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138 MISSIONS AND CHURCHESnumber of missionaries connected with the Mission wasreached in 1912 when they numbered thirty-two. By deathsand break-downs it was reduced greatly, so that in 1915when our oldest ordained missionary, Rev. P. W, Pitcher,passed away we were brought down to twenty-two. Thereinforcements of 1915 have brought us back to thirty-one,with one short term medical man in addition. Of coursesome of this number are on furlough, and through the callof the China Continuation Committee to Rev. A. L. Warnshuis,two are resident in Shanghai, although still connected withthe Mission.The Chinese staff has not grown during 1915. Severalof the older pastors have died, and to the younger preacherscome strong temptations to go to Java or the Straits Settlements where larger salaries are paid. While it is a pleasureto be supplying such distant regions with workers it is acause of worry when it hinders expansion in one s own fieldthrough lack of workers.^ ur ^ e^ covers about six thousand squareField andForcemiles and embraces a population estimated atthree millions. We have fifteen ordainedChinese pastors and thirty-eight other evangelistic workers,besides seventeen women who are seeking to win and teachtheir Chinese sisters. These figures are exclusive of thoseof the English Presbyterian Mission, who have from the firstlaboured with us in the same Chinese church. Four yearsago we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the organizationof a Chinese presbytery.Self-government has been encouraged andSelf-supportself-support always aimed at. The last yearsaw an advance in this direction in the launching of ascheme whereby the Chinese synod and the Mission share inthe appointment and the payment of the evangelistic workers.The Bible women are not included in this, but all preachersand evangelistic workers are now appointed by a committeeon which the Mission has representatives but of which theChinese form the chief part. A budget is made for theexpenses of the ensuing year, the amount the Chinese churchcan raise is estimated, and then appeal is made to the Mission

~,PRESBYTEK1AN (JKOUP 139to raise the balance. In a few cases all the workers connected with a church are paid by funds raised by themselves-This does not mean merely the pastor, who from the veryfirst was paid entirely by the Chinese, but the preachers inout-stations connected with the church. Especially in thelocation of preachers has the new scheme begun to provehelpful, for it is no longer the knowledge of the Mission,generally very limited, with a little advice from one or twoChinese friends, that decides the location of workers; but itis now the problem to which a body of men appointed byand representing the Chinese church address themselves.The scarcity of labourers comes home to them more thanbefore, and the desire to finance all the work is growing.The membership of the churches founded by our Mission (itseems hardly proper to say "connected with our Mission,"for they have so long been part of a Chinese Church) is2,069.They contributed hist year for church work $23,197.82,or an average of $11.16 per member. The contributions showan increase of $2,538 over the previous year and an increaseof $.40 in the average per member. It is encouraging tosee this annual growth and steady advance toward selfsupport.D ,, <Another more recent feature of the workBible Classes .T ... ,lias been the greater emphasis on .Bible classesin schools and churches. This is partly as a result of theEddy campaign. In Amoy the leaders of Bible classes infive churches meet one night each week for study anddiscussion of methods. A visit from Miss Paxson led tosome eighty decisions for the Christian life in one of ourgirls schools. Voluntary .Bible classes have now been made a,specially hopeful feature in the work in both boys and girlsschools.Medical Work^ our ^hree hospitals, Hope and "WilhelminaHospitals located in Amoy were openfor only six months of the year. Fortunately this was notthe result of a decreased force, but due to the rebuilding ofthese hospitals, almost doubling their capacity. All the

~,PRESBYTEK1AN (JKOUP 139to raise the balance. In a few cases all the workers connected with a church are paid by funds raised by themselves-This does not mean merely the pastor, who from the veryfirst was paid entirely by the Chinese, but the preachers inout-stations connected with the church. Especially in thelocation of preachers has the new scheme begun to provehelpful, for it is no longer the knowledge of the Mission,generally very limited, with a little advice from one or twoChinese friends, that decides the location of workers; but itis now the problem to which a body of men appointed byand representing the Chinese church address themselves.The scarcity of labourers comes home to them more thanbefore, and the desire to finance all the work is growing.The membership of the churches founded by our Mission (itseems hardly proper to say "connected with our Mission,"for they have so long been part of a Chinese Church) is2,069.They contributed hist year for church work $23,197.82,or an average of $11.16 per member. The contributions showan increase of $2,538 over the previous year and an increaseof $.40 in the average per member. It is encouraging tosee this annual growth and steady advance toward selfsupport.D ,, <Another more recent feature of the workBible Classes .T ... ,lias been the greater emphasis on .Bible classesin schools and churches. This is partly as a result of theEddy campaign. In Amoy the leaders of Bible classes infive churches meet one night each week for study anddiscussion of methods. A visit from Miss Paxson led tosome eighty decisions for the Christian life in one of ourgirls schools. Voluntary .Bible classes have now been made a,specially hopeful feature in the work in both boys and girlsschools.Medical Work^ our ^hree hospitals, Hope and "WilhelminaHospitals located in Amoy were openfor only six months of the year. Fortunately this was notthe result of a decreased force, but due to the rebuilding ofthese hospitals, almost doubling their capacity. All the

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