^^''7 ^^^^^^^^^ /^2C.P'M WESTERN TURKEY MlfigJOS \T REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO WfJ^CyHU' ^VAS PPfffI LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE !o^'lUlE{PR0:f|l COMMUNITY \ = — This Committee recommends the adoption -'Mi^^ fejlowing minutCj/^ijU /' the resolutions thereto appended, and the approva\.,of a^clroinptmyin^p^jji^^ on the means of supporting the Protestant Chancery, .;and ^^i|^^iis^Bfi<^ the same to the other Missions of the American Boar3Ttr-~Pnf!s%y^ to the Provisional committee of the Protestant Community, and to the Synod of Bithynia now in session in this city : Seeing that in the natural course of events the various institutions es- tablisjipd in Turkey by Missionary agencies pass as they become self-support- ing into the hands of the local and native communities, being regarded less and less as in the category of American institutions ; and Seeing that the civil organization of the Protestant Community is human- ly speaking the main reliance of the native Evangelical communities for free- dom of development in prosperity and self-support, and the chief means of protecting the primary schools, the village preachers, and the colporters which the Missions are instrumental in maintaining in this country; and Seeing that grave forebodings have been aroused by the long continued disorder from which this Civil Organization has been suffering, with its con- sequences of the refusal of the authorities in many places to recognize local Protestants and their Pastors or preachers, and the threatened overthrow of the Evangelical churches, and the extinction of the chartered rights of the Community : Resolved: 1. That wo rejoice to learn from the Provisional Central Com- mittee of the community that an effort is being made to place this organiza- tion on a solid foundation and that it has hopes of collecting an amount equalling about L.T. 250 per anmmi from the native Protestants of the Em- pire, and of obtaining a similar annual grant from various foreign Societies for a few years, provisionally to carry on the Chancery while the organiza- tion is being put on a more solid basis. 2. That in the view of this Mission, with the efficiency of this Civil Or- ganization is closely linked the very existence of the local institutions which the Missions have planted with prayer and fostered with affectionate solici- tude during long years. 3. That we recommend to the Missions of the American Board to ask from the Prudential Committee, as a necessity for the maintenance of the liberties of its Missionaries and their -native co-laborers, the following sums — 2 — each year; the same to be paid to the Chancery of the Protestant Commun- ity, beginning with the year 1890 : From the Western Turkey Mission L.T. 35 " " Eastern " " " 30 " Central " " " 20 " " European " " " 15 Total L.T. 100 4. (a) That approving of the considerations set forth in the accompany- ing paper we endorse in principle the endowment plan for making the Pro- testant Chancery what the importance and dignity of the establishment seem to require, expressing it as our opinion also that the sum of L. 12,000 seems a modest estimate of the amount needed for such an endowment. (b) That while eventually appeals endorsed by the various Missionary Societies working in this land may with propriety be made in America, Eng- land and Germany, yet in our judgment, previously to such appeals earnest and well-sustained efforts should be made among all the Protestants of the Turkish Empire. (c) That we deem it wise that some provision should be made in the organic Law for preventing the accumulation of funds in the Treasury of such a Chancery, and for such a use of surplus funds as will be impartial and equitable to the diiferent branches of the Protestant Community: 5. That we mal^e these recommendations on the understanding and the condition tliat the perfection of the civil organization by securing the draft- ing and promulgation of an organic Law as speedily as possible, and the ap- pointment of a Permanent Executive committee, accepted and approved by at least the Protestant Community of the Capital will be pressed to a conclu- sion. And to the end of a complete regularization of the situation, we, as interested friends of this organization beseech our brethren of the several Ecclesiastical Unions, Churches, and Communities in this country, putting aside all denominational and other differences, to give hearty support, both moral and material to this effort, for on this civil organization depend many of their priveleges, and in this case division means destruction. Adopted by the Western Turkey Mission, June 3, 1890. THE MEANS OF SUPPORTING THE PnOTESTANT CHANCERY Being the paper referred to in the above minute, and approved by vote of the Western Turkey Mission June 3, 18P0. Assuming the necessity under the existing methods of the Turkish Gov- ernment, of an efficient and well-supported Protestant Chancery, and assum- ing that this necessity will be sufficiently recognized both by the Protestant -3 — Communities in this land and by the different Missionary organizations at work in it to secure a partial support at least for a time, the question still remains now to make ample and permanent provision for such a Chancery. The desired end may be sought by either of two methods, viz., (1) By col- lecting the necessary funds year by year, or, (2) By the endowment plan. The one involves continuous effort, the other, one final and decisive effort. The following considerations seem to us of weight to justify our preference of the endowment plan to the method of raising funds year by year. This latter method will naturally depend for its supplies upon grants from Missionary Societies, the revenue from fees, and amounts collected annually in some way from the people. (1) Grants from Missionary Societies. It is not at all likely that the Societies will wish to continue making such grants for any very long time, even to the extent of the amounts now proposed. (2) Fees. The revenue from fees in the provinces being required for local expenses, the Community at Constantinople is the only one to which the Chancery can look for revenue of this kind. At present the amount realized from this source is only about L.T. 50. What it may become in time depends of course upon the growth of the Protestant community. But there seems to be no probability that it will for a long time to come amount to any very considerable proportion of the sum estimated as essential. (3) Collections among the people, (a) The present financial condition of the Protestant Community renders it unreasonable and hopeless to ex- pect that any very considerable sum may be realized from this source. Ex- perience in the past suggests great doubt as to whether the amount of L.T, ■200 expected from them can be realized (making vrith the fees referred to above the annual revenue of L.T. 250). If this amount together with the amounts requested from the Missionary Societies could be depended upon year after year, there would still remain to be collected at least one half the total amount estimated as essential to meet the annual expenses of the Chancery. (b) If the Community increases in numbers and material strength, as we earnestly hope that it will, there will still be a great demand upon their liber- ality for religious and educational enterprises, and it seems chimerical to hope that they will at any assignable date be able to raise the needed amount. (o) It should be remembered also that the resources of the Protestant Community as well as of the other Communities, are subject to great varia- tion and unsteadiness from the frequent recurrence of famine, from the un- certainties of business enterprises, and from all those peculiarities in the pre- sent condition of affairs in Turkey which act as repressing and stifling in- fluences upon the industries of the country. (d) But even assuming that the Community is now or at an early date — h — ■will be able to carry the wliole burden of the Chancery, we are still con- fronted -with the very sex-ious problem, how the money is to be raised. 1. An enforced tax is out of the question. It appears that the Turkish Government, far from aiding the non-Muslim Communities in collecting taxes for the support of the institutions of those Communities, positively forbids the employment of force for such purposes. 2. It would be unwise to place dependence upon voluntary contributions to be renewed year after year. The labor and difficulties connected with the mere matter of collection would alone constitute an almost insuperable objec- tion. But besides this, reasons of dissatisfaction and complaint, I'eal or imag- inary, are sure to arise. Full subscriptions one year may be followed by great deficiencies the succeeding year. The moral bond existing between a pastor and his flock, and prompting to regular and conscientious effort does not exist in this relationship. The great mass of tliose from whom contribu- tions might naturally be expected, would in all ordinary circumstances per- haps utterly fail to appreciate their need of an expensive chancery. Very likely, however, they would be the first to complain if circumstances should arise in their own experience which should cause them to feel the inconven- ience and possibly the hardships connected with an inefficient Commnnity or- ganization. 3. It is worthy of note that the old established Communities of the Ar- menians and the Greeks, though supporting very expensive Chanceries, do not rely upon the voluntary contributions of the people, and that they would feel inconveniences such as have been suggested in regard to collecting funds from the people, whether of the nature of an enforced tax or of voluntary subscrip- tions. They are spared these inconveniences ( 1 ) by the very considerable revenues which in so large communities may reasonably be expected from fees, but (2) principally by generous donations and legacies from wealthy men, permanently invested and bringing iil large revenues which place their respective Chanceries beyond the apprehension of financial embarrassment.