esents.

Missions in India are conscientiously endeavouring, with varying degrees
of wisdom and success, to lead forward their people in the line of
self-government. But both love of power and a conviction of the inability
of the infant Church to wisely control its affairs, combine to render this
transfer of power from the mission to the native Church a very slow
matter--more slow than seems wise to many besides the leaders of the native
Church themselves. It is a significant fact, in India today, that the
Methodist missions, by their compact organization, are able to, or at any
rate do, confer more ecclesiastical and administrative power upon the
native Church than any other mission; while Congregational missions--the
least organized--are the most backward in this matter. A study for the
causes of this would be instructive.

_Those Organisations Which Promote Self-Extension._

One of the first things that a mission should do, after gathering the
Christian community, is to organize, in the community, such activities as
are outreaching and self-extending. In the Madura Mission there has been
for many years a Home Missionary Society whose aim is to help support weak
churches and also maintain a force of evangelists to preach to
non-Christians. It is the society of the native Christians--supported and
largely directed by them. It has created, maintained and increased the
interest of the people in furthering the cause of Christ.

Many such societies exist in India today and they render valuable service
in keeping before the mind of the people the deepest characteristics of
our faith and the highest privilege of a Christian community--that of
outgoing love, and self-extending enthusiasm.

_Those Organisations Which Further Self-Support._

How extensively should the idea of self-support be at present urged upon
the native Christian community? This is a question which we will discuss
later on. There is no question however but that every mission should so
organize its benevolences that the infant Church may, at as early a date
as possible, cease to seek support from a foreign land; and that it
cultivate at the same time a spirit of self-denial and of self-reliance.
The poverty of the people is, and will long remain, a serious barrier to
this consummation. But the evil of poverty may be counterbalanced by a
careful system whereby the benevolent feelings, generous impulses and the
sense of obligation of the people are conser