t.

The time has now come when our church work can be greatly enlarged.
Our schools have been doing their work, and scattering all through the
South those who have learned what pure religion and spiritual worship
mean, and they are ready and longing for something better than they
find within their reach. We can now push our work as fast as the
churches of the North will furnish the money. We most earnestly appeal
for the means to enable us to greatly develop, during the coming year,
this department of the work.

CHURCH WORK AMONG NEW SETTLERS IN THE SOUTH.

Wonderful and more wonderful tales are now reaching the world of the
unlimited resources of the South. They are a new discovery even to the
South itself. These stories of lumber and mineral wealth are turning
the tide thitherward. Towns and cities are beginning to spring up as
they have in the West, and both great need and rich opportunity call
for immediate missionary work. This new population is mostly, as yet,
from the North, though many from Wales, especially miners, and from
other countries of the old world are beginning to come in. In the
new towns they find no churches, in the old towns few whose ideas
and customs can satisfy their minds and hearts. Here is a great
opportunity. We can aid these people to establish churches which will
emphasize that interpretation of the Gospel which we believe to be
Christian.

In Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee we have already aided in
establishing such churches which have connected themselves--and gladly
so--with the regular State organizations of Congregational churches.
No direful results have followed. No fanaticism is in it. It is
simply doing the thing that is right and Christian. May such churches
continue to multiply in the "New South" and help to make it _new_
indeed.

STATISTICS OF CHURCH WORK IN THE SOUTH.

Number of Churches 136
Number of Missionaries 113
Number of Church Members 8,438
Added during the year 989
Added by profession of faith 734
Scholars in Sunday-school 14,735

_THE MOUNTAIN WORK._

Notwithstanding all the interest that has been manifested in our
mountain work, we feel sure that the churches do not realize the
magnitude of this field, the pressing needs of this people in the
heart of our country, the wonderful opportunities before us, and the
heart-stirring results alrea