EIGHTY-FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., May 29, 1899.

The eighty-fifth annual meeting of the American Baptist Missionary Union was called to order in the First Baptist Church of San Francisco, Cal., at 10.30 A.M., President Robert O. Fuller of Massachusetts in the chair.

In the absence of the Recording Secretary, Edwin M. Poteat of Pennsylvania was elected Recording Secretary pro tem.

"Ye Christian Heralds, go, Proclaim" was sung and Rev. H. O. Rowlands, D.D., Nebraska, read Psalm ii. and led in prayer.

President Fuller addressed the Union as follows:

Members of the American Baptist Missionary Union.

DEAR FRIENDS: Soon after the Pacific railways were opened, about thirty years ago, a party from the Boston Board of Trade came to San Francisco. We were then, as now, very hospitably entertained.

One interesting ceremony was at the "Cliff House," the mingling of a bottle of water from the Atlantic Ocean with the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It was a symbol of the union of the East and the West. In a like manner this is a union of the Baptists of the East and the West. We have come on your invitation; we hope you will join with us in making plans for the enlargement and more efficient prosecution of foreign missions.

Some may ask, Why go to foreign lands, when there is so much to be done at home? Our orders are to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Shall we obey our orders?

Captain Mahan says, "Comparative religion teaches that creeds which reject missionary enterprise are foredoomed to decay." After eighty-five years of such remarkable success, second to no other missionary society in the world, shall we cowardly retreat? I believe the Baptists of today are worthy successors of the noble men that founded and have sustained this Union. You have proof of the value of missions in the results in the Sandwich Islands. They have come into our hands without the shedding of a single drop of blood. If missionaries had never gone to the Hawaiian Islands, no doubt some European power would have taken them. You would have had a hostile nation at your

doors. Those islands are the great central station for the defence of the Pacific Coast at a distance from your own ports. "Too much stress," says Captain Mahan, "cannot be laid upon one particular, and that is the immense disadvantage to us of any maritime enemy having a coaling station within two thousand five hundred miles, as the Sandwich Islands are of every point of our coast line from Puget Sound to Mexico. Shut out from these islands, an enemy is thrown back for fuel seven to eight thousand miles." The children of the seven missionary families that were sent there eighty years ago (1819) saved the islands for us.

Last year we were in great peril. Before they knew of Dewey's victory the Government of Hawaii tendered to the United States the use of their ports for repairs and coaling stations. Please remember that we are indebted to missionaries for the Sandwich Islands being under our flag today.

In May, 1843, Fremont started to explore a route to the Pacific. It was then an unknown region; now there are ten lines of railways across the country. You are the sons and daughters of Eastern parents. We have heard wonderful reports of your resources. Your skill and ability built the Oregon, which made the run of fourteen thousand five hundred miles without an hour's delay for machinery repairs, which Commodore Melville says is a "record wholly without parallel, the most remarkable ever made by any warship of any navy in the world," and then, by her splendid speed and gunpower, performed such battle service at Santiago, one of the most extraordinary naval battles in the world's history. The success of the navy was the result of foresight. Foresight brings success. The American Baptist Missionary enterprises have had remarkable success. It is the result of patient, faithful service. The Executive Committee have been wise, careful, prudent men; wonderful results have been accomplished with very limited means.

The Executive Committee have been hampered. Had the builders of the Oregon been limited to two-thirds of the amount needed to build her, would we be praising them today? No; that ship would have been a failure. The great question today with the Missionary Union is one of finance. The Executive Committee deserve credit for what they have accomplished. They want, they need your aid in pushing on this work. Shall we respond with a generous and regular support or with an implied censure by niggardly contributions?

Committees were appointed as follows:

Nominations: Henry M. King, Rhode Island; W. G. Partridge, Ohio; G. B. Illsley, Maine; G. H. Hubbard, New York; R. B. Lozer, Vermont; J. J. Muir, District of Columbia; P. M. Howell, Oregon; P. S. Roberts, Massachusetts; A. J. Griessemer, New Jersey; B. F. Kesler, Nevada; E. B. Hulbert, Illinois; E. R. Pope, Minnesota; H. B. Steelman, Utah; W. A. Stanton, Pennsylvania; S. P. Hawkins, California; E. E. Rosling, Washington.

Arrangements: E. A. Woods, California; L. B. Philbrick, Massachusetts; Geo. T. Ellis, Oregon; J. A. Francis, New York; E. P. Vining, California; Lewis Halsey, Arizona.

Enrolment: B. B. Johnson, Massachusetts; J. V. Osterhout, Rhode Island; W. F. Harper, California; R. E. Manning, Illinois; W. H. Swallow, Pennsylvania; Ray Palmer, Oregon; G. A. C. Rochester, Washington.

Place of Meeting: L. C. Barnes, Pennsylvania; G. W. Quick, Massachusetts; E. H. E. Jameson, Michigan; C. R. Stark, Rhode Island; George Brooks, Massachusetts; I. N. Clark, Missouri; Calvin Esterly, California; T. J. Cross, New

Finance: E. M. Thresher, Ohio; D. P. Edwards; S. A. True, Maine; J. G. Brown, Massachusetts; B. F. Arnold, Rhode Island; Harry Hopper, Pennsylvania; Edw. Goodman, Illinois; M. D. Healy, New York; Mr. Whittemore, Massachusetts; E. P. Vining, California; James Farling, Oregon.

The report of the Executive Committee was presented by the Home Secretary, Rev. H. C. Mabie, D.D.

Prayer was offered by Rev. J. W. Fish, California.

The Committee on Arrangements reported the printed program with a single change of the hour of the evening meeting from eight to seven thirty. The report was adopted and program followed throughout the remaining sessions.

In the absence of the Treasurer, Mr. E. P. Coleman, the Treasurer's Report was presented by the Rev. Dr. H. C. Mabie, with the Auditor's Report appended. The two reports of the Executive Committee and the Treasurer were accepted and adopted.

Rev. T. J. Morgan, D.D., moved a cablegram message to "The Hague Conference" as follows:

A million Northern Baptists represented in Annual Convention invoke upon your Conference the benediction of the Prince of Peace.

The President was directed to address the message to Ambassador White at The Hague.

President Fuller appointed E. E. Chivers of Illinois, J. J. Estey of Vermont and W. G. Partridge of Ohio, a committee to draft a minute with reference to the death of Rev. Samuel W. Duncan, D.D.

Adjourned after the benediction by Rev. George T. Ellis, California.

SECOND SESSION

The Union was called to order at 2.30 P.M. President Fuller in the chair.

The hymn "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" was sung.

read and prayer offered by the Rev. L. S. Bowerman, Wash. "From Greenland's Icy Mountains was sung.

Scriptures were

The following returned missionaries were introduced and addressed the Union: Rev. Ola Hanson, Burma; Rev. F. P. Haggard, Assam; Rev. R. R. Williams, D.D., Telugus; Rev. Alfred Fuller, Telugus.

Rev. Henry M. King, D.D., Rhode Island, delivered an address, "The Call by God's Providence to an Increased Activity in Christian Missions."

A. D. McMichael, Washington, the roommate of Rev. John E. Clough, D.D., in his school days at Burlington, Ia., was introduced and told in a few words the story of Dr. Clough's conversion.

The Committee on Nominations reported as follows:

PRESIDENT

HON. ROBERT O. FULLER, Massachusetts.

VICE-PRESIDENTS

HON. CHESTer W. KingslEY, Massachusetts.

HON. H. K. PORTER, Pennsylvania.

W. T. STOTT, D.D., Franklin, Ind.
H. M. KING, D.D., Providence, R. I.
E. A. WOODS, D.D., San Francisco, Cal.
GEORGE C. LORIMER, D.D., Boston, Mass.
E. M. POTEAT, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa.
WAYLAND HOYT, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa.
JOHN HUMPSTONE, D.D., Brooklyn, N. Y.
B. L. WHITMAN, LL.D., Washington, D. C.
EDWARD JUDSON, D.D., New York, N. Y.
REV. C. H. HOBART, Oakland, Cal.
W. P. WALKER, D.D., Huntington, W. Va.
J. S. HOLMES, D.D., Worcester, Mass.

Laymen

P. BONNEY, Portland, Me.

W. W. KEEN, M.D., Philadelphia, Pa.
A. J. Fox, Detroit, Mich.

CHURCHILL H. CUTTING, Brooklyn, N. Y.
W. A. STEVENS, LL.D., Rochester, N. Y.
O. M. WENTWORTH, Boston, Mass.
RICHARD M. COLGATE, Orange, N. J.
B. F. JACOBS, Chicago, Ill.

Women

MRS. HORACE A. NOBLE, Buffalo, N. Y.
MRS. CALEB VAN HUSAN, Detroit, Mich.
MRS. Wм. H. Spencer, Skowhegan, Me.
MRS. E. W. BUCKNELL, Philadelphia, Pa.
MRS. J. K. STICKNEY, Washington, D. C.

Class II. Term Expires 1901.

T. E. HUGHES, Minneapolis, Minn., to fill the vacancy caused by Hon. George A. Pillsbury's death.

The President appointed as tellers: Revs. A. W. Rider, T. J. Collins, J. F. Day, W. L. Freeman, George Taylor, A. P. Brown.

The Union proceeded to vote for officers.

The tellers reported the unanimous election of the officers named.
Adjourned.

THIRD SESSION.-- MONDAY EVENING

President Fuller in the chair.

Selection by the choir.

Scriptures were read by Rev. Alexander Grant, California, and Rev. J. G. Gibson, California, led in prayer.

Selection by the choir.

After a stanza from "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" the Rev. George C. Lorimer, D.D., of Massachusetts, delivered an address, "The Golden Gates; or the Economics of Missions."

"My Life, My Love, I give to Thee" was sung, and the Union adjourned with the benediction by E. A. Woods, California.

FOURTH SESSION. TUESDAY MORNING

President Fuller in the chair.

Scriptures were read and prayer offered by Rev. A. P. Brown, California.

Rev. Dr. George C. Lorimer presented the greetings of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, together with a communication from the Southern Baptist Convention, and the following resolution, which was adopted:

The Missionary Union sympathizes most deeply in the effort proposed by the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland to obtain for our Stundhist brethren in Russia deliverance from proscriptive ecclesiastical interference, and hereby instructs the Executive Committee in conjunction with the Home Mission Society and the Publication Society to appoint a representative delegation to meet and act with the English Baptists.

Rev. Dr. H. C. Mabie, in pursuance of request of the Board of Managers, presented to the Union a letter from S. B. Thing, Esq., in which Mr. Thing proposed to transfer the Korean mission to the care of the Union.

Voted, That the matter be referred to the Executive Committee.

President Fuller reported the following cablegram from Ambassador White of the Peace Conference:

Fuller, Baptist Missionary Union, San Francisco: American Commission to Peace Conference deeply appreciates and sincerely thanks your convention for sympathy and good wishes. WHITE, President; HOLLS, Secretary.

Rev. J. Sunderland, D.D., District Secretary for the Pacific Coast, read a paper, "The Pacific Coast in Fifty Years of Work for Foreign Missions."

A. J. Frost, D.D., conducted the discussion.

The report of the Committee on Finance was presented by E. M. Thresher, Esq., of Ohio, as follows:

In considering the question of ways and means for the coming year your committee is impressed with the importance of the issue confronting the churches which compose the constituency of this body. Shall the ground now occupied be held? Will it be possible to make a favorable response to any of the pressing calls for advanced movement which the providence of God has brought to us? Notwithstanding the fact that the past year has closed with a deficit, we believe that with the general revival of business, increased contributions for foreign missions may reasonably be expected, and we therefore recommend that the ground now occupied be firmly held, and that the Executive Committee hold itself in readiness for such advanced movement as the Hand of Providence may indicate and the means in hand make possible. We can suggest no new methods for raising money, but we urge the vigorous prosecution of those methods which experience has proved most effective. We desire to emphasize the fact that very large responsibility in this matter rests upon the pastors of the churches, and we earnestly call for their hearty coöperation in plans for urging the claims for foreign missions upon every member of every Baptist church.

Inasmuch as prayers and alms go up together before God, we also urge a faithful use of the monthly concert of prayer for missions in every church.

On motion the report was adopted.

"The Laymen in Foreign Missions" was discussed by Brethren Robt. O. Fuller, Massachusetts; J. J. Estey, Vermont; George C. Whitney, Massachusetts; B. B. Johnson, Massachusetts; John S. Stevens, California.

Rev. Dr. H. M. King announced the unanimous action of the Board of Managers in the election of Rev. Drs. H. C. Mabie and T. S. Barbour Corresponding Secretaries.