3 NATIVE WORKERS MEETING IN SEOUL, KOREA, ON THE LEFT; AMERICAN WORKERS AT THE RIGHT
The Korean Mission in Annual Session
By C. L. Butterfield
Good Attendance of Both Native and Foreign Workers — A Year of Prosperity in the Work
By C. L. BUTTERFIELD
Superintendent of Our Work in Korea
THE fifth annual meeting of the Korean Mission was held at Seoul, May 19 to 26. A total of 189 Koreans were in attendance, some having walked more than 200 miles. Most of those present were from the north-western part of Korea, where our work first started; but there were others present from the extreme south, east, and west, also one man from Manchuria, where many Koreans have located. It was the most representative meeting we have ever had.
The meetings were held in our new chapel at the headquarters of our work, outside the great east gate. It was the first time that many of those present had ever seen the capital city, but they did not do any sightseeing until after the meeting had closed. The attendance was the same at all the six sessions each day. All wanted to receive all of the instruction there was for them.
We were glad to have with us during the meeting Elder and Mrs. R. C. Porter and C. N. Woodward, of Shanghai, China, and Elder F. H. DeVinney, of Tokyo, Japan. The Bible studies given by these workers were timely, and greatly appreciated by all, as was also their counsel in the business and committee meetings. At the close of the meeting, they went on to Soonan, where our training-school is located; and from there to Shanghai, by way of Mukden, Peking, and Hankow.
A PROSPEROUS YEAR
Reports rendered at the meeting showed that 139 persons had been baptized and taken into church fellowship during the past year, and the Sabbath-school attendance had increased more than 400, now numbering a little over 1,100. The native receipts in tithes and offerings for 1913 were 1,787.83 yen, or $893.91. When we consider that only a small part of those giving this amount earn as much as $100 a year, we can understand better what it means for them to raise even that amount. However, the receipts for the first quarter of 1914 were only $20 less than for the first two quarters of 1913, and we believe that the receipts this year will far exceed those of last year.
The business session on the last day of the meeting was a missionary meeting. All were thankful for the blessings received during the meeting, and for the knowledge of a soon-coming Saviour. Literature had been prepared; and 18,100 tracts, or about 220,800 pages of truth-filled literature, were bought, paid for, and carried home to be used in "preaching the gospel to every creature." The printed page has been a strong factor in the work here; and we know that much good will result from the distribution of these tracts.
Ministerial licenses were given to thirteen native workers, and missionary credentials to twenty-one who are engaged in other lines of the work. We praise God for what has been accomplished, and ask your prayers that the work of winning souls for Christ may go forward in this field this year as never before.
