News and Notes | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 24, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 24.

News and Notes.

RELIGIOUS.

—Reports show that last year 47 Protestant Jewish missionary societies spent in their work nearly $500,000.

—The Jewish population of the world is about 6,000,400, and there is laboring in their behalf one missionary for every 16,976.

—It is said that the Protestant churches of the United States contribute $11,250,000 annually for foreign missionary enterprises.

—The first missions in Japan were begun just thirty years ago. Of the twenty-six Protestant missionary societies which are laboring in that field, twenty are American, including two Canadian societies. It is therefore in an especial sense an American mission field.

—Notwithstanding all the missionary work which has been done in Burmah, there is in that country one district inhabited by 600,000 people which has only a single place of Christian worship. The force of workers consists of two missionaries with their wives and two native helpers.

—The Mormon Church in Utah now numbers 12 apostles, 70 patriarchs, 3,719 high priests, 11,805 elders, 2,069 priests, 2,292 teachers, 11,610 deacons, 81,899 families, 115,915 officers and members, and 49,302 children under eight years of age; a total Mormon population of 153,911.

—The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church South has again passed upon the theory of evolution, and is emphatic in declaring its belief that Adam was made from the dust of the earth, as taught in Genesis, and that God breathed in the man the breath of life, that he became a living soul, and was not developed from the anthropoid ape or any other creature.

—The Scribner's for June contains an article by Prof. Henry Drummond in which he says: "Do not let it be supposed that this horror is over, that this day of tribulation is at an end. This horror and this day are now. It is not even abating. Slavery is on the increase. Time, civilization, Christianity, are not really touching it. No fact in relation to the slave trade is more appalling than this."

—An Ohio church presented a memorial to the Presbyterian General Assembly at its recent session, complaining that it cannot conscientiously contribute money to any organization the funds of which are employed in supporting congregations which use organs in aid of sacred songs. The Congregationalist remarks, "What a conscience these people have, and what a pity that it could not be put to more intelligent use."

—The three leading societies engaged in missionary work in China are the English Presbyterian Mission, the American Presbyterian Church Mission, and the China Inland Mission. The work of the English Presbyterians began forty years ago, and was entirely barren of tangible results during the first six years. There are now three presbyteries in China, embracing an aggregate membership of 3,528 adult communicants.

—A number of Catholic congresses were held at various points in Europe at the close of April and the beginning of May, and a notable unanimity of feeling was evident at Oporto, Madrid, Vienna, and Malines. Indeed, so definite and concerted was the action of these bodies that previous agreement must be suspected. All the congresses seem to have represented ultramontane sentiment of the most decided kind, and their action must be accepted, therefore, with some reserve. It certainly expresses the conviction of the ultramontane section, but it may not express the conviction of European Catholics as a whole. The point on which all these congresses agreed was the restoration of complete sovereignty to the Pope, which was declared to be necessary for the integrity and efficiency of his work as the spiritual head of the church.—Christian Union.