Delaware County, Indiana - Chapter 12: Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, 1881

And Field Of Labor

Irs ORIGIN AND EARLY OPERATIONS - ORGANIZATION AND FIRST OFFICERS - SoME OF THE First PromMorers oF THE CAUSE - ITS INFLUENCE AND FIELD OF LABOR.

who enjoy the privileges of the Gospel at home to use their utmost endeavors toward the dissemination of light and truth among those abroad, who, it is assumed, have not been so highly favored as themselves in the enjoyments of a hopeful religious faith. Acting upon this idea, societies have been formed, missionary boards established and money contributed to aid in extending abroad the area of religious education as the handmaid of Christianity. The work of Christianizing the benighted is proposed to be accomplished throngh the agency of missionaries or teachers, who are sent out on the mission of love, to teach, to preach and to disseminate the messages of the Gospel. Contributions, therefore, which are made for foreign missions, so called, are appropriated to this use. Usually, these societies, formed for the purpose of collecting and utilizing such contributions by directing them in channels that will insure their legitimate appropriation - are not confined to the membership of any particular branch of the church, but, any information designed to promote the objects named, assumed form and vitalized within the body of that church, no doubt, through the active instrumentality of Rev. George A. Beattie, then its Pastor, in March, 1874, at which time, says the reverend gentleman, ina discourse delivered on the 28th of February, 1878, giving a review of the field of labor cultivated by him during the period of his pastorate in Muneie. A "Woman's Foreign Missionary Society " was organized, the members of which " pledged themselves to raise $50 per annum, to support one scholar in the mission school at Ningpo, China, under the care of Miss M. L. Sellers, who went out as a missionary from this church in 1872. This year, the society has raised $108 for foreign missions. In November, 1874, a Missionary Board was organized among the children." The names of the first officers do not appear in our copy of that sermon, but we find a statement dated April 2, 1875, which shows the result of the annual election of officers held at that time as follows: President, Mrs. G. A. Beattie; Vice Presidents, Miss Hattie Fleming, Minnie Young and Lillie Brotherton; Corresponding Secretary, Miss Mary McCulloch; - Recording Secretary, Mrs. A. A. Truitt; Treasurer, Mrs. J. M. Kirby.

In February, 1878, the following persons were shown to have been elected to the offices named in the society: Mrs. George A. Beattie, President; Misses Jennie Neely and Minnie Young, Vice Presidents; Mrs. A. E. Smith, Corresponding Secretary; Mrs. M. A. McElwee, Recording Secretary, and Miss Lillie Brotherton, Treasurer. Since that date we have no account of the society's transactions, though it is known to maintain still an active existence, and continues to perform its allotted work.

From what has been thus shown of the progress of religious instruction, denominationally and otherwise, in the city of Muncie, it will appear that our citizens have arranged themselves on the side of right, and being armed with the panoply of truth, though promulgated from numerous pulpits, the cause of Christianity is not likely to suffer from neglect. Asa truth not likely to be controverted, the influence of these, exerted through the various avenues presented in the past, has left an impress upon the character of its citizéns that must continue in the future to sustain its reputation for ood order and decorum.