V S c . OO M E facts ^ about gifts for Missions during the year 1907-08 iS’y George C. Thomas Treasurer Gifts for Missions During the Year 1907-08 New York, September 15th, 1908. To THE Board of Missions of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. Gentlemen: ' Herewith I present as fully as possible the detailed figures for the close of the fiscal year. It will be seen that the total contributions from all sources amounted to $988,097.04, or say $41,270.87 more than last year, while (as all the members of the Board are aware), the appro¬ priations were very much larger, so that our total defi¬ ciency (after deducting lapsed balances and applying $141,961.79 of legacies) is $48,517.50. As this deficiency is left after applying this $141,000 of legacies, it will be seen that the gifts of the living Church this year have not met the appropriations by nearly $189,000, although the showing is better than I had ex¬ pected some weeks ago. It is with a feeling of regret that I am obliged to report another deficit, and I feel in duty bound to say to the Board that while the financial outlook for the coming year is somewhat more reassuring than it was last year at this time, yet I am thoroughly satisfied that we shall have to use the greatest care and economy and should not in¬ crease the obligations which we have assumed, at least for the coming year. Respectfully submitted, George C. Thomas, Treasurer. The Treasurer’s Annual Statement September 15th, 1908. To THE Board of Missions of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. Gentlemen: I would report that while it was intended to close the books on September 8th, so many messages and telegrams were received every day asking that certain items be re¬ ceived and included in the figures of the closing year to¬ ward the Apportionment, it was decided to keep the books open and receive money up to September 12th inclusive. The contributions for the year, applying upon the ap¬ propriations, classified in the usual manner, have been as follows: From Parish Offerings. $372,637 00 From Gifts of Individuals. 104,685 58 $477,322 58 From Sunday-schools.’. .. . 135,277 61 From Branches of the Woman’s Auxiliary . 131,672 08 From Individual Members of the Woman’s Auxiliary. 7,242 22 From the Junior Auxiliary. 11,661 60 From Interest. 74,382 32 Miscellaneous Items. 12,078 06 From Men’s Thank-offering, for 1907 deficiency. 138,460 57 $988,097 04 Comparing the foregoing with last year I would report an increase in Parish offerings of. 3 j2I9 32 Individual offerings of. 7,126 51 Woman’s Auxiliary offerings of.. 12,671 17 Interest receipts of. 11,303 35 Miscellaneous items of. 7,739 61 Men’s Thank-offering, for 1907 deficiency . 138,460 57 $180,520 53 . And a decrease in Sunday-school offerings of. 989 09 Or a net increase From usual sources of . $ 41,070 87 From Men’s Thank- offering . 138,460 57 - $179,531 44 It will be noticed also that the offerings of the Wom¬ an’s Auxiliary and its Junior Branch, including the $74,709.34 withdrawn from the United Offering of 1904 and 1907 for the appropriations, have been $150,575.90. The total of contributions from parishes and indi¬ viduals under the Apportionment Plan, during the six years in which it has been in use has been very largely Increased and the figures are about double those of seven years ago. In 1901 they were $235,993.81. Last year they were $466,976.75. This year they were $477,322.58, or a gain the past year of $10,345.83; or a gain as com¬ pared with seven years ago of $241,328.77. In the seven years also the number of contributing parishes has more than doubled. In 1902, the first year of the Apportionment, eight dio¬ ceses and ten missionary districts completed their appor¬ tionments ; a total of eighteen. This year twenty-one dioceses and twenty-six missionary districts have com¬ pleted their apportionments; a total of forty-seven. Tliis year’s list is as follows: DIOCESES Arkansas Duluth East Carolina Florida Kansas Kentucky Lexington Maine Michigan City Montana New Hampshire North Carolina Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Vermont Virginia Western Massachusetts West Texas West Virginia MISSIONARY DISTRICTS Alaska Arizona Asheville Eastern Oregon . Honolulu Idaho Kearney Nevada New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma Porto Rico Sacramento Salina South Dakota Southern Florida Spokane The Philippines Utah Western Colorado Wyoming Africa Cuba Hankow Shanghai Tokyo I think we have every reason to feel encouraged over the success which has attended this method and the spirit in which the Apportionment Plan has been ac¬ cepted by the whole Church, We have tried to keep the Church constantly posted as to the progress that has been made in this connection by monthly detailed reports sent throughout each diocese, and also to members of the General Convention, to our Department Secretaries, and to general Church and diocesan papers. We have re¬ ceived many letters of appreciation and a great deal of valuable information as to what has been done to carry out this plan in the various dioceses and parishes. The Lenten offerings from the Sunday-schools con¬ tinue to be most gratifying. Two years ago there was a very large increase; nearly $17,000. A year ago the total of the previous year was slightly exceeded. This year the offering is only $743.88 less. The amount re¬ ceived last year was $137,914.43 from 3,807 Sunday- schools. This year we have received $137,170.55 from 3,801 Sunday-schools. The appropriations of the Board have been larger than ever before, say $1,040,115.76. Increased and more widespread efforts have been put forth this year to secure the needed funds to meet these increased obligations. These efforts have cost more money; the net total of central expenses and making the work known to the Church having been, for administra¬ tion and collection, $65,840.73; for printing reports of the Board, The Spirit of Missions for the clergy, extra pages in The Spirit of Missions, pamphlets and-leaflets for gratuitous distribution, $39,429.22; Department Secretaries, $9,956.54; or a total of $115,226.49. The gross receipts of the Society have amounted to $2,642,139.56. The percentage of central expenses upon the gross receipts has been a little less than four and four-tenths per cent! (4^/10%)- This is much lower than usual because during the year we have re¬ ceived, and to a large extent paid out, the Men’s Mis¬ sionary Thank-offering and the Woman’s Auxiliary United Offering, amounting to over $i,ocx 3 ,ooo, and although this required a very large amount of addi¬ tional work, practically no additional expense was in¬ curred. Last year the percentage of central expenses was eight and one-half per cent, which is more nearly the usual rate. The deficiency to September ist, 1907, was $138,460.57, and was met by an appropriation from the Men’s Thank- offering as provided for when that offering was under¬ taken three years ago. The contributions for the year, $849,636.47, together with the legacies which can be applied toward the appro¬ priations (including $960 from the Martin bequest of some years ago), say $141,961.79, do not cover the ap¬ propriations of the year, which are $1,040,115.76, by $48,517.50, which is the deficiency on September ist, 1908. This deficiency has been temporarily covered by the Reserve Deposits. These are sums set aside a number of years ago by the Board of Managers from legacies and other sources, amounting to $109,120.81, to meet the pay¬ ments during the early months of the year when the con¬ tributions are few. The Board also holds in the same way an additional fund of $12,189.48 for China, and re¬ ceived during the last four years new Reserve Deposits to protect the credit of the Society of $115,000, known as the “W. M. B. Fund.” A fund of $100,000 to be known as the “Bessie Moorhead Thomas Memorial Fund,” one- half of which is to be used for this same purpose, as an additional Reserve Deposit; and the gift of Mrs. Eleanor A. Goldsborough, deceased, late of All Saints’ Parish, Talbot County (in the Diocese of ‘Easton), Maryland, $100,000; also the gift of “A Friend,” in the Diocese of New York, $7,500. These deposits together therefore now make $393,810.29; and, as stated above, the defi¬ ciency to September ist, 1908, is temporarily covered thereby. The main purpose of the above Reserve Deposits, as has been said, was to meet payments in the early months of the fiscal year when the contributions are light and when the appropriations must be paid in regular amounts every month in order that the Board might thus be spared the necessity of borrowing money, which has been found un- avoidable until this reserve was established. As an illus¬ tration, in the first six months of this past year, the ap¬ propriations were $520,000, while the contributions were only $237,000, and the Reserve Deposits were provided to help tide over such a period. The order was, in estab¬ lishing" these deposits, that all amounts temporarily withdrawn from said funds during the year should be returned thereto before the close of the fiscal year, if possible; but in my judgment it is a matter of the most vital importance that the Reserve Deposits should be fully restored at the earliest practicable moment. Respectfully submitted, George C. Thomas, Treasurer. A IvL offerings for Mis- sions should be sent to George C. Thomas, Treasurer, 281 Fourth Avenue, NEW York. Copies of this leaflet may be had in any quantity by asking the CorreSpond- iNG Secretary, 281 Fourth Avenue, NewYork for leaflet No. 990.