Dr. Mateer was appointed by the presbytery to serve a second year as stated supply of the Tengchow church; and had it not been that he was called in 1870 to Shanghai to take charge of the mission press, he no doubt would have given his personal supervision to the erection of the new house of worship. It was built during his absence, and when he came back he rejoiced in its completion. At the death of Mills in 1895, Dr. Mateer was chosen pastor, and was installed as such,—a position he was able to assume because he had found in Mr. Hayes a substitute for himself in the presidency of the college. He remained pastor until he went with the college to Wei Hsien. Dr. Hayes had already for years worked quietly and efficiently in the school, under the presidency of Dr. Mateer, and had shown himself to be a man of exceptional ability and energy—a man after Dr. Mateer’s own heart. After he assumed the presidency Dr. Mateer was still to assist in the college, but he was so often absent or otherwise engaged that both the college and the preaching were largely in the hands of Dr. Hayes. According to the “Form of Government” of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, when a “call” is made out for a pastor it must be certified to have been voted by a majority of the people entitled to exercise this right; and it must fill the blank in the following clause: “And that you may be free from worldly cares and avocations, we hereby promise and oblige ourselves to pay to you the sum of ... in regular quarterly (or half-yearly, or yearly) payments during the time of your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church.” In the settling of native pastors over the Chinese churches scattered through the country, the filling of that blank, and the actual subscription of the funds needed for this and other expenses of the organization, usually require the presence of a missionary and of his earnest stimulation and guidance. Sometimes the pledges are very liberal, if estimated by ability of the members; and sometimes it is with great difficulty that they are brought up to the measure of their duty. The salaries, however, are almost incredibly small, and even according to Chinese standards are scarcely sufficient for a livelihood. We need to keep this state of things in mind in order to appreciate the amount that was inserted in the blank in Dr. Mateer’s call to the pastorate of the Tengchow church. In reporting the entire procedure to the Board of Missions, he said: “The church in Tengchow in calling me for their pastor promised a salary of cash amounting to fifty dollars, which is to be used to employ an evangelist whom I am to select and direct.” Of course, he continued to receive his own pay as a missionary from the funds of the Board. The fifty dollars was probably a creditable amount, as contributed by the native members out of their narrow means; and as a salary for a native evangelist it was at least a fair average.