Drs. Stimson, Noble, and others of the committee, as well as by the generous labors of Rev. Dr. Davis, of Detroit, Rev. I. W. Metcalf, of Cleveland, and others outside of the committee. For two years previously the secretary had managed to utilize all his pulpit exchanges in presenting this work; and at the end of the leave of absence, on resigning his pastorate for the sake of seeking rest and recovery of health, he still continued the campaign for another month until his departure for Europe. In these sundry times and divers manners he has been permitted to address congregations in church service or prayer-meetings as follows: eleven in Illinois, four in Missouri, four in Kansas, one in Nebraska, three in Iowa, eight in Minnesota, six in Wisconsin, seven in Michigan, six in Ohio, two in New York, and one in New Jersey. The subject has been brought also to the attention of the State associations or conferences of most of the above States by various members of the committee, or by others whom they have been able to enlist; and most of these bodies have passed resolutions endorsing the plans of the committee. In addition to oral presentation of the cause, more than thirtyone thousand leaflets and pledge cards have been printed and carefully distributed. What results have accrued from these efforts? One result, and a most gratifying one, has been an increase of activity and of income on the part of several of the State relief organizations. Iowa has adopted definite measures for the increase of her little permanent fund. Kansas has resuscitated a slumbering organization. Missouri has created a State committee. Ohio has raised and expended more for her own beneficiaries than ever before; and the same is true of several other States. In view of the very natural question in some minds whether the attempt to raise a national fund might not prove detrimental to the State funds, it is a pleasure to record the fact that in Illinois where special efforts have been exerted for the national fund, the receipts of the Illinois Ministerial Relief Association for the past year were nearly double those of any previous year. There have been secured for the National Ministerial Relief Fund contributions and pledges amounting to $18,750.89, of which $16,447.94 has been paid into the treasury at Hartford. The remaining pledges are in the hands of the various church treasurers for collection, and are believed to be most of them good. For the expenses of their work, after exhausting the little expense fund of $250 contributed by themselves, your committee have felt justified in drawing upon the contributions received by the treasurer at Hartford. These expenses have been for printing, type-writing, stationery, postage, expressage, and telegrams, $111.22; for travelling and hotel expenses, $190.07; for supply of Evanston pulpit two and three-fourths months and salary of secretary one and one-fourth months, $527. Total drawn from the treasury for expenses, $828.29. Net increase of the National Fund $15,619.65, from $10,000 to $25,619.65. Besides this actual cash and the $2,302.95 of outstanding pledges it is possible that bequests have been written which will bear fruit in years to come. It is also hoped that the seed-sowing of the past three years may lighten the labors and increase the harvests of future committees. Grateful mention should be made of the intelligent sympathy and active co-operation of many of the officers of State relief organizations. They have been among the first to respond to this new call; and their aid has been valuable. The committee wish to record their sense of personal loss in the death of one of their number, Hon. William H. Bradley, of Chicago. Though one of the busiest of men he accepted his appointment to this work with cordiality, and devoted time and labor to it. He felt that this was a work emphatically for laymen. Besides his constant punctuality and wise counsels and valuable influence he made a contribution of $500 to this work as a practical attestation of his interest in it. In conclusion. The experience of your committee has convinced them that there is no more pressing duty or sacred privilege now before the churches of our order than this work of relieving the sore necessities of those whose lives have been spent in loving service of them and of their Lord; that the apparent apathy of Congregationalists to this sacred obligation is due, not to any special hardness of heart, but solely to ignorance, owing to the lack of any effective method of bringing this cause to their attention; that State organizations having the advantage of close conact with the churches and with the persons needing assistance, can be made very efficient if energetically worked; and that to supplement the work of these State organizations, to fill the namerous gaps between them, and to provide broadly for necessities lying beyond their reach, there is need of a steady income from a very large national fund. They therefore beg leave to offer for your consideration and adoption the following resolutions: Resolved. First, That we emphasize, as one of the most pressing and sacred duties now before our churches, the long delayed work of providing adequately for the relief of aged or disabled Congregational ministers and of the destitute widows and orphan children of ministers. Secondly, That we favor the establishment in every State of an efficient relief organization, or committee, to be maintained by a moderate annual collection from each church. Thirdly, That we particularly and urgently request every pastor and church to arrange at the earliest practicable date for a full and forcible presentation of this subject, to the end that information may be diffused, that interest may be awakened, and that each congregation may have the opportunity of making one splendid contribution for the increase of the National Ministerial Relief Fund. Fourthly, That we encourage the committee to be appointed for the ensuing three years to use such active measures as may seem to them wise and necessary for the furtherance of these ends, pledging to them practical co-operation and substantial assistance. Respectfully submitted, REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE RELATIONS OF THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES TO THE CHURCHES.1 66 THREE years ago the National Council appointed a committee of thirteen to act in connection with committees which our national benevolent societies have appointed, or shall appoint, to consider the relations of these societies to the churches; and for the guidance of said committee the Council declares its opinion in favor of steps which in due time will make the said societies the representatives of the churches, and the said committee shall communicate to the churches, through the public press, the results of its inquiries and deliberations at as early a date as possible." The committee met in Boston, Dec. 7, 1889, and organized. Prof. George P. Fisher, by letter asked to be excused from serving on the ground that he was a member of a similar committee. William H. Bradley, Esq., member from Illinois, died in March, 1892. At its first meeting the committee, after hearing a statement giving an analysis of the charters and constitutions of the seven benevolent societies supported by our churches, as also of certain English and Baptist societies, voted to print the same for the use, of the several committees, after the analysis of our societies should be submitted to their respective officers for correction. Under the title, "Facts Touching the Nature of the National Congregational Societies," the said statement, together with lists of the several committees and certain other useful facts, was printed and duly circulated, in a pamphlet of twelve octavo pages. The following classification and summary taken therefrom may be useful to repeat: CLASSIFICATION OF SAID SOCIETIES. 1. Sacieties with no representation from the churches or associations of churches, with no voting membership secured by the payment of money, but close, self-perpetuating corporations: of churches, but whose voting membership is secured by the payment of money : — A. C. U. (now C. C. B. S.) C. S. S. & P. S. . Members, 2,000 3. Society whose voting membership is composed partly of delegates from State Home Missionary Societies, whether auxiliary or not, which societies may be, and in some cases are, composed of churches or their delegates, but chiefly of life members made such by the payment of money: A. H. M. S. . Members, about 25,000 4. Society whose voting membership is made up of annual delegates from contributing churches, and from State associations of churches, but chiefly of life members made such by the payment of money: Membership on Money Basis Representative of Churches in whole or in part 14 3 2 9 AND It seems unnecessary to explain why the committee has not submitted plans of adjustment to, or held conferences with, committees appointed by the societies or reported to the churches through the press, as authorized so to do. No one can much regret this inactivity who remembers that our churches are passing through a transition from one environment to another, and that haste in readjusting themselves only hinders the final adjustment. Great progress has been made in the past three years, but the movement is not yet complete. Our inactivity makes it clear to all that the action of local and State bodies in favor of representative connection of the societies with the churches is spontaneous a movement from within and not induced by this committee or other outside agency, and having, therefore, the greater force. What the churches thus demand must be granted, sooner or later. PROGRESS. Since the appointment of this committee, the American Home Missionary Society has so amended its constitution that "" every |