CONFERENCE OF MISSIONARIES
A conference of missionary teachers and preachers who have heretofore labored, or are now laboring, in the Southern States from the North, is called to meet at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, Aug. 11 and 12. This conference will form a part of the proceedings of the National Education Assembly which will then be in session at that time and place.
An address of welcome will be delivered by Rev. C. H. Fowler, D.D., LL.D., of New York City, and responsive addresses will be made by representatives of the different denominations engaged in the work.
The Conference has the approval of the corresponding secretaries of the American Missionary Association, the Freedmen Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal church, the Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian church, and the Home Missionary Society of the Baptist church. These secretaries will all be present and participate in the conference.
A committee of entertainment will be on the ground to receive those who attend, and arrangements will be made for their entertainment at hotels and private houses at reasonable rates.
THE MENDI MISSION.
It will be remembered that in compliance with the instructions given at our last annual meeting, arrangements were made with the United Brethren in Christ to conduct the Mendi Mission for a term of years. Dr. Flickinger, the Secretary, visited Africa to mature plans for carrying on the mission in connection with the one maintained in the immediate vicinity (the Shengay) by his society. He has just returned and made report, from which we take the following extract:
“We opened a new station at Manboh, a town about midway from Avery to Shengay, immediately on the coast, which is quite a suitable place for a mission. This is in charge of Rev. Mr. Fowler, who commenced work at that point the middle of March, and when last heard from was doing well. We now have ten native missionaries employed, who are giving their entire time to teaching and preaching, and with the help afforded by Rev. Mr. Gomer and Mr. Wilberforce, are to preach in 113 towns as often as once in two weeks, and in some every week. With the four stations and 31 preaching places on the Mendi side and eight on the Sherbro side, we now have 12 stations and as many day and Sunday-schools, with 144 towns or preaching places to be provided for in connection with these missions. The Boomphe Mission, which has four stations and 40 towns lying to the northeast from Sherbro Mission, as Mendi lies to the southeast, the three extending over 100 miles along the coast and embracing 184 towns, are giving from twelve to fifteen thousand people the opportunity of hearing the Gospel and several hundred children the privilege of attending both day and Sabbath-school.”