Excerpt from Our Missionary Work From 1853 to 1889

In 1853, the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society of the United Brethren in Christ was organized by the General Conference Of the church. This volume contains the history of the work per formed, with results tabulated at the end of each quadrennial term, so far as this could be done, in a statistical form. Some of the statements made, though not regarded as essential to the history, are inserted because they are interesting, and may be useful.

Africa -has considerable space given it, for the reason that this is the most important mission of the society. It also did more to awaken missionary zeal in the Church than all others. This large continent, much of which is still in undisturbed heathenism, is now fully Open to missionaries, who should be sent by hundreds to redeem that dark land to Christ.

Mr. Stanley, in his march of nine hundred and ninety-nine days from Zanzibar across the continent to the mouth of the Congo River, says that in all the fifty million people in the country through which he passed, not one had heard the gospel. The explorations and death of Livingstone, and the heroic sufferings of Stanley, through which the civilized world has obtained a more perfect knowledge of the sad condition of the people of that dark continent, have awakened much zeal and activity in its behalf. The cruelties endured by thousands of the people of Africa, growing out of the slave-trade, the rum-trafiic, cannibalism, offering human sacrifices, and the many superstitions of the people, as, for instance, witchcraft, should cause Christians to speedily give them the gospel. The history of our mission in Africa, as given in this volume, shows how truly the gospel is the power of God unto salvation; also how wonderfully, not to say miraculously, the Master has led our church in its work there.

Our work in Germany, considering the small outlay of money, shows conclusively that God has been with us in the Fatherland. In the new states and territories of the United States, a good work has also been done by the society. In the department of home missions, great strength has been added to the Church, and many precious souls have been saved. As these are not under the control of the parent society.

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