THE KING’S BUSINESS
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is a net increase o f over 9 per cent, in spite o f the many calls for aid from the war- torn countries o f Europe, and makes 1915 the biggest year in point o f giving in mis sion history. The above statement was made by the conference o f foreign mission boards in Garden City, Long Island, January 12 to 14. The statistics for missionary opera tions in North America are now prepared by the home basd committee o f the confer ence, o f which the chairman is Dr. Fred P. Haggard. The total offerings for reli gious, educational and medical missionary work o f the 192 organizations comprising the foreign missions conference amounted to $18,793,990. Besides this, home mission organizations doing what is practically for eign work in Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, Cuba, Porto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii, gave an additional sum o f $594,- 260. At the beginning o f the year there was much anxiety on the part of mission board leaders lest the regular giving o f the churches fall o f f ,' because o f straitened financial conditions due to the war. But the returns show that the effect has been the other way. The Baptist and Episco palian boards cleared off large debts in addition to carrying on their regular work, and several other denominational boards having smaller debts either canceled them entirely or materially ^reduced them. O f the 192 boards in the conference, eighty- three showed a decided increase for the year. The only backward step was taken by the southern churches, where the price o f cotton is given in explanation. The American Board and the Presbyterian “ U. S. A.” carried on outside their ordinary work a gigantic task in war relief distribu tion to Syria, Armenia and similar places. These two boards together acted as agents in forwarding over $1,000,000 for this pur pose, much o f it in small sums sent by Syrians in this country to relatives in Asiatic countries. The Presbyterian board at New York reports a total o f $2,262,061 for the year.
Missions in India A summary o f all foreign mission work in India is given below. Total number o f Societies 120, including 39 American, 37 British, 2 Ceylon, 10 Continental, 5 India, 3 International, 6 _Independent, and 12 Indigenous; Number ordained missionaries-------------- — 1,358 Medical Missionaries (115 men, 163 women) ....... -----1----H------- ----- Lay Missionaries (men)...... .............—•— Married women (not doctors)...-.------ 1>279 Unmarried women (not doctors)------ 1,417 Total foreign missionaries------ ------------ - 4,w5 Ordained natives ................-...................... 1,270 Unordained natives, (teachers, preachers, Bible women, etc.)..^----- -----------*----- - 34,084 Total ordained and unordained-------------... 35,354 Principal stations —------- ------------- ■ 783 All other sub-stations..,............—----...------- - 10,217 Church organizations--------- ............-----......— 4,088 Total number professed Christians-------..... Total native Christian adherents...— ---- 1,4/1,727 Sunday schools, 10,872; membership—;...— 422,135 Native contributions in U. S. gold.........$573,454 Educational Work ,Universities and colleges---------------------- 37 Total Students (only 60 females)----------- 4,982 Theological and Normal Schools......-------- 141 Students (male, 2,350; female, 1,237)......... 3,755 Boarding and high schools............................... 576 Pupils (male, 55,937; female, 15,110)------- 77,400 Industrial Training Institutions..----------.... 148 Pupils (male, 5,042; female, 3,925)-- 8,999 Elementary and village schools...-—......... 11,503 Pupils (male, 159,045; female, 76,029)........ 361,726 Kindergartens ................. 27 Pupils (boys, 397; girls, 466).........—.....------- .972 Medical Hospitals ...... .......i..------.......... 170 Dispensaries — - 355 Hospital in-patients in one year........... 61,612 Dispensary treatments (one year)-.1.2,072,537 Outside •patients visited— ...---------— —• 44,020 Total individual patients------ -------------- Is Total treatments ----....----------- ••••------- —3,605,597 Minor surgical operations---------- — 57,506 Major surgical operations— ---- 15,156 Medical schools and classes...... — -— — 26 Students (male, 106; female, 44)............... 150 Schools , and classes for nurses— ------------ 42 Students (male, 13; female, 271)........—.... 316 Philanthropic and Reformatory Ornhanaces ............................ «................... 180 Inmates (boys, 4,761; girls, 7,522).......... 13,400 Leper Hospitals -and Asylums------------------ 59 Inmates (Christians, 2,508)......—.—,.— 4,815 Homes for lepers’ untainted children------- 18 Total inmates (Christians, 339)__......~- 460 Institutions for the Blind and Deaf Mutes 8 Pupils (male, 136; fernale, 204)-----— ,---- 340 Rescue Homes, 8; inmates-------....----------- 360 Homes for Widows, 15; inmates— ---------- 410 Industrial Homes, 19; inmates........... ...... 1,134 Gifts to Foreign Missions Giving to foreign missions throughout the various Protestant missionary organi zations o f the United States and Canada has increased this year by $1,625,379. This
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