VOL. LXXIII.

RAYER for the Church's Mission is

be a corporate act. St. Paul, in giving

Prayer for Missions a Corporate Act

instructions about Church management to the young bishop, St. Timothy, wrote: "I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." Too often in the worship of present-day congregations the note of world-wide intercession is missing. Indeed many so-called congregations are not congregations at all. They are nothing more than gatherings of individuals, each of whom has come to say his private prayers in public. True, we of "the Prayer Book Church," to use Bishop Tuttle's phrase, are safeguarded against a narrow outlook in public worship. Day after day the congregation is asked to join in that most comprehensive of mission prayers, "Thy Kingdom come," while each morning and evening the thoughts of worshippers are turned to the needs of "all sorts and conditions of men," and we pray "that Thou wouldest be pleased to make Thy ways known unto them, Thy saving health unto all nations." If narrowness of vision is to be deplored in public wor

No. 2

ship generally, it is doubly to be deplored and guarded against in the service in which we show forth the Lord's death until He come. There selfishness is supremely bad, for we give thanks for God's gift of Him Who made "a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world." How can any one claim the benefit of that gift for himself, if through opposition or indifference or neglect he withhold it from men anywhere and everywhere? The time is coming when at every celebration of the Holy Communion special and definite intercessions will be offered for the extension of the Kingdom of God.

training-school for native clergy, begun in September, has more than fulfilled the promise with which it started. Ten candidates for Orders are now in residence and being prepared for ordination under the direction of the clergy in Havana and neighborhood, who give themselves to this work in addition to the many other duties pressing upon them. If the bishop had the means to support them while studying, he might have two men for every one at present in the school. In view of all that has been done, the bishop is certainly justified in saying that through the school "we are idealists enough to see the future hope and salvation of the people."

There has been a corresponding increase in the number of confirmations. During the first year of Bishop Knight's episcopate they totalled 37; in the second year the number was 113; for the year just closed the figures are 294. It is plain that if this ratio of growth is to be maintained the Church in Cuba will have to respond favorably to some at least of the many requests for the opening of new work. The communicants now number 1,040, and their contributions during the past year totalled $19,000, certainly a high average as compared with the contributions of the Church in the United States. Bishop

Knight is urging the duty of self-help. He asks his people to show their appreciation of what has been done for them in the past by endeavoring to do more for themselves. He believes in a certain kind of worthy pride which should "make us work day and night to bring about the condition when we do not feel that we must look across the water for help to carry on any work of importance which we wish to undertake." When it is remembered that three years ago Bishop Knight found the Church in Cuba discouraged and almost disorganized, though with a keen desire for better things, the present condition may reasonably be considered as a promise for still more rapid growth in the near future.

SINCE

Making the

Facts about the Mission Known

INCE the General Convention a vigorous speaking campaign has been carried on in various parts of the country. Many of the domestic and foreign missionary bishops, before going home, spent a number of weeks, chiefly in the East, giving information about the progress of the work in their several districts, the need for further equipment and the opportunities for advance. Missionaries on furlough have been widely used by the Board of Missions. Beginning at Dallas, Tex., early in November, Archdeacon Stuck spent six weeks in the South. Then, after taking engagements for a fortnight in the neighborhood of New York and Philadelphia, he went west for appointments in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, returning to New York from a two days' conference in Rochester.

The Rev. George Wallace, of Japan, has taken a useful itinerary in Central New York, and is now on his way to spend two months in Departments 5 and 6.

The Rev. Thomas Jenkins, of Alaska, has been speaking almost daily since the first of November in the Ohio dioceses. During February and March he will be in Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota.

The Rev. F. C. Taylor, also of the Alaska mission, spent some weeks in Michigan. Arrangements are now being completed for itineraries in Western New York in February and in Pittsburgh in March.

Bishop Brent has met many appointments from Boston to Denver and attended the Des Moines conference as one of the Board's representatives.

Bishop Kinsolving has taken many important engagements in the East and spent ten days in Southern Ohio cities, in St. Louis and in Louisville. The first three weeks of January were spent in Texas, where he made a profound impression at the Houston conference, besides taking other appointments in New Orleans and Atlanta.

The Rev. R. W. Clark, D.D., in Department 6, and the Rev. R. W. Patton, in Departments 4 and 7, have been busy in presenting the cause in their districts, while the secretaries at the Church Missions House have covered as wide an area as possible, filling many appointments in the eastern cities and reaching out as far as the Houston and Des Moines conferences.

From nearly every point come reports of a wider outlook, more intelligent cooperation, and more evident determination on the part of bishops, clergy and laity to take a larger share in the great campaign.

THE

A Conference of English Students

HE English Church Times reports that the fourth international conference of the Student Volunteer Missionary Union, held in Liverpool early in January, had among its 1,500 delegates a considerable number of Church people representing the Church Missionary Society, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Universities' Mission to Central Africa. Upon the basis of interdenominationalism, says the Times, "members of widely different denominations met together, recognizing, not ignoring as matters of no importance, the points of difference between them. With all their differences, they can join together to further certain common ends. The bond of union is that each one believes in Jesus Christ as his Saviour, his Lord and his God." The conference heard addresses, among others, from the Bishop of Liverpool, Bishop Montgomery and Bishop Boutflower, of Dorking. The Churchmen in attendance, says the Times correspondent, "cannot fail to know that it was good to be present; they cannot but be impressed by the evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in the words of many who are not in communion with Church. To some a new duty presented itself, the duty of us Catholics, as we consider ourselves to be, to reconsider

our

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the number for 1907, to which the Sunday-schools and other friends gave the splendid circulation of 138,000 copies. If every reader of THE SPIRIT OF MISSIONS could have the pleasure of an advance look at the Japanese children on the cover as they march in their kindergarten with drum and flag, we should hardly be able to print enough copies to supply the demand. Or, if they could read the proofs of the story that Mercedes, the Porto Rico girl, tells; or of the article that tells how the "Children of the Western Prairies" live; or, if they could follow the daily sessions of the kindergarten at Kawagoe, Japan; or look with Bishop Hare's eyes at the Indian children of South Dakota; or read some of the letters from Kobuk and Koyukuk boys and girls to Archdeacon Stuck-they would be as enthusiastic as we are about this issue. The orders from the Sunday-schools are coming in. rapidly. Readers who are not connected with the schools will want to have a hand in circulating the number also. For twenty-five cents we will send three copies to any addresses. Send money and names to "Children's Number, THE SPIRIT OF MISSIONS, 281 Fourth Avenue, New York." It will be best to do this today and so avoid the possibility of disappointment. We know that once people see this number all the available copies will be rapidly disposed of.