REPORT OF THE FOREIGN MISSION BOARD MEET¬ ING Held in Berne, Ind., June IITS, 1914. The session was opened by a short period of prayer. All the members of the board found it possible this year to be present, which was very encouraging. The work was taken up in connection with the reading of the various reports from the missionaries. 1. The board grieves at the loss of Bro. C. J. Frey, our faith¬ ful worker at Oraibi, and mourns his early death and departure front us and his family. To the latter we herewith express our heartfelt sympathy. May the Lord comfort them and us and also the weeping Hopis. May even this death have a spiritual effect upon the Hopis whom he loved so sincerely. 2. Since the missionaries in 2 — Oklahoma, upon request by the board, are visiting from time to time the Oklahoma congrega¬ tions, Bro. H. J. Kliewer asked the question, whether .money should be solicited while calls are made in the families of the con¬ gregations. This question was answered negatively, with the un¬ derstanding, however, that volun¬ tary offerings should be accepted. 3. The board rejoices over the completed translations of Script¬ ure portions and entire books and over the completed part of the Cheyenne - English dictionary, which, according to Bro. Fetter’s last report, will presumably be finished in the summer of 1915. 4. Resolved, to raise Bro. Alfred Brown’s salary from $120 to $180 a year as soon as he, in the opin¬ ion of the missionaries, can read well enough. 5. Resolved, as soon as possi¬ ble, to call a new worker into the Cheyenne field in order to enable the board to make such a distri¬ bution of the Cheyenne mission - 3 — workers that one of them can be stationed at Fonda. 6. We are glad to hear that Bro. Funk and his assistant, Bro. Meek, in spite of the many difh* culties last year, are still hopeful. Bro. Meek is again allowed $180 for the ensuing year. 7. Resolved, to ask the three members of the board, Kliewer, Shelly and Musselman, to visit the Colony mission station in Oklahoma next fall in order to confer with the Dutch Reformed missionaries in Colony, regarding the proper division of the Che¬ yenne mission field between Col¬ ony and Clinton. 8. Bro. Linsheid’s budget of $150 for Busby was allowed. 9. Bro. Neufeld’s budget of $100 for current expenses was al¬ lowed. 10. Brother Wiebe’s budget of $100 for Lame Deer was allowed. 11. Bro. P. A. Kliewer’s budget of $106 for Birney was allowed. 12. Resolved, to send Sister Mary Schirmer again to Arizona - 4 - for an indefinite time to assist in mission work. 13. Resolved, to allow the bud¬ get of $450 for Oraibi, and also $124 for Miss Olson’s work there. 14. Resolved, that the traveling expenses of Mrs. C. J. Frey and family from Arizona to Kansas be allowed, namely $54.30. 15. In case Sister Elizabeth Schmidt goes back to Arizona, the board allows her $200 for ta¬ king care of the orphan children that are adopted by the mission, and $50 besides for each child thus adopted. 16. Bro. Duerksen’s budget of $57 for Pakavi. 17. Bro. Frey’s budget of $257 for Moen Copi was allowed. 18. Bro. J. B. Frey is instructed to introduce Sister Bessie Qua- yamyma into the work of an as¬ sistant, for which she immediate¬ ly receives $25. How large her monthly salary shall be, is to be decided upon later according to the work done by her. 19. Bro. P. W. Penner’s budget of $595 for Janjgir was allowed. 20. The ground plan for the Memorial Girls’ School at Janjgir was inspected by the board and approved. 21. Resolved to allow Bro. Suckau’s budget of $595 and Bro. P. A. Fenner’s of $297 for Cham¬ pa. The request by Bro. Penner for $60 to pay for an evangelist at Bammidi was granted also. 22. Bro. Wiens’ budget of $425 for Mauhadei was allowed. ^ 23. Resolved, that the board as¬ sume the responsibility of Bro. and Sister Wiens’ traveling ex¬ penses directly to America in 1915. 24. Upon the recommendation of our workers in India, the board drops the plan to build a rest house in the hills. 25. Resolved, that the request of our workers in India, to build a new station at Korba, be answer¬ ed thus: As the medical and school work is to built up first, before a new station is built, lack of means compels the board to — 6 — postpone the building of a new station. Meanwhile the strength¬ ening of the outstation work at Korba is recommended. 26. Our missionaries in India may change their church rules, as circumstances may require, with the consent of the board. 27. Resolved, that such appli¬ cants for church meirbership in India, that have been baptized as infants, are to be instructed in our confession of faith, in order, if possible, to convince them, so that they may themselves desire to be rebaptized. As to further decisions on this question, our churches in India shall have the same authority that any congre¬ gation in our Conference has. 28. Resolved, that our mission¬ aries in India be instructed to fob low our rules and practice as to marriage as far as circumstances there will permit and in accord¬ ance with the spirit and princi¬ ples in 1. Cor. 7. 29. The question regarding fu¬ nerals was answered to the effect — 7 — that the same shall be held in a Christian manner suited to the needs and conditions in India. 30. The rest of the church rules were approved in the form in which they were sent in by the missionaries. 31. Resolved to permit the building of a small house and a small school in Bhotia. 32. Sister Tabitta Neufeld is re¬ quested to start on her trip to In¬ dia about the beginning of Octo¬ ber. 33. Resolved to thank the many kind friends in Berne for the hearty welcome and rich enter¬ tainment, and the “Bank of Berne” for the cool and neat re¬ ception room, in which the meet¬ ing was held. The Lord be praised for His guiding Spirit, so that everything could be discussed in love and harmony! The growth of our mis¬ sion naturally increases the work of the board and the churches. We thank the Lord also for this, because He has giv^n strength — 8 and gifts for both. May He con¬ tinue to do so, and particularly lay His blessings upon the carry¬ ing out of these new resolutions and plans. A few important ques¬ tions were tabled till next fall to be dealt with during the General Conference session. Dear friends, continue to pray for us and the mission cause. Let there be no stand-still! About thirty souls were admitted into church last year on our several mission fields. About $30,000 was received for missions last year; i. e. seemingly $1000 for each saved soul. This is, however, no fair calculation, as is shown by the great “mass movements” toward Christ in at least six regions in India. In faith we can see such a mass movement coming also to our missions, so that we can say with Isaia (60: 22), “A little one shall become a thousand.” Though Isaia himself did not live to see the day. The meeting was closed with prayer by Rev. Sprunger. J. W. Kliewer, Pres. P. H. Richert, Sec’y*