denominational interests here, the vitality, the enterprise, the liberal spirit characteristic of the Baptist brotherhood in this region, are the sufficient answer to those who inquire whether such outlay has been wisely made. The trees of the Society's planting and watering have yielded golden fruit in consecrated men and means, even for the conversion of the heathen world to Christ. All these things afford cause for rejoicing on this occasion, and inspiration to press our work more vigorously in the newer portion of our country where the conditions are similar to those that existed here barely a generation ago. ranking in intelligence, enterprise, piety, and efficiency with the older churches of the East. The very atmosphere is fragrant with memories of godly men who toiled as pioneer and local missionaries of the Society in all this region. The first work of the Society in Minnesota was begun in May, 1849, by Rev. John P. Parsons, at St. Paul. Stillwater and St. Anthony were occupied later the same year by Rev. J. S. Webber, and Minneapolis in October, 1853, by Rev. T. B. Rogers. Conspicuous among the company of noble men who efficiently wrought for God here, was Rev. Amory Gale, who, after one year's service in Minneapolis, from July, 1857, to 1858, was the exploring agent and general missionary in Minnesota for the ensuing Some of the devoted friends of the Sosixteen years. He performed an enormous amount of pioneer work and as a wise coun-ciety, whose prayers and offerings have consellor was influential in giving direction to tributed to these results, are to be with us no more in these earthly convocations. The number of Life Directors and Life Members who have passed away during the year, so far as ascertained, is 88. Their names are The Committee on in the appended list. Obituaries will make special mention of some whose names, therefore, we need not repeat. our denominational interests in this State. Pioneer missionary work, as illustrated by his labors, has ever been a prominent feature of the Society's operations. OBITUARY. It is not practicable, in the limits of this report, to present even the briefest biographical sketch of these departed ones. Five and of the directors were business men, thirteen were ministers. Of the seventy life. members, eighteen were women, thirty were business or professional men, and twenty-two were ministers. Among those widely known and closely identified with the Society's work were the following: About two hundred and seventy-five fields in Minnesota have enjoyed the benefit of missionaries supported wholly or in part by the Society, with which, during the last eight years, the State Convention has been in harmonious co-operation, contributing by its liberal offerings and its judicious advisers greatly to the efficiency of the work. The aggregate of missionary service in this State has been 1,143 years. The amount expended for missionary support has been $193,623.18. If this seems large, let it be considered that it is no more than many a church in our cities has expended for its own support within onehalf of this period. Of about 100 Baptist Rev. Silas Ilsley, of Syracuse, N. Y., was church edifices in this State 53 were erected a member of the Executive Board of the by the Society's assistance, 31 from the Society from 1838 to 1842. Rev. E. L. loan fund, 19 from the gift fund, and 3 from Magoon, D.D., who died at Philadelphia, both funds. Thus, nearly every church has Pa., was also a member, with an interval of had missionary aid, and half of those with one year, from 1850 to 1858. Rev. Eleazer houses church edifice aid from the Society. Savage, of Rochester, N. Y., showed his inIt seems fitting to refer to these facts as terest in the Society by a single gift of $2,000 furnishing an example to the constituency to its work. Rev. Henry F. Smith, D.D., of the Society of the way in which offerings of Mount Holly, N. J., was a warm friend have been used and with what excellent of the Society, and was chairman of the results. The substantial character of our Committee on Obituaries a year ago. Hon. William Gurley, of Troy, N. Y., was one of the Society's generous contributors. Four missionaries have died during the year. Rev. A. J. Shoemaker, of Pennsylvania, was called away soon after he began his labors as an instructor in the Indian University at Muskogee, Ind. Ter. He was greatly beloved, and lamented by his associates and by the students. Rev. Alfred S. Orcutt, of Pipestone, Minn., was killed almost instantly by the falling walls of a burning building. He was a good man, a faithful preacher and successful pastor, whose death was a great shock to his church. Rev. I. W. Wilkinson, who had wrought with success in mission fields in Dakota, died at Minneapolis, Minn. Miss Emeline A. Briggs, of Massachusetts, died at Florida Institute, Live Oak, Fla., in the midst of her labors. These and other departures of well-known servants of our Lord again remind us of His own words, which we may appropriately adopt as our own: "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work." CHANGES IN THE BOARD. In the place of J. A. Bostwick, Esq., elected at the last annual meeting, but who declined to serve, the Board elected C. H. Dutcher, Esq., of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Brooklyn. Rev. R. S. MacArthur, D.D., overburdened with varied work, felt compelled to resign his position as a member of the Board of which he had been an efficient member. In his place Rev. R. B. Kelsay, D.D., Pastor of the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, Brooklyn, was elected. W. H. Jameson, Esq., one of the auditors and a faithful member of the Board, was compelled by reason of ill health to offer his resignation. Wm. A. Cauldwell, Esq., of the Calvary Baptist Church, New York, was elected to fill the vacancy. The absence, on account of long-continued illness, of J. B. Hoyt, Esq., of Connecticut, whose long devotion to the Society's interests, and whose generous offerings have greatly endeared him to his associates, has been deeply regretted. The receipts may be classified as follows: I. From contributions of churches, Sunday schools, and individuals, including $14,300 conditional trust funds, $349,797.36. II. From legacies, $158,257.19. III. Income from Church Edifice loans and invested funds, $17,598.94. IV. From the Schools of the Society, $19,987.61. V. Miscellaneous, including receipts for the BAPTIST HOME MISSION MONTHLY, $12,238.66. A further analysis, showing to what purfollowing results: pose these receipts are applicable, gives the I. For General purposes (i. e., for salaries of missionaries, teachers, officers, and expenses of administration).—From general contributions, $179,907.86; from legacies, $90,878.02; from all other sources, $34,645.08; total, $305,430.96. II. Designated Funds.-- 1. For Church Edifice work: (a) Benevolent Fund. Contributions from churches, individuals, and Sunday-schools, $35,361.53; from legacies, Of this amount $60,000 were for general purposes, $10,000 for educational work among the colored people, and $35,000 for the Church Edifice Fund. $41,379.17; from income of invested funds, $1,604.94; gift returned, $300; total, $78,645.64. (b) Loan fund. From legacies, $1,000; income from loans, $6,051.04; total, $7,051.04. Total for Church Edifice work, $85,696.68. 2. For school buildings and other objects, $9,492.47. 3. For payment of last year's debt, $120, 227.97. III. Permanent Funds. (Other than Church Edifice funds): From investments to be added to principal, $1,855.11. IV. Conditional or Annuity Funds (donors receiving annuities during their lives):-From individuals, $14,300. Two items in the large receipts of the year are worthy of special mention: The first is the payment of last year's indebtedness of $123,428.93. The accomplishment of this undertaking affords cause for special thanksgiving. The plans to this end were carefully made and methodically prosecuted. Within the short space of eighty days, pledges and cash were secured to cover the entire amount-the "cap stone" being put on in fifteen minutes at the opening session of the last annual meeting, when about $7,000 were pledged for this purpose. Of the large number of pledges, ranging from fifty cents to $30,000, only a very few remain unpaid. Indeed so great was the benevolent momentum of this effort that the offerings and pledges ran somewhat beyond the amount called for. The amount actually paid in, viz.: $124,302.61, is $873.68 in excess of the principal of the debt. This fully covers the incidental expenses of the effort. The result shows what American Baptists are capable of doing when a great emergency arises. From the estate of ex-Gov. Abner Coburn, of Maine, $25,000 have been received, Washington, D. C. designated specifically for Wayland Seminary, The special effort for the debt has somewhat affected contributions for the current work of the year, as was expected. In general, however, offerings of the churches compare favorably with those of preceding years. If value of the generous gift of property in to the grand total of $552,503.47 we add the Washington, D. C., by Mrs. M. M. Gray, of would be $572,503.47. Oakland, Cal., the past year, the amount EXPENDITURES. Your Board have adhered very closely to the rule adopted a year ago in limiting appropriations to the average of annual receipts during the three years preceding. In the reasonable expectation of increased resources from certain legacies, slight enlargement in urgent cases was deemed justifiable. The expenditures in general are as follows: 1. For missionaries' salaries, $130,666.79. 2. For teachers' salaries, $59,260.98. 3. For special educational purposes, $41,442.94. 4. In gifts for church edifice work, $29,296.58. 5. For expenses of administration at the rooms, $16,055.82. 6. For collecting and supervising agencies, $15,799.42. For detailed statement concerning these and minor expenditures see Treasurer's report. There has been no material change in the expenses of administration and collection, which are less than six per cent. of the year's receipts. The second thing is the amount from the legacies. The largest sum ever received by the Society at once from a legacy was paid in March, 1887, by Hon. Eustace C. Fitz, executor of the estate of Gardner Chilson, Esq., of Mass., who died in 1877. By the The following tabulated statement gives death in Dec., 1886, of his son, who had a life the amount appropriated to the several interest in a large portion of the estate, the mission fields last year and four years precedSociety came into possession of $105,000. I ing: $121,286 40 $133,056 48 $154,446 73 $133,155 27 $130,666 79 Notwithstanding the purpose of your Board to keep down appropriations to about the average annual receipts of the past three years, yet, in consequence of the falling off in receipts and in ordinary legacies already referred to, there would have resulted a deficiency of about $47,000 had it not been for the timely and extraordinary legacy mentioned. The rule adopted, therefore, is not a guarantee against a debt. While we rejoice that escape from a debt was thus provided by Him who times all things according to His infinite wisdom and foreknowledge, at the same time there is a tinge of regret that of the $70,000 of the Chilson legacy for the general purposes of the Society only $23,000 remains for new work, when the whole of it was so greatly needed. Indeed, in the light of the year's experience it is a grave question whether any enlargement can be made. Your Board would impress upon the constituency of the Society the necessity of undiminished contributions, and earnestly expresses the hope that the erroneous impres sion may not prevail that the Society has abundant resources for its immense work. ADJUSTMENT OF THE DEANE LOSSES. The inevitable prominence which the Society's losses, through Mr. Deane, assumed at the last meeting of the Society, and the general expectation that some adjustment of these losses would be made during the year, calls for a report on this subject. The Society, by vote, directed" that the whole matter of adjusting the settlement of the losses incurred by the misconduct of J. H. Deane be referred to the Board for final settlement." A proposition made by Mr. Deane just prior to that meeting, while under consideration by the Board, was withdrawn. Directly after the annual meeting, steps were taken to effect an adjustment, but, on account of Mr. Deane's failure to make or accept any proposition, the matter lingered until the early part of this year, when, upon express demand by the Board, a settlement was accomplished. The terms of the settlement. are essentially as follows: Mr. Deane's indebtedness to the Society is fixed at $132,000. Mr. Deane agrees to pay the Society $66,000, as follows: $1,000 in cash; $1,500 on May 3, and $2,500 on June 13, 1887, for which satisfactory notes were given; and $1,500 every three months thereafter, beginning with Nov. 1, 1887, until $61,000 is thus paid, for which notes are given by Mr. Deane, and endorsed by his brother, bearing six per cent. interest. When payment in full of the foregoing amounts is made, the Society shall release Mr. Deane from further obligation. In default of payment of any of said notes at maturity, and the same remaining unpaid for thirty days, the entire amount of the original indebtedness, at the option of the Society, becomes due and payable, and the Society may proceed to collect the same, and to enforce any other remedies against Mr. Deane which it would have had if this agreement had not been made. Inasmuch as the Society directed the Board to effect an "adjustment," rather than resort to severer measures, and inasmuch as the general sentiment of the friends of the Society was in favor of this course, it is believed that the action of the Board, all things being considered, will receive the commendation of the Society. In this connection it may be stated that, pursuant to the recommendations in the report of the Special Committee of last year, approved by the Society, that the Board should apply funds available from legacies to repair so far as practicable the Society's losses, $35,000 of the legacy of the late Gardner Chilson, designated in general to the Church Edifice Fund, have been so applied to the Church Edifice Benevolent Fund. Though such losses naturally tend to weaken confidence in the management of benevolent organizations, yet, in this case, because of the full and open reports of the Board and of the Special Committee of the Society last year concerning it, and because of the immediate adoption of a more rigid system in the financial department, the confidence of the denomination in the administration of the Society's affairs without doubt remains substantially unshaken. This is shown not only in verbal expressions, but in the continued liberality of the people, and specially in large offerings of $7,600, $10,000, and $20,000, from old and new friends of the Society. CHRISTIAN BENEFICENCE. It is particularly gratifying to note how much attention this subject has received during the year. Last year's report of the committee of the Society has been widely disseminated. In this matter "line upon line, precept upon precept," is required, both for the correction of existing faults and for the proper instruction of the large numbers that annually unite with our churches. Reports of the District Secretaries show an advance in the number of contributing churches. Still, less than one-half of the churches in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, make regular annual contributions for Home Missions; in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois less than one-third; while in the States beyond, contributions distinctively for Home Mission Fre work in its broad aspects, and separate from State Convention work, are very rare. quent changes in the pastorate, the pastorless state of many feeble churches, the once-amonth preaching in vogue in some sections, are circumstances that seriously interfere with efforts to secure systematic offerings from many churches. There is also a large fluctuating element in the list of contributing churches. Thus in the District of New York and Northern New Jersey, for the year ending April, 1886, out of 491 contributing churches there were 105 which did nothing the year before, while 112 that contributed the year before dropped out of the list. This fluctuating element is therefore about twenty per cent. or one-fifth of the whole number of contributing churches in any year. So that, eliminating this fluctuating element, we find that there were but 386 churches, out of about 1,000 in the District, that made contributions to Home Missions regularly two years in succession. In three years' time, however, 635 had contributed. What is true of this District is measurably true of other Districts. In the New England District, containing 929 churches, it appears that of 431 contributing churches in 1886-7, there were 113 that did not contribute the previous year, while 91 that contributed in 1885-6 made no offering last year-leaving but 318 contributing two years successively. Surely, with this comparatively small percentage of churches that can be depended upon for stated annual contributions, the Society's trust in the arm of man is not likely to lead it to forget that its trust and hope are in God. In the place of the lamented Dr. Cooper the Board appointed Rev. Edward Ellis, District Secretary for Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. He began his work in August, and has had a very favorable reception by the pastors and churches in his district. For about five months, from November, 1886, Rev. Dwight Spencer labored in cooperation with Dr. Haigh in presenting the claims of the Society chiefly to the churches in Iowa, eighty-two of which were visited with encouraging results. |