAVEL 
 
 General Regulations 
 
 Traveling expenses to and from the field shall be 
 provided by the Board. The Board will make steam¬ 
 ship arrangements to the field, and the missionaries shall 
 make arrangements for their return from the field. 
 Funds for return travel will be sent in advance to the 
 field. The Board defrays expenses of railroad and 
 steamship travel only by the most direct route and the 
 most economical steamship accommodations consistent 
 with health and comfort. If a missionary prefers to 
 travel on a more expensive scale, the difference should 
 be met personally. Expenses caused by delay en 
 route, unless required by health or otherwise un¬ 
 avoidable, are not to be charged to the Board. Travel 
 expenses cover railroad ticket, Pullman fare, meals, 
 baggage and personal transfer, excess baggage, passport 
 fees and vises, necessary hotel bills, official telegrams, 
 moderate tips on the steamships, and for other necessary 
 service. 
 
 Clergy Permits 
 
 When a missionary has been accepted by the Board 
 and given a field assignment, the Administrative Sec¬ 
 retary will supply her with blanks and certificates with 
 which to make application for clergy permits. In no 
 case should any missionary make application to one of 
 the Clergy Bureaus without having secured first a 
 certificate from the Administrative Secretary which 
 shall identify her as a duly accredited missionary under 
 the Board of Missions, with salary and definite ap¬ 
 pointment. The Board will furnish the fee for the 
 permits for new missionaries and missionaries on fur¬ 
 lough as an item of travel expense. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 15 
 
 The Administrative Secretary will send application 
 blanks to the field for the use of missionaries expecting 
 to return to the homeland. These blanks should be 
 filled promptly and returned to the Secretary. In 
 filling out the blanks, the sections for indorsement of 
 railroad agent and clergyman should be left vacant, 
 and the permit should be ordered sent to Nashville, in 
 care of the Administrative Secretary. If the permits 
 are issued by the Clergy Bureaus in time, the Secretary 
 will forward them to the field. Otherwise, they will be 
 sent to the missionary at the port of landing, in care 
 of the steamship company. It is very important, 
 therefore, that the Secretary be notified in advance 
 (by cable if necessary) of the name of the steamer and 
 the approximate date of arrival. 
 
 In the event of a missionary’s coming home on short 
 notice, the Secretary should be advised by cable 
 of the name of the steamer and port of landing, so 
 that a missionary certificate may be sent in care of the 
 steamship company, by means of which it may be 
 possible for her to secure clergy rates. 
 
 A missionary arriving at port without a clergy permit 
 should inquire at the city steamship office for her mail, 
 in case she should not have received the permit or 
 certificate in the mail delivered on the steamer. 
 
 No missionary should purchase at Board expense a 
 railroad ticket at full fare without permission from 
 the Nashville office. By means of such cooperation, a 
 great economy may be effected in furlough travel. 
 
 In case a missionary should sever her connection 
 with the Board before the expiration of her clergy 
 permit, she should return it to the Administrative 
 Secretary. 
 
 Passports 
 
 The regulations regarding passports issued by the 
 United States change frequently; therefore, it would be 
 useless to give instructions in detail. At the present 
 time (1925) passports are required by the government, 
 or are deemed essential by the Board, to all fields in 
 which our Church has work except to Mexico and 
 
16 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Cuba. The Administrative Secretary will give to the 
 missionaries all necessary instructions and send proper 
 forms and credentials for making application for pass¬ 
 ports. The fee charged by the United States for pass¬ 
 ports and the cost of passport pictures and consular 
 vises will be considered as items of travel expense. The 
 matter of securing a passport should be taken up with 
 the Secretary not later than six weeks before sailing. 
 A birth certificate is required of each person who makes 
 application for a passport. In order to avoid unneces¬ 
 sary delay, the missionary should secure her birth 
 certificate as soon as possible after she has been accepted 
 by the Board. It is well to have several copies of the 
 birth certificate, or to have a number of certified copies 
 made for future use. 
 
 Baggage Allowance 
 
 The usual baggage allowance granted by steamship 
 companies is three hundred and fifty pounds. If the 
 order for the steamship ticket is presented when pur¬ 
 chasing the railroad ticket to port, the same allowance 
 can usually be secured from the railroad company by 
 missionaries to Oriental fields. Excess baggage not to 
 exceed one hundred pounds will be allowed by the Board 
 as an item of travel expense. 
 
 Report of Expenses 
 
 Forms for reporting travel expenses are furnished 
 by the Secretary, and report of expenses of both out¬ 
 going and incoming trips should be made to the Ad¬ 
 ministrative Secretary immediately upon arrival. Any 
 adjustment of travel balances or deficits will be made 
 when the salary next due shall be payable, unless other¬ 
 wise designated by the Secretary. 
 
 MEDICAL ALLOWANCE 
 
 Purpose 
 
 It is the desire and purpose of the Board to conserve 
 the health of its missionaries, as far as it is able, by 
 providing healthful living conditions and meeting the 
 expenses o ' medical examinations annually. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 17 
 
 Medical Fund 
 
 An allowance of four per cent of the total salary- 
 appropriation of each field is granted as a medical fund 
 for the missionaries of that field to cover the cost of 
 medical examinations, necessary travel for medical 
 care and examinations, and to aid in cases of sickness of 
 missionaries either on the field or on furlough. This 
 fund shall be sent quarterly to the treasurer of the field, 
 to be administered according to the policy indorsed by 
 the Board for that Mission, it being understood that 
 in cases of illness of missionaries on furlough the 
 amounts granted to them shall be deducted from the 
 quarterly allowance due the field. In the event there is 
 no field treasurer, the amounts granted to missionaries 
 in case of illness shall be sent to them individually. 
 In view of the free treatment received in mission 
 hospitals in various fields and the courtesies extended 
 to missionaries by many of the best surgeons and hos¬ 
 pitals in the United States, it is expected that the medi¬ 
 cal appropriation will be sufficient to meet the needs 
 of all who may have a claim upon it. Dentists’ bills 
 and bills for glasses are not chargeable to this fund. 
 Such expenses are met personally by the missionaries. 
 
 Medical Examinations 
 
 Each missionary is required to have an annual 
 medical examination, the report of which shall be sent 
 to the Administrative Secretary. Missionaries return¬ 
 ing on furlough shall bring a physician’s report of their 
 physical condition, which shall be accompanied by a 
 translation when written in a foreign language. Upon 
 reaching the homeland, after consultation with the 
 Secretary, missionaries shall be examined by the 
 Medical Examiner of the Board unless determined 
 otherwise. 
 
 Fatal Illness 
 
 In case of the fatal illness of a missionary, involving 
 unusual expense, a part of the unused salary appro¬ 
 priation may be granted, if circumstances require, to 
 
18 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 cover medical and funeral expenses. Official certificate 
 of the death of the missionary, prepared by the Con¬ 
 sular Service and physician in charge, should be sent 
 to the Administrative Secretary as soon as possible. 
 
 LANGUAGE STUDY 
 
 Requirements 
 
 Ability to speak and to write the native language is, 
 as a rule, essential to effective missionary service. 
 Our Missions are required to provide proper courses in 
 language study and to arrange for examinations 
 periodically, the results of which shall be reported 
 annually by the Language Study Committee to the 
 Administrative Secretary in charge of the work. No 
 exemption from language study and examinations shall 
 be allowed by the Language Study Committee without 
 the consent of the Board. In China, Japan, and Korea 
 interdenominational language schools have been es¬ 
 tablished. 
 
 Provisions for Study 
 
 New missionaries shall be required to spend the first 
 year on the field in language school, in case there is such 
 a school. Otherwise, they should follow the course in 
 language study prescribed in their respective fields. 
 In case authorization is granted for part-time work the 
 first year, it shall be understood that the full morning 
 hours shall be allowed for language study. In China 
 and Korea one-half time of the second and third years 
 shall be allowed for language study, preferably the 
 morning hours. In Japan, the whole of the second year 
 and half-time of the third year shall be given to lan¬ 
 guage study. Tuition fees during the first three years 
 shall be paid by the Board. 
 
 Obligation of the Missionary 
 
 Missionaries are required to complete the required 
 courses within the time prescribed by the Mission, un¬ 
 less excused by the Board. In case the Board finds it 
 necessary in an emergency to place such responsibility 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 19 
 
 upon a missionary in her first three years as to interrupt 
 her language study, the time for the completion of the 
 course shall be extended. If a missionary fails to take 
 advantage of the provision for language study or shows 
 marked inability to acquire the language, the Board 
 reserves the right to refuse to return her to the field 
 for a second term of service. 
 
 TERM OF SERVICE 
 
 In all the fields the first term of service is five years, 
 with the exception of the Congo Mission, where the 
 term of service is three years. In some cases the first 
 term is somewhat longer than five years, due to the 
 new missionaries arriving on the field in the middle of 
 the school year; therefore, in their fifth year it is neces¬ 
 sary for them to remain until the regular vacation 
 period. After the first term the period of service is 
 six years in all fields except Brazil, where it is five 
 years, and the Congo Mission, where it is three years. 
 
 VACATION 
 
 Missionaries shall arrange their work so as to allow 
 one month of vacation during the year, which shall 
 be spent, if possible, away from the mission station. 
 No missionary should leave the field for her vacation 
 without special permission. These regulations apply 
 also to workers under contract for three or five years. 
 
 FURLOUGHS AND RESIGNATIONS 
 
 Furlough Requirements 
 
 Although the appointment of the missionary is to 
 life service, at stated periods she is expected to come 
 home on furlough. Each missionary who intends to 
 remain with the Board shall be granted a furlough year 
 after each regular term of service, unless in case of 
 emergency the Board determines otherwise. Furlough 
 travel to and from the United States will be paid by 
 the Board. It is expected that the furlough will be 
 entered upon just before the heated term or vacation 
 
20 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 period in the mission and that the missionary will be 
 back upon the field at the close of the heated term or 
 vacation period the following year. 
 
 Purposes of Furlough 
 
 The purposes of the furlough year are: Physical 
 reinvigoration, mental upbuilding, spiritual stimulus, 
 renewed contact with the homeland and loved ones, 
 and the cultivation of the constituency at home. 
 Decision as to the use of the furlough period shall 
 be reached through consultation with the Administra¬ 
 tive Secretary and shall be based upon medical advice. 
 The first furlough is the most important to the mis¬ 
 sionary. Having measured her own strength and ability 
 against the needs and opportunities of the field, she 
 is now ready to make a more specialized preparation 
 for her life service. 
 
 Furlough Study 
 
 When a missionary on furlough is pursuing a course 
 of specialized study approved by the Mission and by 
 the Administrative Secretaries, it is the policy of the 
 Board to provide tuition. It is understood when tuition 
 is granted, it shall be for serious work for credit. It 
 is expected that furloughed missionaries study within 
 the bounds of their own Church unless the type 
 of specialized training required by the Mission should 
 make this impossible. Extension of furlough with salary 
 and tuition may be granted for specialized training at 
 the end of the first term of service if recommended by 
 the Mission and approved by the Board, this to be 
 planted only when the regular furlough period proves 
 inadequate. This provision for extension of furlough 
 for study does not apply after the first furlough. 
 
 Extension of Furlough without Salary 
 
 Extension of furlough without salary may be granted 
 to missionaries who, for family or other personal 
 reasons, find it necessary to spend longer than the regu¬ 
 lation furlough time away from the field. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 21 
 
 Resignation at Furlough Periods 
 
 If a resignation is necessary, it shall, if possible, take 
 effect at the end of a term of service. Whenever a 
 missionary comes home with no reasonable probability 
 of returning to the field, arrangements should be made 
 as soon as possible with reference to severing official 
 relations with the Board. In case of a resignation at 
 the end of a full term of service, furlough salary will be 
 granted for one or more quarters, based on the number 
 of years the missionary has served. In case of a resig¬ 
 nation before the end of the term of service, the mis¬ 
 sionary shall be entitled to salary only for the length 
 of time she renders actual service. 
 
 REPORTS TO THE BOARD 
 
 Personal 
 
 Each missionary, including contract workers, shall 
 make annual report descriptive of her work. These 
 personal reports should be in the hands of the Admin¬ 
 istrative Secretary not later than December 31. Mis¬ 
 sionaries in charge of institutions or lines of work shall 
 report in full the work that falls under their supervision, 
 regardless of the personal reports of other workers. 
 
 Financial 
 
 All field and station treasurers and missionaries at 
 the head of institutions or in charge of lines of work shall 
 send quarterly and annual reports setting forth in 
 detail an account of all moneys received and expended. 
 The yearly report should show the true balance or 
 deficit and should be accompanied by the auditor’s 
 report. All financial reports should be in gold. Annual 
 reports shall be in the hands of the Administrative 
 Secretary not later than February 15. 
 
 Statistical 
 
 Missionaries in charge of work shall make annual 
 statistical reports, including property valuation, using 
 blank forms furnished by the Board. 
 
22 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 REPORTS OF BUDGET SPECIALS 
 
 General Statement 
 
 Whenever items of the missionary budget, such as 
 missionaries’ salaries, scholarships, Bible women, and 
 day schools, are assigned to individuals for support 
 as specials, it is essential that reports be sent at regular 
 intervals through the office of the Administrative Sec¬ 
 retary. These reports should be made or arranged for 
 by the heads of institutions or lines of work. However, 
 when a missionary is supported as a special, it shall be her 
 duty to communicate pe r sonally with her supporters. 
 
 Scholarships 
 
 Each scholarship appropriated to a school should be 
 reported quarterly. The principal of the school is 
 primarily responsible for these reports, whether she 
 writes them herself or assigns this duty to some other 
 member of the faculty. 
 
 It is not essential that these reports be long, but 
 they should be as much as two hundred words as a 
 minimum. The reports may contain general statements 
 about the school, but the main emphasis should be 
 placed upon the student. Occasionally, a letter from 
 the student may be substituted for the report. Each 
 report should be written on a separate sheet, preferably 
 on the school letterhead, and should be dated and 
 signed by the missionary. The American name of the 
 special and the name and address of the supporter 
 will be kept in the Nashville office only. Therefore, 
 it is suggested that the report should be addressed “To 
 the Supporter of the Scholarship in (name) School, 
 assigned to (name of student).” Copies of all such 
 reports should be kept on file in the school. 
 
 The scholarship reports should be sent promptly each 
 quarter to the Administrative Secretaiy in Nashville, 
 who will forward them to the supporters. In the event 
 a scholarship student drops out of school, or for any 
 cause ceases to be a beneficiary, a covering letter should 
 be sent to the Secretary, giving the reasons and also 
 the name of the new student selected to fill the vacancy. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 23 
 
 Bible Women 
 
 Each missionary directing the work of Bible women 
 or other evangelistic workers should make a report 
 quarterly of the work of each one. 
 
 These reports need not be long, but they should not 
 contain less than two hundred words. General state¬ 
 ments about the evangelistic work may be included in 
 the reports, but the chief interest should center in the 
 work of the individual Bible women. Occasionally a 
 letter from the Bible woman will be appreciated. 
 Pictures are often helpful. Each report should be 
 written on a separate sheet, preferably official station¬ 
 ery, and should be dated and signed by the missionary. 
 The American name of the special and the names and 
 addresses of the supporters will be kept in the Nashville 
 office only. Therefore, it is suggested that the reports 
 be addressed “To the Supporter of (name) Bible 
 Woman, located (name of station and mission)”. Copies 
 of all reports should be kept on file by the missionaries 
 for reference. 
 
 The reports of Bible women should be sent promptly 
 each quarter to the Administrative Secretary in Nash¬ 
 ville, who will forward them to the supporters. In 
 the event a Bible woman has dropped out for any 
 reason and another woman has been employed in her 
 place, a covering letter should be written to the Sec¬ 
 retary giving the facts and also giving the name of the 
 new appointee. 
 
 Day Schools 
 
 Missionaries who have charge of day schools and 
 kindergartens should make quarterly reports, which can 
 be forwarded to the supporters. These reports should 
 be sent to the Administrative Secretary in Nashville, 
 who will forward them to the interested persons. 
 
 RETIREMENT AND RELIEF 
 
 Emeritus Missionaries 
 
 Whenever a missionary has served not less than thirty 
 years in continuous active service and has reached the 
 
24 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 age of sixty-five, she shall be regarded as having ful¬ 
 filled her obligation for life service and shall become an 
 Emeritus Missionary. She may continue in the service 
 until the furlough nearest her sixty-seventh birthday, 
 provided the Mission and the Board approve, at which 
 time she shall withdraw from the mission field unless 
 exception be made by the Board for one year at a time, 
 on the recommendation of the bishop in charge, the 
 Mission, and the medical examiner. An Emeritus 
 Missionary who remains on the field under these 
 conditions shall be relieved of regular appointment. 
 An Emeritus Missionary, whether at home or on the 
 field, shall receive $900 a year as salary. An Emeritus 
 Missionary who has been permitted to remain on the 
 field may elect to return to the homeland at any time 
 with her expenses paid by the Board, it being under¬ 
 stood that her expenses back to the field will in no case 
 be paid by the Board. 
 
 Retired Missionaries 
 
 When a missionary who has given twenty years or 
 more of continuous service finds it necessary to retire 
 from the field for health reasons or is retired by the 
 Board, she may be granted an allowance, the amount 
 to be determined by the Retirement Committee of the 
 Woman’s Department. 
 
 Disabled Missionaries 
 
 When a missionary who has given less than twenty 
 years of service becomes disabled, for health reasons, 
 the Board will bear the expense of her travel to the 
 homeland. She may be granted financial aid, with the 
 understanding that her case will be handled on its merits. 
 
 Withdrawals for Personal Reasons 
 
 When a missionary withdraws for personal reasons 
 at the end of a regular term of service, the Board will 
 pay her travel from the field. Her salary shall cease at 
 the end of the quarter in which she returns. If she 
 should withdraw before the end of a regular term of 
 service, the Board will not be responsible for her 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 25 
 
 travel, and her salary shall cease at the time of her 
 withdrawal from service. 
 
 WORKERS UNDER CONTRACT FOR THREE 
 
 OR FIVE YEARS 
 
 How Employed 
 
 When there is an emergency on the field, contract 
 workers may be employed for a term of three or five 
 years. An applicant for contract work should apply 
 to the Candidate Secretary or to the Administrative 
 Secretary in charge of the field in which she desires 
 to serve. A personal letter setting forth her reasons 
 for seeking to enter missionary service and giving a 
 sketch of her life, a health report giving the result of an 
 examination by a reputable physician, and testimonials 
 from instructors, principals of schools, pastors, and 
 women prominent in Church and missionary work, 
 should accompany the application. Application and 
 medical blanks will be furnished by the Secretary. 
 Such contract workers are employed only when they 
 have been accepted by the Candidates Committee of 
 the Board. 
 
 Appointments 
 
 While contract workers are engaged and accepted 
 to meet definite needs in the field, it is with the under¬ 
 standing that they are subject to appointment by the 
 bishop in charge and that their appointments may be 
 changed, should the needs of the work require it. 
 
 Status and Obligation 
 
 Workers under contract for three or five years shall 
 meet all the requirements for missionaries, except 
 specialized missionary training. They shall be regarded 
 as associate members of the Mission without vote, and 
 they shall bear the same responsibility in the work and 
 to the Board as missionaries. Mistakes and imprudence 
 on the part of contract workers bring reproach on the 
 missionary cause and on the Board of Missions. 
 
26 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Travel and Compensation 
 
 The Board shall be responsible for the travel of 
 contract workers to and from the field, but no money 
 for outfit shall be granted. No time or money shall be 
 granted for language study, except in special cases 
 recommended by the Mission. The salary of workers 
 under contract for five years in the first term of service 
 shall be that of a first-year missionary. In case of 
 renewal of contract, it shall be that of a full missionary. 
 In view of the fact that the cost of travel of three-year 
 contract workers is the same as that of five-year workers, 
 while the return in service is less, their salary shall be 
 fifty dollars per year less than that of five-year contract 
 workers. 
 
 Medical Allowance 
 
 Medical allowance shall be granted to five- and three- 
 year workers on the regular basis for missionaries 
 while on the field. This responsibility ceases when the 
 worker reaches home, except in extraordinary health 
 conditions, provided the period of responsibility shall 
 in no case be extended more than one year. 
 
 Vacations 
 
 Contract workers are allowed a month’s vacation 
 each year. Vacation or furlough salary is not granted 
 to such workers at the close of their term of service, 
 except in cases where the contract is renewed. They 
 a^e not entitled to retirement allowance after with¬ 
 drawing from the work. 
 
 Board 
 
 Contract workers shall pay for board the same 
 amount as the missionaries. 
 
 Cancellation of Contract 
 
 In case a contract worker resigns before the comple¬ 
 tion of her contract, she shall forfeit the right to return 
 travel, and her salary shall cease when her service 
 ceases. The Board reserves the right to cancel con- 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 27 
 
 tracts in cases of unfitness for the work. In such cases, 
 the Board shall pay the return travel. 
 
 Clergy Permits 
 
 Workers under contract for five or three years are 
 entitled to the special rates granted to missionaries 
 by transportation companies. (See paragraph on 
 Clergy Permits, under Travel of Missionaries, for 
 instructions.) 
 
 WORKERS UNDER CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 One-year workers shall not be sent to distant fields 
 and shall be employed in near-by fields only to meet 
 emergencies. Such workers shall be women of approved 
 Christian character and qualified in experience and 
 training to meet the needs of the work. The minimum 
 age for such workers shall be twenty-four years. When 
 in any field a worker is employed locally to meet an 
 emergency, the contract shall be for one year at a time. 
 In such cases, the Board will assume no responsibility 
 for travel. 
 
 Status 
 
 Workers under contract for one year shall not be 
 regarded as members of the Mission, and their relation¬ 
 ship shall be with the heads of the institutions in which 
 they work, whether engaged locally, with approval of 
 the Board, or going out from the United States. 
 
 Salary 
 
 The salary of such workers shall be $700 a year. 
 Travel allowance to the field only will be granted. 
 
 Clergy Rates 
 
 Workers under contract for one year are entitled to 
 clergy rates to the field. They are entitled to clergy 
 rates for the return trip only in case the contract is 
 renewed. 
 
28 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Board 
 
 Contract workers shall pay for board the same 
 amount as the missionaries. 
 
 ESTIMATES 
 
 Method of Preparation 
 
 The missionaries in each institution and those as¬ 
 sociated together in lines of work shall prepare an¬ 
 nually the estimates of funds needed for the support 
 of the work for the ensuing year. The estimates 
 should cover everything necessary for the work of the 
 year, including missionaries’ salaries, medical fund, 
 furlough travel, language study, travel to meetings, 
 maintenance of institutions and lines of work, insurance, 
 taxes, salaries of workers other than missionaries, 
 scholarships, Christian literature, equipment, repairs, 
 buildings, and other items. In order to secure favorable 
 consideration, the estimates should be accompanied 
 by adequate explanation. In the case of equipment 
 and repairs, definite explanation must be given. All 
 estimates should be approved by the Mission or the 
 missionaries in annual meeting. 
 
 Income from Native Sources 
 
 The estimates shall be accompanied by an itemized 
 statement of the income on the field from fees of patrons 
 and other sources, which shall be considered by the 
 Estimates Committee as a part of the regular basis of 
 appropriation. 
 
 When Due 
 
 All estimates should be forwarded to the Adminis¬ 
 trative Secretary immediately, and should be in her 
 hands not later than the first of February in order 
 to receive consideration by the Estimates Committee 
 of the Council. In case the estimates from any field 
 should fail to reach the office of the Administrative 
 Secretary in time to be considered by the Estimates 
 Committee, the appropriation will be made on the 
 basis of those of the previous year. 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 29 
 
 APPROPRIATIONS 
 
 How Made 
 
 The estimates from the fields are first considered by 
 the Committee on Estimates of the Woman’s Mission¬ 
 ary Council, which prepares them in proper form for 
 presentation to the Council. The Council in annual 
 session considers the estimates and recommends them 
 to the Board of Missions for appropriation. Appro¬ 
 priations made by the Board of Missions in annual 
 session take effect the following January. 
 
 Unused Appropriations and Balances 
 
 Appropriations shall be diverted from the objects 
 for which appropriated only when approved by the 
 Board. All unused appropriations and balances at 
 the end of the year, including balances from exchange, 
 shall lapse to the treasury of the Board for reappropria¬ 
 tion. This applies to excess income from native sources 
 as well as to appropriations. Appropriations for land 
 and buildings may be held over from year to year by 
 action of the Board. 
 
 Exchange 
 
 All appropriations for salaries and work in the Ori¬ 
 ental fields shall be paid on the basis of two for one. 
 When the current rate of exchange falls below the 
 established rate, the Board shall supply the deficit; and 
 when it exceeds the established rate, the surplus shall 
 lapse to the Board for appropriation. 
 
 MISSION ORGANIZATION 
 
 Organized Missions 
 
 In the majority of the mission fields there is some 
 form of organization which has been approved by the 
 Board of Missions upon the recommendation of the 
 missionaries. Whenever such organization exists, each 
 missionary and five- or three-year contract worker is 
 expected to cooperate as far as possible by attendance 
 upon meetings, service on committees, and in othei* 
 ways in order to make the work effective. 
 
30 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Annual Meetings 
 
 In fields where the Mission is not organized, the 
 missionaries shall hold an annual meeting for inspiration 
 and consideration of the needs of the work as a whole. 
 Each missionary worker under contract for five or 
 three years is expected to attend the annual meeting if 
 possible. At this meeting the estimates for the follow¬ 
 ing year shall be prepared and recommendations shall 
 be made to the Board regarding specialized study of 
 missionaries on furlough, the opening of new work, 
 changes of policy, the reappropriation of balances, and 
 other subjects related to the work as a whole. At the 
 annual meeting a treasurer shall be nominated to the 
 Board if there is no treasurer for the field who shall 
 hold the funds appropriated for travel to meetings, 
 medical aid, and other general expenses. 
 
 Expense of Meetings 
 
 The expense involved in attendance upon annual 
 and committee meetings shall be met by the Board, 
 when included in the estimates from the field. In the 
 Latin-American fields, where the heads of institutions 
 and lines of work are expected to report in person to the 
 Annual Conferences, the expense involved will be paid 
 by the Board, when included in the estimates. 
 
 BUSINESS RELATIONS 
 
 Official Addresses 
 
 The Board of Missions has its headquarters in the 
 Lambuth Building, 706 Church Street, Nashville, Tenn., 
 on the fifth and sixth floors. The post office box is 
 510. The address of the Woman’s Department, 
 Foreign Work, is Room 620, Lambuth Building. The 
 cable address of the Board is “South Nashville.” The 
 Mission Code is preferred in sending cable messages. 
 
 Personal Business Matters 
 
 The Administrative Secretaries are glad to assist the 
 missionaries and other workers in personal business 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 31 
 
 matters by paying bills, forwarding money, making 
 purchases, paying life insurance premiums, sending 
 cablegrams, and in other ways. The expense involved 
 in such transactions is deducted from their salaries. 
 Form blanks are furnished in duplicate on which the 
 missionary may indicate the transaction desired. Such 
 orders should reach the office in time to be deducted 
 from quarterly drafts, which are mailed to the Orient 
 and Brazil a month in advance of the beginning of the 
 quarter. Except in emergency cases and on special 
 request, payments will be made on the first day of the 
 quarter at which time it is due. 
 
 Quarterly Payments 
 
 Appropriations for salaries and maintenance shall be 
 sent to the fields quarterly* in advance. 
 
 Home Address for Records 
 
 Each worker shall furnish the Administrative Secre¬ 
 tary the name and street address of her nearest living- 
 relative and report promptly any change in these which 
 may occur from time to time. 
 
 Certificate of Death 
 
 In case of the death of a missionary on the field, a 
 certified statement of the death prepared by the Con¬ 
 sular Service and the physician in charge should be 
 sent immediately to the Administrative Secretary to 
 be used if occasion demands. 
 
 Personal Funds 
 
 No worker should use personal funds in the work an 
 advances or loans or in any other way that would 
 involve the Board. 
 
 Government Grants or Subsidies 
 
 No worker should accept money or other grants 
 proffered by local government authorities on conditions 
 which might prohibit or hamper the missionary purpose 
 of the Board. 
 
32 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Drafts, Debts, and Loans 
 
 No worker shall draw drafts, incur debts, or other¬ 
 wise commit the Board to the payment of money 
 without authorization of the Board. Balances or funds 
 appropriated to a given work shall not be loaned to 
 other enterprises without the consent of the Board. 
 
 New Work 
 
 No new work shall be opened without consent of the 
 Board, and no worker shall make any investment or 
 create any liability against the Board without authority. 
 No missionary shall open new work with personal 
 funds. 
 
 FINANCIAL APPEALS AND CAMPAIGNS 
 
 Public Appeals 
 
 No missionary shall appeal to the Church or indi¬ 
 viduals through public print or otherwise for pecuniai y 
 aid in any missionary enterprise without the approval 
 of the Board. All appeals for continuance of specials 
 or for payments of deficits on specials shall be made 
 only through the Administrative Secretary. 
 
 Campaigns on the Field 
 
 No missionary, or groups of missionaries, shall 
 launch a financial campaign on the field unless the 
 campaign program has been approved by the Board, 
 on the recommendation of the Mission. No missionary 
 shall without authorization solicit or receive funds 
 from native or other sources under conditions which 
 may involve the Board financially or interfere with its 
 administration. 
 
 PUBLICITY AGENT 
 
 The Need 
 
 The present-day opportunity for helping peoples to 
 understand each other and for increasing the interest 
 of the people at the home base in the work of missions 
 is so great that it has become a necessity to have at 
 least one person in each Mission who shall act as pub- 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 33 
 
 licity agent. She shall be selected annually by the 
 Woman’s Department of the Mission or by the mis¬ 
 sionaries in annual meeting. 
 
 Duties 
 
 It shall be the duty of the publicity agent to collect 
 fresh news items from the field concerning the work, 
 also significant items regarding events, political and 
 social, as well as distinctly missionary and religious. 
 She shall send all publicity material to the Secretary 
 of the Boa^d of Missions in Charge of Literature for 
 Woman’s Work, and shall cooperate with her in securing 
 material such as may be necessary to keep the work 
 of the mission before the Church. Each missionary 
 should consider herself a reporter to supply the publicity 
 agent on her field with important items of news with 
 reference to her work or station. 
 
 FOREIGN STUDENTS 
 
 Financial Aid 
 
 It is the policy of the Board to approve of financial 
 aid for those foreign students only who have completed 
 the highest courses available in mission institutions 
 and who have a sufficient knowledge of English to profit 
 by study in the United States. 
 
 Fellowships 
 
 Whenever there is an outstanding young woman, 
 with gifts for some special line of work on the field 
 who would profit by specialized training in the United 
 States, the Mission or the missionaries in annual 
 meeting may make recommendation to the Board for 
 a fellowship or other financial aid, if needed. In each 
 case the sanction of the Board should be secured before 
 sending the native student to this country. No mission¬ 
 ary, without the consent of the Board, should bung 
 to this country foreign students or prot£g£s if there 
 should be the remotest possibility of their becoming a 
 charge upon the Boa"d or any missionary society, 
 bcal congregation, Church school, or college. 
 
34 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Students for Whom the Board Has No Financial 
 
 Responsibility 
 
 It is desirable that the Board have contact with 
 foreign students in this country who have been educated 
 in our mission schools, even though it have no financial 
 responsibility for them. Therefore, missionaries should 
 notify the Administrative Secretary of the coming of 
 such students and thus furnish her with the oppor¬ 
 tunity to extend to them courtesies and to aid in holding 
 them for the Church, or gaining them for Christ. 
 
 COOPERATIVE AND UNION WORK 
 
 General Policy 
 
 It is the policy of the Board to promote comity, 
 cooperation, and union with other denominations in 
 work on the mission field in all feasible ways. Mis¬ 
 sionaries are, therefore, authorized to serve on commit¬ 
 tees planning for cooperative and union work, it being 
 understood that no missionary has the power to commit 
 the Mission or the Board to any cooperative work 
 without its approval. 
 
 Service on Union Boards of Control 
 
 Missionaries are authorized to serve on Union Boards 
 of Control of institutions in which the Board is of¬ 
 ficially cooperating, when nominated by the Mission 
 and approved by the Board of Missions. 
 
 Status of Workers in Union Institutions 
 
 Whenever a Union Institution requests the services 
 of a missionary and the bishop in charge appoints her 
 to that work, she becomes thereby subject to the Board 
 of Control of such institution and receives the salary 
 paid by the same. She shall not, thereby, lose her 
 place as a member of the Mission, and should keep in 
 close touch with it, thus keeping up its interest in the 
 Union Work. 
 
 Whenever a young woman who is a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, South, is accepted for 
 
FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 35 
 
 contract work in a Union Institution on the mission 
 field by a Union Board of Control in America without 
 having been accepted by the Board of Missions of her 
 own Church as a missionary, she does not become 
 thereby a member of the Mission, and is not subject 
 to the appointment of the bishop in charge. 
 
 PROPERTY 
 
 How Held 
 
 The property of the Department of Woman’s 
 Work is held in various ways, according to the legal 
 requirements in the different fields. In the beginning, 
 property was bought and held in the name of individual 
 missionaries, bishops, or others interested in the work. 
 In some fields the property is deeded to “The Woman’s 
 Missionary Society,” “The Woman’s Foreign Mis¬ 
 sionary Society,” or “The Woman’s Board of Foreign 
 Missions,” which are the corporate names used suc¬ 
 cessively by the women’s organizations before the 
 Woman’s Board was merged into the Board of Missions 
 in 1910. Annual meetings of these corporations are 
 held in order to hold and dispose of such property 
 legally. Where the laws of the country permit a foreign 
 religious corporation to hold property, it is held in the 
 name of “The Board of Missions, Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, South, for the use and benefit of Woman’s 
 Work.” More recently holding bodies have been 
 organized and incorporated by the Board to meet the 
 legal requirements of the foreign governments, as in 
 Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Brazil. It is the policy of 
 the Board to transfer its property from individuals to 
 the property-holding body in each field. With much 
 patience and at great expense, the legal representatives 
 of the Board in the different fields are working at this 
 tedious process. 
 
 Purchase and Improvements 
 
 Real estate may be bought or sold by direct order 
 of the Board or the Executive Committee. Plans and 
 specifications for buildings shall be submitted to the 
 
36 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONARY MANUAL 
 
 Board or to its Executive Committee for approval. 
 Improvements on real estate to cost more than five 
 hundred dollars may be made only with the consent 
 of the Secretaries. 
 
 Refunding Bonds 
 
 In cases where money is furnished by the Board for 
 the purchase or improvement of property the title to 
 which is not vested in the Board of Missions, a refunding 
 bond shall be required as a guarantee of its proper 
 use and direction, said bond to be approved by the 
 Executive Committee. 
 
 Building Committee 
 
 There shall be a Building Committee of not less 
 than three missionaries in each Mission or Mission 
 Conference, whose indorsement shall be secured before 
 recommendation is made to the Board and before 
 money is expended in the purchase or improvement 
 of property, provided that in Mexico the Administra¬ 
 tive Secretary, the bishop in charge, and the presiding 
 elder of the district in which the property is located 
 shall be members of this committee. 
 
 Building Contracts 
 
 All plans for buildings, when recommended by the 
 Building Committee, shall be forwarded with specifica¬ 
 tions to the Administrative Secretary, for the Board’s 
 consideration and approval. All contracts for build¬ 
 ings authorized by the Board shall be let to contract at 
 five per cent less than the total appropriation for this 
 purpose. 
 
 Insurance 
 
 It is the policy of the Board to insure its buildings 
 and equipment. This item of business is attended to 
 by the Secretary in Nashville, except where special 
 arrangements are made for the insurance to be carried 
 on the field. 
 
INDEX 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Acceptance of Missionaries. 10 
 
 Addresses, Board of Missions. 30 
 
 Addresses of Missionaries (Home). 31 
 
 Aims of Missionary Work. 7 
 
 Annual Meetings. 30 
 
 Appeals for Funds. 32 
 
 Appointment of Contract Workers. 25 
 
 Appropriations. 29 
 
 Exchange. 29 
 
 How made. 29 
 
 Unused Appropriations and Balances. 29 
 
 Baggage Allowance. 16 
 
 Balances, Unused. 29 
 
 Bible Women’s Reports. 23 
 
 Board of Contract Workers.26-28 
 
 Board of Missionaries. 13 
 
 Bonds, Refunding. 36 
 
 Budget Specials, Reports of.22-23 
 
 Building Committee. 36 
 
 Building Contracts. 36 
 
 Business Missionaries. 10 
 
 Business Relations of Missionaries.30-31-32 
 
 Death Certificate. 31 
 
 Debts. 32 
 
 Drafts. 32 
 
 Government Grants. 31 
 
 Home Addresses. 31 
 
 Loans. 32 
 
 New Work. 32 
 
 Official Addresses of the Board. 30 
 
 Personal Business. 30 
 
 Personal Funds. 31 
 
 Quarterly Payments. 31 
 
 By-Laws on Woman’s Work. 6-7 
 
 Campaigns on the Fields. 32 
 
 Cancellation of Contracts. 26 
 
 Certificate of Death. 31 
 
 Clergy Permits for Contract Workers. 27 
 
 Clergy Permits for Missionaries.14-15 
 
 Committee, Building. 36 
 
 Compensation, Contract Workers.26-27 
 
 Contracts, Buildings. 36 
 
 Cooperative and Union Work. 34 
 
 Day Schools, Reports of. 23 
 
INDEX 
 
 40 
 
 Page 
 
 Death Certificate. 31 
 
 Debts. 32 
 
 Disabled Missionaries. 24 
 
 Discipline Paragraphs on Woman’s Work. 5-6 
 
 Drafts on the Board. 32 
 
 Duties of Publicity Agent. 33 
 
 Educational Work. 8 
 
 Emeritus Missionaries. 23 
 
 Estimates. 28 
 
 Income from native sources. 28 
 
 Method of preparation. 28 
 
 When due. 28 
 
 Evangelistic Work. 8 
 
 Examinations, Medical. 17 
 
 Exchange. 29 
 
 Expenses of Annual Meetings. 30 
 
 Expenses of Travel, Reports of. 16 
 
 Fatal Illness. 17 
 
 Fellowships for Foreign Students. 33 
 
 Financial Aid for Furlough Study. 20 
 
 Financial Appeals. 32 
 
 Financial Campaigns. 32 
 
 Financial Reports. 21 
 
 Foreign Students. 33 
 
 Financial aid. 33 
 
 Fellowships. 33 
 
 Students who do not receive financial aid. 34 
 
 Forms of Work.8-9-10 
 
 Business. 10 
 
 Educational. 8 
 
 Evangelistic. 8 
 
 Industrial. 10 
 
 Literary. 9 
 
 Medical. 9 
 
 Furloughs.19-20-21 
 
 Extension of. 20 
 
 Purposes. 20 
 
 Requirement. 19 
 
 Resignation on furlough. 21 
 
 Study. 20 
 
 Government Grants. 31 
 
 Holding of Property. 35 
 
 Home Addresses of Missionaries. 31 
 
 How Property Is Held. 35 
 
 Improvement of Property. 35 
 
 Income from Native Sources. 28 
 
 Industrial Work. 10 
 
 Insurance... ... 36 
 
 Introduction. 3 
 
 Language Study.18-19 
 
 Obligation for. 18 
 
INDEX 
 
 41 
 
 Page 
 
 Language Study: Provision for. 18'. 
 
 Requirement. 18 
 
 Life Service, Obligation for. 11 
 
 Literary Work. 9 
 
 Loans. 32 
 
 Medical Allowance for Contract Workers. 26 
 
 Medical Allowance for Missionaries.16-17-18 
 
 Medical Examinations. 17 
 
 Medical Work. 9 
 
 Meetings, Annual... 30 
 
 Meetings, Expenses of. 30 
 
 Method of Preparing Estimates. 28 
 
 Missionaries. 10 
 
 Acceptance. 10 
 
 Board. 13 
 
 Fatal illness. 17 
 
 Furloughs. 19 
 
 Language study. 18 
 
 Medical allowance. 17 
 
 Medical examinations. 17 
 
 Obligation for life service. 11 
 
 Obligation for use of time. 12 
 
 Outfits. 13. 
 
 Perquisites. 13 
 
 Recall. 12 
 
 Refits. 14 
 
 Relation to Board of Missions. 10 
 
 Reports. 21 
 
 Resignation. 19 
 
 Responsibility to the Board. 11 
 
 Retirement and relief. 23 
 
 Salary. 13 
 
 Status. 10 
 
 Term of service. 19 
 
 Travel. 14 
 
 Vacation. 19 
 
 Mission Organization.29-30 
 
 Annual meeting. 30 
 
 Expense of meetings. 30 
 
 Organized missions... 29 
 
 Need of Publicity Agent. 32 
 
 New Work. 32 
 
 Obligation of Five- and Three-Year Workers. 25 
 
 Obligation of Missionaries. 18 
 
 Obligation for Service. 11 
 
 Obligation for Use of Time. 12 
 
 Official Addresses of Board of Missions. 30 
 
 Organized Missions. 29 
 
 Outfits.. 13 
 
 Passports. 15 
 
 Payments, Quarterly. 31 
 
42 INDEX 
 
 Pag s 
 
 Permits, Clergy.14-16 
 
 Perquisites...... 13 
 
 Personal Business Matters.30-31 
 
 Personal Funds. 31 
 
 Personal Reports. 21 
 
 Policy for Union Work. 34 
 
 Preparation of Estimates. 28 
 
 Property.35-36 
 
 Building Committee. 36 
 
 Building contracts. 36 
 
 How held. 35 
 
 Improvement of. 35 
 
 Insurance. 36 
 
 Purchase of. 35 
 
 Refunding bonds. 36 
 
 Provision of Constitution and By-Laws.5-6-7 
 
 By-laws of Board of Missions. 6 
 
 Disciplinary paragraphs. 5 
 
 Provisions for Language Study. 18 
 
 Public Appeals. 32 
 
 Publicity Agent. 32 
 
 Duties. 33 
 
 Need of. 32 
 
 Purchase of Property. 35 
 
 Purpose of Furlough. 20 
 
 Purpose of Medical Allowance. 16 
 
 Qualifications of One-Year Contract Workers. 27 
 
 Quarterly Payments. 31 
 
 Quarterly Reports. 22 
 
 T) ppqI 1 IQ 
 
 Refunding Bonds. 36 
 
 Relation of Missionaries to the Board.10-11-12 
 
 Acceptance. 10 
 
 Obligation for life service. 11 
 
 Recall. 12 
 
 Resignations. 12 
 
 Responsibility. 11 
 
 Status. 10 
 
 Use of time. 12 
 
 Repoits.21-22-23 
 
 Resignations.12, 21 
 
 Responsibility of Missionaries to the Board. 11 
 
 Retirement and Relief.23-24 
 
 Salary of Contract Workers.26-27 
 
 Salary of Missionaries. 13 
 
 Amount. 13 
 
 Perquisites. 13 
 
 Scholarship Reports. 22 
 
 Service, Obligation for Life. 11 
 
 Service on Union Boards.. 34 
 
 Specials. 22 
 
INDEX 
 
 43 
 
 Page 
 
 Specials; Reports of.22-23 
 
 Bible women. 23 
 
 Day schools. 23 
 
 Scholarships. 22 
 
 Statistical Reports. 21 
 
 Status of Five- and Three-Year Contract Workers. 25 
 
 Status of One-Year Contract Workers. 27 
 
 Status of Workers in Union Institutions. 34 
 
 Study, Furlough. 20 
 
 Study, Provisions for. 20 
 
 Subsidies, Government. 31 
 
 Time, Use of. 12 
 
 Travel of Contract Workers. 26 
 
 Travel of Missionaries.14-15-16 
 
 Baggage allowance. 16 
 
 Clergy permits. 14 
 
 Expense reports. 16 
 
 General regulations. 14 
 
 Passports. 15 
 
 Union Institutions, Workers in. 34 
 
 Union Work. 34 
 
 General policy. 34 
 
 Service on Boards of Control. 34 
 
 Unused Appropriations and Balances. 29 
 
 Use of Time. 12 
 
 Vacations, Contract Workers. 26 
 
 Vacations, Missionaries. 19 
 
 Withdrawals. 24 
 
 Work, Forms of.8-9-10 
 
 Workers under Contract for Five or Three Years.25-26-27 
 
 Appointment. 25 
 
 Board. 26 
 
 Cancellation of Contract. 26 
 
 How employed. 25 
 
 Medical Allowances. 26 
 
 Status and obligation. 25 
 
 Travel. 26 
 
 Workers under Contract for One Year.27-28 
 
 Board. 28 
 
 Clergy rates. 27 
 
 Qualifications. 27 
 
 Status. 27 
 
 Travel. 27 
 
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