American Missionary | Page 3

much to say that the religious influences sent from the North in school, in industrial training, in the preparation of Christian ministers and teachers, and in the planting of Christian churches, will well-nigh constitute the pivotal point of the whole movement. A loss now can never be regained, but the achievements of the present should be a stimulus for the future. The North withheld neither treasure nor blood to save the Union and to free the slave. Treasure and toil will now save the South and the Nation.
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SOME CURIOUS AND SUGGESTIVE FACTS.
What proportion of the funds contributed by living donors to missionary societies comes directly from church collections? We presume the answer from a large majority of the contributors would be, three-fourths or four-fifths. But the curious fact is, that, for the three years, 1886, 1887 and 1888, the average contributions to the American Missionary Association from church collections are forty-seven per cent., from Sunday-schools seven per cent., from Woman's Missionary Societies five per cent., from individual donors forty-one per cent. It thus appears that less than one-half the total sum comes from collections in the churches. Another curious fact is, that these receipts directly from the churches are uniform, not differing to the extent of three per cent. in the past three years. So that, with all the importunity and pressure, the plate collections in the churches have not increased.
Another curious fact is, that one-third of the amount donated by individuals is for special objects, mainly for the increase of plant, and thus adds to the cost of running expenses, and is so far forth a burden and not a relief on regular appropriations for current expenses.
What, therefore, is the stable reliance of missionary societies on which to make annual appropriations? It cannot be on legacies. It cannot be on the special contributions of individuals. It ought to be based on church collections. These should carry current expenses, and the additional plant should come from outside sources. If this be so, and the societies are to increase their work at all from year to year; if, indeed, they are to meet the additional cost of the new plant given by individuals, then the church collections should be increased proportionately.
Are we not, therefore, making a legitimate appeal, when we urge upon every church member the duty of increasing his individual gift put into the plate when the collection is taken? A vote of the National Council or of the Annual Meeting of a missionary body, or of a State Conference, that a society should receive an increase of funds amounts to little, unless the individual donor in the church will increase his gifts.
A little increase here aggregates much. If every member will add five per cent. or ten per cent., it will be little to each, but will be great in the total. May we ask our readers to lay this to heart with the query of each to himself, "Is it not my duty to increase my individual contribution?"
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PARAGRAPHS.
We have many appeals by letter and in person from colored people in the South, for help from the Hand Fund, to aid in sustaining enterprises which these people are endeavoring to carry forward. Some of these schools are heavily in debt. Others are greatly lacking in necessary facilities, buildings, furniture and teachers. Others are crippled for want of means to meet current expenses. Many of these institutions are unwisely located, others have no adequate financial basis to warrant their existence, and some seem to lack the necessary provision for supervision and responsibility. Taken all together, they furnish additional warnings to the people of the North against contributing to individual or local enterprises in the South without most careful scrutiny into the facts in each individual instance.
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A colored missionary teacher in one of the most desolate parts of North Carolina writes us as follows:
"In making out my bill, you will perhaps not understand what I mean by the amount to be 'deducted.' I desire to give one-tenth of all my earnings to God. Of course it is His by right. Our missionary has brought the matter plainly before me, so I desire that you will deduct $2.00 every month, which will be one-tenth of my entire salary, and put it where it will be used for the service of Christ."
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Rev. Frank G. Woodworth writes from Tougaloo University.
The school is progressing well. If we have the necessary accommodations, I see no reason why the school should not enrol 500 pupils within the next two years. We have had nearly 340 thus far, and probably will reach 375 by the end of the year, and we have refused between 30 and 40 girls because we had no