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The Decennial India Conference.

THE Conference of all the missious in India met at Bombay December 28, 1892, and adjourned January 4, 1893. Nearly one thousand missionaries were in attendance. The statistical tables prepared for the Conference by Rev. W. Thomas were based on information collected at the close of 1890, and contain the statistics for sixty-five Protestant Missionary Societies. The Presbyterians take the lead with 16 societies, the Baptists have 13 societies, the Church of England 9, the Lutherans 7, the Methodists 4, the Moravians 2, the Congregationalists 2, Female Missionary Societies of an undenominational character 5, isolated missions 7. These report 171,110 communicants.

The Indian Witness, from the statistics, makes the following comparisons:

Taking the number of foreign ordained missionaries in the Churches as the standard of comparison the result is as follows:

Church of England.

Presbyterian...

Baptist..

Lutheran.

Methodist.

Congregationalist.

Moravian....

203

149

Native ordained agents..

785

129

125

Native lay preachers..

3,336

110

Native Christians..

534,113

76

16

From the reports of the Conference, given in the Bombay Guardian, the following extractsare made:

"Dr. McLaurin, of Bangalore, speaking on Work among the Educated Classes, said he did not consider this work, though useful, the most important that could be taken up. It was a wide and deep question, and he would confiue himself more especially to methods. Educated Indians may be divided into two classes, the mofussilite and the city man; they need different treatment. The most important question is, Why do we want to deal with them? It is to bring them to the knowledge of Christ, to bring each of them into vital contact with him. A country is Christianized only in proportion to the number of its regenerate men and women. The missionary should try to get at educated men in the mofussil in their homes, and should keep his door ever open to them. A great deal more might be done by the printed page; do not let us lose our grip of this great agency. An evangelistic hall with a superior native brother in constant charge is another good way of meeting inquirers. He would also advocate a sort of zenana work among men-they must be reached individually. City men he divided into three classes: clerks, students, and cultured men. He thought that a good deal might be done in the way of reaching such by winter missions. England and America will send these out in sufficient numbers if we cry and pray for them long enough. A good deal may be done by Young Men's Christian Associations and similar agencies. Above all we want to get rid of our ecclesiastical starch and our padriism; we want no Gospel of humanity; curs is one God, and Jehovah

is his name. Mr. S. R. Modak, a fine-looking Indian Christian from the American Mission at Ahmednagar, said that the influence with which men were surrounded, and especially their home influences, molded them more than the things learned in school. "When the subject of 'The Native Church in India' was under consideration a paper on the subject, written by Mr. Kali Charn Banurji, an influential layman of the Bengali Church of Calcutta, was distributed, which said: 'The first essential for one typical organization is unity-a unity such as that for which our Lord thrice prayed, a unity in the fundamental truths of Christian belief, but not necessarily in the methods of administration or nomenclature. The second essential is organization. Given the fundamental truths of Christianity, upon that let the native Christians rear for themselves, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, such a superstructure of organizations as is best suited to their needs. Faith is needed for this, faith in God and men, and charity on the part of the various missions and missionaries. The basis of union should be such that a united front could be presented to infidelity, and, therefore, no divisive accentuation of individual points should be tolerated. The Apostles' Creed and the appointment of committees for Christian ordinances and missionary effort would suffice for a starting point. In the matter of self-support the danger is in that of considering it from the standpoint of rupees only, or, again, of expecting the native Church to attain at a bound that which has come to the foreign Churches after centuries of struggle. The Church of India should not only support, but furnish its own clergy, or else it is a self-support, of only a limited nature. If the native Church is not yet able to advance men individually fitted for its necessary ordinances, let it divide these up among several individuals till it can. Meanwhile, let the foreign Churches be patient and charitable, not laying burdens on the native Church which, in the cause of unity, they cannot themselves bear; and leave it to the guidance of the divine Spirit in its task.'

"Dr. Chamberlain claimed that the time had arrived for native talent to come to the front. The native Church should be so organized as to develop its talents, train its powers, and stir its enthusiasm. Its members should be braced up by great responsibilities. To this end there must be a perfect understanding, full confidence, and freedom from jealousy. Especially is this pertinent to the control and expenditure of funds. It is but natural that the foreign donors should prefer their representatives here to have the care of the bestowal of their gifts. Then let the native Church exercise a similar care for all funds raised by its solicitations here. The Arcot Mission, with its nine American and nine native ministers and twenty-three organized churches, has worked together in perfect harmony on a basis of perfect equality. This example of a Presbyterian

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mission can be easily adapted to other politics. Let the native Church itself become missionary, with its face toward the future, and with the hope and confidence of ultimate and complete triumph. Our work is now only tentative and in divers forms, but this is necessary to the working out of a permanent enduring Church for the Orientals.

"The Rev. T. S. Johnson advocated adapting each Church as at present organized with regard to the greatest benefit to the native Church. It was not necessary nor desirable to secure only one organization in this or other lands to attain the best results for the world. But all those having the same doctrine should be united into one organization, and it should be their object to evolve out of the surroundings and creeds such an organization as would best glorify God. All missionaries should be freely transferred from the home Church, and become fully identified with the native Church as a part of it on common ground with the native members. The native worker must be allowed to fully share in all the responsibilities and benefits, including financial relations and responsibilities; and to have him in our councils with equal power with the missionaries. They should work toward a condition of things in self-support that could be perpetuated by the people. Individual circumstances should govern each case.

"The Rev. G. Rouse, English Baptist Mission, Calcutta, said that for twenty years he had looked forward to some form of one Church for India, but did not see it wholly possible. But he thought the divisions should be on native lines instead of English lines. He wished there were one great body for the native Church, to which converts could be handed over by the missionaries.

"A considerable discussion followed, in which a decided consensus of opinion was expressed in favor of entire self-support for the Indian Church, though some speakers warned against pushing that too far, or introducing it in places that were not ripe for it. While it was practically agreed that Indian pastors should be supported, it was considered desirable that evangelists among non-Christians should still be mainly supported by foreign funds."

Bishop Thoburn, writing of the Conference after its adjournment, says:

In some respects the recent Decennial Conference was an improvement on its predecessors. By resorting to the plan of holding sectional meetings it was able to cover a wider field, and persons who had special interests in hand were able to serve those interests better than would have otherwise been possible. The average of the speaking from the platform was better than on previous occasions. Perhaps this is only another way of saying that a larger number of experienced and able speakers were present The discussions were conducted in good spirit, and the interchange of thought, feeling, and experience was profitable in a very high degree indeed. The religious

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tone of the assembly was possibly a little lower than on previous occasions. The morning prayer meetings were good in their way, but the delegates were so scattered that several hundred of them were seldom able to be present at these meetings. The people of Bombay felt the presence of the Conference more than those of Calcutta did the presence of the meeting in 1882. If every impression left by this convocation of earnest men and women in that great city has not been altogether pleasant, yet, in the main, the Christian people of Bombay have a better appreciation of missionary work and of missionary responsibility in India than they had before the Conference assembled. Taking it all together the oldest and most experienced of the workers present, especially those who had been in former Decennial Conference sessions, were of the opinion that the Conference as a whole was eminently successful and that if certain changes which are perfectly practicable were made, the next gathering will mark an era in the progress of Indian missions."

Appeal from the Decennial Conference.

THE Third Decennial Missionary Conference of India, assembled in Bombay in December, 1892, overwhelmed by the vastness of the work, as contrasted with the utterly inadequate supply of workers, earnestly appeals to the Church of Christ in Europe, America, Australasia, and Asia.

We reecho to you the cry of the unsatisfied heart of India. With it we pass on the Master's word for the perishing multitude: "Give ye them to eat." An opportunity and a responsibility never known before confronts us.

The work among the educated and English-speaking classes has reached a crisis. The faithful labors of godly men in the class room need to be followed up by men of consecrated culture, free to devote their whole time to aggressive work among India's thinking

women.

The women of India must be evangelized by Ten times the present number of such workers could not overtake the task. Missionary ladies now working are so taxed by the care of con. verts and inquirers already gained, that often no strength is left for entering thousands of unentered but open doors. Can our sisters in Protestant Christendom permit this to continue?

India has fifty millions of Mohammedans, a larger number than is found in the Turkish Empire; and far more free to embrace Christianity. Who will come to work for them?

Scores of missionaries should be set apart to pro

mote the production of Christian literature in the languages of the people.

Sunday schools, into which hundreds of thousands more of India's children can readily be brought and molded for Christ, furnish one of India's great opportunities for yet more workers.

Industrial schools are urgently needed to help in developing robust character in Christian youth and to open to them new avenues for honest work. These call for capable Christian workers of special qualifications.

The population of India is largely rural. In hundreds and thousands of villages there is a distinct mass movement toward Christianity. There are millions who would speedily become Christians if messengers of Christ could reach them, take them by the hand, and not only baptize them, but also lead them into all Christian living. Most of these people belong to the depressed classes. They are none the less heirs to our common salvation, and whatever admixture of less spiritual motives may exist, God himself is stirring their hearts and turning their thoughts toward the things which belong to his kingdom.

In the name of Christ and of the unevangelized masses for whom he died, we appeal to you to send more laborers at once. May every church hear the voice of Christ saying: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them!" In every church may there be a Barnabas and a Saul ready to obey the Spirit's promptings! Face to face with two hundred and eighty-four millions in the land, for whom, in this generation, you as well as we are responsible, we ask, Will you not speedily double the number of laborers?

Will you not also lend your choicest pastors to labor for a term of years among the millions who can be reached through the English tongue?

Is this too great a demand to make upon the resources of those saved by omnipotent love?

At the beginning of another century of missions in India let us all "expect great things from God-attempt great things for God."

For the reflex blessings to yourselves as well as for India's sake, we beseech you "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The manifestation of Christ is greatest to those who keep his commandments, and this is his commandment: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." A. MANWARING. J. L. PHILLIPS,

Secretaries.

D.R E. W. PARKER gives an encouraging account of mission work in Oude, India. There is a grand band of native Christian preachers, and 1,400 baptisms have taken place during the past year. In the schools there are 10,000 native Christian children, and 5,000 more not yet baptized. These are growing up into young men and women, many of whom will be efficient workers.

The South India Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

BY REV. D. O. ERNSBERGER.

THE Methodist preachers of South India have just had the somewhat rare privilege of attending a "Christmas Conference." The members of the South India Conference and those of the Nerbuddah Valley District of the Bengal Conference met in the largest of our three Methodist churches in the city of Bombay, December 22, Bishop Thoburn presiding. After some introductory remarks by the president he proceeded, according to an enabling act of the last General Conference, to organize the Bombay Conference. This new Conference is composed of the Bombay and Sinde Districts of the South India Conference, and the Nerbuddah Valley District of the Bengal Conference. This is the ́second time we have been divided and yet we survive. We point with pride to our two children— the Bengal-Burma Conference, the elder, and the Bombay Conference, the younger.

As soon as the organization of the Bombay Conference was completed they proceeded to business, while we took back seats. As both Conferences met the same day, and were to adjourn on the same day, and were to have the same president, and yet were to conduct their business separately, one had to meet in the forenoon and the other in the afternoon. So at two o'clock we took the front seats within the "bar" and commenced the business of the seventeenth session of the South India Conference. W. L. King was elected secretary, and W. H. Hollister statistical secretary.

Early in the session the transfer to our Conference of John N. West was announced by the bishop. We had the pleasure of hearing this brother preach a heart-warming, full-salvation sermon. Thank God for sending these consecrated workers among us. We were glad also to hear announced the transfer back to us of Dr. A. W. Rudisill, who has in hand extensive plans for placing wholesome and attractive literature in the hands of these tens of millions. Under God we are indebted to him for our Methodist publishing house in Madras, which has been doing such noble service for the cause of Christ in South India.

The day before our session closed a large party of missionaries arrived in Bombay for various parts of India and Malaysia. Among the number were A. E. Cook and wife, from Michigan, whom we have the privilege of welcoming to our Conference.

On Sunday, Christmas, Bishop Thoburn preached two most inspiring sermons and ordained three brethren deacons and one brother, J. N. West, elder.

The Conference passed strong resolutions against rum, opium, and tobacco. Against this trio of abominations, as well as against all others, the South India Conference is a unit. Of all our native

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preachers and exhorters, about forty in all, we have not one who either snuffs, chews, or smokes, and of course drink and opium, as well as card playing and theater going, are not so much as named among them.

When the fifteenth question, "Who have died?" was asked and the answer "none" was given, the bishop said, "Brethren, I think the least you can do is to sing the doxology," whereupon "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow" was sung as only a Conference of Methodist preachers can sing it. From this it might be inferred that, in the estimation of the bishop and the South India Conference, to live and work are more highly esteemed than to die and go to heaven.

At this session C. B. Ward, who located eight years ago, was readmitted. He has some extensive plans for work in the native state of Bustar. The inhabitants are aborigines and are quite accessible to the Gospel.

On comparing our adult baptisms with those of last year we find we have gained two hundred and ten per cent during the year. This calls for great rejoicing, and indeed we do rejoice, but look for an increase of five hundred per cent this year.

The Conference adjourned on the 27th. A few of the brethren returned at once to their homes, but most of them remained to attend the Decennial Conference, which met in Bombay on the 29th.

APPOINTMENTS.

HYDERABAD DISTRICT, G. K. Gilder, P.E.-Bellary, to be supplied. Gulbarga, D. O. Ernsberger. Hyderabad: English Church and Hindustani Mission, G. K. Gilder. Jagdalpur, to be supplied. Kopbal, B. Peters. Secunderabad, A. E. Cook. Sironcha, to be supplied. Vikarabad, J. H. Garden. Yellandu, C. B. Ward.

MADRAS DISTRICT, A. H. Baker, P.E.-Bangalore: Richmond Town and St. John's Hill, A. H. Baker; City Kanarese Circuit, J. C. Turton; South Kanarese Circuit, J. B. Buttrick, S. Job; Tamil Circuit, to be supplied; Baldwin High Schools, to be supplied. Botmangal, M. Louis. Kolar: Kanarese Church, I. A. Richards, J. Narappa; Educational work, W. H. Hollister. Madras: Blacktown, Tamil, and Telugu Circuit, W. F. G. Curties; Vepery English Church, J. N. West; Vepery Tamil and Telugu Circuit, W. L. King, K. R. G. Adyar: Agent of Publishing House, A. W. Rudisill; Mulbagal, B. Luke; Rollingspur and Srieenevasapur, S. Noah.

The Bombay Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

THE Bombay Conference assembled in Bombay on December 22, 1892, under the presidency of Bishop Thoburn, and continued in session until December 27. It was a part of the South India Conference until this session, and now starts out as a separate organization.

The statistics reported were as follows: Foreign missionaries, 16; native ordained missionaries, 4; local preachers, 29; exhorters, 40; baptisms during the year, 600; the native Christian community, 2,055; Sunday schools, 129; Sunday school scholars,

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4,604; vernacular New Testaments, 195; tracts, books, and Gospel portions, 112,399; day schools, 58; scholars, 2,243.

The following were the appointments for 1893:

BOMBAY DISTRICT, J. E. Robinson, P. E.--Baroda: Gujrati Mission, E. F. Frease; English Church, to be supplied. Bombay English Circuit, H. A. Crane, one to be supplied: Gujrati Mission, to be supplied; Marathi Mission, W. H. Stephens; Seamen's Mission, to be supplied. Igatpuri, to be supplied. Lanauli, to be supplied. Poona: English Church, J. E. Robinson: Marathi Mission, D. O. Fox; Marathi Boys' School, W. W. Bruere. Tanna, A. W. Prautch.

D. O. Fox, Principal; W. L. Clark, Head Master, in Taylor High School.

Supernumerary: C. E. Delamater, W. E. Robbins. CENTRAL PROVINCES DISTRICT, T. S. Johnson, P.E.Burhanpur, to be supplied. Chinwara, J. W. MacGregor. Gadawara, P. Singh. Harda, T. E. F. Morton. Jabalpur,

T. S. Johnson; English Church, G. F. Hopkins. Kampti, C. G. Elsam. Khandwa, A. S. E. Vardon. Nagpur, W. H. Grenon. Narsingpur, J. O. Denning; Training School, H. W. Butterfeld.

Supernumerary: A. G. Gilruth, C. P. Hard.

SINDE DISTRICT, G. I. Stone, P.E.-Karachi: English Church, F. N. Shaw; Seamen's Mission, to be supplied; Marathi Mission, to be supplied. Quetta, G. I. Stone.

CONFERENCE MISSIONARY MEETING.

On Saturday evening of the week during which the Bombay and South India Conferences were in session in Bombay, a Conference missionary meeting was held, and the Bombay Guardian reports it as follows:

Bishop Thoburn presided, and short accounts of their work in the different districts were given by Dr. Johnson, Presiding Elder of the Nerbuddah Valley District: Rev. Ira A. Richards, of Kolar; Rev. D. O. Ernsberger, of Gulbarga, Nizam's Dominions; Rev. G. I. Stone, of Karachi, and Dr. Parker, Presiding Elder of the Oude District. Dr. Johnson spoke of the difficulty which he had found in breaking down caste prejudices and in getting low-caste con. verts, mehters. chumars, etc., to hold united communion services. However, the difficulties had been overcome, and a successful and happy united meeting held. There were between three thousand and four thousand candidates for baptism, who will be baptized as soon as Christian instruction can be provided for them. A training school for young men and women has been organized, in order to train teachers to work among the candidates and new converts. At Kolar Mr. Richards had established a native Christian church, of two hundred, who at present need a very great deal of pastoral care and oversight, as also do the four neighboring Christian villages. One hundred and three converts had been baptized during the year, in answer to his prayer for one hundred.

"D. O. Erusberger's work is among the eleven millions in the Nizam's Dominions. Unlike many missions, very little school work is done, except in Sunday schools. Some encouraging results in preaching at melas have been met with.

Bishop Thoburn alluded to the power of God to raise up noble men from among the very lowest, and gave instances of how this had been the case among some of the native converts in North India.

"Very little native work has been done in Karachi by the Methodist Episcopal Church this year, only one catechist being employed, but it is hoped the work will be largely extended during the coming year.

“Dr. Parker gave an encouraging account of the work in the nine districts in Oude, among nine millions of people. They had a grand band of native Christian preachers. Fourteen hundred baptisms had taken place during the present year. In the schools there were ten thousand native Christian children, and five thousand more not yet baptized. These were growing up into young men and women, and gave good hope for the future. Many of these young men were from low castes, but they were receiving a good education, and when you give a man a good education no one asks where he came from. Some of these low-caste men are now teaching Brahmans. A good many small difficulties continually arise in regard to the native Christians, some wishing to adopt European styles, more or less, others preferring to keep to their former modes of living. But,' said Dr. Parker, what we try to do is to make them real Christians, and then all the little difficulties will settle themselves.""

The North India Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

THE twenty-ninth annual session of the North India Conference opened in Bareilly, Northwest Provinces, India, January 11, 1893, Bishop Thoburn presiding. By the organization of the Northwest Conference the territory and membership of the old North India Conference are reduced, yet the session opened with sixty-six names of native and foreign ministers on the roll, counting both members and probationers. The Hindustani members form two thirds of the entire number. Bishop Mallalieu was present and addressed the Conference. In his address he said:

"When I was a boy my father gave me four annas. Soon after this I listened to a stirring missionary address, and although as a boy I had desires for many things, still my stirred feelings compelled me to put the whole of the four annas in the collection. This my first gift was for missionary work, and ever since my heart has been filled with love and sympathy for this work. I am glad that I am with you, and I rejoice to see so many men of matured experience. May the young men enjoy an equally long ministry in India. I can plainly see that you are on the verge of a markedly aggressive movement in this land such as the Christian Church has never witnessed. There are a few nonenthusiastic souls, who never can