The church has developed along this line, however, and to-day in Oroomiah their services differ very little from that of the evangelical churches. Once a tiny rivulet the evangelical church has become a brook which flows in beauty and waters much of a thirsty land. It is the hope of Persia.
The statistics of mission work in Persia in 1895 were as follows: Five presbyteries, fifty-five churches, 2,600 members, 4,000 Sunday-school scholars, 4,500 attendants at preaching services. These five presbyteries make one synod. Besides this there are two other presbyteries with about 500 church members. There are seven missionary stations, viz., Oroomiah, Tabriz, Tehron, Salmas, Hamadon, Myandab and Moesul. These are in charge of American missionaries; besides them there are many native preachers in the different towns and cities. Oroomiah is the mother station. Most of these missions are dependent on missionaries, but some of them are self-supporting. The total number of Protestants in Persia will number fully 15,000.
CHAPTER IV.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.
COLLEGE.
The first need of the nation was a college. In 1836 Justin Perkins gathered a small number of deacons and priests to teach them for the work of spreading the gospel. The native priests were very ignorant, but Mr. Perkins believed it would take fewer years to prepare them for the work than children, so he opened a rude school in a cellar. At that time the priests in common with all other people drank wine and were frequently drunk. When Dr. Perkins opened his school for the native priests and deacons many of them brought a bottle of wine for use during school hours. Dr. Perkins dealt patiently with them but stated that it was against the rules of the school to bring wine. They replied that they would not come to study if they were not allowed to bring wine. So wine they brought. One native preacher who is now an old man and a fine singer, told at a recent synod of this early school, of which he was a member: One day they got too much wine and went upstairs and began to dance. Dr. Perkins called to them and asked them to dance a little slower. They replied to the teacher that they would dance slower, but kept on dancing. In time the habit of drinking was left off and total abstinence was firmly established.
The school in the cellar has grown until now we have in Oroomiah a fine brick building in which the college classes meet. In it are six branches: high-school, preparatory, college, medicine, industrial, and theological. Its superintendents from the start have been able men. Dr. Perkins founded it, Mr. Cochran further developed it, and the late Dr. Shedd, a profound theologian, contributed his fine ability to the institution. Several eastern languages are taught. Mathematics, including algebra and geometry, geography and history are taught, but of course not as completely as in America.
LADIES' SEMINARY.
When the missionaries came to Persia there was only one woman among the 200,000 Assyrians who could read. Girls were not encouraged to study as it was against law and believed to be useless. This belief originated in Mohammed's teachings. Fidelia Fisk, soon after her arrival, saw the condition of women and determined to open a seminary. At first it was difficult to get girls to attend. If mothers were asked to send their girls, they asked, "What is the use? They can never become bishops or priests." If a girl was asked to attend she would reply that she did not have time as she must be preparing a dowry for her wedding, an event that would certainly occur before her eighteenth year. However, a small free school was opened for girls, where the branches taught were similar to those of the college. Fidelia Fisk labored faithfully in her duties as teacher and made for herself a lasting reputation in that country.