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INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-SUPPORT. 207Chinese Christian workers are being taken more fullyinto the mission councils, and as the burden of thework comes to rest more heavily upon them, they desiremore than ever the helpful counsel of the experiencedmissionary.The churches realize that not only the wisdom todirect their own work, but also the ability and willingness to support it, must be attained before they canbecome independent.The degree of independence urged upon them bythe missionary, and the share in mission councils, hashad a most salutary effect upon the spirit of self-supportin the Chinese churches. Their counsel is given withwisdom and caution, and the work isdeveloping on morehealthful lines than in the past.The self-support developing now is very differentfrom a kind that was all too prominent some years agoin many parts of our field. Then enquirers and strangerswere anxious to contribute funds for the opening ofchapels in their own neighbourhood for the influencethe chapels would have on affairs not properly belongingto the church. Our work has suffered greatly in thepast from lack of discretion in meeting such conditions.The missionaries and Chinese leaders, with perhaps stilla few exceptions, are now wise enough to refrain fromreceiving these contributions or lending influence tothese spurious self-supporting efforts.In most all our chapels the incidental expenses, asfor oil, tea, and so forth, are met by the local Christians.In a large number of cases the chapel rents, or price ofland and buildings, have been furnished locally. Manyof the chapels and churches have locally supportedpreachers ministering to the needs of the congregations.At least seven of the missions have seen organized intheir churches home missionary societies for the carrying of the Gospel to regions beyond.Almost all the missions report a gain in the conper member in the last few years. As yet,