CHAPTER LII
The General Association and the Home Mission Society
[p. 173]
One of the most perplexing matters in the history of the General Association has been its relation to the Home Mission Society. One is for the nation; the other is intended to look more closely after our own state, than is possible for a national society to do. At the outset the purpose of the state convention was to be an auxiliary of the Home Mission Society. It was the Illinois Agency of that society and all worked for home missions. But this continued for only one year. Then the national society decided to have no more state auxiliaries, but to do business directly with those whom they aided. Our General Association was about evenly divided over the question of continuing in business under the circumstances, one part advising to go ahead and the other part not wishing to appear as a rival to the Home Mission Society. By a small majority it was decided to go on but under the name of Domestic Missions. But the next year the majority was the other way, a resolution commending Domestic Missions failed to pass, and the work ceased. In 1850 the board reported that they had performed no labor "save the preparation of this report." The Association thereupon instructed the board to "appoint such agencies as in their judgment the cause of Domestic Missions may require." Also to tender their services to the Home Mission board as before, as their "advisory agency for Home Missions in Illinois." The Home Mission board declined the generous offer, and there for a time the matter rested. For six years altogether no specific state mission work was done. In 1854 a committee on Domestic Missions brought in two opposing reports, a resolution intended to meet the views of any, and again the matter was deferred. This difference of sentiment continued through that whole generation. In 1864 the board thus referred to it: "For the last fifteen years the subject has been more or less agitated, but never with beneficial results. It has interrupted the work of the General Association, served to make its very existence a matter of question, and to divide the state in matters of policy and practice. It is to be hoped that the utter failure of this last and all previous schemes for the joint occupation of this state in the work of Domestic Missions will never again be agitated."
[p. 174]
But the agitation continued. The fear of the home mission party was that by carrying on a systematized state mission work of our own we might imperil the aid we were receiving from the east. As stated in a committee report of 1854: "Your committee appreciate the strong desire of our bremren in this state to promote Domestic Missionary operations, but we hope this may not divert appropriations which are reasonably expected to flow from Illinois to sustain the Home Mission Society in its arduous work." At the meeting the following year it was resolved that,"The Board be instructed to cease any further efforts to consummate the arrangements entered into between the executive committee and the Board of the Home Mission society, and devote their whole energies to the prosecution of Domestic Mission work."
The constitution was thereupon amended, so that the General Association ceased any longer to profess to be an auxiliary of the Home Mission Society, but was an independent agency for State Missions; that term being then first used. Rev. Ichabod Clark was the first General Agent under the new constitution, and to his title was added that of Superintendent of Missions.
In pursuance of the new policy of 1855 the board sent J. C. Burroughs and H. G. Weston as a deputation to secure amicable relations with the Home Mission Society in New York, and a plan of joint partnership was agreed on. But it did not run smoothly, and most of the year agent Clark and agent Powell reported only to their respective "boards." A brief period of prosperity now followed, caused, some said, by the Crimean war, and Superintendent J. B. Olcott raised $8000 in one year, twice as much as the most optimistic expectations of the Board. Thus encouraged, when the Home Mission Society proposed that the General Association be merely an agency of oversight for Illinois, they "declined with thanks," and decided to "decline all further correspondence on the subject."
But again money was hard to get, and in 1863 there were further negotiations on foot. There had been a change of administration in that Society, and the new management was reported to be ready for a closer cooperation with the state boards. After considerable lapse of time the negotiations were successful. The Home Mission Society agreed to make no appointments in Illinois without the approval of the board of the General Association, and all missionaries were to make duplicate reports to the two boards. And so after twenty years of disagreement
[p. 175]
over the matter of coordinate authority the sky was clear! It may be said that the retiring Home Mission secretary was an effective administrator, but his dream of a row of state organizations subordinate to a national, he failed to realize. In some denominations it can be done, but among Baptists it is probably impossible. There are advantages, yet what is gained in central power is lost in individual development. Then we lose, for a man is worth more than a machine.
In 1869 things were wrong again. The General Association laid down an ultimatum requesting full mission superintendency in the state, and offering on that condition to pay the Home Mission Society 25 per cent of all funds collected. The offer was declined. The next year the board modified and renewed it, "believing the prevailing sentiment to be in favor of cooperation," and decided that "this Association will cooperate with the Home Mission Society on the plan proposed by them." Article five of the constitution was changed by omitting the former full powers of the board, and inserting, "in connection with the Home Mission Society." And all was well.
But in 1874 matters were changed again, and the two societies entered the field as equals. One reason for the dissolution of partnership probably lay in the fact that when it was made the Association owed the Society, according to their agreement, $2500. It was arranged in settlement that the Association should pay to the Society twenty percent of all receipts until the amount was paid. This was done. But if the two bodies were not satisfied together they were more unhappy apart. So in 1879 proposals for cooperation were again submitted to the Home Mission Society, and were accepted. The Association agreed to attend to the collection of Home Mission funds in the state and to pay to the Home Mission Society twenty per cent of all collected. The arrangement continued a year, and was rescinded by the same body that proposed it. But we were drawing near to the arrangement that seems to have been satisfactory and final.
In 1881 the General Association approved of the following recommendation of a special committee: "We recommend that this body signify to the Board of the Home Mission Society our desire that the plan of cooperation under which the two societies have been working since October, 1879, shall terminate December 1, 1881. That the Home Mission Society he requested to
[p. 176]
take charge of all mission work in our state in behalf of foreign populations, while the General Association shall devote its missionary efforts to the English speaking people of the state."The committee thus reporting was "appointed by the Board," and their report was "adopted after discussion and amendments." It proved to be a permanent solution of the difficulty. It makes a simple and clear distinction between the work of the two societies. ================ [Edward P. Brand, Illinois Baptists -- A History, 1930, pp. 173-176. - jrd]
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