missionary spirit. No minister can yield himself gladly to the missionary spirit unless he has deep-rooted religious convictions, and such convictions constitute the power that gives success in the ministry.

The reports from the field reveal that a few of our churches have lost ground during the year, as of necessity must be the case in every religious body. On the other hand, a large number of churches are mentioned as being decidedly improved in their condition. On the whole, it may be said that the past year, regarded as a part of the continued existence of a growing institution, has been a wholesome and satisfactory period. We have taken no strides forward; but we have moved forward, and have made this moderate advancement in such a way as to foretell the continuance of a similar growth. This is because our gains have been, as all our field secretaries' reports show, gains in religious power. Happily, we shall be able to reenforce these increments of religious power by an increased expenditure in missionary service.

I turn now to a number of special matters which are worthy of notice. The system of maintaining field agents has at last been restored to its original dimensions, while in addition several ministers have been employed for a lesser period than the year in missionary service within the limits of States or conferences.

The American members of the International Council have held several meetings during the year which have contributed largely to the formation of the plans for the important series of meetings to be held this month in London, at which we shall be represented by Rev. C. W. Wendté and Rev. S. M. Crothers, D.D.

The Western Missionary Council has held two important sessions, and proved itself to be a valuable helper to the

Board of Directors in making wise decisions upon applications for assistance from Western churches. The Secretary has attended both of these meetings, and in company with the President has attended also the meetings of the New England Council. This council is composed of the presidents and secretaries of the local conferences in New England. At its meetings the needs and opportunities of our work in this Eastern section have been discussed at length; and plans have from time to time been formed which have at least tended to increase the knowledge of our people in general concerning our work, and to make them more than ever ready for its development.

The week of meetings held at the Isles of Shoals in July, 1900, was conducted under the auspices of this council in a most successful manner.

Two special committees - the one charged to compile statistics as to the church covenants and methods of organization existing in our churches, and the other commissioned to prepare a handbook which shall enlighten new societies as to the ordinary methods of administering Unitarian churches — have held frequent sessions and accomplished a large amount of work, the results of which have been laid before you in two publications, the one entitled "Report of the Committee to Collect and Codify the Covenants and Statements of Faith in Use in Unitarian Churches," and the other, "Handbook for Unitarian Congregational Churches."

The Hackley School reports a prosperous year and an encouraging outlook. It has seemed best to your Directors to transfer to the trustees of the school the property intrusted to this Association for its benefit by Mrs. Hackley.

The completion of the fund for placing upon a secure foundation the work carried on at Lithia Springs, Ill., by

come within the scope of a report to the National Conference, were it not that the Secretary of this Association has given a considerable amount of time to raising the last portion of the fund, and to conferring with Mr. Douthit and his sons. At any rate, the fund has been raised to $8,000; and the two hundred acres of land, including the Lithia Springs grounds, have been deeded to this Association and are now its property. The estate has been leased to Mr. Douthit and his sons for a term of twenty-five years. A certain portion of the land is to be set aside for subleasing to persons who may desire to build cottages thereon. This action, it is expected, will still further strengthen the permanent work of the Lithia Springs Assembly by giving it an interested body of financial supporters.

We

During the year the mission in Japan has been wholly intrusted to the care of the Japanese themselves. receive satisfactory reports from them; and they have been authorized to proceed with the erection of another building, which shall be a commodious hall situated near the University of Tokyo, where a larger hearing can be secured by our native preachers and teachers.

As indicative of our increasing power of co-operation, reference may be made to the Committee of Conference that has been appointed between the Association and the National Alliance of Unitarian Women. The purpose of both organizations expressed through this committee is to maintain careful communications with each other, in order that all field work may be done in the closest sympathy and co-operation, the general plan being to have the Association stand ready to take charge of all movements which the Alliance has created from the small beginnings of Post-office Mission circles, and brought to the maturity of preaching

Another important step toward the avoidance of conflicting work and the wasting of missionary energies has been the appointment in every State of a special representative of the Association. Wherever possible, that representative is the previously elected secretary of the local conference. These secretaries are directly appointed by the President of the Association, however, in districts where the local conference is not well organized. In these and in other ways your administrative officers have been endeavoring to strengthen our organization for the sole purpose of thereby strengthening our power for serving the interests of this nation.

The Church Extension Society has, with the approval of the Association, taken as its special territory Suffolk County, and all of Norfolk and South Middlesex Counties lying within ten miles of the Boston City Hall. It is the purpose of that society to decline any contributions which appear to cause the churches making them to decrease their gifts to the broader work of the Association. Thus we are set free from all claims in the vicinity of our headquarters, and enabled, with undiminished resources, to direct our energies to the more distant enterprises. Your Secretary is ex officio a member of all committees of the Church Extension Society.

The duties of the Association and its various officers in regard to vacant pulpits and unemployed ministers continue to be in a somewhat uncertain condition. Rev. F. C. Southworth reports that during the year he has assisted in filling fourteen vacant pulpits; and in every case, excepting that of the field secretary for New England, the various field secretaries and State secretaries thus recognize it as a part of their duty to attend to the filling of pulpits. It would seem that they are the persons best fitted for this work,persons who know best the needs of the individual churches,

ters.

and have the widest acquaintance among the available minisThere is no satisfactory reason why the same duty should not be filled by the field secretary for New England; yet at the request of the Ministerial Union your Directors have found it best in this one field to intrust this duty, so far as possible, to a special committee of the Ministerial Union known as the Committee on the Supply of Pulpits. The business of this committee has been most acceptably conducted by its secretary, Rev. Alfred Manchester. Frequently, however, your President, Secretary, and Field Secretary are consulted by parishes or ministers who would feel aggrieved if they did not receive the personal attention of the officers to whom they have written. Except in the case of a very few isolated parishes and a few recent recruits to our ministry who need to receive especial cordiality, the President and Secretary have attended to this matter only when thus directly requested to do so by the church concerned.

Instead of the ten new societies established during the year, there might just as well have been fifty, had the contributions from the churches been more nearly commensurate with our opportunities. Without question there confronts us the opportunity to enter upon a notable period of church extension. Such is the report from all our officers and all our ministers who have the missionary spirit. If we fail thus to minister to our generation, there are those who will step forth and do the royal work. The affairs of God cannot be permanently checked by the unfaithfulness of a few souls. But if I read aright the temper of our people, we propose to have a hand in the doing of these best things of our time. We would not minimize the work of other churches, nor foolishly exalt our own manner of service.