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THE JUDSON CENTENNIAL 
 
 JULY THIRTEENTH, 1813. 
 
 It was a memorable day on which the Rev. Adoniram 
 Judson and Ann Hasseltine Judson, his wife, landed 
 on the mud banks of the Irrawaddy River at Ran¬ 
 goon, July 13, 1813. Strange had been the providence 
 of God which had called this Congregationalist scholar 
 to give up the work in which he had already won some 
 measure of success, and devote his life and his conspicu¬ 
 ous talents to missionary work for the heathen in lands 
 at that time so far off that they seemed almost inacces¬ 
 sible. 
 
 In September, 1811, Adoniram Judson, Jr., Samuel 
 Nott, Jr., Samuel Newell and Gordon Hall were 
 appointed as missionaries of the Congregational Board, 
 Luther Rice being appointed at a subsequent date. 
 The Judsons and Newells sailed from Salem February 
 19th, 1812, Rice and the rest of the party from 
 Philadelphia the day previous. 
 
 But this scholar engaged in critical study of the 
 Greek New Testament, both before he sailed and on 
 
4 
 
 the voyage, and as a result of this study came to the 
 definite conclusion that the Baptists were right as to 
 the mode of baptism, and that he had been in the 
 wrong. His wife had studied with him step by step, 
 and came to the same conclusion. It was heroism of a 
 very fine type which led them to leave home and sever 
 their connection with parents and relations and become 
 missionaries, and the same noble heroism was shown in 
 the fidelity to conviction which led them to ask baptism 
 by immersion, and they were so baptized at the Lai 
 Bazar Baptist Chapel, Calcutta, on September 6th, 
 1812. Luther Rice on the other ship had been simi¬ 
 larly led to a change of belief and was baptized at the 
 same place a few weeks later. This was done in full 
 knowledge that thus they severed their relations with 
 the Board which had sent them out. Truly, like the 
 patriarch Abraham, at the call of God they went out 
 from their own land and friends not knowing whither 
 they went, and God has honored them in giving to 
 them spiritual children which shall yet be like the sand 
 that is by the seashore, innumerable. For out of this 
 change came the formation of a Baptist Board of Foreign 
 Missions in America, which has been not only the means 
 of blessing to many peoples who knew not of Christ, 
 but resulted in the most evident growth and develop¬ 
 ment of the Baptist denomination in the United States. 
 It is for these reasons that the Baptist denomination in 
 America and in all the fields of its missionary opera- 
 
5 
 
 tions will celebrate in 1913 the Centennial of Dr. and 
 Mrs. Judson’s arrival in Burma, and seek to make true 
 and adequate recognition, if that be possible, of the 
 manifold blessings granted by God upon the work thus 
 called into being by the movements of his own mysteri¬ 
 ous providences. 
 
 What hath God Wrought ? 
 
 In 1813 there was no Baptist Mission Society in the 
 United States. At the present time the American 
 Baptist Foreign Mission Society is the successor of the 
 Board organized May 21st, 1814, to take up and support 
 the work of these then Baptist missionaries in Burma. 
 The Board so organized was called The General 
 Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in 
 the United States of America for Foreign Missions.” 
 In 1845 the Baptists of the South withdrew and formed 
 their own Convention, and now have a splendid work in 
 many fields. In 1846 the cumbersome name of the 
 Convention was changed to The American Baptist 
 Missionary Union,” which name it held during the 
 period of its great expansion for more than three score 
 years, until in 1910 it was changed to The American 
 Baptist Foreign Mission Society.” The first organiza¬ 
 tion was made in Philadelphia, but the headquarters of 
 the Society have been in Boston since 1826. 
 
6 
 
 Starting out with only Adoniram Judson and his 
 wife in the field in Burma in 1813, the Baptists of the 
 Northern States now have work in 118 Stations in the 
 following fields : 
 
 Burma, 
 
 Assam, 
 
 South India, 
 
 South, East, Central and West China. 
 
 Japan, 
 
 Africa, 
 
 Philippine Islands. 
 
 The regularly appointed missionaries of the Society 
 now number almost precisely 700, including the wives 
 of missionaries. 
 
 The total number of church members in these fields 
 in non-Christian lands is now 152,000 ; in Europe in 
 connection with assisted work, 123,000. While this 
 Society stands third in the list of American societies 
 on the basis of home income, and also on the basis of 
 missionaries enrolled, it stands Jirst in the number of full 
 communicant church members, being fully 50% ahead 
 of the Society second in the list. There are two 
 missionary societies in England with a larger income, 
 and three with more missionaries than this Baptist 
 Society, but none of them approach at all near in the 
 number of communicant church members. 
 
 For this evidence of the Divine approval resting upon 
 our work, it is fitting that devout thanksgiving be 
 made in the centennial year. 
 
7 
 
 In Burma. Burma has assigned to its thirty-one 
 stations two hundred missionaries of this society, in¬ 
 cluding wives of missionaries. It has over 63,000 
 Baptist church members in connection with its 921 
 churches, who contribute over Rs. 220,000 for the 
 carrying on of their own work, in addition to a larger 
 sum paid for the education of their children. These 
 churches report 245 ordained preachers, and 686 un¬ 
 ordained preachers, and over 4300 baptisms during the 
 year, and over 20,600 scholars in 629 Sunday Schools. 
 Other particulars of this magnificent development may 
 be found in the annual reports of the Society, and of 
 the Burma Baptist Missionary Convention, which is the 
 home and foreign missionary organization, duly incor¬ 
 porated, of these Baptist churches in Burma. 
 
 The foundations for this work in Burma were laid by 
 men who believed that the establishment of a self- 
 sustaining, self-propagating Christian church demands 
 an intelligent and educated body of Christians, and to 
 this end schools in connection with other forms of 
 mission work have been opened throughout Burma so 
 far as men and means have permitted. In this work 
 the Women’s Societies have had a very prominent 
 part, and the results are manifestly justifying the 
 means used. Schools are not an end in themselves, 
 but a step in the process of the thorough evangelization 
 of all the races of Burma. 
 
 There are reported in connection with this Mission 
 
8 
 
 700 schools of all grades with 26,000 pupils in attend¬ 
 ance. While this work takes the time of a goodly 
 number of American men and women, it is not by any 
 means wholly dependent upon American money, for 
 the people themselves pay in school fees the sum of 
 two and three-quarter lacs of rupees per annum, or 
 about $ 92 , 000 . This fact alone, that a native Christian 
 community has been brought to a condition where it is 
 both willing and able to spend so much money every 
 year on the education of its children, proves the wisdom 
 and effectiveness of the plans and means used by the 
 Baptist Mission in Burma. 
 
 This educational scheme has for its secular crown the 
 Baptist College in Rangoon with its preparatory depart¬ 
 ments in close connection, totalling over 1100 pupils in 
 all grades, and with a large American and native faculty 
 of trained educators as professors and teachers. Re¬ 
 ports of the College may be had by application to the 
 Principal, Rev. E. W. Kelly, Ph. D. The subsidiary 
 schools may be summarised as follows : there are 36 
 boarding and high schools with 7300 pupils, and 663 
 elementary schools with 19,600 pupils. 
 
 For the spiritual training of the leaders of these 
 peoples of Burma there are two Theological Seminaries 
 at Insein, a suburb of Rangoon, easily reached by rail, 
 and two schools for the training of Bible Women, one 
 in Insein and the other in Rangoon. There are 200 
 students for the ministry in the Seminaries and about 
 
9 
 
 half as many women receiving Bible training in these 
 two schools mentioned. 
 
 All the educational work of the mission is open to 
 the inspection of interested visitors to Burma. 
 
 A word should be said as to the various tribes of Burma 
 and their condition now and when the century began. 
 
 When the Judsons began their work in 1813 they 
 had about them only Burmans. After the first Bur- 
 man war, with its long imprisonment and suffering, 
 after the mission had been moved from Rangoon to 
 Moulmein, then brought under English rule, the hill 
 people were discovered by Dr. Judson, and work for 
 them was commenced by Boardman and Wade. The 
 Karens were a people without a written language, and 
 their speech had to be reduced to writing by Rev. 
 Jonathan Wade, and so commenced the work of 
 emancipation of the Karens from the fear of the Bur- 
 mans and their marvellous advance from a condition 
 almost of serfdom to their present degree of independ¬ 
 ence and wealth. The power of Christianity to lift up 
 a race was never better proved. 
 
 Work for the Talains or Peguans was commenced 
 about the same time, and later on for the Shans of the 
 interior of the country. In later years other tribes 
 have had their languages reduced to writing, the Kachin 
 and the Chin and the Lahu, and these backward and 
 depressed tribes are now following the Karens in up¬ 
 ward progress. 
 
10 
 
 The Burmans, Talains and Shans are all Buddhists, 
 and all have literatures written in a character which 
 has been evolved from the Sanskrit, although the 
 Mongolian speech of these and all other peoples of 
 Burma is as different as possible from any Sanskritic 
 tongue. The Karens, Kachins, Chins, Lahu, and allied 
 peoples of the hills of Burma and the adjacent countries 
 are animists, or spirit worshippers, and all of them, so 
 far as they have written languages, are indebted to 
 American Baptist missionaries for that fact. 
 
 When the Judsons arrived there were no printing 
 presses in Burma. There had been a little Burmese 
 type produced by the English Baptist missionaries at 
 Serampore, and in 1816 they gave a hand press and a 
 font of Burmese type to Rev. George H. Hough, who 
 brought them to Rangoon and began the printing work 
 which has gone on from that time to this and has 
 grown into the present business of the American Baptist 
 Mission Press in Rangoon. Catalogues of the publica¬ 
 tions of the Press may be had for the asking, as well as 
 a historical booklet descriptive of the work of the 
 Press. 
 
 Plans for the Judson Centennial Celebration. 
 
 Looking forward for five years before the Centennial 
 date, the Burma Baptist Missionary Conference in 1908 
 
11 
 
 made its first plans for this celebration by appointing a 
 committee of five, and by memorializing the then 
 Executive Committee in Boston to take steps worthily 
 to celebrate so important an event in the history of the 
 Baptist denomination in America. The same year, a 
 few days later, the Burma Baptist Missionary Conven¬ 
 tion, composed of representatives of all races in Burma, 
 nominated ten other members to form a Burma Com¬ 
 mittee of fifteen for this purpose. Dr. E. O. Stevens 
 having been removed by death, his place was filled by 
 the Convention in 1911, and this Committee is now 
 organized as follows : 
 
 Conference Members : 
 
 Rev. D. A. W. Smith, D.D. Treasurer. 
 
 Rev. W. F. Armstrong, D.D. 
 
 Rev. W. Bushell. 
 
 Rev. J. McGuire, D.D. 
 
 Rev. L. E. Hicks, Ph. D. 
 
 Convention Members : 
 
 Rev. C. A. Nichols, D.D. 
 
 Mr. F. D. Phinney. t 
 
 Rev. E. W. Kelly, Ph. D. Chairman. / 
 
 Rev. J. E. Cummings, D.D. English Sec’y. 
 
 Rev. H. H. Tilbe, Ph. D. 
 
 Saya Taik of Mandalay. 
 
 Saya Po Min of Rangoon. 
 
 Thara Gan of Bassein, Karen Secretary. 
 
 Rev. L. T. Ah Syoo, Burmese Secretary. 
 
 Thra Shwe Bwin of Henzada. 
 
12 
 
 The above Committee of fifteen has been made a 
 part of the Commission of one hundred appointed by 
 the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society to plan 
 for this Centennial Celebration. 
 
 The Celebration at Home 
 
 is fully set forth in a small booklet which may be had 
 on application to the Literature Department of the 
 A. B. F. M. S., Boston. 
 
 The Commission held its first session on March l6th, 
 1911, in Rochester, N.Y., and organized with the 
 following officers : 
 
 
 Rev. A. H. Strong, D.D 
 J. S. Dickerson, Esq. 
 
 Rev. S. R. Warburton, 
 
 The Treasurer of the A.B.F.M.S. 
 
 ecutive Committee, 
 
 Chairman. 
 Vice-Chairman. 
 Recording Secretary. 
 Treasurer. 
 
 Walter Calley, D.D. 
 C. H. Moss, D.D. 
 
 F. P. Haggard, D.D. 
 E. A. Hanley, D.D. 
 Geo. E. Horr, D,D, 
 Mrs. H. G. Safford, 
 
 H. J. White, D.D. 
 
 T. H. Barbour, D.D. 
 Rev. A. C. Baldwin. 
 
 E. H. Hascall, Esq. 
 
 Mrs. M. Grant Edmonds. 
 Miss H. F. Ellis. 
 
IS 
 
 This Commission adopted a program which approved 
 the plans for the celebration in Burma and included for 
 the celebration at home, beginning with a special course 
 in mission study classes in September, 1912 , and 
 utilizing churches services, Sunday Schools, Young 
 Peoples Societies, mass meetings, etc., the sending of a 
 delegation to Burma in November, 1913, and the hold¬ 
 ing of the May Anniversaries in Boston in 1914, with 
 special historical addresses and pilgrimages to the towns 
 connected with the Judsons in America. A Centennial 
 volume giving a history of mission work of the century 
 and a complete list of all missionaries sent out is to be 
 undertaken as well. Further particulars may be had 
 on application to the Recording Secretary, Box 41, 
 Boston, Mass. 
 
 The Celebration In Burma. 
 
 The chief ends to be served by the celebration in 
 Burma will be Thanksgiving and Consecration. The 
 Baptist denomination can never fully express its thank¬ 
 fulness for the wonderful providences of God which led 
 the Judsons to Burma, both for the greatness of the 
 results there attained among many peoples in many 
 
14 
 
 tongues, the measure of self-support and self-direction 
 reached by the churches of Burma, and for the awak¬ 
 ening and unification of the denomination in America 
 growing out of the call to support the work of the 
 Judsons in Burma. The plans proposed for the cele¬ 
 bration in Burma include : 
 
 (a) Meetings at Rangoon for three days, at the 
 leading session of which the Lieut.-Governor of Burma 
 will be invited ; meetings at Moulmein, and at Manda¬ 
 lay with excursions to Ava and Aungbinle. 
 
 (b) If possible, there will be present a few surviv¬ 
 ors of those baptized by Dr. Judson, and reminiscences 
 will be read from Ma Lon-ma and Ma U-ma. Repre¬ 
 sentatives will be present from every tribe or race of 
 Christians in Burma. 
 
 (c) Representatives will be invited from the Ameri¬ 
 can Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Boards, 
 and from all other Baptist Missions in India. 
 
 (d) Exhibits of results secured in the publications 
 of the Press, maps, diagrams, tables, etc. 
 
 In token of consecration to this work, in proof of 
 devout thanksgiving, the Baptists of Burma have begun 
 a movement to raise on the field a special sum of 
 Rs. 100,000 for educational and evangelistic work in 
 Burma, and to secure if possible 100,000 church mem¬ 
 bers by November, 1913. 
 
15 
 
 YOU ARE INVITED TO HELP. 
 
 If in America, you are invited to share in every plan 
 possible as proposed by the Commission of one hundred; 
 you are urged to join the deputation to Burma—the 
 invitation is free to all ; you may add your gifts to the 
 special Judson Centennial offering. 
 
 If in Burma, or a visitor to Burma, you are urged 
 to have a share in all the plans for the Celebration, and 
 in the Win One ’ ’ movement, to help by your own gifts 
 to raise the Rs. 100,000; and ivherever you are you may 
 join in our prayers of thanksgiving, and of deeper con¬ 
 secration to the cause of Christ in world wide evangeli¬ 
 zation. 
 
 Gifts may be sent to the Treasurer of the Centennial 
 Fund in Burma, Rev. D. A. W. Smith, D.D., Insein ; 
 or may be handed to the Superintendent of the Mission 
 Press for that purpose, or to any other missionary, if 
 specified as for transmission to the Treasurer of the 
 Centennial Fund.