The Committee hope that the Lord may incline some one or more of the friends of African missions, whom He has blessed with wealth, to put into our hands the larger part of the sum required for this undertaking, and that the Association may receive, say $30,000, from one, two or three contributors, which will still leave room for the many who may desire by smaller gifts to have a part in the enterprise.
We further suggest that a force of not less than ten missionaries would be required to enter upon this work; that of this number, eight should, if possible, be of African descent, and that correspondence should be entered into with a view to their wise selection at such time as sufficient funds shall be subscribed to warrant a beginning of the undertaking. Also, that estimates be obtained respecting the dimensions and cost of a suitable steamer to serve the purposes of the mission. We recommend further that this report be printed in the April number of the American Missionary, and thus submitted to the prayerful consideration of the friends of the African race, and that the Executive Committee await their decision as it shall be indicated in their response, trusting in it to read the full disclosure of the Master’s will, and purposing to be wholly guided thereby.
| Geo. M. Boynton, | M. E. Strieby, |
| Addison P. Foster, | G. D. Pike, |
| John H. Washburn, | H. W. Hubbard. |
| Clinton B. Fisk, |
FINANCIAL.
The American Missionary Association is practically out of debt, but not out of danger. If receipts for current expenses are not kept up, a new debt is inevitable. The receipts for February and up to March 14th (the date of going to press), are $7,233 less than for the corresponding months of last year. This falling off may be partly due to the effort made to pay our debt and that of the Home Missionary Society, and partly to the unconscious feeling that with the debt paid little else is needed. But our work and workers are on our hands. Our office expenses are brought down to the most economical figures, and our expenditures in the field are most rigidly confined to the appropriations. If the receipts of this fiscal year are brought up to those of last—the basis of the appropriations—the work will be carried through successfully and without debt.
We earnestly entreat our friends to grant us that desired result. We cannot ourselves avert the calamity of debt, for if we should recall every laborer, and close every school and church, we should still owe the salaries and return traveling expenses, so that the saving would be very little. We ask, therefore, a generous and steady support for the rest of the year. Pastors can be our greatest helpers. They can see to it that our collections are not forgotten. If our cause is on the list, they can secure the collection at the regular time. If it is not, and we have received no contribution for a year or two past, the pastor is entreated to consider if our work is not worthy of support, and to present it to his people. Even if the offering should be small, it would be gladly received. Individual donors are also asked to aid us in this endeavor. Our experience in the last two years gives us hope that this, our appeal, will not be in vain.