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We turn now to the permanent Christian force in the district. We want to
know what is the force. We ask, therefore, that the total Christian
constituency may be accepted as the first expression of the native
force. The progress of the Gospel is most seriously affected by the
whole number of those who in any sense call themselves Christians. They
are the force in the place which influences the heathen for or against
it. It is of the utmost importance that they should be reckoned first,
and treated first, as the force which above all others works slowly,
quietly, imperceptibly, but mightily. The whole body of those who
profess and call themselves Christians should be put in the very first
place.

Then the communicants (or full members) are commonly the body to which
all turn for voluntary zealous effort. The communicants are the strength
of the Church. We compare them next with the work to be done. Then the
paid workers. Then the voluntary unpaid workers, recognised as such.

The difficulty of calculating the unpaid voluntary workers is indeed
very great. We know of no definition which would serve to give any
uniformity to returns made by different missions. We recognise that
different missions would make the returns on different bases. We
earnestly desire a common definition, which all might accept. But under
existing circumstances it seems impossible to find one. Nevertheless,
without some statement of the number of voluntary workers, we are, as we
shall see, in grave danger of misjudging the situation and wronging our
missionaries and the native Christians. For the time then we suggest