The financial success reported at our last Annual Meeting, while
full of encouragement, cast upon us a shade of anxiety. It was
not certain that the additional funds made necessary by the large
gifts we had received for new buildings, and the plans we had
adopted for enlargement at different points, would be forthcoming.
Efforts were made throughout that meeting to impress upon all those
present the urgent necessity we were under for at least 25 per
cent. of increase in receipts over the previous year for current
expenses. The same necessity was also set forth at the National
Council at St. Louis, in our publications and in the pulpits, and
at conferences and conventions wherever opportunity was afforded.
We felt that God had called us to do an enlarged work, and that if
we could convey the information to His people, and share with them
the burden we felt ourselves, the responses would be sufficiently
liberal to meet all demands. In this we were not disappointed. The
receipts reported for the fiscal year closing Sept. 30, 1880, were,
for current work, $187,480.02; this year, $243,795.23, a gain of
$56,315.21. This shows an advance of 30 per cent. mainly in the
ordinary subscriptions over last year, and indicates the people’s
hearty appreciation and indorsement of our work. For this we return
profound gratitude to Almighty God. The fiscal year was closed free
from debt, and with a balance in our treasury of $518.80. We are
sure that the liberality displayed augurs well for the future. We
believe the money received was expended wisely. We do not see how
we could have done justice to our work without it. But additional
outlay for current expenses is sure to be needful. The Stone Hall
just finished at Straight University will afford accommodations
for the teachers and sixty girls. The cost, however, for student
aid, for insurance and the care of the building, will require
additional receipts. What is true at New Orleans is equally true at
Talladega College, with its new dormitory for a hundred boarders,
and at Tougaloo, Miss., with the facilities of its new Hall. When
Livingstone Missionary Hall, at Nashville, is done, and Stone Hall,
at Atlanta University, completed, two hundred additional boarding
students will make new demands which must be met.
To all we have mentioned must be added the consideration that we
are laying foundations for a mission in Africa on the Upper Nile,
at a point further remote from the coast than any occupied by
other societies, either home or foreign, and that the outlay for
this, if carried forward, will be considerable in the near future.
We believe, therefore, that it is our duty to ask the friends of
this Association to give us during the coming year not less than
$300,000 for the support and enlargement of the varied work we have
in charge.
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