JUBILEE FIELD DAYS IN THE INTERIOR.
SECRETARY CHARLES J. RYDER.
A reduction in the secretarial force of the American Missionary Association, in order to cut down current expenses and decrease the debt, has resulted in a serious loss in the effectiveness of the collecting field. The office at Cleveland, together with a most efficient and acceptable district secretary, was discontinued for economy's sake. The expenses, however, had to be cut down in some way, and so the burden was placed upon one of the secretaries in the New York office. With multiform duties already upon the hands of each one in the administration of the mission field, and almost constant Sunday service among the contributing churches, it seemed almost impossible to take up this new burden of work, which in some societies involves the constant labor of a large number of secretaries. To accomplish an undertaking which seemed almost impossible the pastors were conferred with, and cordially and generously promised all the assistance within their power for the American Missionary Association in its depleted condition. Right royally did these good brethren redeem their pledge.
A series of Jubilee Field Days was planned and carried out with great success and interest, largely through the co-operation of these faithful brethren in the ministry of the churches in the interior.
Just a word concerning the plan adopted. A campaign of five weeks was planned. Jubilee Field Day Rallies were to be held twice every weekday except Saturday, and as many times on the Sabbath as possible. Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana were the States to be reached.
The purpose of the campaign was to instruct and stimulate the churches and congregations reached. It was also hoped that the collections would pay all the expenses of this effort to scatter missionary information and enthusiasm, and that the regular collections of the churches would be largely increased.
The speakers consisted of the pastors of the several churches and missionaries from the fields, and the writer of this article. Just a word in reference to these friends who presented the work to the churches. The value of the address of the pastor in each case was very great. Standing on the vantage ground that an honored and beloved pastor occupies in any church and community, his indorsement and earnest and discriminating commendation carried greatest weight. I desire thus publicly to recognize the service of those generous brethren in the ministry to the American Missionary Association. That service was large.
The colored work was represented by Rev. George V. Clark, pastor of the Congregational Church at Memphis, Tenn. Born a slave, rescued by an American Missionary Association missionary from the degrading influences of a saloon into which he drifted as a lad when freedom came and no other opening was before him, his testimony and earnest appeal stirred the deepest convictions of his hearers. The quaint old slave melodies, which Mr. Clark sometimes heard as a boy in slave times, and often since by those who are freemen now, he rendered with peculiar effect. The weird and quaint pathos of these songs coming originally from the crushed and bleeding hearts of slaves, held the large audiences in hushed and sympathetic attention. Is there anything in the world like these slave songs sung by those who have known the bitterness of slavery?
From far-away Dakota Miss Dora K. Dodge brought the message to these several gatherings, of the discouragement and want, the hopefulness and progress, of the Christian work among the Indians. Her mission, seventy-five miles out on the prairie, with only Christian Indians—John Bluecloud and his wife—for associates, is of unique interest and importance. No one could have told the story of this wonderful movement among the red people of the prairie with more simple and earnest eloquence than did Miss Dodge.
Rev. W. G. Olinger, a native mountaineer, presented the work "Among the American Highlanders." Born in the humble cabin of the mountaineer, stirred from his earliest boyhood with the great desire for education and improvement, he struggled up through great discouragements, until to-day he can stand on any platform with interest to those who hear and with honor to himself. His manly presence is the illustration of the wonderful possibilities of these mountaineers; and his story is their agonizing cry for the light and opportunities which only an intelligent gospel and educational privileges such as the American Missionary Association is bringing, can satisfy.
The secretary, who had charge of the campaign, presented "The Claims of the American Missionary Association on this Jubilee Year."
The immediate results of this series of Jubilee Field Days were most encouraging. Nearly twenty thousand people gathered in the various audiences. Lincoln Memorial Day, celebrated at Oberlin, was most delightfully spent. Every service during the day, including Sunday-school, Mission Circle, Endeavor Society, as well as church services, was an American Missionary Association rally.
On the Sabbath large churches and towns were reached. During the week important centers were selected, and many surrounding churches sent pastors and delegates to the Jubilee Field Day services.
From a financial standpoint the result was also encouraging. More than three times as much was gathered as the campaign cost, and pastors and church members everywhere testified that the meetings were resultful in spiritual uplift and blessing, as well as in stimulating interest and greatly increased gifts.
The general feeling seemed to be that this was American Missionary Association year, and that during this Jubilee season the specials should float into this treasury and the regular contributions should be greatly increased. While en route the joyful message came to us that the Board and the Home Missionary Society were both out of debt. When announced from various pulpits by American Missionary Association speakers, this glorious fact met with cordial applause. All the more did it seem incumbent upon the churches to take hold of the American Missionary Association, still burdened with its debt, and lift it out of the slough of financial despond. This, however, is only the reflection of the feeling among the churches throughout the land. The determination to lift the debt of the American Missionary Association, and to make it possible to continue at least its depleted work, is universal. Special collections, regular contributions, and hundreds of individuals taking the fifty-dollar shares in the Jubilee fund, will accomplish this most desirable result.