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 PAM. 
 
 AFRICA 
 
 AFRICA 
 
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 BISHOP TAYLOR'S REPORT 
 
 TO THE 
 
 GENERAL MISSIONARY COMMITTEE 
 
 To the General Missionary Committee of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church : 
 
 Dear Fathers and Brethren— 
 
 Greeting from Africa with this my Annual Report to you who are plan¬ 
 ning and working to make the Gospel Proclamation coextensive with the 
 redemption which is in Christ Jesus and the needs of the human race. 
 
 The plan of missionary work, well suited to Asiatic countries, with their 
 oriental type of civilization and industries, comprising school work and 
 Gospel preaching, was not broad enough for the needs of a purely heathen 
 country like Africa ; so to those we have added two leading lines of work : 
 Industries, adequate to the demands of the Christian civilization to which 
 the natives are elevated, so that they can provide for themselves and sup¬ 
 port their own missions ; Nursery Missions, into each of which we adopt 
 from ten to twenty little boys and girls, taken from heathenism before they 
 become heathens, get them soundly converted, and train them in Christian 
 life and work. The results thus far achieved commend the plan. Indus¬ 
 tries were introduced which were best suited to the various localities, and 
 the natives are everywhere taught the useful labors of the house, shop, 
 garden, and farm—the gain to them in developing a right spirit of inde¬ 
 pendence, and acquiring a practical knowledge of useful avocation, ex¬ 
 ceeding the financial advantage to the mission stations. 
 
 Coffee growing, the main line of support on the West Coast, is of slow 
 development, but is approaching success. The smaller gardens and farms 
 on the Congo have realized sustentation in the case of three stations on 
 
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 the river; and the others are nearly so, except building and transportation ; 
 while on Angola District all the stations and substations are self-support¬ 
 ing, and, in some measure, self-propagating. 
 
 The Nursery Missions are a grand institution, in the conversion of the 
 ^children themselves and their utilization as an evangelizing agency. By 
 them heathen, from kings and petty chiefs to outcast “Bushmen,” whose 
 adherence to various forms of witchcraft and polygamous complications 
 seemed a bar to the earnest efforts of adult missionaries, have been won 
 to Christ by their unquestioned testimonies. This was illustrated at a re¬ 
 cent baptismal service at Brooks Station, Liberia, when three generations 
 of one family knelt together at the head of the circle of candidates at the 
 altar—the grandmother, father, and mother, and little sister of Diana, the 
 little Grebo who was introduced to the last General Conference. The 
 Nursery children, with the native evangelists, into which some of them have 
 already developed, are everywhere one of the largest human agencies in 
 the work of salvation that is in progress in some of our mission stations, 
 and has commenced in others. 
 
 We have lost two missionaries by death. Rev. Bradley L. Burr, who, 
 as Superintendent on the Congo, left a work that will ever feel the impress 
 of his holy life and labors ; and Miss Levina Ratcliffe, a holy young woman 
 who received her appointment above the clouds soon after her arrival at 
 the Angola District Conference. Only four of our missionaries have re¬ 
 turned during the year; two because of the ill health of one of them, and 
 two on temporary leave of absence to recruit, one of whom sailed for 
 Africa last Wednesday, and the other desires to return. 
 
 Besides your missionaries to White Plains Seminary, we have sent nine 
 adults to Africa this year, and have now forty-four white missionaries at 
 the front, by special request of the Secretary for Africa not including some 
 of our most efficient workers, the children of our missionaries—“ of such 
 is the kingdom of heaven.” Names and appointments of each are given 
 herewith. Besides these we have a continually increasing number of native 
 evangelists. 
 
 As fu'ly as distance and time will allow I desire to present to you an 
 accurate report of your work in Africa, and a clear financial and statistical 
 exhibit of our Industrial Missions. 
 
 The Liberia Conference 
 
 is composed of 40 members, 25 of whom are engaged in the old work of 
 the Conference. Were the appropriations divided pro rata each would 
 receive $100. They are in the main self-supporting, by means of their 
 profession, business, or labor, and give most of their time to the regular 
 work of effective members. Assisted by 53 local preachers, they are the 
 shepherds over 3,364 members, 251 probationers, and 2,779 Sunday school 
 scholars, and the spirit of revival has prevailed on many of their charges 
 during the year. In their efforts to keep lights of salvation burning on a 
 dangerous coast they need our loving sympathy and prayer of faith. 
 
3 
 
 
 A, 
 
 O 
 
 Seminaries of the Society. 
 
 Cape Palmas. Miss Alina Lawson, temporarily in charge, assisted by 
 a native boy trained by Mrs. McNeil-Buckwalter, has instructed an aver¬ 
 age oi thirty scholars. Three acres of garden, ten acres of farm out of 
 town, all the property of the Society, has assisted in support of teachers. # 
 The appropriation, supplemented by private funds, has been used, and 
 vouchers returned, for support, books, and necessary repair of a falling 
 porch. 
 
 Monrovia. Miss Anna E. Whitfield, temporarily in charge, with her 
 adopted native girls, has held on, under much local difficulty. Appropri¬ 
 ation used, vouchers returned, for support and necessary division of Semi¬ 
 nary building by partitions. 
 
 White Plains. Rev. E. H. Greeley and wife, sent out by the Mission¬ 
 ary Board, and appropriation used, under the immediate direction of the 
 Secretaries, for their outfit, passage money, and house and school supplies. 
 There is a good farm of two hundred acres, and self-support should be 
 rapidly developed. The school had to be organized from pure native 
 elements. 
 
 Native Work in the Liberia Conference. 
 
 
 
 Jacktown. Rev. J. W. Bonner; has substantial building and a large 
 coffee orchard beginning to bear. Regular preaching services. 
 
 Bluebarra , Rev. J. W. Kennedy; is a comparatively new station, with 
 only native-built house ; has a good farm. Sabbath school and preach¬ 
 ing. 
 
 Wall Country , Rev. J. W. Draper; native house also, and new farm. 
 Evangelistic work carried on. 
 
 Ebeneser, Judge Z. B. Roberts, an ordained local elder, has a good 
 farm under thorough cultivation. Twenty children in the mission 
 family. 
 
 Fortsville . To be supplied. Has two hundred acres of land, surveyed 
 by J. H. Deputie. 
 
 Pesseh. Rev. R. Boyce has been engaged in building, cultivating coffee, 
 and developing a Sabbath school. 
 
 Golah, Rev. W. P. Kennedy, Sr., travels a circuit of five miles and 
 seven half towns, and preaches to the passing crowds daily. Assisted by 
 his daughters he is doing effective evangelistic service. 
 
 Vey Mission, near Cape Mount, Monrovia District, has been under the 
 care of Cato Ware, son of the deceased missionary there, who reports 
 twenty acres of young coffee trees under cultivation, which, in a few years, 
 should furnish good support for the station. 
 
 West Coast Industrial Missions. —Rev. John G. Tate, Presiding 
 Elder; Rev. A. L, Buckwalter, Financial Agent, 
 
 Wissika, John Smith and Mrs. Freda Smith. Good farm and young 
 coffee orchard. Small church organization, and regular preaching and 
 teaching. 
 
 / 
 
4 
 
 Eublokey , Betty Tubman. Small farm and coffee orchard. Six mis¬ 
 sion children. Work retarded by war, but has been again hopefully re¬ 
 sumed. 
 
 Bcaboo, Mrs. Nora Garwood, Frame house, farm, and coffee orchard, 
 in good condition. There is an organized church of ten members and 
 twelve probationers, and sixteen boys and girls in the mission family. 
 Regular preaching and teaching in native towns. 
 
 Barr aka, Grace White and Anna White. Farm nearly supports the 
 station, and coffee orchard commenced bearing. Several native-built 
 houses, and decaying mission house now being replaced by substantial 
 building. Sixteen children in mission family; good force of native work¬ 
 ers and evangelists assisting in regular services in several towns. Four¬ 
 teen members and fifteen probationers. 
 
 Brooks Station, Mrs. Lizzie McNeil-Buckwalter. Twenty children in 
 Nursery Mission, successful soul-saving work in village and Bigtown, 
 where a strong native church has been organized under King Hodge, 
 Church at Brooks has eighteen members and eleven probationers ; large 
 Sabbath school. Substantial mission house. 
 
 Gar raw ay, Miss Agnes McAllister and Mrs. Jennie Hunt, Fine farm 
 and coffee orchard commencing to bear. Sister Hunt in charge of mis¬ 
 sion family of fourteen and farm. Sister McAllister engaged in successful 
 evangelistic work in town and several villages. Native Christian town, 
 Zion, prosperous spiritually. Two substations in charge of native evan¬ 
 gelists, trained in this mission. Fourteen members, fourteen proba¬ 
 tioners. 
 
 Piquinin Sess, John McLean, trained by the late Professor Nichols at 
 Cape Palmas Seminary. A successful missionary, beloved by his people ; 
 a powerful people, and “ the best warriors on the West Coast.” 
 
 Grand Sess. Rev. J. B. Robertson, just returning from short leave of 
 absence, and Mrs. Lena Robertson. Poor land for farming. Eight boys 
 in mission family. Good soul-saving work in town and surrounding vil¬ 
 lages, assisted by native evangelists. Church of fifteen members and sixty 
 probationers. Three Sabbath schools. 
 
 Sass Town, and three substations, all in charge of native Christian 
 workers, under supervision of Presiding Elder Tate. Farm and coffee 
 cultivation, but land poor. Native church membership over two hundred. 
 Center of evangelizing power for interior towns and coast sailors. Seven¬ 
 teen children in mission family. One native Christian town composed of 
 young men who have redeemed their wives from heathen families. 
 
 Niffoo, in charge of a Niffoo native who was trained by Miss Sharp at 
 Monrovia, and who, with his wife, was baptized bv me eight years ago. 
 
 Congo District Mission Stations. 
 
 Mamby, Henry Nehne and Mrs. Martha Kah Nehne. Here we have a 
 good mission house and garden, and a few children. Our inability to 
 secure a French teacher, after the death of Miss Burkhalter, only the 
 
French language being permitted in the schools of French Congo, and the 
 influence of more recently opened Roman Catholic schools, has seriously 
 retarded the work. Good seed has been sown in witnessing and preach¬ 
 ing to the heathen contiguous. We expect to move this station. 
 
 Natombi Vivi, Banana Creek. Miss Mary Kildare has made a good 
 success in teaching and preaching and self-support. She has several re¬ 
 deemed children under training for Christian workers. Regular preaching 
 to the heathen, the lawless of whom fear and respect her; and sustenta- 
 tion from her orchard and garden. A noble woman of God, who needs a 
 sister worker of like spirit. 
 
 Vivi, our receiving and transport station on the river, in charge of Rev. 
 W. O. White, as is also the mission steamer, used as occasion requires, 
 and as a Bethel Mission. We have a good mission house at Vivi, pro¬ 
 ductive garden, a mission family of little girls and boys who are all 
 saved workers for Jesus. A good assistant needed. 
 
 Isangilci. Rev. William Snape has succeeded on all lines of industrial 
 mission work. He reports several converts from heathenism, regular 
 preaching in a number of towns adjacent, Sabbath and day schools, 
 adequate self-support, and has built a new mission house. The work de¬ 
 veloped needs several missionaries. 
 
 Kimpoko . Stanley Pool ; Rev. William Rasmussen, Mrs. Helen Chap¬ 
 man Rasmussen, Crilles Jensen, and Mrs. Jensen. Dr. Harrison has been 
 granted leave of absence, but had not come down river at last accounts. 
 Our lamented Brother Burr left two good mission houses, a well-developed 
 farm, small native school, and regular preaching appointments in the na¬ 
 tive villages, and Kimpoko has been self-supporting for several years, 
 At last account Brother Rasmussen and party, on their way up river, 
 were temporarily working Isangila, while Brother Snape hastened on to 
 Kimpoko to assist Dr. Harrison. 
 
 Boma, Matadi , Brooks Station No 2, and Sulnaburg, to be supplied. 
 
 Angola District. 
 
 Summary of church work and translations; 
 
 Average attendance at Sabbath preaching.. . 175 
 
 Average attendance at Sabbath school. 150 
 
 Average attendance at day school .... 68 
 
 Probationers. 24 
 
 Full members. . ,.. 62 
 
 Baptisms... 19 
 
 Native nursery children. 46 
 
 Translations into Kimbundu. 
 
 Gospel of St. John—entire; Gospel of St. Luke—incomplete; various 
 portions of entire Scriptures; Catechism—complete ; Hymn Book. 
 
 Appointments. —Rev. Amos E. Withey, Presiding Elder, 
 
 St. Paul de Loanda, Rev. Charles W. Gordon. 
 
 Dondo, to be supplied. 
 
Nhanguefieppo , Rev. William Schneidmiller. 
 
 Ben Barrett Station , Rev. William P. Dodson, Mrs. Catharine Dodson, 
 Mrs. A. E. Withey, Rev. Herbert C. Withey, and J. W. Shuett and wife, 
 till a station can be opened for them in Dalla Kasua’s country. 
 
 Pnngo Andongo and Canandua, Rev. Robert Shields, Mrs. Lizzie 
 Shields, and Susan Collins. 
 
 Malange Circuit (including Malange, Farm Nursery, Munhall Mission, 
 and Bondo Country), Rev. Samuel J. Mead, Mrs. Ardella Mead, Mrs, Minnie 
 Mead, John Mead, Miss Louise Ranen, with native evangelists Bernando 
 and Luzia, his wife, Mathew and wife. 
 
 Summary of Angola District, financial exhibit: 
 
 Total value of real property... $37,484 31 
 
 Amount due African fund. .. 7.773 34 
 
 Balance real property. $29,710 97 
 
 • Increase for the year... 4,159 00 
 
 Commercial capital, stock and cash. $8,771 32 
 
 Invested in cattle.... 1,590 00 
 
 Total working capital, free of debt. $10,361 32 
 
 Earnings for the year : 
 
 Total income for the Province... $3,021 55 
 
 Total household expenses.... ... 2,259 44 
 
 Net earnings, above self-support.... $762 11 
 
 East Africa and Zambezia. 
 
 Rev. Erwin H. Richards, Superintendent, made a tour of examination in 
 the interior, and returned to the coast to establish a base of operations. 
 He purchased the mission property at Inhambane, Mokodwini, Kambine, 
 and Mongwe, including three mission houses. Sunday schools, day schools* 
 and regular preaching, with the assistance of a number of native evangel¬ 
 ists. Scriptures, catechism, and hymns in native language. I have ap¬ 
 pointed four missionaries to this field, to go forward from New Zealand 
 
 next spring. 
 
 East Africa Mission, annual financial statement; 
 
 Balance on hand from last year. £633- 8- 9. 
 
 Property purchased, sustentation, and traveling expenses. 422-14-11. 
 
 Balance of Interior Mission Fund on hand. £210—13-10. 
 
 Proceeds of trade and industry.. 230- o- 9. 
 
 Balance Zambezia Fund.... £440-14- 7. 
 
 Africa Industrial Mission Fund. 
 
 Receipts. 
 
 Balance on November 1, 1893...$8,066 gJ 
 
 Receipts through Illustrated Africa . 13,016 2& 
 
 Debenture bonds of estate of George Fowler..... . 11,897 20- 
 
i 
 
 Interest on debenture bonds.... $2g6 oo 
 
 Rebate account, outfit returned missionary. 125 00 
 
 Bequests and Legacies. 5.135 65 
 
 Missionary Treasurer, account Liberia Seminaries.. . .. 500 00 
 
 $39 °37 04 
 
 Dish u rsemen ts. 
 
 Drafts and merchandise, New York office.$16,839 3§ 
 
 London accounts, drafts, and merchandise.....14,233 84 
 
 Interest paid account annuities.. 520 41 
 
 Office expenses, stationery, and postage. 721 45 
 
 $32,315 08 
 
 Balance account African Fund. $6,721 96 
 
 Our West Coast Missions. 
 
 Geographically and organically our mission stations in Liberia are 
 really within the lines of the Liberia Conference and the Missionary Soci¬ 
 ety. At the last General Conference it was proposed to make the Equator 
 the southern boundary. Our ten stations within those lines, each reported 
 herewith, are manned by some of our most competent, successful mission¬ 
 aries. On each of them there is a coffee orchard approaching the age of 
 profitable bearing, and self-support already partly developed from other 
 sources. It would be in accord with the principles of Self-Supporting 
 Missions, as 1 ud down in the founding of them in India, for these sta¬ 
 tions, at this stage of their development, to receive a subsidy from the 
 Missionary Society, and, hence, to come under its immediate jurisdiction. 
 In my book entitled Four Years' Campaign in India, written over 
 twenty years ago, occurs this statement : “ Our ground from the first 
 covers two simple principles, deduced from an admitted fact, namely, 
 self-support is a sound, safe principle, and the only permanently reliable 
 foundation to which all missions aspire and hope to attain ; if, therefore, 
 it be a good thing to aim at in the future it is a good thing to begin with, 
 where resources are available. If not adequate to the growing demands 
 of the work then our second principle is to develop the indigenous re¬ 
 sources available before we begin to subsidize them from foreign funds ; 
 as such appropriations in advance will, in most cases, supersede them.” 
 
 Missions opened and developed on the charity principle, necessary 
 where there are no available indigenous resources, in most cases find un- 
 surmountable difficulties in the way of changing the method. The prin¬ 
 ciple of self-support is in the constitution and growth of these ten mission 
 stations among the purely heathen tribes of Liberia, and a few years 
 more of the small subsidy they require, which the Lord will enable us to 
 continue if the Society does not accept them, will make them entirely 
 self-supporting. In view of the expressed desire of the Missionary Soci¬ 
 ety to make a progressive move and take a controlling hand in my Africa 
 Missions, I hereby tender them these healthy, thriving stations in heathen 
 Liberia, which I will superintend for them. 
 
8 
 
 Estimates for the Year 1895. 
 
 I request the usual appropriation for Liberia Conference. ... $2,500 
 
 Cape Palmas Seminary. . 5 °° 
 
 Monrovia Seminary. 500 
 
 White Plains Seminary. 600 
 
 Contingent Fund. 200 
 
 For the seven stations accepted by the Missionary Committee one year 
 ago, namely, Jacktown, Bluebarra,Wall Country, Ebenezer, Fortsville, 
 
 Pesseh, and Gholah, $200 each. 1,400 
 
 The return of the Vey Mission to the list, sustained last year by Liberia 
 
 Conference and myself.. 150 
 
 These eight stations among the natives are doing good work, in teach¬ 
 ing, preaching, and coffee growing, but as yet need the subsidy asked for. 
 If the Committee decide to take all the stations in the bounds of Liberia 
 Conference, the ten stations manned by trained missionaries, and on which 
 we have expended fgo.ooo to advance them thus far, namely: 
 
 Wissika, Eublokey, Beaboo, Barraka, Brooks Station, Garraway, Pi- 
 quinin Sess, Grand Sess, Sass Town, and Niffoo, they will require an 
 
 average of $300 each. .*... $3,000 
 
 Two new mission houses. ... 1,000 
 
 To be applied by Financial Agent Buckwalter, who will return vouchers 
 to the Board. The work would continue to have my general supervision 
 for the Society, and be developed as rapidly as possible on industria’ elf¬ 
 supporting lines. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 h9 A 
 
 (Signed.) 
 
 William Tay