Mission Appropriations for 1915
By W. T. Knox
The General Conference and North American Division Conference Autumn Council met at Takoma Park, October 25 to November 4. During this meeting, appropriations for 1915 to the foreign fields and to Eastern and Southern conferences were voted. The conditions confronting the General Conference by reason of the great war, made it evident to all that a fund should be created to enable its treasury to meet successfully the demands that may be made upon it by reason of emergencies that are likely to arise in these uncertain and troubled times in which we live. The extent of the unusual calls that may be made upon the treasury to relieve our brethren in Europe, is as uncertain as is the probable duration of the war, but it was thought to be only the part of wisdom to set aside $75,000 to protect our mission work from any embarrassment that might threaten it in the future. The budget adopted for the coming year calls for an outlay of $506,464.14. This amount is to be secured entirely from the offerings of the churches of North America. The items composing this budget are as follows:— General ............................ $12,069.70
Signs of the Times Publishing House ............ 4,840.65
China Missions Training School ................. 4,269.60
East China Mission ............................ 8,911.96
West China Mission ............................ 4,669.71
Central China Mission ........................ 20,069.12
South China Mission .......................... 24,445.20
Japan Mission ................................ 15,683.30
Korean Mission ............................... 17,212.31
Philippine Mission ........................... 9,017.25
Malay Missions ............................... 13,164.31
Manchuria Mission ............................ 2,602.58
Bahamas Mission ............................. 267.00
Brazilian Union Conference .................. 11,633.52
Cuban Mission ............................... 4,325.00
Guatemala Mission ........................... 1,500.00
Hawaiian Mission ............................ 1,000.00
Haitien Mission ............................. 2,300.00
India Union Mission ........................ 66,000.00
Mexican Mission ............................. 8,893.19
Porto Rican Mission ........................ 1,986.74
South African Union Conf. .................. 40,000.00
South American Union Conf. ................. 25,000.00
West Indian Union Conf. .................... 11,603.00
Executive Department ........................ 17,000.00
Educational Department ....................... 2,500.00
Missionary Volunteer Dept. ................... 3,000.00
Medical Department ........................... 2,500.00
Publishing Department ........................ 2,500.00
Home Missionary Department ................... 3,000.00
Sabbath School Department .................... 4,000.00
Harvest Ingathering ........................ 17,000.00
Missionary appointees' salary ............... 7,500.00
General laborers ............................ 6,000.00
General Conference Corp. .................... 25,000.00
Emergency fund .............................. 75,000.00
Special appropriations ...................... 30,000.0014 The funds of the North America Division Conference are made up of certain percentages of the tithe of the local conferences within its territory, the basis of which is, as adopted at the council, 5 per cent of the tithe of all conferences receiving $15,000 per annum or less, with an increase of 1 per cent for each additional $1,000 until 20 per cent is reached. The budget voted for 1915 was based upon the expectation that every conference would fully comply with this suggestion, and thus make up the sum of $165,045, to be apportioned as follows:— Atlantic Union Conference.....$18,500
Columbia Union Conference..... 15,000
Eastern Canadian Union Conf... 7,000
Southern Union Conference .... 11,000
Southeastern Union Conference. 8,000
Southwestern Union Conference. 3,500
North American Foreign Dept... 13,000
Negro Department .............. 28,000
College of Medical Evangelists. 10,000
*Christian Record .............. 2,000
Educational Department ........ 3,500
Executive Department .......... 6,500
Finance Commission ............ 1,000
Home Missionary Department ... 2,206
Medical Department ............ 2,250
Missionary Volunteer Department 4,228
Negro Dept. (administrative) .. 1,450
Press Bureau .................. 2,460
Publishing Department ......... 1,956
Religious Liberty Department .. 2,360
Special appropriations ........ 7,500
Emergency fund ............... 10,000
Tithe to General Conference ... 1,335
Sustentation to General Conf. . 800
General expense, rent, light, heat, depreciation, etc. .... 1,500