The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 62

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62

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Items of General Missionary Interest.

British Inpra.—In the Panjab the number
of Christians increased in the last decade from
37,000 to 163,000. In the Delhi district the Metho-
dist Episcopal Mission estimates that about 15,000
people are waiting for baptism, and in the Ballia
district of the United Provinces nearly 1,000
Chamars haye been baptized since November, 1912.
In the south of India mass movements are reported
in the Telugu and Tamil fields and in ‘Travancore.
The Schleswig-Holstein Mission reports 800 bap-
tisms of adults and almost 8,000 catechumens in
the Vizagapatam district of the Madras Presidency.
The Methodist Episcopal Missions have had nearly
4,000 baptisms in Hyderabad, and the Wesleyans
about 1,000. An awakening of interest is also
reported from the Maratha country, Coorg, and
the North Lushai Hills.

Cuixa.— The Roman Catholics claim a mem-
bership of 1,421,258 in China, and in addition

_ 448,220 catechumens. ‘The number of priests is
"2,224. The past few years have witnessed the
starting of a number of flourishing societies in
different provinces having as their object the zealous
propagation of the Romish faith.

Tue Durcu East Inpires.— The mass move-
ment toward Christianity among the animistic tribes
(tribes worshiping inanimate objects) in the Dutch
East Indies, estimated to number from five to ten
millions, is rapidly spreading, and the missions
find themselves face to face with great oppor-
tunities, though thy have to deplore a great lack
of workers and of funds. ‘Thus the German
Rhenish Society is able to report more than 14,000
baptisms among the Bataks in Sumatra, bringing
the total Christian community among this people
to over 130,000. The east coast of the Malay
Peninsula, Sumatra (except the Batak country).
large parts of Borneo, Celebes, and Dutch Guiana,
and the majority of the group of islands east of
Java are scarcely touched by missionary effort apart
from the colportage work of the British and Foreign

Bible Society.

Sram.— The Laos Mission of the American
Presbyterian Church in Siam is able to report a
year of unusual encouragement. Though the mis-
sion had to contend with an epidemic of malignant
malaria, more than 1,000 persons were added to
the Church, and the readiness to listen to the Gos-
pel is said to be greater than in any previous ex-
perience of the mission.

‘in 1912.

Japan. — About 80 per cent. of the total popu-
lation of Japan is living in the rural districts,
and of this rural population about 96 per cent. are
wholly unreached by the Gospel. Of the remain-
ing 20 per cent. of the population residing in cities
and towns, about a fifth is wholly neglected. ‘Thus
more than 80 per cent. of the population of Japan
have not yet heard the Gospel. i

CuristiAN Mission Work 1n Arrica. — ‘lhe
Christian Church has a whole army of workers in,
Africa. Of foreign missionaries there are 4,273 at
work in the Dark Continent. The number of na-
tive Christian workers is 20,336. And yet, despite
the strenuous work of the 25,000 messengers of
light, gross darkness still covers most of Africa.
Vast stretches of the interior are inhabited by a
great host of poor heathen, who have not yet heard
the sweet story of Jesus. God speed the day when
also we may be ready to send our messengers there!

Missionary ProGkess IN AFRICA.
missionary societies for the past year show con-
siderable additions’ to the Christian Church. In
many localities movements toward Christianity have
been manifest. Many of the missions are con-
fronted with demands for workers ‘altogether be-
yond their power to supply. Some missions report
accessions high up into the thousands. But though
the ingatherings are large and the general pros-
pects are very hopeful, the picture also has a darker
side. Reports tell of wide-spread apostasy in some
districts, immorality among the pupils of mission
schools, and prominent members convicted of
drunkenness and profligacy. In some portions of
Africa, Islam is making steady progress. In Lagos
a new Mohammedan mosque was recently opened
at a cost of more than $60,000. In the hinterland
of the British colony of Sierra Leone it has re-
cently come to light that cannibalism has been
carried on secretly as a religious rite for years.
The existence of cannibalism is also reported in
North Kamerun.

Liquor Trarric 1n Arrica.— The demoraliz-
ing and destructive liquor traffic, which is one of
the most baneful results of the relations of Europe
with Africa, continues to grow from year. to year.
The returns show that in British West Africa the
importation of spirits has swollen from 4,705,898
gallons in 1906 to 6,835,188 gallons in 1911. In
French West Africa there has been an increase
from 3,600,200 liters in 1908 to 7,303;215 liters .
The past year, however, has brought
some encouragement. In Congo the sale of all

Reports of