of the Mission as follows:-Bangkok, 136; Petchaburi, 30; Nakawn, 32; Pitsanuloke, 44; Tap Tieng, 9." Another question which we proposed to the Mission along with the above, shows in its answer a statesmanlike grasp of this whole question of giving the gospel to Siam in this generation. The question was, "What would be the annual expenditure of money required to adequately support the mission work in your field?" The Mission unanimously replied:-"It takes $40,000 annually to support the work of the Siam Mission as it is today. A gradual six-fold increase in foreign workers, as proposed, would doubtless lead to more than a proportionate increase of native workers; but, allowing for increased native gifts, and from various economies resulting from a more adequate force, it is probable that $250,000 would be the maximum annual amount required to finance all the work for which the church may be held responsible. If, besides filling all vacancies, ten new workers should be sent every year for twenty years, there would be an increasing cost of maintenance at the rate of $10,000 a year. With a margin of $10,000 a year, this would reach its maximum of $250,000 at the end of twenty years. So that this plan is not impossible of accomplishment and should be undertaken." Evangelistic As a start toward the accomplishment of this worthy and workable undertaking, the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., has now in the Siam Mission, 41 missionaries, located in the five stations above named; it has twelve church organizations, with an aggregate membership of 800, with only one ordained native minister. But it has some very encouraging evangelistic institutions. One of these is an organized conference of native Christians whch meets once a year for three or four days of study, prayer, and progressive evangelistic planning. While we were in Siam this conference was in session, and it was our privilege to confer with a number of its leaders. Dr. Geo. B. McFarland, who is President of the Association, assured us that the meeting this year was the best ever held from the standpoint of number, spirituality, and consecration to service and sacrifice for the extension of the Kingdom. Boon Itt Memorial Institute Another very promising institution in the interest of evangelism is the Boon Itt Memorial Institute. This institution is organized on the lines of the Y. M. C. A., but is under the control and in the hands of the Mission and of the missionaries. Mr. Clarence A. Steel, of the Portland, Oregon, Y. M. C. A., has been chosen as superintendent, and it is expected that he will be able, as soon as he acquires the language, to push the work in a large way for the winning to Christ of many young men in Bangkok. The mistake of the telegraph operator in Portland, Oregon, we believe is prophetic. When he received from New York the following message for Mr. Steel: "The Board of Foreign Missions has appointed you to Boon Itt Institute in Bangkok, Siam," the operator made it read, "Mr. C. A. Steel. You are appointed by the Board of Foreign Missions to boom its institute in Bangkok, Siam." A Christian Training Rev. J. B. Dunlap has been appointed to organize a Christian Workers' Training School, which will prepare men for the ministry. As yet, Siam has but one ordained native minister, and four or five licentiates. But the time is ripe for securing an increasing number of young men from the churches and native Christian constituency who will prepare for the preaching of the gospel. Missionaries The Siam Mission is pathetically short in Evangelistic the number of missionaries free to do direct evangelistic work. The Rev. E. P. Dunlap, D. D., of Tap Tieng, the senior missionary of the Mission, is very able and desirous of doing this work. But he is so efficient and so needed along many other lines that little time and strength are left to this mighty man of God to give to direct evangelism. He is now and again called to Bangkok to confer with His Majesty's Counsellors on matters relative to our Mission, or to confer with our missionaries on important questions of mission policy. However, one year Dr. Dunlap spent all but thirteen days in evangelistic itineration. The Rev. R. W. Post, of Petchaburi, is an evangelistic missionary of commendable zeal and wisdom; but he, too, is charged with many station duties which often prevent him getting into the field, or staying long enough in a place to accomplish the best results when he goes. He is an indefatigable worker and is growing rapidly in efficiency. The Rev. Frank L. Snyder, of Bangkok, has been engaged until recently in evangelistic work, largely among the Chinese of that Capitol City. But Bangkok is a city of almost one million people; and, if all the missionaries now in Siam were stationed in Bangkok, there would be only one missionary for each 25,000 of the population. There are 142,636 Buddhist monks in the territory covered by the Siam Mission. There is one Buddhistic religious leader for each 45 of the population. If we are to take Siam for Christ in this generation, surely it is not asking too much of the Presbyterian Church which has this field alone to itself, that it furnish one religious leader for each 25,000 of the entire population, or 250 missionaries in the next twenty years. Rev. C. E. Eckels of Nakawn, is meeting with encouraging success in that important station on the peninsula of South Siam, where he shares with Dr. Dunlap of Tap Tieng the entire evangelistic supervision of those southern-most points of the Mission. The American The Rev. John Carrington, D. D., formerly one of the missionaries of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, is now the secretary of the American Bible Society in Siam. Dr. Carrington is doing a great work and cooperates heartily with the missionaries. He has sixteen colporteurs, who also are cooperative with the Mission as evangelistic agents. But all told, including educational, medical, publicational, lay workers, each and all as evangelistic agencies, direct or indirect, the church has only about one missionary for each 125, 000 of the unevangelized in Siam. Even if there were furnished one missionary for each 25,000, as is asked, they would still be far, far below the faith challenging estimate of scripture in which it is declared that "one shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight." Direct Direct evangelism began among the Laos people when, in 1865, the Rev. Daniel McGilvary and the Rev. Jonathan Wilson went from Petchaburi to Chiengmai, pioneering their way 600 miles through the almost trackless jungle,-trackless for them because 2. EVANGELISTIC FORCES AND FIELDS 1. Map Showing New Stations Needed in Laos Mission Dr. McGilvary's Grave, Chieng Mai 3. Dr. Wilson's Grave, Lakawn 4. 5. 6. Siamese Bible-Biggest in the World 7. Boys Preparing for Buddhist Priesthood 8. 9. Sumray Church, Bangkok Chapel at Pitsanuloke |