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120 MISSIONS AND CHURCHESHunan was a new station opened, and in Hupeh the onlynew station, Puchi, was formerly a station of the AmericanBaptist Foreign Missionary Society.In South China the. year was marked by*floods of unDfeteictP recedented volume, which destroyed much mission property, interferedwith the ordinary activities of the Church and gave opportunity for philanthropic work. The reports for 1915from the circuits indicate that the Chinese Church is takinga more serious view of the responsibilities of churchmembership.In some circuits an actual reduction in thenumbers in membership has really meant an increase in thestrength of the Church and it is gratifying to note that theinitiative in such matters is not now entirely left to theforeign pastor, but that the Chinese pastors and the leadersmeetings have shown a growing desire that the Church shallbe pure even though she may be temporarily diminished innumbers.^ threeSelf su districts report steady progress inortthe matter of self-support and co-operation.The desire for independence is growing, but in the countrydistricts the churches find it difficult to comply with therule that self-support must precede self-government.^,, . , Medical work has grown, despite theabsence of several doctors for military service.The new hospital at Shiuchow in Kwangtung was completedand the buildings at Pingkiaug in Hunan have been begun.Anlu Hospital was unfortunately closed during the greaterpart of the year as no medic;il man was available.Fatshan College closed successfully theCo j,esfirst full year of its existence, and WesleyCollege, Wuchang, had a large enrollment.c The , . only noteworthy declaration of a newBuildingspolicy was that made by the home board inthe following resolution:44In the judgement of the Missionary Committee the time hascome when the responsibility for providing buildings for worshipupon the mission field should rest upon the community of Christiansdesiring such buildings, and the Committee lays it down as a generalrule that the native Church in each district shall be expected toprovide its own churches without grants from the Society. The