MR. ARTHINGTON’S OFFER TO THE A. M. A.
The name of Robert Arthington, Esq., of Leeds, England, has already become familiar to all good people who are interested in the evangelization of “The Dark Continent.” His gift of £5,000 each to the Church Missionary Society and the London Missionary Society, of £1,000 to the (English) Baptist Missionary Society, and his offer last year of a similar amount to our own American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, all for the founding of new evangelizing agencies in Equatorial Africa, have been among the most marked events in the recent history of Christian giving. These various gifts and offers have all been parts in the prosecution of a wisely comprehensive plan, which his subjoined letter clearly sets forth, and in furthering which he has now come to our Association with an offer of three thousand pounds ($15,000), and a plan for our occupation of an important territory with an efficient mission.
The region which he carefully describes and commends to our care lies north and east of the Victoria Nyanza Mission of the Church Missionary Society; west and south of which lies the Tanganika Mission of the London Society; west of this the region which he has asked the American Board to occupy, and the Baptist Mission still further toward the western coast. These five divisions nearly cross the continent between 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south latitude. Of course they are large tracts, and only five starting points for evangelizing effort.
We have felt that there was a special claim on our Association, which has from its beginning been so intimately associated with the African race, and which has so long kept up its mission on the West Coast, to consider prayerfully and intelligently the proposal to enter into the far-reaching plans of this steward of the Lord. It is not a matter for hasty decision. The conditions which he imposes in regard to the liquidation of our debt we believe will be fully met before we can do more than consider and plan. The Executive Committee have appointed a sub-committee consisting of four of its members, with three of its officers, who will study into the matter with all care and report. The result of their investigations, with a map of the region, may be looked for in the April number of the Missionary, to which, in connection with the valuable letter of Mr. Arthington in this, we ask the careful attention of all who are interested in the evangelization of Equatorial Africa.
We print herewith a large portion of
Mr. Arthington’s Letter
In your thirtieth Annual Report, page 15, you indicate a desire, on the part of your Society, to enter on some suitable field for missionary enterprise in Eastern or Central Africa; and again, in the thirty-first Report, I find in the first pages of the volume a similar desire expressed for extension, so as to bring the African Continent within the range of the mighty power of the Gospel—Christ risen again, in all his reality set forth as the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.
If your Society can so enter into the scheme I am about to propose as to assure me that the debt of your treasury—see the 31st Report—is extinguished, and that your members adopt the proposal of it prayerfully in all faith, I am impressed that I should be glad in the Lord to offer to your Society towards the carrying it into execution the sum of three thousand pounds.