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FORM OF A BEQUEST.

"I GIVE AND BEQUEATH the sum of ---- dollars to the 'American
Missionary Association,' incorporated by act of the Legislature of the
State of New York." The will should be attested by three witnesses.

THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY

VOL. L. MARCH, 1896. No. 3.

WHAT NOW?

One-third of the fiscal year passed on Feb. 1st without any special
campaign of appeals in behalf of the debt and the suffering work of the
American Missionary Association. We have constantly reported to its
supporting churches and friends the exact financial condition of the
Association. We have reiterated the call voted at our Annual Meeting for
such enlargement of support as will bring the receipts of this
semi-centennial year up to $500,000. We have emphasized the urgency of
the present and prospective needs of the work.

We are sensible of the pressure made upon the churches to increase their
benefactions along the different lines of the Congregational mission
service. We rejoice over their increased offerings in this critical
period, although the support of their work through the American
Missionary Association has not been increased. Their contributions to
the Association in these past four months stand at about the disastrous
figure of the corresponding period last year. The other eight months of
that year suffered from a disheartening reduction which raised the total
debt to nearly a hundred thousand dollars. If the coming eight months
are to bring the same proportionate reduction which the corresponding
eight months of last year suffered, we frankly say now and here that a
new debt will be incurred in addition to the old one. We cannot avoid it
and we cannot remain silent about it.

What now? Must our debt grow? We cannot reduce our working forces on the
instant. We cannot at once call off our missionaries whom we have
engaged for the current year and to whom we have pledged their support.
They have both the moral and the legal right to their support for the
time stipulated. This is a necessity in the administration of the
missionary societies which are called to employ large numbers of
missionaries. They must keep faith with their workers.

What now? Reduction? Within the last three years we have reduced our
work by $