CLIPPINGS FROM THE FORTHCOMING ANNUAL REPORT OF OUR CALIFORNIA AUXILIARY.
[BY REV. W. C. POND.]
General View.—“The past year has been one of blessing at almost every point of our experience. We have to record our roll of members unbroken, so far as we know, by any stroke of death; our schools increasingly prosperous, on the whole, from the beginning of the year to its close; our work larger and better, we trust, than ever before; a deeper and more general interest in it, we have reason to think, on the part of the churches, and our receipts, especially in the way of gifts made directly to our own treasury, much larger than in any preceding year.”
Our Work as a Whole.—“Fifteen schools have been sustained for a longer or shorter period in the year, a gain upon last year’s work of three schools. Of these fifteen, nine were sustained the entire year, with no vacation at all, except for two or three days at the annual holidays. Of the other six, all except one were commenced during the year, and all but two are still in operation. One of them is still an experiment, and may be discontinued; the others give such promise of usefulness—are, indeed, already bearing such good fruit—that I think they are experiments no longer.”
“We had at the close of the previous year 20 teachers and helpers employed, six of whom were Chinese. At the close of this year 27 laborers—nine Chinese. The total number of months of missionary service is 286, being more by 40 than in any other year of our Mission’s history. We have great satisfaction now in all our workers. Our Chinese helpers give us especial joy, as being themselves the fruit of our mission-work. They are faithful, zealous, and, generally, wise; and God owns their labors, setting His seal upon their ministry by using it for the salvation of lost souls. We greatly desire to call others into this service, hoping that when they have learned among us to teach by teaching, and to preach by preaching, it may please the Master to use them not only to carry the good news of a Saviour to the Chinese in America, but to evangelize also some of the myriads in their own land. The total number of pupils enrolled was 1,632, an increase upon the previous year of 76, even as that year showed an increase of 67 on the one further back. The average membership month by month reaches an aggregate of 562, a gain upon the year preceding of 78, and the average attendance was 288, a gain of 36. We find like gains in the columns representing those who have ceased from idol worship and who give evidence of conversion. How many began the new life during the year it is impossible to state accurately. No month has passed without some accessions to our Association of Christian Chinese, and to join that Association is to confess Christ. I estimate the hopeful conversions at 56, and the total number brought to repentance since our mission-work began at more than 325. The contributions of these Chinese brethren to the work of Christ through the treasury, either of our Mission or of their Association, amount to about $1,900.”
POSTSCRIPT.
The Secretary takes the liberty to add, by way of bringing the story of our work down to the date at which this report is issued, that the monthly reports for the first third of the present year—that is from September 1 to December 31—show that the enrolled membership of our schools, month by month, has averaged 677, against a like enrollment last year of 473; the aggregate average attendance 325, against 215 last year. And the total number enrolled in all the schools up to December 31 was, this year. 1,104; last year, 753. So the work grows; may the gracious results multiply in far greater proportion! Brethren, pray for us.