ABSTRACT OF THE THIRTY-SECOND REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE A. M. A.

The Report opens with an expression of thanks to God for the general prosperity of its work, obituary notices of the Rev. Silas McKeen, D. D., of Bradford, Vt., a Vice-President, and Mrs. Benjamin James, of the Mendi Mission, and a brief review of the marked progress of the last thirty-two years in the line of its aim and effort.

The Freedmen.

The educational work of the Association has been vigorously sustained, with increasing numbers, and at the cost of great self-denial on the part of both teachers and pupils. New buildings have been erected for the Emerson Institute at Mobile, Ala., for the Lewis High School and Norwich Chapel at Macon, Ga., for the Straight University at New Orleans, La., and for the Beach Institute at Savannah, Ga., under the supervision of Prof. T. N. Chase, of Atlanta. They are simple but commodious, and admirably adapted for their uses, better located than formerly, and cost no more than the insurance received for the buildings which they replace. The institutions of the Association are excellently located.

The early educational work was, of necessity, altogether primary. As the States assumed the support of common schools, the Association gave itself more and more to Normal teaching, and has always found a demand for more teachers than its schools could furnish. A few more each year are advancing into the collegiate and professional courses. Its one Law and three Theological classes have been well sustained, and it has also co-operated with the Presbytery of Washington in the support of the Theological Department of Howard University. The practical and moral importance of the Industrial Departments is also referred to. During the year small amounts have been added to the salaries of a number of common-school teachers, graduates from its institutions, enabling them to extend the time of their school-year from three or six to nine months.

The need of this work is emphasized by the fact that there are still 3,500,000 over ten years of age in the South who cannot read, over 1,135,000 of whom are legal voters. The need of permanent endowments and of student aid are also dwelt upon. A depiction of the influence of these institutions in the homes, the common schools, the churches, and upon the sentiment of the people of the South, and especially of the positiveness of their religious influence, concludes this part of the Report.

The report of church work adds five new churches organized during the year to its list. Judged by the measure of accessions to membership by profession of faith, these sixty-four churches have not been dead nor fruitless. Fifteen of them report from eleven to fifty such additions each, making an average of over twenty-four, and amounting to 368 in all. Indications of growth are also found in increased efforts for self-support and for systematic giving. The Sunday-schools of the churches not only are well sustained, but the teachers go out into churches of other orders, and into mission work, thus reaching many thousands of youth and children.

The cause of temperance has been advancing in these churches. The six local conferences have, by their annual meetings, shown progress and done good. The difficulties of a rapid extension of church work in the South are referred to, and the hope expressed, of surmounting such of them as may be overcome under the field-superintendence of Rev. Dr. Roy, who will very soon be in his headquarters at Atlanta.

In summing up the work among the Freedmen, encouragement is drawn from the fact that some of the best pastors and teachers now in the field were taken from the streets by the missionary teachers of the Association, and have developed under its care to be its fellow-helpers; also, that results appear to be more permanent and substantial.

Africa.

Four missionaries were sent, Feb. 8, to the reinforcement of the five who sailed the September before. The outlook was discouraging in both its material and spiritual aspects. But they went to work practically and hopefully, and have labored with good success. Twenty-two new members have been received into the church at Good Hope. Preaching services and Sunday and day-schools have also been opened at Avery and Debia.

The missionaries desire increased facilities for taking the children into their homes under their constant care, a work which they have begun already. The industrial work at Avery has been revived. These missionary families, numbering fifteen souls in all, have endured the trying climate, and that through its sickly season, as well as could have been hoped. All of them have been sick; one of their number has died; none of them are in impaired health, so far as can be learned.

The report speaks of the intention to strengthen this mission as it may seem to demand, of the need of means with which to do it, and of the missionary interest awakened in the South, and especially at Hampton and Fisk.

The Indians.

The necessity of changing agents has made much unexpected work, and the difficulties of supplying their places are referred to. The work of Rev. Mr. Eells at S’Kokomish is spoken of. The Indians show increasing interest in education, but the unsettled condition of their affairs prevents the best success. The recommendations made by the representatives of the various religious denominations to the Board of Commissioners are recited. The possibility of a transfer of the Indians to the War Department is alluded to, and deprecated as a long step in retreat.

The Chinese in America.

The outcries against the Chinaman, and the abuse he receives on every hand, are alluded to as having had already an influence in diminishing the number of those coming to our shores.

The Association has sustained eleven schools during the year, with 1,492 pupils. The Chinese Congregational Association and the Bethany Home have been kept up, with increasing usefulness. Seventy-five have been hopefully converted during the year. The indebtedness of the Association to Rev. Wm. C. Pond, its superintendent in that work, is heartily acknowledged. The desire of the Chinese converts for the conversion of their own people in their native land is referred to as a convincing proof that they have entered into the spirit of the Master. The new Chinese embassy to this country is spoken of as full of promise in regard to all the questions affecting that race.

Finances.

The receipts of the year have been $195,601.65; the expenses have been $188,079.46, leaving a balance of $7,522.19. The current receipts are not equal by $13,063.23 to those of the preceding year, the falling off being mainly in legacies; and the $17,904.92 in cash (and $6,950 in pledges) for the debt may have somewhat lessened the regular gifts.

The debt, two years ago, was $93,000; one year ago it was $63,000; what has been received and saved for it together this year amounts to $25,427.11, which has reduced it to $37,389.79, and pledges are held for $6,950, which, when redeemed, will further diminish it to $30,439.79.

The Committee recognize the hand of the Lord, and the hearts of His people in this good showing. The Report makes special mention of the gifts from the field for this object, and yet the remaining debt is deeply deplored as preventing the enlargement of the work. The careful and wise use of the funds in its hands encourages the Association to ask for the removal of this its last hindrance.

Sundries.

References to the co-operation of the Freedmen’s Missions Aid Society in England, the return of the Jubilee Singers, the changes successfully made in the form and editing of the AMERICAN MISSIONARY, and the generous aid of the American Bible Society, conclude the Report.

THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.

Statistics of its Work and Workers—General Summary.

Workers.

Missionaries—at the South, 69; among the Indians, 1; in the Foreign field, 9; total, 79.

Teachers—at the South, 150; among the Chinese, 17; among the Indians, 10; Native helpers in the Foreign field, 6; total, 183.

Matrons, 9; in Business Department, 9. Total number of Workers, 280.

Churches.

Churches—at the South, 64; among the Indians, 1; in the Foreign field, 1; total, 66.

Church Members—at the South, 4,189; among the Indians, 19; in the Foreign field, 44; total, 4,252. Total number Sabbath-school Scholars, 7,517.

Schools.

Schools—at the South, 37; among the Chinese, 11; among the Indians, 6; in the Foreign field, 3; total, 57.

Pupils—at the South, 7,229; among the Chinese, 1,492; among the Indians, 245; in the Foreign field, 177; total, 9,143.

Details of School Work at the South.

Chartered Institutions, 8.—Hampton N. and A. Institute, Hampton, Va.: Number of pupils, 332; boarding accommodations, for 180. Berea College, Berea, Ky.: Number of pupils, 273; boarding accommodations for 180. Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.: Number of pupils, 338; boarding accommodations for 150. Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga.: Number of pupils, 244; boarding accommodations for 150. Talladega College, Talladega, Ala.: Number of pupils, 272; boarding accommodations for 100. Tougaloo University, Tougaloo, Miss.: Number of pupils, 193; boarding accommodations for 90. Straight University, New Orleans, La.: Number of pupils, 287; no boarding accommodations. Normal Institute, Austin, Texas: Number of pupils, 146.

Other Institutions, 11.—Normal School, Wilmington, N. C.: Number of pupils, 126; Washington School, Raleigh, N. C., 435; Avery Institute, Charleston, S. C., 294; Brewer Normal School, Greenwood, S. C., 58; Storrs School, Atlanta, Ga., 701; Lewis High School, Macon, Ga., 93; Trinity School, Athens, Ala., 158; Emerson Institute, Mobile, Ala., 117; Swayne School, Montgomery, Ala., 436; Burrell School, Selma, Ala., 421; Le Moyne School, Memphis, Tenn., 184; Common Schools, 18;—total, 37.

Pupils Classified.
Theological, 88; Law, 17; Collegiate, 106; Collegiate Preparatory, 160; Normal, 1,459; Grammar, 1,016; Intermediate, 2,048; Primary, 2,3987,292
Studying in two grades,63
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7,229

Scholars in the South, taught by our former pupils, estimated at 100,000.