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158 MISSIONS AND CHURCHESreach the merchant class by means of the Friends International Institute. The work of this Institute is largely ofa social character, and has resulted in bringing about mostfriendly relations between the Chinese and foreigners, andaffords a splendid opportunity for the illustration of thepractical application of Christianity to the needs of thecity. The members of the Institute support some of ourmission schools, and take a considerable share in conductingan orphanage in Chungking.In Chengtu, church and school work ofvarious kinds has been carried 011 for nearlytwelve years with considerable success, Oneof its most encouraging sides is that several of the boys whohave been through our schools are becoming able andtrustworthy Christian workers, and while the churchmembership is not large, most of the members are engagedin some kind of Christian work.The mission has one-fourth share in the establishingand maintaining of the West China Union University.Two members of the mission give full time to universitywork, while others contribute part time, and some of thechurch members take an active share in the middle schoolrun by the University.These subjects have received considerableand Sdf thought during the year, and a plan has beenGovernment devised by which the responsibility previouslyborne by the missionaries is being shared bythe Chinese Church. The planis only in its experimentalstage, and while so far giving satisfaction, time mustprove its ultimate value.The subject was first taken up by the Annual Meetingof the Church. It appointed ten members as representativesto meet with the Committee of Missionaries (the controllingbody of the mission), to consider how best the Churchcould share the responsibility with the missionaries. It wasagreed that certain matters under evangelism and education should be considered by a joint body of Churchrepresentatives and the Committee of Missionaries, which inthe past had been decided by the latter body alone.