and which they desired the Convention to endorse and authorize for the whole body. By a close vote (64 to 57) it was decided to recommit the liturgy of the Eastern and the unfinished work of the Western Synod to new hands, and to require a new revised liturgy to be presented at the next triennial session. A convention of those opposed to the "High Church" liturgy was held at Meyerstown, Pennsylvania, in September, 1867, which was very emphatically condemned at a subsequent meeting of the Eastern Synod as irregular and schismatic. At the last general synod, in 1869, it appeared that twenty-four out of the thirty-one classes had voted in favor of dropping the word "German" from the name, and the change was declared carried. The body is therefore known as the "Reformed Church in the United States." Overtures looking to organic union from the Reformed (Dutch) Church in America were favorably entertained, but the time for definite action was not considered to have arrived. In regard to a liturgy, it was left optional with classes which to employ.

The statistics for 1870 give 31 classes, 526 ministers, 1179 congregations, 217,910 "members," 96,728 being "communicants." The benevolent contributions were $76.453.15. In 1868 there were connected with the church six colleges, two seminaries, and one mission house.

The Foreign Missionary work of this church is dono through the American Board of Foreign Missions. One of the most successful missionaries of that Board is Rev. B. Schneider, of the Reformed Church, whose services in connection with the great church of Aintab in the Armenian mission are well known to the Christian public. Congregations of from twelve to fifteen hundred assembled regularly in the church under his care, and the re