The Missionary Review of the World — May 1929
1929
WELCOME THE CRITIC!
WILLIAM T. ELLIS WHO ARE THE CRITICS?
CORNELIUS H. PATTON ARE MISSIONARIES EFFECTIVE PIONEERS?
THOMAS JESSE JONES IS MISSIONARY SACRIFICE JUSTIFIED?
HUGH THOMSON KERR DO MISSIONARIES CAUSE TROUBLE?
KENNETH SCOTT LATOURETTE IS THIS A CAPITALISTIC ENTERPRISE?
FRANCIS J. McCONNELL A MISSIONARY LOOKS AT THE CRITICS E. STANLEY JONES THE YOUTH AND FOREIGN MISSIONS TODAY STANLEY HIGH VolulTle LII NUlTlber 5
Reveal Christ to
Christ and His lVIessage are interpreted to Moslems through Christian literature published in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Panjabi, Chinese and other languages spoken by Moslems. By your prayers and gifts you can help to supply this muchneeded Christian literature for Ellypt Syria Jrak China Morocco Palestine Persia Java Algiers Turkey India Sumatra Tunis Arabia Malaysia South Africa Will you help the Christian missionaries in these countries by sending your gifts through The American Christian Literature Society for Moslems cooperating with the Nile ~lission Pres~ and Interdenominational Committees on the field?
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Please mention THE :MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD in writing to advertisers. EVERY CHRISTIAN WORKER Whether pastor, missionary leader, church school teacher or department superintendent, student or parent, SHOULD BE USING THE International Journal of Religious Education PRACTICAL Practical Method. in Teaching Trends in Religiou. Education What Other School. have Done Religiou. Education in Foreign Countries Sea.onal Dramatic Production Department Worship Programs STIMULATING SPECIAL COMBINATION OFFER The International Journal 0/ Religious Education, $2.00 and The Missionary Review 0/ the World, $2.50 BOTH FOR ONLY $3.50 Send in your order today to either: The Missionary Review The International Journal of the World of Religious Education 1S6 Fifth Avenue 1S13 Mailers Building New York City Chicago OBITUARY years a mIssIOnary in the Philippines; was chief chaplain of the American REV. FREDERICK B. MEYER, of London, forces in France during the War; was for many years a prominent pastor in a leader in the fight against the opium England and equally famous in America traffic; he promoted the World Conferas an author and Bible teacher, died in ence on Faith and Order and other move- London on March 27th at the age of ments for church unity. He was the eighty-three. He had held a number of author of a large number of books and important pastorates and, at the time of Duff Lecturer in Scotland in 1921. He his death, was pastor emeritus of Christ was highly honored and greatly beloved. Church, Westminster Bridge Road, London. He was active up to the last and PERSONAL had planned to visit America this spring. He was greatly beloved and his ministry BISHOP F. J. MCCONNELL, of New was exceptionally frui "ful. York, has been selected as President of the North American Home Missions Con- *** gress and MRS. ORRIN R. JUDD and DR. CHARLES L. WHITE, of New York, as BISHOP CHARLES H. BRENT, of the Vice-presidents. The sessions are to be- Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Western gin Monday, December 1, 1930, and close New York, died suddenly in Lausanne, December 5, 1930. Switzerland, {In March 27th, at the age of sixty-six. Bishop Brent was for some Please mention THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD in writing to advertisers.
LIVING ANSWERS TO CRITICS OF FOREIGN
SOllie Itruits of ~llH Hloll n ry York–Chrlstinn Blhle RNtders nnd 'Vitnesses to Christ nt Lolodorf, 1~est Africa
LII, No.5 May
WELCOME THE CRITIC!
BY WILLiAM T. ELLIS, LL.D., Swarthmore, Pa.
A!4thor of "-,'fen and .Missiotls" (md "Bible Ltl1lds 'l'OdflH"
N OBODY has ever read a crit- cruits at the bottom, there is often icism of the Republic of An- legitimate ground for adverse dorra; but criticisms of OpInIOn. I have not a spark of America, Great Britain, France, sympathy with the unwholesome Italy and Germany are as common tendency in the uninformed home- as newspapers. Doubtless Andorra land to make saccharine saints and would rather be criticized than ig- haloed martyrs out of every for- nored. All great institutions must eign missionary. I have occasion- undergo public appraisal. One sign ally met missionaries who have that the enterprise of Christian accepted as accurate this propa- missions is a world force is the ganda portraiture of themselves, continual stream of criticism to with most unfortunate results.
which it is subject. Such a one loses his sense of humor So mighty are missions that they and his sense of relative values, merit criticism. There is a dis- both of which are indispensable to ciplinary and educational quality a successful missionary.
in all criticism. "My enemy shows As a newspaper man, my crit- me what I should be; my friend icism of many critics of missions shows me what I may be." Every is that they do not know what they true friend of missions welcomes are talking about. They commit the searchlight of public opinion, the cardinal journalistic sin-ig- even when it blinds and burns. As norance of the facts. Their inac- a real factor in international life, curacy is often so glaring as to missions are properly subject to leave the reader who is reasonably review by both friends and foes. conversant with missions aghast.
Strength and wisdom come there- Reputable magazines have often by. Only the weakling desires cod- printed these articles which are dling. inexcusably uninformed. Attacks And missions have earned all of this sort should be resented by kinds of criticism, the unfavorable readers; and editors should be made as well as the favorable. All down aware of their fault in publishing the line, from boards and secre- unverified charges against a repu- taries at the top to the newest re- table and representative group of 325
men and women. Let missionary consecration, their sanity, their ef- supporters face all the facts, the ficiency are obvious to everyone ugly facts, as well as the beautiful; who really knows them. In all the but, equally, let them actively re- world-wide range of my acquaint- pudiate criticisms which are not ances there are no finer men and based upon evidence. women than some missionaries If the reader can stand the bru- whom I could name. This applies tal shock of the statement, let me to the younger missionaries, as well declare bluntly that I could cite in- as to the veterans. The post-war dividual cases to warrant practi- crop, as I have observed them in cally every criticism of missionaries action, have all the qualities that that ever I have heard-and I think make great missionaries.
I have heard them all. I gave a Hundreds of times opportunity year, in 1906-07, as a newspaper has been given to me–in print, correspondent, to visiting the ma- on the platform, aboard ships and jor mission fields of the world, to trains, in embassies, legations and study this very subj ect of mission- consulates, in clubs and social gath- ary criticism. I estimate that I erings, in newspaper offices and have shaken hands with at least elsewhere–to answer the common two thousand missionaries on their criticisms of missions. And these fields; and it has been my profes- may be answered by anyone with sional duty to scrutinize their per- a knowledge of the facts, with a sonalities and their work. So I tolerant temperament and an open am no ignorant fanatic upon the mind.
subject, even though I am a con- Surely it is the simple manhood vinced proponent of missions. duty of Christian men to repudiate Deserved criticisms should be unmerited attacks upon their own heeded. Some missionaries are representatives, who are too far misfits and should be called home. afield to speak for themselves. Of Missionary methods, and especial- late, there has been a recrudescence ly missionary buildings, are not of missionary criticism, which was always deserving of praise. Mis- for a time generally silenced by the sionary propaganda is often un- Laymen's Missionary Moy-ement.
real, unsymmetrical and not fully This new condition calls for new in accord with all of the ascertain- loyalty on the part of the churches able facts. Amusing, and some- and Christians at home.
times rather tragic, tales could be told of the effect of some mission- THE MISSIONARY ary literature that has been read o matchless honor all unsought, on the fields where it originated. High privilege surpassing thought, Missionary administration at the That Thou shouldst call me, Lord, home base likewise falls short of to be perfection, as almost every mis- Linked in work-fellowship with sionary will testify. Thee; Having said all of this, it re- To carry out Thy wondrous plan, mains to be added, as the heart To bear Thy messages to man; of my message, that as a class, the In trust with Christ's own word of missionaries rank equal with or grace above the average ministry and all To every soul of the human race.
other professions at home. Their -Selected.
ARE THE CRITICS?
BY CORNELIUS H. PATTON, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts lIome Secretary oj the Americuu Baf1rd of Commissi,oners for Foreign Missions_; Author of II ]f'oreign Missions Under Fire/' Etc.
W HEN you hear a sharp crit- To their credit be it noted that icism of the foreign mission- missionaries, and especially mis- ary enterprise the first thing sion board directors, are given to to do is to ask, "Who is this man; self-criticism beyond many other what is his background of informa- social groups. If they are disintion; what his motive; what as- clined to follow the method of Des- surance does he offer as to the cartes and build their philosophy soundness of his views?" on the determination to doubt everything, they yet strive to be There are critics and critics. Some open minded as to method and they should be welcomed; some should receive the contempt of silence; criticize results far beyond the insome should be given respectful at- clination of the public at home. tention; and (in case of a misapprehension of the facts, or in case One of the standing complaints they have influenced public opinion of missionaries is that the Ameri- can church public is too optimistic adversely) should be dealt with by in its judgments of missionary suc- way of rejoinder. cess, too unwilling to face the dis- All honest criticism should be, couragements of the field and the and usually is, welcomed by mis- immensity of the task. If mission- sionaries, by board officials and stu- aries have not achieved the thordents of the cause. We are to ough-going critical attitude of the remember that we are dealing with scientist, they at least spend a con- the most delicate social problem in siderable amount of time (some say the world. Prof. William G. Sum- far too much) in conference and ner, the famous sociologist of Yale, discussion over better ways and used to remind his pupils at fre- means of solving the problems that quent intervals that the most com- beset them on every side. Educaplex and difficult subject which we tional missionaries, while on furnow have to study is the constitu- lough, resort to advanced schools of tion of human society, the forces pedagogy in order to acquire the which operate within it and the best that American educational scilaws by which they act. He had ence can afford. Were our misno patience with the half-baked sionaries so inclined, they could opinions which drifted into his furnish the public with a body of classroom from the platform and constructive criticism far beyond press. If this is true of sociology anything we have seen in recent how much more is it true of mis- magazines and books. sions which, in addition to the considerations Professor Sumner had While the missionaries are so en- gaged, the boards are pursuing in mind, have to do with the subtil- processes of research, and recently, ties and immensities of religion and through the action of the Foreign all the contacts, philosophical, the- Missions Conference, following the ological and human between the suggestion of the Jerusalem Counhistoric faiths of mankind! cil, have gone on record as favor- 327
ing a development of the research ment pressure as a missionary "de- idea beyond anything attempted bacle."
hitherto. It is their conviction that, Most American press corre- next to the spiritual incentive, the spondents are entitled to less praise.
call just now is for the scientific In one case it is known that a high- approach to our fundamental prob- ly injurious report, to the effect lems. that "a prominent missionary lead- Let no one think that friendly, er" in Shanghai admitted the total painstaking criticism is other than failure of missions in China, was welcome in mission board circles. a pure fabrication. Yet this report The more of this sort of observa- was given wide currency in the tion the better. American press. There are not- able exceptions, of course, but Some Recent Attacks American correspondents general- Of late, however, there has been ly were over given to sensational an avalanche of criticism of quite stories and far too frequently a different sort. Not since the days sought information in the anti-mis- sionary circle of those afflicted by of the Boxer uprising in 1900 has "the Shanghai mind." the cause of .foreign missions been subjected to such fierce attack as N ext I would name the "smart during the past two years. It is writers"-the men and the women significant that again the occasion who earn their living by preparing is found in political conditions in "snappy" articles for the secular China which, in certain respects, magazines and the daily press. have affected adversely the Chris- These, in my opinion, should be tian enterprise in that land. dealt with for the most part with good-natured tolerance. One must Leaving to others the meeting be very "smart" indeed to make a of these attacks in detail, I am living in that way. The surest content here to classify and briefly road to a hearing is to attack somecharacterize certain of the objec- thing traditional and sacred. Fortions by way of putting unsuspect- eign missions have been the happy ing readers on their guard. hunting ground of these writers Some newspaper correspondents since the days of Dickens and Bor- have misinterpreted or falsified the rio-boola-Gha. Let them not how- happenings in China. The British ever quote the immortal Dickens correspondents, while occasionally as an example, since the "telescopic making an unfortunate slip, as in philanthropy" of Mrs. J ellyby de- the case of the utter misinterpre- served well the caricature it re- tation of an evangelistic poster is- ceived. Before Dickens was Her- sued in Shanghai, for the most part man Melville, the author of Moby- were fair minded and as accurate Dick, just now in process of being as the complex situation allowed. "revived," with his bitter attack It is noteworthy that the London on the missionaries in the Marque- Times and other British papers sas and Hawaiian Islands, charg- stood by the missionary enterprise ing them with misrepresentation in an intelligent way. It would and insincerity, and, in one of his not have occurred to a British edi- works, indulging in stories so sala- tor to characterize the evacuation cious in character that the Ameri- of mission stations under govern- can publisher insisted upon their
WHO ARE THE CRITICS?
elimination. The most recent bio- person will admit as a witness grapher of this prince of clever against missions a man who acwriters frankly and boastfully ad- cuses Stanley of murdering one of mits that Melville was living in his companions and Livingstone of open immorality during his stay in "keeping native wives." It is to the South Seas. It is well to re- the credit of the English publishmember that we have on hand a ers of the book that they refused considerable class of writers who to print so outrageous and unmust find something slashingly founded a statement. Again allowcritical to write about or starve, ing for noble exceptions, the and that publishers as a rule have generally hostile attitude of coman insatiable appetite for the liter- mercial circles in the foreign ports ature of attack. Why begrudge is to be accounted for on the ground them a chance to make a living? of "the eternal warfare between It is well also to remember the nar- those who go to a backward people rowness of the thought-life of to lift them up and those who go many educated people who habitu- to exploit them." ally display their prejudices against foreign missions. I hesitate to mention the attitude of foreign visitors and foreign stu- Next come the "globe-trotters" dents in America, as injustice may -an army of them in these days. easily be done through a brief or Every few weeks some devoted pas- generalized remark. One must tor or layman writes for letters sympathize deeply with our guests of recommendation to our mission- from mission lands, in the intensity aries in view of a contemplated of their patriotism and their chamtrip round the world. Thank God pionship of the best in the culture for tourists of this type! Their of the lands from which they come. testimony, when they return home, Their criticism of missionaries is is of great value. These are not sometimes acute, but they are even the typical "joy-riders" round the more out-spoken in regard to the world, but students of human in- defects they find in American sostitutions and affairs. For the oth- cial and political life. We admit ers, read Seldon's characterization the sad indictment, and while we in his "Are. Foreign Missions a plead that in all fairness a distinc- Failure"* and judge if their opin- tion should be made between Chrision is of any worth. tian America and America con- sidered as a political unit, cer- Some traders and commercial tainly between missionary-minded agents of late have had much to America and America as a whole, say in derogation of missions and we should keep in mind that our mISSIOnaries. This, it is well to self-criticism, which is constant recall, has always been the case and unsparing, is likely to be our and it always will be until busine~s salvation. We may urge that until becomes regardful of something be- a similar spirit of thorough-gosides selfish gain. There is no ing self-examination characterizes particular objection to the popu- these foreign representatives when larity of Trader Horn, so long as they return home, we can hardly people take the old gentleman for expect them to understand the mowhat he is-the Baron Munchausen tive which sustains the missionof our day. Surely no sane minded aries in their midst.
* }'leming II. Reyell Company, New York.
When Mr. Chang Po-Ling, the he fails to apprehend the universal distinguished founder and head of significance of His message and the Nankai University in Tientsin, life, why should we be surprised was taking post-graduate studies at if he rejects the missionary pro- Harvard, he was attacked by cer- gram of the church? The wonder tain of his fellow Chinese students would be if such a correspondent, on the ground that by taking a writer, tourist, trader or student stand as a Christian he was re- should take any other than a negavealing an utter lack of patriotic tive attitude in respect to a movefeeling. "How dare you," they de- ment which seeks to make Christ manded, "come over here to gain regnant in human affairs. help for our nation and then turn your back on our nation's most The conclusions I draw from this sacred principles and institutions ?" barrage of hostile comment are Chang Po-Ling silenced them by that we are living in an age which saying, "How dare you come over is not only critical but superficial, when people, even church people, to a country like America and to an are prone to take up with almost any opinion which appears to bear institution like Harvard, founded the stamp of neutrality, breadth by Christian people and for the and a desire to overthrow existing purposes of the Christian religion, ideals and Institutions; that there and not make the slightest ac- is need of pulpit discussion of the knowledgment of your indebted- uniqueness of the Christian mesness to Christianity for what you sage and person of Christ; and, have received?" finally, that a great opportunity is afforded the advocates of missions Of course these, and other atti- to set forth the facts as to the tudes, are to be explained prima- steadily advancing Kingdom of rily on the ground of a lack of belief Christ. At a time like this one in the Christian religion. If a man recalls the words of our Lord, "It does not accept Christ as the di- shall turn to you for a testimony." vinely given Saviour and Lord of the world, or if, accepting Christ, T HE missionary enterprise is not a matter of interchange of civilizations or of comparing spiritual cultures. It is a matter of making Christ known to all the world. The Christian Church has something to give to the rest of the world and foreign missions are the effort to give it. The effort is at least as legitimate as the introduction of science and of modern medicine and surgery. No one objects to that as evidence of an unwarranted "Western superiority complex." It is not Western science and medicine and surgery. It is the truth about these things, and that truth is universal, not Western. Why should it be right for selected individuals from India and China to come to America or Europe to find truth, and wrong for us to take it to the great multitudes of their countrymen? The Christian faith is a truth and a treasure greater than any other that we possess. It is our duty to share it and to appeal to all men everywhere to take it as their own. It is theirs by the same title that makes it ours and there are depths in it which will only be found as we explore them together apprehending with all saints, as alone we can, the full dimensions of the love of God, and all attaining, as the only way in which any of us can attain, the unity of the faith and the stature of the fullness of Christ.-Robert E. Speer, in "Are Foreign Missions Done For?"
MISSIONARIES EFFECTIVE PIONEERS?
BY DR. THOMAS JESSE JONES, New York Educational Director 01 the Phelps-Stokes Fund ARE missionaries pioneers of sent their missionaries to the f i civilization? south and organized schools and In these days of question churches for the general improve- and doubt as to all forms of human ment of those who had been reinstitutions and services, this ap- cently emancipated. Through the pears to be a legitimate inquiry. decades that have intervened, these The approach of the present writ- churches have expended large sums er has been that of independent of money and sent devoted men research in the field of economic, and women to serve the Negro social and educational service in people. For many years, the eduthe United States, Africa and the cational facilities suppJied by the Near East. His purpose was to mission schools offered almost the ascertain the extent and quality only opportunities for their educaof the influences exerted by govern- tion. While public school facilities ments, commerce and industry, have steadily increased, schools philanthropy and missions. The and colleges maintained by mission social conditions observed have in- boards are still a most vital part of cluded health, industry, agricul- the educational system. This has ture, neighborly relations, family been especially true of the high welfare and the moral and spir- schools and colleges and continues itual needs of the people. Facts as to the present time. It may be truly to the influences and the agencies said that Negro leadership, espehave included the testimony of all cially the teachers, the ministers parties concerned. The survey and the physicians, are largely the commissions whose findings sub- result of missionary effort. While stantiate the observations herein such schools as Hampton and Tuspresented were composed of the kegee Institutes are not directly representatives of specialists in the under church boards, they have revarious fields of research, as well ceived a considerable proportion of as representatives of Nationalists, their financial help from religious government, business and mis- people. With full appreciation of sions. the increasing public school facili- As the ideals and many of the ties of all grades it may be confi- methods of home and foreign mis- dently asserted that mISSIOn sions have much in common, it schools and colleges are still necesseems desirable to present evidence sary to the effective education of of activities and results achieved the Negro people. in both spheres. This similarity It is, of course, true that the is especially true of the home mis- educational and religious methods sion work for American Negroes had the limitations of the time in the southern states and many when they were originated. North- of the foreign mission activities. ern people, with little or no under- Beginning immediately after the standing of Negro life in the south, Civil War, the Northern churches transferred their methods with but 331
little adaptation to the special more effectively, to re-organize needs of the people whom they their home life, and to provide rec- served. Subjects were introduced reation for the rebuilding of their into the school curricula because bodies and their souls. Above all, they had been used in new Eng- they have freed the people from land. To the eternal credit of these superstitious fears and have im- missionaries, however, it must be parted to them a new confidence recognized that they gave the best in life. In place of the gods and that they knew. Their sincere pur- the spirits whom they feared, the pose was to develop the Negroes missionaries have helped them to into a full Christian manhood and know the God of love.
womanhood. The errors of their To be sure, the type of men and methods were no greater than women in the mission field includes those of government and of other a great variety of personalities agencies engaged in the same task. Some have been highly emotional Best of ali, the results which they and narrowly religious. Others achieved in intellectual develop- have been very limited in knowl- ment and sound character more edge and rather restricted in use- than justified their methods. As fulness. Like the home mission- a former Georgia Superintendent aries, there has been at times too of Education once said, "History great a tendency to impose their will increasingly recognize the own ideas of life and religion to debt which America, and especially the disregard of the native condi- the southern states, owes to the de- tions and customs. Educational voted missionaries whose sacrifices methods have often been formal and services helped the Negro to and unrelated to the daily needs.
a better way of life." With full recognition of these The services of foreign missions errors, missionaries as a group have, in many respects, been more have endeavored to serve the peo- picturesque and dramatic than ple in all sincerity. Their successes those of home missions. They have have far outnumbered their fail- involved a different type of sacri- ures. In comparison with the rep- fice and the possibilities of error resentatives of business and gov- have been greater. The basic im- ernment, the mistakes of mission- pulse has been the desire to preach aries have been no more numerous.
the Christian Gospel. They have As a rule, their devotion to the peo- literally gone to the ends of the ple has surpassed that of all other earth to carry the message of faith groups. They have been the first and hope. Careful study of their to know the native languages and work in Africa and in the Near customs, to urge the elevation of East has revealed a surprising va- the position of women, to combat riety of substantial services to the the ravages of diseases and to con- peoples and the countries in which demn tribal cruelties, commercial they' work. To most of them, the exploitation or government oppres- preaching of the Gospel has meant sion. For all these services, civili- much more than the verbal pre- zation and Christianity should ev- sentation of the Christian doctrine. er be grateful to missions and mis- Through neighborly relations, they sionaries.
have helped the people to learn the In view of the increasing inter- laws of health, to cultivate the soil est in international relationships,
ARE MISSIONARIES EFFECTIVE PIONEERS?
the services of foreign missionaries in the past is bound to be that they should receive larger and more in- are the pioneers of civilization telligent appreciation. The true wherever they have worked. The pioneers of foreign service have readers of the REVIEW are proba- been the missionaries of the Chris- bly sufficiently familiar with mis- tian Church. In most instances, sionary activities without adding they have preceded even the com- other illustrations observed by the mercial and imperialistic agencies. writer and by the educational com- Certainly, they were the first to go miSSIOns which he represents.
abroad with a genuine humanitari- Those who desire authoritative ex- an purpose. To those who realize amples of sUbstantial services are their motives, as well as the quali- referred to the reports of the two ties of their service, it is indeed Phelp-Stokes Commissions, EDU- surprising that criticism and doubt CATION IN AFRICA and EDUCATION should now become current. IN EAST AFRICA. These volumes Careful' consideration of these present first-hand evidence of the criticisms often shows their origin achievements of missionaries in to be misunderstanding or ignor- practically every colony of Africa.
ance on the part of superficial ob- Hitherto, missionaries to Africa servers. In 'some instances, they have been the main support of edu- are due to the sensitiveness of na- cation along all lines. They have tionalists who resent any form of made a notable contribution to the what they call Western intrusion. improvement of health. They are It is, of course, also true that mis- the leaders in movements for the sionaries, like all Western visitors, better use of the natural resources.
have made mistakes in their ap- They have been the first to reduce proaches to countries and peoples the native languages to writing of other lands. On the long view, and to supply the people with read- it seems certain that these misun- ing material necessary to their derstandings are of a temporary education along all lines. They have character. They represent a pass- been, and are still, the most reli- ing stage in international relations able witnesses as to injustices and mission service. The world wherever oppression prevails.
seems to be going through a period They have been most effective in of chaotic changes and reorganiza- the elimination of degrading sen- tions. During these transitional sual habit's and amusements and periods, every organization, and in the substitution therefor of rec- even every individual, seems in- reations that up-build body, mind evitably to be involved in some and spirit. Above all, they have form of quarrel and criticism. helped to free the primitive mind With the return of peaceful rela- from fetishtic fears and to implant tions and of more deliberate atti- faith in the God of love.
tudes, the motives and services of The experience of our commismissionaries will surely win the sions with missionary societies has confidence and gratitude of those given the definite impression of who are concerned in human wel- their willingness to recognize erfare. rors and to accept suggestions for the improvement of their work. Their Educational Work The emphatic conclusion of any During the last ten years of rather genuine study of missionary effort intimate association with mission-
ary committees, we have been world. With the late Dr. J. E. K.
gratified by the eagerness of board Aggrey, a native African, who secretaries, and especially the mis- knew full well the debt of Africa sionaries themselves, to give genu- to Christianity, the supporters of ine consideration to recommenda- Christian missionaries should rec- tions for changes in methods. ognize their debt of gratitude to During these days of interna- the faith which has been the in- tional chaos and nationalist upris- spiration of genuine service to hu- ings, the missionaries have been manity. Willingness to withdraw almost pathetically eager to under- the terms "mission" and "Chris- stand the new conditions under tian" seems clearly to be a form of which they must work. To be sure, surrender, and possibly even of there are exceptions to this atti- disloyalty and ingratitude, to the tude. A few may be charged with ideals and the faith that has sent blindness and even obstinacy in forth into the world the Christian the face of real demands for pioneers of civilization. Adapta- change. Some have seemed too tion to the special needs of natives willing to cast aside the traditions and nationalists and full sympathy of the past and even the funda- for their attainments do not re- mental principles of their methods quire a denial of well-established and ideals. This is strikingly il- convictions nor a disregard of gen- lustrated in the acceptance of an uine accomplishments. There is un- almost hostile attitude of many to- doubtedly a happy medium between ward the term "missions" and a sense of Western superiority and "missionary," as well as in a ques- complete resignation to manners tioning attitude of some even to- and customs of nationalists or na- ward "Christian." While such tive peoples. The impulse to al- attitudes may be praise-worthy as truistic interest in others is as indications of an open mind, it is sound as the demand for self-de- urged that the missionary achieve- termination. True service repre- ments of the past do not warrant sents the blending of both atti- the acceptance of an inferiority tudes. More and more, we are complex as to these vital designa- learning that it is better to work tions in the Christian system. The with the people than merely to elimination of such a term as work for them. Certainly none "Christian" seems unthinkable to have surpassed the missionaries in those who have any knowledge of the rapidity with which they have Chrjst~an service throughout the been accepting this ideal of service.
C OMPARE the cost of missionary educational work with the cost of schools in one New Jersey town. The number of children in school in this town was 3,314 and the annual cost, $395,1417, or $119 per pupil for the year. In Presbyterian mission schools there were 110,653 pupils at a cost of $546,972, plus the salaries of foreign missionaries engaged in educational work which might be estimated at $500,000. This makes an average cost per pupil of $9. In the American town the schools run only through high school, while the foreign mission schools include colleges, universities and graduate schools.
The Mission Board might have spent its whole outlay of $4,903,847 last year on its schools alone and the expense per pupil would have been only $44 or about one-third of the cost per pupil in the typical town used for illustration. -Robert E. Speer, in "Are Foreign Missions Done For?"
MISSIONARY SACRIFICE JUSTIFIED?
BY REV. HUGH THOMSON KERR, D.D., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Author, Lecturer ana PaBtor of ShadYBide PreBbyterian Ohurah T HE English painter Haydon Today the tables are turned and once entertained a company lo! these same critics rise up and of distinguished artists and complain that the missionary is so men of letters, among whom were ubiquitous, so surpassingly influthe poets Wordsworth and Keats. ential in the lands beyond the seas, During the dinner, in a spirit of that an end should be made to the good humor, Keats proposed a whole business. To such a facetoast to the memory of Newton, about attitude one is tempted to the scientist. Wordsworth refused reply, as did Isaac to his interestto participate because Newton, by ing but deceptive off-spring, "How his scientific analysis, had taken didst thou get there so quickly, my the poetry out of the rainbow. son?"
Wordsworth loved the rainbow and If we analyze the criticism levwe remember it was he who said elled at missionaries and the mis- "My heart leaps up when I behold sionary enterprise we will discover a rainbow in the sky." He was that most of it comes from an at- alarmed lest the rainbow, by be- titude of mind which today loves ing broken up into prismatic col- to look out upon all religion, and ors, would lose its romance. But especially upon Protestant Chris- Wordsworth was mistaken. The tianity, through smoked glasses. rainbow can never lose its romance. The reflection set forth concerning The more it is analyzed the better America in such a book as Seigit will be admired by both the man fried's "America Comes of Age," of science and the poet. a book widely circulated and en- There is an impression abroad thusiastically received, is sympto- in the land that when foreign mis- matic of the way in which Amerisions are subjected to scientific cans today are willing to stand analysis at close scrutiny the ro- back and look at the inheritance mance fades out of the enterprise they have received from their fa- and we are left exploiting a dying thers and make merry over it. Viscause. We are needlessly alarmed. count Grey tells us that the night It may be that it is well for the before war was declared between cause if the romance that hangs Britain and Germany he stood over it lifts and we face the facts looking out from the windows of in the light of the everyday drudg- the foreign office and saw the lampery, the encircling difficulties, the lighter going about the city streets.
downward drag that belongs to Turning to the friend at his side every great and good cause that he said, "The lights are going out has come through generations all over Europe tonight and they fighting for its life, and still carry- will not be lighted in our generaing on in triumph. tion." If one thoughtfully reads much that is written in newspa- There was a time when folks op- pers, magazines and books and set posed foreign missions and pre- forth by commercialized lecturers, sumed to ignore their influence.
335
he gets the impression that the The other day a great Christian lights are going out everywhere, apologist spoke before a student not only in the foreign mission assembly in one of our state unifield, but in the church at home. versities. He presented the Chris- tian way of life without denomi- Christianity Under Attack national or theological bias. Next day the college paper, in comment- This critical, and at times cyni- ing on the service said: "The cal attitude, grows out of the fact speaker himself was accepted favthat the Christian religion itself orably; but the type of talk preis everywhere under attack. This sented was ill-suited at such an is the day when psychology and assembly." The Chairman of the physics have the field. Even phi- Chapel Committee said "More conlosophy is obscured and there are sideration of the varied represenphysicists who say philosophy is tation of sects and creeds should done for. The result is a weaken- have been given by the speaker." ing of the spiritual interpretations that must belong to life that has This is a prevalent attitude of any background of eternal reality. mind today towards the non-Chris- The uniqueness and supremacy of tian faiths. It is an attitude of the Christian faith is thereby ques- sympathy and good will, but based tioned, or loosely held. There can upon an inadequate gathering of be no Christian enterprise either the facts. There is good, much in America or in Africa unless good in the non-Christian faiths Christianity is held to be supreme that have been followed by miland to be supernatural. In speak- lions in past centuries and perhaps ing in criticism of foreign missions the missionary has not used this lately a cultured young lady said, cultural and sympathetic approach "You know, I never have believed in the wisest way. Perhaps some in foreign missions. I was a Uni- have lacked the intellectual traintarian." She was quite unconscious ing to do so. That day, however, of the far-reaching significance of is gone. The best appreciation of her comment. In the last analysis the non-Christian religions is comthe thing that really counts for ing to us today out of either misthe Christian Church in the foreign sionary experience or the missionmissionary program is the mandate ary passion. Nevertheless the of the Master that issues in the unequivocal and unanimous testicommand "GO." mony of all nationals represented at the Jerusalem Missionary Con- Other Religions Good Enough r ference was to the effect that Chris- tianity has no rival and that they The weakening of Christian con- had failed to find in the religions viction is paralleled by a growing of the Orient what they had found appreciation of the non-Christian in Christ. A syncretistic religion religions. A group of students who is no religion. A non-redemptive were asked the question "Is one religion is no true religion. A rereligion as good as another?" replied "Yes, for the man whose re- ligion that is a mosaic constructed ligion it is." If one were to ask by an eclectic process is no reli- "Is one system of medicine as good gion. Those who know the nonas another?" a different response Christian religions best are those would be given. Why? who are most missionary-minded;
IS·MISSIONARY SACRIFICE JUSTIFIED?
and the critics of Christianity, row patriotism to other nations.
from the point of view of world If America is for the Americans, religions, cancel one another. then why not China for the Chi- No Religion to Export nese and Africa for the African? Thus we would build a wall around Criticism arises from another nations, compelling them to live source. Weare told America has for themselves and for themselves no religion to export. "We need alone. This is impossible. What all we have. America is not a have we that is born entirely out Christian country herself. It is of our own national life? Is our hypocrisy on her part, in the light literature, our music. our art, our of her race prejudice, her internal law of our own making ? We are lawlessness, her banditry, her po- debtors, and joyful debtors, to the litical corruption, to commend her Italian, the German, the. Russian, religion to other people." Such the French, the English. Our mu- criticism has in it a sting. We, sic halls are filled with the melody however, are not commending of foreign music, and our art gal- American civilization or our or- leries speak of the contribution ganized Christianity; we are com- which other nlltions have made to mending Christ and the Gospel of the beautiful. We can erect no His love. The criticism itself, how- tariff walls against truth and good- ever, is masked hypocrisy. We ness and beauty. The tides of could as truly say "We need all truth and error beat on every the culture and education we pos- shore. Ideas do not ask permission sess; we need all the hygiene, the to enter from any customs officer medical science we possess; we on earth. There is no wall high need all the wealth we have for enough or strong enough to keep there is poverty and need at our out the truth, whether that truth doors." belongs in the realm of science or In the realm of the soul, giving art or, religion.
does not impoverish but withhold- And people do not want walls ing drags men and nations down to keep out truth. They are reach- to death. Behind this attitude lies ing out eagerly after more truth.
a subtle nationalism that has de- Those who say that China and In- veloped in America since the war dia and Mrica do not want the and which, in political life, shows truth are not speaking the truth itself in an Americanism that has themselves. Christianity is truth, an imperial flavor but is neverthe- and what the Church means to do less provincial. The Christian and will not be disuaded from do- Church, in leading out into paths ing is to lay that truth down be- of world service, voices a protest side the truth of every department against a narrow and selfish patri- of life, of every age and of every otism and lifts the eyes of all our land, and let men choose to take people to the gates of opportunity or choose to leave. When it is said that are everywhere open. that China has driven out tl).e mis- Non-Interference Palicy sionaries, and therefore does not wish what they have to contribute, This same narrow nationalism there is a misunderstanding of the finds justification in ascribing the situation and a misrepresentation same rights and privileges and nar- of the facts. I can only speak of 2
what I know. In all contacts with the missionary endeavors of the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese past centuries can show results during months of intense study of criticism will be silenced. Has the the missionary work at first-hand, foreign missionary enterprise been after repeated personal interviews, successful? Have foreign missions one impression remains that there failed in China? Because tourists, is a sense of gratitude on the part circling the globe, stop at port of the peoples of the Orient for cities and see no cathedral spires, the work done through the mission- and listen without adequate underary enterprise. standing of the situation to the cynicism of those who go out to Of course mistakes have been exploit the "heathen," they return made. Methods have often been saying "Missions have failed." Beill-judged. Rivalries have existed, cause long years go by without theologies have been in conflict; showing quick returns men turn natives have been kept too long and look at their neighbors and under tutelage; missionaries have say "Is it worth while?" Business too often been masters and not men take their pencil and figure servants; but after all the record overhead, and shake their heads. is added up we "see welcoming When men and women in the enhands and -loving hearts waiting thusiasm of their first love go for those who come offering the forth to the malarial districts of Gospel of grace and truth. Any- Africa, and before their first furone who thinks that the Orient lough comes round their lives are does not need the healing of the Gospel, let him read Hu Shih's ar- ended-what shall we say? No ticle "Civilization of the East and one raises his voice because Cap- West" in Whither Mankind. In tain Scott went off into the Antthat essay the oft-repeated state- arctic in the interests of scientific ment that the East is spiritual and exploration and laid down his life the West materialistic is analyzed in loneliness and silence in that and overthrown. Hu Shih does far-off, uninhabited region. There not commend Christianity but is no voice of criticism, but only clears the way for it. Speaking a glad acclaim, for the courage and of the Chinese religions he says: heroism of Commander Byrd who "Do we earnestly think it moral sets out to sketch the outline of or spiritual to inculcate in that ice barriers and inland seas and beggar-woman a false belief which mountain ranges that have no reshall so hypnotize her to make her lation to human happiness or sowillingly live and die in such dire conditions where she ought not to cial welfare; but when men and have been had she been born in a women go forth to lay down their different civilization? No! a thou- lives in a foreign land in order sand times no! All those hypnotic that there may come an increase religions belong to an age when of peace and joy and human hapman had reached senility and felt piness and eternal hope to their himself impotent in coping with fellow men, the voice of criticism the forces of nature." is heard proclaiming the offering up of unnecessary sacrifice. Have Missions Failed! Whose lives have been laid America is a nation of pragma- down? Whose money has been extists. We test truth by results. If
IS MISSIONARY SACRIFICE JUSTIFIED?
pended? Who have made the sac- gard and give it every possible fa- rifice? Does criticism come from cility for its propagation." Who the Church that has provided the said that? Admiral Saito, the Jap- life and the money to fulfill the anese governor-general of Korea.
last great commission of our Lord? "The foreign mission era in Ja- Have the heroes and heroines who pan is not yet drawing to a close have laid the foundations of a bet- and any misconception in that re- ter world complained? Did Horace gard should be dissipated and the Pitkin, who gave his life in mar-· sympathy, the prayers, and the ac- tyrdom to China, after two years tive participation of American of service, complain? Do the men Christians encouraged to the full- and women who share the sacrifice est extent possible." Who said by their contributions and consist- that? A conference of Japanese, ent support complain? Who are held at Karuizawa in 1928.
the critics who write and speak The Presbyterian Board of For- against the missionary enterprise? eign Missions spends every year What sacrifices have they made? now in foreign missionary work What investments have they in the a little over six million dollars; proposition? Does heroism belong two-thirds coming from the home only to the adventurer and the sol- church and one-third given by the dier and the aviator and not to the people in foreign lands and of this social worker, the minister, the money two-thirds is spent in the missionary who gives his life with- support of American missionaries out complaint and without any and one-third on the support of thought of heroism or reward, that native work. For every dollar we may have a Christ-like world? spent on a school or college or hos- David Livingstone, who laid down pital anywhere in the foreign mis- his life in Africa, said "I never sionary field the native people made a sacrifice." James Chal- themselves give two dollars. How mers, whom Robert Louis Steven- absurd, then, to say that it takes son called "The greatest man in a dollar to send a dollar.
the Pacific," said "Let us stop talk- It has been pointed out that for ing about the twaddle of sacrifice." all the hospital work and dispen- Failure is written over all that saries carried on by the Presby- man touches, and yet among all terian Church in foreign lands, and the enterprises which have been there are eighty-nine hospitals and handled by human hands and in- one hundred twenty-two dispen- spired by human hearts there is saries, the church at home provides none that has had such magnificent less than sixty thousand dollars.
success, such abiding and continu- If you compare that outlay in mon- ous reward as the work of the for- ey with the returns in service, with eign missionary enterprise. the cost of supporting the hospital A Few Concrete Facts in your own village, or your own city, you will be amazed. The same Suppose we dogmatically and is true in the realm of education without verification put down a and of church support.
few missionary facts. "There is One of the greatest of our Chris- scarcely a place in which the in- tian philosophers said "Every fluence of Christianity is not felt. truth that enters the world enters We hold Christianity in high re- through an individual, a conscious,
reasonable, moral man." If this nation rose up in response to the is so, the truth must be mediated call that came out of Flanders through personality and the mis- Field. They could not bear the sionary is the personality who thought of breaking faith with mediates the truth of Christianity those who died in Freedom;s cause. to the people of non-Christian lands. The lives of these mission- The call that comes out of the misaries of far-off days and of yester- sion fields, where sleeps the sacred day and today belong in the hall dust of men and women and little of fame and their heroism belongs children who, for Christ's sake, to the finest assets of history. The forgot home and friends and na- British government has completed tive land, cannot be drowned out a circle of soldier-patriot graves by the voice of noisy critics who around the world. So has the have never made a sacrifice and Christian Church. Men of every who are satisfied to live for them- selves.
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR LIFE .i S A MAN grows old and the end of the road begins to come into view he I'1 asks 'himself some serious questions: "Have I invested life in the best way? Have I given it to the highest and the richest causes? Have I laid out whatever God gave me in the way which would best please Jesus Christ. Men and women who have given their lives to the foreign missionary enterprise, do not question as to whether they did right in thus devoting their lives. They have no desire to do otherwise than they have done. Dr. John L. Nevius was one of the most cautious and prudent of all the missionaries of the Church. I heard him say that he never had come home from China on a furlough without meeting ministers at home who regretted that they had not gone as missionaries, but that he never, in his long life, had met a foreign missionary who regretted having gone.
Some years ago I visited a little village in southwestern Scotland, the name of which is unknown to the world save for one thing. There in the midst of the village at the end of the village green was the monument to Robert Moffatt who had gone out from that village to Africa. He lifted the little unknown Scotch town into the deathless records of service rendered for mankind. Who would know Blantyre, the hamlet of weavers' homes, not far from Glasgow, were it not for the fact that out of one humble weaver's house in that village went David Livingstone to rend the night of Africa asunder and let in the light? Who, of the thousands of visitors to the city of Calcutta, ever asks to be shown the house in which Thackeray was born, or the house in which Macaulay lived, or the palace where Warren Hastings reigned? But many a discerning foreigner asks to be taken out to the little Dutch burying ground of Serampore to see the resting place of William Carey, the English cobbler who rediscovered and retaught the world the glory of this missionary ideal.
Even when lives are not lifted clear up and written visibly on the record as these lives have been, still when men and women have given themselves to this enterprise and have been forgotten, they are well content, because they know that they have built all they have had into the best and most enduring work that could be done in the world. Dr. Joseph P. Cochran of Urumia, Persia, was a prince in the land where he lived. His name was all the passport that any traveler required. He went through the most turbulent regions of Western Asia, healing thousands of sick folks, the counsellor and judge among the helpless himself a bulwark of justice and confidence in the disturbed sections of western Persia and eastern Turkey. He did all this in his quiet and unadvertised way, and was well content that he had put his life in the richest and purest enterprise in the world. Thousands of others with joy also have hidden their lives, unknown to men, in the unseen but enduring service of the stranger peoples.-Robert E. Speer, in "Are Foreign Missions Done For?"
MISSIONARIES CAUSE TROUBLE?
BY PROF. KENNETH SCOTT LATOURETTE. New Haven, Conn. Pro,. 0' Mia,ion, ana Oriental History, Yale Unlver,itll ARE missionaries well-inten- hastened the disintegration of tioned bunglers? Do they put primitive peoples-in the Pacific unintelligent hands upon old Islands, for example. By insisting customs and beliefs. thereby up- that the natives be clothed in Eusetting the balance of nicely ad- ropean fashion it is charged that justed cultures and working harm1 missionaries at times have accen- Such charges are frequent and in tuated the spread of disease. By various forms have been made al- attacking the initiation rites by most since the beginning of the which youths at puberty are made Protestant missionary enterprise. full members of the tribe, mission- The English East India Company aries, so it is said, have hastened long forbade missionaries in its the break-up of the tribe and of territories and would not carry old forms of social control. Some them on its ships because it be- of the forms of education introlieved that by attacking established duced by mission schools, it is religious beliefs they would arouse claimed, have unfitted their pupils antagonism and jeopardize trade. for their environment. Among Many a merchant in China today some backward peoples, whose life declares that the missionary is re- must be chiefly simple agriculture sponsible for the present chaos and and industry, there has been too that but for him the Chinese would much of the literary in the curristilI be undisturbed and docile. culum, and graduates have been These criticisms, when from fitted to fill clerkships but not to merchants, can be quickly dis- take a helpful part in the life of counted, for they usually arise their native villages. We have, it from self-interest. Somewhat more is declared, introduced types of serious are those of travelers who education evolved in the Occident declare that to the missionary is without adjusting them to local due the passing of the features situations. These critics continue which made the life of non-Euro- by declaring that the missionary pean peoples distinctive and which has interpreted the great commiswere an expression of native gen- sion as commanding him to teach ius. The substitution of pale limi- the English language, Western tations of European and American democracy, and feminism to every culture and a dull, world-wide uni- creature. formity would not only make the It must be freely admitted that human race less picturesque but more than once the missionary has would threaten that progress which made mistakes. At times he has comes from the interaction of dif- confused the Gospel with Western ferent civilizations. Still more se- institutions and has thought that rious are the more thoughtful by introducing the latter, uncriticisms of well-informed and changed, he was aiding in the propwell-trained observers. Some of agation of the former. He has these claim that missionaries have attacked some customs too hastily, 841
without seeking so to modify them better calculated to contribute to that the good might be preserved human welfare. The facts show and the evil eliminated. He has that practically every culture bad- not always been wise in adapting ly needs improvement. There is educational methods to local situ- no small amount of fallacy in the ations. Often, too, without the theory that each people, left to it- mIssIonary wishing it, native self, works out the civilization best Christians have scorned their own fitted to its own genius and needs.
heritage and have copied the for- Have we of the Occident done so?
eigner's dress and manners. I viv- Only the blind among us deny that idly recall hearing a graduation the West has something to learn oration, in English, in a mission from other peoples. Certainly no middle school in China, in which one of us would claim that our most of the illustrations were civilization is faultless.
drawn from America and the few What is true of our own is true from China were inserted only up- of other cultures. The romanticism on the missionary's insistence. which pictures the South Sea Is- Some destructive movements, landers as living an ideal life be- moreover, like the T'ai P'ing Re- fore the coming of the white man bellion, have arisen from the mis- simply ignores the facts. No one sionary without his planning or who really knows would declare approving them. that Indian, Chinese, or Japanese The Gospel Is Revolutionary civilizations before the advent of the European were perfect. Every It must also be admitted, and cultUre, even the most primitive, this time gladly, that the Gospel has features to commend it. There is revolutionary. The early dis- is no one, however, which does not ciples were accused of turning the need altering, often radically. If world upside down-and this has the Gospel, through the mission- always been the result where the ary, can effect the necessary Gospel has been consistently changes, it should be welcomed.
preached and lived. Every civili- Critics, moreover, are often blind zation, including our own, has in- to another fact: other forces than stitutions and customs which are missions are bringing about the damaging to the highest life and destruction of non-European cul- which should be modified or en- tures. One of the outstanding fea- tirely eliminated. Who of us would tures of human history during the deny that war, many of our race past four hundred, and especially prejudices, our drinking customs the past hundred years, has been -all of them seemingly integral the expansion of Europe. Euro- parts of our life-could not profit- peans have gone to every corner ably be abolished? So, too, polyg- of the globe. They have settled amy, slavery, infanticide, and a the Americas, they have conquered host of other customs-all of them and partitioned Africa and the is- sanctioned by long practice, most lands of the Pacific, and all of Asia of them arising out of attempts is either politically subject to them to deal with real problems, and in or has saved itself from that fate defence of which cogent arguments only by adopting much of Euro- can be adduced-ought to be sup- pean culture. This expansion of planted by institutions and ideals Europe, as we all know, has been
DO MISSIONARIES CAUSE TROUBLE?
attended by the disappearance or some rather than unwholesome, extensive modification of non-Eu- constructive rather than exclusive- ropean cultures. The people does ly destructive. While the trader not exist which has not been pro- and even the colonial official and foundly affected. Missions have diplomat have all too often brought taken a part in this expansion of non-white peoples in contact chiefly Europe, but they have not been the with the unlovely, materialistic, only and usually they have not been disintegrating features of Occi- the most influential part of it. The dental civilization, the missionary primary causes of the expansion has made it his chief purpose- of Europe are economic. It is pri- although he has not always so marily for markets and for raw stated it-to bring to these peoples materials that the white man has the constructive, helpful elements penetrated Asia, Africa, and the of EUropean life. The revolution South Seas. It was chiefly to im- would have come without him, but prove their lot in material things he has made and is making it in- that Europeans poured into North finitely more helpful than it could and South America and into Aus- otherwise have been. Here, indeed, tralia and New Zealand. is one of the great reasons for the From this it follows that great support of missions. We of the revolutionary changes would have West who have destroyed so much occurred in non-European cultures that is good in the life of other had no missionary ever left his peoples owe it to them to contrib- native land. No one can study ute as well whatever of spiritual fairly and carefully the mode.rn and moral values we possess.
history of China or of Africa-to Modifying the Revolution take two very different examples -without becoming convinced that The evidences of this wholesome, both of these great lands would constructive effect of missions are have had their cultures destroyed many. Missionary history and cur- or profoundly altered had no mis- rent happenings abound in them.
sionaries set foot on their soil. It In Africa it is the missionary was because British merchants- who is carrying the brunt of the wished greater trading privileges burden of educating the negro and that England forced open the doors the Bantu. More and more he is of China. It is the employment of seeking to adapt his methods to thousands of blacks in the mines meet the needs peculiar to the situ- in Johannesburg and in the Bel- ation-to train his students to help gian Congo and upon plantations improve the agriculture and the and government works all over industries of their people. Old Negro Africa that is breaking tribal controls and moral stand- down the tribal system and the old ards are collapsing, and unless a forms of social control throughout substitute can be found, the last that great continent. state of the Africans will be worse What the missionary has done than the first. The missionary, by and is doing is to modify, often holding up and inculcating high very profoundly and beneficially, moral standards and by bringing the revolution brought by the Eu- in a fresh moral and spiritual dy- ropean. . He has helped to make namic, is the one hope. Colonial the impact of the Occident whole- authorities can pass laws and ill-
troduce secular education, but they tianity and to drop those features cannot implant that inner impulse which are most repugnant to the without which salvation and prog- Christian ethic. Influential reli- ress are impossible. The mission- gious movements such as the Brah- ary, moreover, has stood up for the rna Samaj and the Arya Samaj blacks against those whites who either had their inception in im- would exploit them. He has fought pulses brought by the missionary and is fighting slavery. He was or have been profoundly modified usually the pioneer in introducing by them. Rabindranath Tagore modern medicine and he continues owes a great debt to Christianity, to reenforce what European coloni- partly through the Brahma Samaj al governments are now doing to with which some of his family have combat the diseases that are threat- been associated. Gandhi himself, ening the population. He has re- by his own confession, has been duced scores of languages to fundamentally influenced by the writing and has prepared in them New Testament-although not nec- most of what literature is avail- essarily through the agency of the able. He has stood against infan- missionary.
ticide and has brought self-respect In Burma whole tribes, such as to womanhood. the Karens, have been wholesome- In the Near East-where the ly made over by the representatives greed and intrigues of European of American Baptists and are, ac- powers have brought wars and cordingly, better and not worse for have helped to make the very name the coming of the OccidentaI. The Christian anathema-the mission- same is true among the Battaks of ary has helped to introduce new Sumatra, thanks to German mis- life into ancient churches. He has sions.
built and maintained hospitals, and In China the missionary was the in his schools many of the leaders pioneer of that Western education have been trained who are leading which the Chinese now wish to their peoples in the inevitable and adopt and adapt. Without his necessary readjustment to new schools the Chinese would not now conditions. as quickly be making their adjust- In India the education and dig- ment to the Western world. It nity of women have been empha- was Yung Wing, trained by S. R.
sized. In mission schools a re- Brown, who brought about the ligious content has been given to sending of the first contingent of the secular education which the government students to go abroad.
British government has introduced. A large proportion of the presi- New hope has been brought to the dents and teachers of government depressed classes-a door opened schools in China are graduates of for escape from the age-long servi- Christian institutions. Sun Yat- tude which has been their unhappy sen, the most influential of modern lot. The spirit created by the mis- Chinese and, whatever his faults, sionary helped in the abolition of chiefly responsible for injecting the burning of widows. The great something of idealism into the self- non-Christian faiths of India, es- ish welter of Chinese politics, had pecially Hinduism, are tending to much of his training at the hands emphasize those features which of Protestant Christians in Hawaii they have in common with Chris- and China and was himself a pro-
fessed Christian. Of the ten heads universities are Christians and of cabinet bureaus in the Nanking others have Christian wives. The Government today, six are Prot- existence of a Kagawa, with his estant Christians and two of the passion for improving the lot of six are sons of Protestant minis- the masses caught in the rapidly ters. The most powerful military growing industrial machine, would figure in China, Feng Yii-hsiang, alone have justified the missionary movement in that country, and is well known as a professing Christians, like Yoshino, less well- Christian, and while even his known in the Occident, increase friends find much in him to de- Japan's debt to the missionary. plore, he and his influence are undoubtedly more wholesome because These examples might be multiof his long contacts with mission- plied many fold but should be sufaries. Modern medicine in China ficient to make clear the truth of owes its introduction to the mis- the assertion that the missionary sionary, and most of the best medi- movement has been far more concal education is still under Chris- structive than destructive. It is, tian auspices, with results for the indeed, in our rapidly changing ethical and scientific standards of world, one of the most hopefulthe future' medical profession of some of us think the most hopeful the country which may be very -of present day enterprises. far-reaching. The contribution of When all around us cultures are the missionary toward famine re- collapsing and being revolutionlief, the fight against opium, the ized, and the secularism of the Oc- cident is destroying much of the improvement of agriculture, and moral and spiritual values of their a dozen other movements for moral past, the missionary is attempting and social reform are almost too -and often successfully-to bring well-known to require comment. in a moral and spiritual dynamic which will reenforce all that is best In Japan the Christian group, of the old and to lead to still greatas in China, is influential all out of proportion to its size. Several er achievement. of the presidents of the imperial I ONCE heard the representatives of all the missionary agencies at work in Turkey tell President Roosevelt that they wanted no military protection or naval enforcement of their missionary rights. And as to China the vast majority of our missionaries have lived far beyond the reach of gunboats or marines, and their work has rested on no such support. Foreign missionaries want no special privileges or protection. All that they want is the recogniiton of the fundamental rights of religious freedom and liberty of conscience which every nation ought to recognize for all people, citizens and foreigners, and such honest government and maintenance of order and administration of justice as every nation ought to provide equally for all who reside within its borders. The essential question, which is not a missionary question at all, is whether any nation can expect to enjoy equal rights in the comity of nations without fulfilling equal duties? If in any respect this principle condemns America, then America is condemned. And likewise Persia and likewise China. But it is not true that in any land American missionaries have relied on gunboats or soldiers for the propagation of Chris- tianity. It is true that they have expected of China the fulfilment of her honest duties and the recognition of broad human rights. But they have expected nothing of China that China ought not to have expected of herself. -Robert E. Speer, in "Are Foreign Missions Done For?"
A QUEST OR A CONQUEST?
BY ROBERT E. SPEER, New York W EARE often told in these days that the foreign mission enterprise needs to be entirely reconceived. Formerly, it is said, Christianity regarded itself as the absolute and final religion and the work of foreign missions was conceived as a donation or displacement. Mis- sionaries went out to give to other peoples a religion and religious values which these other people did not possess. They even went with the idea of setting Christ in the place of supremacy over all others, to "Crown Him Lord of all." Now, however, it is held, Christianity must give up its exclusivism and recognize that each religion has its distinctive possession of truth and that Christianity has no right to go forth with the conquest or displacement idea. Foreign missions, accordingly, must now be regarded not as a conquest but as a quest, an effort to learn, not to teach, or to learn as much as to teach, with a view to one world-wide, inter-racial cooperative effort to as- semble out of all religions the distinctive contribution of each to the ultimate synthetic and universal religion of mankind.
This conception is both futile and false. It is futile because such a con- ception would never have produced the foreign missions movement and can- not maintain it. Men and women might go out on this idea to make a world cruise or for brief and comfortable visits but not to spend their lives, often in hard and lonely places, at the sacrifice of home values and especially the education of their children. Nor will the missionary enterprise spring from religious doubt. The people who have not found what satisfies them in Christianity, and who propose that the Church should send out the missionaries to find something better than Christianity or to supplement and improve Christianity, are not the people who supply the missionaries who go or who furnish the funds to send them. The foreign mission enterprise springs from and rests upon adequate convictions. Doubt as to the sufficiency and universality of Christianity is not a substitute for such convictions.
This new conception of foreign missions is also false. Christ needs nothing from anyone. No other religious teacher has any contribution to make to Him. In Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead. He is the final and sufficient revelation of God and the only Saviour and Redeemer of man. This is the New Testament representation. It is the solid and unalterable foundation of foreign missions. Foreign missions are not a search for a new and better religion. They are not an attempt to find something that is not already in Christ. They are the effort of those who have heard of Christ to take what they have heard to the whole world in order that all men together may learn more of Him.
We who know Christ do not claim that we know all that there is to know of Him. We say just the opposite. But it is all there and we need all men to help in its discovery and its experience. One reason for bringing the knowledge of the Gospel to the whole world and bringing the whole world into the search for the infinite richness of God in Christ is that only so can we attain the fuller knowledge of Christ which is God's will for us. We do not go out to find something in the non-Christian religions that is not in Christianity. We go to enlist all men in the search for what is in Christ alone and in Him in divine sufficiency and completeness. Foreign Missions are indeed a great quest of the Church. But they are not a quest for something to be added to Christianity. They are a quest for an ever enlarging and enriching understanding of the fulness of Christ.-Fr01n "Are F'oreign Missions Done For?"
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY OF LIFE?
THE UNIQUENESS AND SUPREMACY OF CHRISTIANITY "WBY REV. WILLIAM BANCROFT HILL, D.D., Poughkeepsie, New York HY send missionaries to Moslems I hope you will be es- the heathen? They are pecially careful not to disturb their good old heathen; let them religious faith which has so much alone." So said Henry W. Shaw that is excellent in it."
(better known as Josh Billings, Here is a modern opinion, inthe humorist) to me in a serious creasingly popular and jyst the reconversation more than fifty years verse of the old one. The up to ago. His opinion was that all who date opponent of missions says dwell outside of Christian lands that the non-Christian religions are hopelessly degraded, and their are so highly spiritual or so effecreligions are a mass of supersti- tive morally that missionaries are tions: like people, like priest: why needless, and that we might with waste effort upon them? profit sit as learners at the feet That opinion, born of ignorance, of the Eastern sages. Even cerhas by no means disappeared. The tain of our mission workers would opponent of missions has nour- retain the old religion of the land ished it as furnishing a good rea- as best suited to the people, and son for his attitude. And often would undertake only to fill it with the missionary unintentionally has a Christian spirit. They would ofprovided material for it by pre- fer Christianity, not as a substisenting only the evils and defects tute, but as a supplement or crown he encountered. His strong appeal to what is already possessed. This has been, "Can we unmoved be- complete volte-face has been hold such wretchedness and utter brought about partly by access to ignorance of things divine?" There the sacred books of the ethnic rewas no intention to deceive: he ligions, partly by increasing inwas telling what filled his vision timacy with the higher classes who to the exclusion of all else, and once shunned or despised forthat wrung his heart as he wished eigners, partly by a natural reacit to wring ours: but it was decep- tion from the unfairness of the tion, nevertheless. However, it is old opinion, and in no small only fair to add that the mission- measure by a failure to realize or ary, as he penetrated into the life to emphasize that which is unique and religions of non-Christian in Christianity.
lands, became our main source of We might have known, even be- information about their best fea- fore studying them, that each of tures as well as their worst. the great religions must contain Not long ago a Harvard profes- truth and light; otherwise it never sor, before whom I was placing the could have gained its millions of plans for a Christian University adherents. The soul may stay hunin Egypt, gave hearty approval to ger with husks when bread is not the educational scheme, but added, at hand; but it can get no nour- "In your dealings with these young ishment from stones and scorpions, 347
and turns away when they are of- feet manhood in unbroken harmony fered, no matter in what disguise. with God. Concerning what other Assuredly, we do not follow our religious leader could this be truly Master or exalt Christianity by re- said? Our age has little reverence, fusing to see good anywhere ex- and takes a malicious pleasure in cept in it. Nor can we be of real pointing out stains and blemishes helpfulness to the follower of an- in figures that formerly were held other religion unless we have a up for admiration; and yet there clear knowledge of what he is seek- never was a time when Jesus was ing from his religion and what he so highly esteemed as today by so has already gained. The mission- many students of His life. The ary must be able to say, "I see the sneers at His claims and the foul height towards which you are jeers about His acts that were cur- pressing, and I rejoice in the rent a few generations ago, would progress you have made toward today be denounced as intolerable.
it"; otherwise his offer of leader- Are men developing a keener spir- ship will not be understood or will itual perception? Even those who be rejected. But if he is true to hate Christianity give open praise Christianity, he must next say, to its Founder. They may not be "this path which you follow ends willing to shape their lives accord- at a cliff or a chasm, and by it ing to His teachings, but they con- you cannot reach the goal; let me fess that it would be better for show you another and more excel- all men if they did, and that He lent way." In other words, he will is the ideal for everyone every- maintain that no non-Christian re- where.
ligion, however excellent, can be This universal appeal of Jesus classed with Christianity or be is another unique feature. Con- made equal to it by certain emen- fucius is typical Chinese; Gautama dations and improvements; be- is thoroughly Oriental; Mahomet cause, while Christianity has all is a son of the desert and of the the truths that make other reli- seventh century; but Jesus is not gions helpful, it has gained them felt to be an ancient Palestinian in a strikingly different way and Jew; He belongs to all lands and one inseparably connected with all ages, the Elder Brother of all further and greater truths which men. Truly, even though no claim it alone possesses. . of deity were made for Him, He remains the Incomparable One. Wherein Is Christianity Unique 1 And when we place Him beside the What has Christianity to offer founders and saints of other re- that other religions have not, and ligions, He towers so high above that justifies the proffer of it ih them that resemblances seem in- their place? The answer is indi- significant.
cated in its very name: Christi- The uniqueness is still more evi- anity is the Christ religion; He dent in the divine Saviour, the Re- is its Alpha and Omega, the Way, deemer of the world. Other reli- the Truth and the Life; and there gions give us touching examples is none other like Him anywhere. of men struggling up from the pit He is unique as the Great Gali- of sin and lending a hand to some lean, teaching divine truth with weaker brother; but only in Christ authority, and living a life of per- is God seen reaching down with
IS CHRIST THE ONLY WAY OF LIFE?
pity and with sore pain to draw even more than the Cross; for it them forth from the lowest depths is the most effective fact in Chrisand place their feet upon the rock. tian experience. The power of His The Cross stands forth as a proc- resurrection enables them to enter lamation of man's degradation and into the fellowship of His suffer- God's immeasurable love. It makes ings and to accomplish His work. intense our sense of sin. In non- Christian lands sin rarely means In other religions one may look more than the breaking of some back to the founders and leaders, man-made law, or the neglect of may study their lives as examples some prescribed rite, or the indul- and treasure their teachings for gence of disturbing desires, or the guidance, and then strive as best effect of ignorance and illusion; he can to reproduce what thus is and with such shallow meaning it placed before him; but the Chriscannot create deep concern. But tian, while not neglecting the past, the Cross reveals to us the heart looks to a present, living Lord for of the Father and our own attitude the inspiration, the wisdom, the towards Him; and sin as the ex- cheer and the strength he needs. pression of our defiance of His lov- "I live; yet not I; Christ liveth ing will beComes terribly impor- in me," is his explanation of what tant. The Cross is also the he is and does. If it be true that assurance of forgiveness, bringing the church today is less strong, a peace that is not the Buddhist alert and faithful than in some calm of indifference to the world, former periods, may not one cause not the Islam submission to the of such decline be that the modern inscrutable will of Allah, but is emphasis of the historic Jesus has the restfulness of a child who re- made it less mindful of the everposes on a father whom he loves present Christ? To look back and trusts, a peace that rises to across the centuries for our Great joy unutterable. The Cross is "the Leader, forgetting that He is with power of God unto salvation"; and us now and always, is to ignore all other schemes of atonement seem childish and worthless in the most vital truth in the Chriscomparison. tian religion, and to claim for our- selves no greater privilege than A Living Power other religions offer.
Most unmistakable of all is the From Christ are gained the othuniqueness of the Risen Christ who er great truths that distinguish abides with His disciples every- Christianity. The most important where and evermore. There is of them all, because the foundation none like Him in any other reli- of all, is the truth concerning God. gion. "He is risen" is the witness Confucianism is agnostic; Budthat His followers bear unto the dhism and Hinduism are pantheuttermost part of the earth. With istic, though constantly tending to Christ, in Christ, through Christ, sink into polytheism; Mohammeby Christ-thus they try to express His presence and His control of danism is the only great religion their lives. In their preaching, if that shares with Christianity a they follow the pattern set by Paul, conception of a personal God, both they emphasize the resurrection deriving it from JUdaism. But the personal God of Islam is a deified Arab sheikh, imperious, arbitrary, emphasizing power. He is to be
obeyed without explanation, wor- state of mind incomprehensible shiped without communion, and en- and closely resembling utter fool- treated as the merciful, not the ishness.
loving. The Christian God is the Sympathy, which stirs up phi- holy and loving Father of Him who lanthropy, is a feeble sister of the is our Elder Brother as well as our mighty passion of love which im- Lord. We know Him through pels evangelism. Christianity is Christ and in Christ. "He that the only religion that can justly hath seen Me hath seen the Fa- claim to be truly missionary. Is- ther." The Moslem stands before lam may match it in burning zeal Allah as a slave; the Christian be- to make converts; but what it fore God as a son; the difference seeks is not so much the welfare is worldwide. of the convert as the increase of The brotherhood of man is a its domain and power. Buddhism truth that finds some recognition has a mild inclination to proclaim everywhere; men are not so selfish to the ignorant world its secret of as utterly to miss it. But it cannot surcease from sorrow, provided have full meaning and power un- the effort is not too disturbing.
less it is based on the loving father- Christianity alone is so vitally mis- hood of God and the worth of each sionary that when the mission im- human soul as revealed by Christ. pulse ceases the religion itself dies.
Islam bases it upon religious fel- For a Christian lives by loving and lowship, thus limiting it to the fol- giving; and when he begins to lowers of the prophet. Hinduism shut himself away from those with bases it upon spiritual condition, whom he might share his most pre- as indicated in the scale of castes. cious possession, the Gospel of the Buddhism proclaims that all are Cross and the Resurrection a hard- bound on the same wheel of life ening of the spiritual arteries is and have brotherhood in suffering, setting in, and death is not far but it discourages sympathy, lest distant.
the way to nirvana be made longer Shall the church give up its for- by it. Confucius taught that all eign missions? is an idle question.
within the four seas are brothers, It may wisely give up certain fields, but he gave no strong basis or turning them over to the national bond for this brotherhood, and pre- workers; but it will simply trans- scribed a very negative benevo- fer its work to other fields still lence. Philanthropy, which is an needing the evangel. So long as expression of brotherliness, has anywhere the Cross has not been feeble roots unless it grows in planted and the Christ proclaimed, Christian soil. Concerning any suf- mission work among non-Chris- ferer, the Moslem asks, "Is he of tians can not cease unless the my faith?"; the Hindu, "Is he of church itself ceases.
my caste?"; the Confucian, "Is he The Future Life of my neighborhood?"; while the Buddhist sighs and says, "All life From Christ has come a con- is misery." And to all of these ception of the future life such as the readiness of the Christian to no other religion has. Confucius pour forth treasures of money and refused to speak of the future life, loving service in answer to the cry gIVIng as an excuse that we do of hunger or pain anywhere, is a not understand even the present
1(29) IS CHRIST THE ONLY WAY OF LIFE?
life. Gautama taught the dissolu- numbing grip of fatalism; since tion of anything like personal ex- the will of Allah cannot be known istence in the great ocean of or resisted why strive and strug- inpersonal being. The Hindu sages gle to be better or to make things looked forward to a succession of better?
deaths and rebirths so countless It is with good reason that lands in number that an ultimate heaven dominated by such teachings have is lost in the long perspective. stood still through the centuries or Mahomet pictured a paradise filled have gone slowly backwards.
with purely sensuous, if not actu- Christianity ever urges men to ally sensual, delights, whose fitting press forward, to make life broad- motto would be "Take thine ease; er and higher, to claim all things eat, drink and be merry." The for Christ, and to enter more fully heaven that Christ bids us look into His riches. His statement, forward to is well described by the "I came that they may have life, apostle Paul when he says he would and may have it abundantly" gives fain be absent from the body and the keynote and assurance for all "at home with the Lord." Heaven true progress. The rapidity with is companionship with Christ and which the Orientals are putting the Christlike; its joys are purely away the inhibitions of their re- spiritual; its occupations are those ligions and rousing themselves to inspired by love; and its possibil- action is one of the most important ities of spiritual and intellectual facts in the present world situa- development are endless. So Chris- tion. But their advance is not tianity teaches; and in this, as in true progress. Materialism, secu- all else, finds its assurance in the larism, greed for riches and the revelation of Christ. will to power have invaded the Ori- Christianity and Progress ent, even as they have Christian lands; and while rousing action, Christianity is the only religion are destroying religion and cor- that encourages progress, both in- rupting morals. Christianity fights dividual and national. Confucian- against these influences at home ism is ever looking back to the and abroad; and though the wise golden age of Yao and Shun, more leaders of the old faiths can hard- than four thousand years ago, and ly rejoice that it is in their midst, would mold all life into a stereo- they do welcome its aid in the bat- typed form prescribed by Kong, tle against such strong and deadly the master. Buddhism represses foes.
all ambition as an awaking of Christianity is unique in many the misery of insatiable desire, and other respects and differs so great- would have its followers sit with ly from other religions as to pro- folded hands meditating on the duce the effect of uniqueness. No transitoriness of all things. Hin- meption has been made of ethics, duism forbids, under direct penal- marriage, the position of women ties, any attempt to break the and children, morals, prayer, the barriers of caste and reach a high- sacred books, the form and spirit er position; each man must re- of worship, the ideals for life, the main in the station into which his attitude toward death or the !nO- deeds in a previous existence have tive power of the religion. These placed him. Islam feels ever the and still others should be also con-
sidered when we are considering has ever been waiting those who whether other religions are the need and seek it. But to treat equal of Christianity, and there- Christianity as a religion suited fore whether Christian missions only for certain races and certain are unnecessary. stages of culture, or to hold that what it contains differs but slight- Other religions give men's ly from the other great religions, thought about God, Christianity gives God's thought about men; or to regard its Founder as like they spring from experience, it other founders (if, indeed, we procedes from a revelation. We believe and rejoice that God has should speak of Jesus as founding not left Himself without a witness a religion, when what He really did in every age and land; though the Cross was raised on Calvary only was to offer Himself as its founnineteen hundred years ago, the dation), is greatly to misinterpret Lamb was slain from the founda- our Christian faith, and practically to deny Him whom we worship as tion of the world so that atonement the Only Begotten Son of the Fa- ther.
M EDICAL missionary work is the complete refutation of some current ideas which evaporate the missionary obligation. It is said by some that the East has as much to give as the West, and missions must be transformed into an interchange of treasures. This view breaks to pieces in the field of modern medicine and surgery. There are indeed homely remedies and some reasonable ideas of treatment of disease which have been developed in Asia and Africa, but these are negligible in comparison with what Western medicine and surgery can give to the rest of the world. All truth is universal.
Why is not the right and duty of spreading the truth of the universal Gospel of the One Saviour of the world just as valid and as manifest as the right and duty of offering the relief of modern medicine to the sick and suffering throughout the world?
Compare the cost of foreign missionary medical service with medical service in the United States. Take one American hospital and compare it with the expense and work of the 89 hospitals and 122 dispensaries maintained by the Presbyterian Board. Pre8byterian Forelun One Amerioan Mission HOBPitals H o8pital ana D'8pen8urie8 In patients ………………………… 4,402 59,093 Out patients ……………………….. 29,810 441,139 Treatments ………………………… 113,113 1,155,657 Earnings ……. . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $490,160 $540,605 Other income .•……………………… $621,238 $58,640 Operating expense …………………… $1,015,134 $599,245 Cost per patient ……………………. $34 $1.36 Cost per treatment …………………… $8.91 $0.52 If we consider only the money given, and not the earnings, the difference becomes even more amazing. The money received by this one American hospital from endowment and as ponations was $621,238. The total given for the 89 mission hospitals was only $58,640. It took $21 of benevolent gifts to care for one patient at home. Abroad each dollar given by the Church in the United States provided for 75 patients. On the scale of cost of this one home hospital, what it would have required a million dollars to do, the Mission Board did with less than sixty thousand. And yet foreign missions are called extravagant or inefficient!-Robert E. Speer, in "Are Foreign Mi8sion8 Done For?"
THE MESSAGE OUT OF DATE?
BY REV. W. B. ANDERSON, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa.
Secretary of the Board of Foreign Mis8ion8 of the United Pre8byterian Ohurch F OREIGN missions began in men at all. They were just living the days of the apostles, the witnesses of the Lord whom they result of the effort of the knew personally, and they were church to obey the command of J e- testifying to what He had done for sus to preach His Gospel to all the them. They were not directed by world. The teaching and the com- any boards or societies. They did mand of-Christ seem to have had not have a church organization in view only this one object, to worth the name. They did not have establish the missionary enter- any written New Testament. Yet prise. Certainly in the minds and the Gospel that they carried in the purpose of the simple-hearted their hearts and spoke with their followers of Christ in the first cen- tongues, contained all these things tury there was no other thought in embryo and was so vitally dyor intention than the giving to men namic that within a century it the "good news of God." Never worked such social miracles as the since those early days of the world has not witnessed since in Church has it had such vital power like proportions. The secret of the to compel the attention of men and success of missions in that day was to win them to a faith in Christ a simple Gospel, preached with the and a knowledge of God, resulting profound conviction of positive bein change of life. Today we might lief, and accompanied by the preswith profit attempt to discover the ence and blessing of the Spirit of secret of the power of that Gospel God. which they preached. There are critics of modern mis- To them the Gospel was a simple sions who maintain that missions message. It was "the good news today are declining in power beof Jesus Christ," the Son of God cause of the primitive Gospel that who lived a life of marvelous pur- they preach. These critics contend that the the;ology of a past generaity in the service of men, was cru- tion is repUlsive to the minds of cified and buried, rose from the civilized non-Christian people. dead, mingled again with His dis- They would bring the theological ciples, and ascended into heaven statements of missionaries more after promising that He would into harmony with their concepcome again. He had told them to tion of the "scholarly thinking" of wait in Jerusalem for the coming the day. They declare the dogmatof the Holy Spirit. They waited ic theology of the West to be unand the Holy Spirit came; then suited to the Eastern mind. It is they went out to tell men that God their conviction that the missionwas everywhere calling men to re- ary should be trained in a new pentance and to this new life that school of thought and sent out with was offered to them. a new culture and a new Christian doctrine. These disciples were not theologians, nor philosophers, nor so- Perhaps this experiment should ciologists. They were not learned 3 353
be tried, but if tried it should be ary enterprise as was shown in the remembered that it is an experi- lives of such men as Carey and his ment. It should be tried, too, in associates in India. Foreign mis- a field that is segregated from the sions are in fact but a section of fields where the Gospel is already the church of their day. This cause operating so that the results of the has always been represented by experiment may not be vitiated by those who have deep conviction and the presence and operations of the vital faith. Generally too, in the old method. There is much of the very nature of the case, it has been world that is untouched by the Gos- represented by persons of inde- pel and abundance of opportunity pendence of thought, the gift of to occupy a new field for a demon- initiative, and the spirit of adven- stration of an effort according to ture. As a rule it is not from the convictions of those who criti- among such men that narrow big- cize the content of present mission- ots are made. Probably a study ary teaching. It would be wise, of pioneers in religious thinking however, for missionary agencies would show that among foreign now proceeding according to the missionaries there have been as method that has been productive many pioneers, in proportion, as of so much good, not to lay aside in the church at home.
their present methods and substi- As a matter of fact, missionaries tute those of theorists, until the in general have had little time for theories have been tried and proved dogmatics. It has been said that, successful. "It is difficult to teach close com- What They Teach munion to a man who is worship- ing a cow." The fine points of To find fault with present mis- theology that have split the church sionary effort because the dogma at home into denominations have of the missionaries of the past gen- generally faded quickly from the eration is not acceptable to Chris- mind of the missionary as he faced tians of this generation is scarcely entirely new situations which fair. The missionaries of the past raised new questions for consid- generation carried with them the eration. His contacts with a non- dogma of the church in which they Christian people always drive him were reared. What was taught in back to the elements of the truth China and India by EUropean and of man's relation to God and to American missionaries fifty years his fellow man. When he comes ago was what was believed and to discuss religious truth with Ori- taught in the theological semina- ental minds that may be keener, ries in Europe and America at more cultured and more agile than that time. No doubt a careful in- his own, and with a wholly differ- vestigation would show that for- ent background of thinking, the eign missionaries of fifty years dogma of the theological schools ago were quite as open-minded in at home often stands him in little their approach to truth and quite stead and is then gradually dis- as liberal in their attitude to those carded for a more simple Gospel.
of other faiths as were their con- Particularly where doctrine af- temporaries at home. This was fects the administration of the af- certainly true in the days of the fairs of the organized church there beginning of the modern mission- must be accommodation to circum-
IS THE MESSAGE OUT OF DATE?
stances. Several years ago there planted the Gospel and permitted was being waged in one of the de- the church to grow. But this is nominations at home a vigorous true only to a certain extent, and conflict over a matter concerning in varying degrees in different practice in worship. A much in- missions. Today missionaries are terested elder was talking with one making earnest efforts to rectify of the women missionaries from this mistake. There is now a ne- India at home on furlough. In cessity for guarding against the his conversation he said, "On which danger of swinging to the opposite of the distinctive principles of the extreme and denouncing all that church do you lay most stress in has been taken to the mission fields your work in India?" Her reply simply because it has been taken was, "On this one, 'Thou shalt not from the West. eat carrion.''' This missionary had been working among the first Not all that has been taken there Christians reclaimed from the out- can be denounced and abandoned, caste people in the Punjab, and she for it was to take something that mentioned one of the social usages the missionary went and what he of the people that was causing con- went to take was the Gospel of siderable difficulty in the new Jesus Christ. This Gospel has inchurch. The missionary has had herent in it certain doctrines which his hands too full of practical ques- are essential. You may call these tions regarding the application of doctrines dogma if you will, but the Gospel to the social life of a still they remain an essential part new Christian community, and his of the Gospel carried by the mismind too full of the personal diffi- sionary. These were inherent in culties of some of the keenest that Gospel preached in the days thinkers he has ever met, to give of its might in the first century, much time to the propagation of and wherever the Gospel has disthe particular dogmas of his home played power since that time these church. doctrines have been at its heart. Any attempt to discount them by Correcting Mistakes dubbing them dogma and deleting them has resulted in an emascu- One would not for a moment at- lated Gospel-one that is simply tempt to defend the mistakes that a spiritual corpse. If a missionary have been made by missionaries of should carry such a Gospel, he the past generations. They lived would necessarily carry with it an in a time when convictions were organization and a system of teachstrong, when dogma had taken a ing, for such a dead Gospel would place out of due proportion to liv- have no power to germinate and ing, and when denominationalism produce a living church. was accepted as so natural a thing as not to call for defense. The These essential doctrines are the missionaries of those days did very ones that some modern critics transplant into the East a church would reject, and which they mainof Western development, with its tain are repulsive to the minds of modes of thought, its ritual of serv- non-Christian people to whom the ice, its architecture, its social cus- Gospel is carried. The vital essence toms, and its system of education. of the Gospel is its message of a They sometimes transplanted a personal God, Jesus who is the inchurch where they should have carnation of God, His atonement
for sin, His death and resurrection, of Jesus Christ, until some substiman's communion with God tute has been found to take its through faith in Him, His ascen- place. That substitute must not sion and coming again to the earth, be merely the child of the brain and man's hope of unending life of some theorist, but it must be in Him. This message is not mere- a practical working force that has ly a system to be taught to a peo- demonstrated its power to produce ple, but a life to be shown to them results better than those that have and lived among them. Truths that been produced by the Gospel. are of the very essence of this life will appear with the development That the Gospel preached by the of the life, and will be systematized foreign missionary has produced and taught by those living it. This results does not await demonstrais inevitable and desirable. tion. Millions of witnesses to its power to transform life are pres- Many of the dogmas of the ent in the world today, and are church may be matters of inter- gIvmg their testimony. The pretation of certain Scriptures or changes wrought in society are visstatements of certain deductions. ible on every side. Often the From among these some may be church at home and abroad, distrue and some may be false; some tracted from its one mission of may be in harmony with truth preaching this Gospel, has been while some may be out of propor- embarrassed by its lack of power tion to truth as a whole. In such and success, but whenever that dogmas are found the things with church has turned again to the which theologians all through the Gospel in its simplicity, it has excenturies have amused themselves. perienced a return of power and a They are, as it were, the religious resulting success in its divinely apgolf links of the religiously leisured pointed task. class. They afford diversion for such minds as those at which the What the cause of foreign mis- Persian poet, Omar Khayyam, sions needs today is not any subsmiled so cynically in his verses. stitute for the Gospel in its prime No doubt men in the Church will simplicity. What this enterprise continue to contend over these does need is that the church at things and they may even continue home and abroad should turn in to split the Church into fragments simple faith to the living Christ because of self-conceit that is cer- and in the power that He gave at tain that it has discovered the ul- Pentecost go out with the antimate in truth. But these things nouncement of the power of God are not of the essence of the Gospel. to turn men from sin and bring them to a knowledge of Himself. A question that should seem le- The whole confused world seems gitimate to our utilitarian age is to wait for some such demonstrathis, "Are foreign missionaries tion of the power of God through succeeding in revealing God to men the church. Such a demonstration and in bringing the lives of men has always come when men have into harmony with the law of preached this Gospel in its sim- God?" If in the laboratory of life plicity and never yet has come these results are being secured, through the use of any substitute then we must proceed with the for- for that Gospel, however acceptaeign missions of the simple Gospel ble it might seem to men.
THIS A CAPITALISTIC ENTERPRISE?
BY REV. FRANCIS J. McCONNELL, D.D., New York Bishop of the M"thodist Episcopal Churoh T HE question is becoming in- istically as we can. Then we ac- creasingly insistent as to the cept the missionary official's state- relation of missionary effort ment of the innocence of the to the capitalistic enterprises motives of mIssIonaries and which are searching out the re- churches while conceding a con- mote nooks and corners of the siderable measure of force to the earth for returns to investment. radical Nationalist's claim that Of course, the extremists on both back of the missionary effort, or sides see the problem as quite sim- along with it, or close to it, stands pIe. western capitalism. The mistake A certain type of ecclesiastical of the radical is in supposing that official declares that the church is the missionary is actuated by cap- not concerned in materialistic en- italistic aims, and that of the mis- terprises at all, beyond taking ad- sionary advocate is in failing to vantage of them to find openings take account of forces which may for the preaching of the Gospel. work through missions without his If his religious thinking took shape. thinking of them. The mission- before he had begun to hear much ary's motives are for the most part about the application of Christian- today recognized as genuinely re- ity to social problems, he is likely ligious.
to be especially urgent in avowing About a dozen years ago I met that the church is in non-Christian in Mexico a violent Nationalist lands to "save the souls of indi- who avowed her conviction that viduals" and that it is not inter- the missionary effort of the United ested in anything else. If mo- States had back of it the aggressive mentous changes are taking place determination of United States im- in those non-Christian lands perialism to annex Mexico econom- through the impact of Christian ically and politically. This Na- lands, he may declare that those tionalist was a woman of large changes are outside of his respon- intelligence, trained in American sibility and possibly outside of his and European universities, and field of view. had herself taught in a mission The radical nationalist of what- school in Mexico. She felt that ever non-Christian nation, on the even the "watchful waiting" policy other hand, will have it that Chris- of Woodrow Wilson was at bottom tian missions are an entering aimed at catching Mexico in a mo- wedge for western capitalism, or ment of extreme weakness and at at least are a smoke screen behind a crisis when pretexts for armed which capitalism wins its most de- intervention would appear most cisive victories. plausible. I shall never forget her Neither type of extremist is uncontrollable wrath at the men- worthy of much consideration. We tion of Wilson. Nevertheless this have to get as close to facts as furious Nationalist in all her out- we can and to look at them as real- breaks against the land from which 357
I came made it clear that she did Do Missions Aid Capitalism ~ not attack the good faith of missionaries. But she believed that Now, granting the sincerity of the sincerity of the missionaries and the success of their work in the missionary himself and even its more humanitarian phases made them all the more effective agen- of the bodies of supporters who cies through which imperialism could work. send him forth, what force is there I have in mind also a former in the criticism that mission work newspaper correspondent in China, is an aid to capitalism-and what himself utterly devoid of religious interests in any ordinary sense, can we do about it? First of all (if a man who calls himself an atheist can be said to be devoid we must recognize any basis of of religious interest) who declared that if he were to pick out the facts there may be in the criticism. one hundred foreigners in China We cannot close the case with the most influential with the Chinese, proof of our own good faith. That most of them would be mission- good faith is pretty generally conaries-the influence being due to ceded-but as the beginning and not the end of the critic's case. the manifest unselfishness of the There is an inescapable core of work of the missionaries. I fancy fact in the claim that Christian that this observer also would have missions are used-or at least can thought the missionaries uncon- be used-in aid of Western imscious propagandists of Western perialism. To say nothing of the capitalism. plans of the leaders of.imperialism, we must not lose sight of the fact I think that I am representing that the missionary comes of a fairly the viewpoint of the intelli- capitalistic civilization and that gent critics of missionary activity everything he is and does in the today. In well-informed circles the non-Christian land preaches for present-day charge is not that rep- the order out of which he comes. resentatives of the Christian It is the duty of every Christian-' Church in foreign fields are hypo- missionary or otherwise–in a noncritical or selfish or in any degree Christian land to stand for Chrislacking in moral genuineness. We tian values, and he tries to· stand do not even often hear, as we once for such values. All unconsciously did, that missionaries live in lux- to himself he may stand for some ury amid peoples sunk in poverty. other values which he regards as That criticism came from the type Christian but which may not be of tourist who used to learn less inherently and essentially Christhe more he traveled. Those today tian at all. who stand close to mission stations do not repeat those old-time accu- The essential Christian values sations. There is a quite general must have to do with good-will. I realization today that when a critic once knew a Christian traveling of missionary work begins to talk in China to insist that the mission- aries should lay more emphasis on thus he reveals at the outset that industriousness. This traveler was he does not know what he is talk- distressed because the Chinese ing about. seemed to take so long at their work-the work seemed inefficient judged by Western standards. What the traveler did not see was that there were more laborers in
1U29] IS THIS A CAPITALISTIC ENTERPRISE'!
China than material upon which sight, to see how wide a door is to work-and that slowness in opened the moment we think of a working was due to the extent to possibility like this. which the work had been divided up among the over-abundance of Missions and Imperialism laborers. For anyone man, or set of men, to have succeeded in car- Now look for an instant at the rying out the Christian traveler's advice would have meant anything problem of political imperialism. but the application of the Golden Rule. It would have meant that The missionary is at work in a many workers must lose their jobs. post in a non-Christian land in Of course, my illustration raises which there is rioting or civil disthe question as to whether Western turbance. The native police cannot industrialism would not give the insure the safety of the mission- .chinese more material on which ary's family in the event of an to work, but the illustration is per- easily incited anti-foreign uproar. tinent enough to suggest that under If only the missionary himself many circumstances we could not were involved, or even the missionpronounce industrial ideals which ary and his wife, we might readily Westerners take as self-evident to say, sitting in ministerial studies be Christian for a society like that or editorial offices thousands of of China.· In scores of ways the miles from danger, with no direct values of the Westerner tend to responsibility in the matter except upset the social values of a non- that of getting a sermon or an Christian land, The fact that the editorial prepared on time, that the Westerner lives as he does may missionary ought to accept death beget demands in the lives of the rather than shelter under the flag people among whom he works and of his country. When, however, those demands may bring the non- there are children of the mission- Christian peoples into economic de- ary we have a consideration of a pendence upon the land from which different order. The ethical rethe missionary comes. It will be quirements governing martyrdom remembered that Mr. Henry M, may be met by a missionary's go- Stanley, speaking no doubt with- ing freely to his death, but the out any thought of the exploitation glory of allowing his children to of Africa's peoples, used to declare die for his convictions is a bit that missionary teaching would dubious. In any case, however, we raise the standard of living of the may as well admit the acceptance Africans; that they would de- of foreign protection in a nonmand, among other goods, more Christian land compromises the cotton cloth and that this demand missionary's professed devotion to would make new markets for the the ideals of the Gospel. It is a mills of Birmingham and Man- long time since the death of two missionaries furnished a pretext chester. All this shows how tan- for the German occupation of the gled the problem is. The native Shantung peninsula, but the mem- Africans could use cotton cloth to ory of the incident has not grown advantage and the English mills dim in China. Though no one excould make it at a profit. It takes pects a repetition of such bareonly eyesight, to say nothing of in- faced imperialistic robbery, still the incident is pointed to as show- ing the tendency of imperialism
to use religious activity for its own able to insist that the Christian purposes. groups shall not proclaim their Admitting the validity of the Gospel to the whole world till they charge that the connection between have made the utmost use of that the various forms of imperialism Gospel themselves as it would be and missionary endeavors is dan- for a thirsty traveler in a desert gerously close, what can we do to refrain from calling out to his about it? There are those who lagging comrades that he had tell us that the best course is for found refreshing springs, because churches in imperialistic countries the water had not yet benefited to cease foreign missionary ef- him as much as was possible.
fort altogether, that at the best the What Shall We Do 1 contradiction between the Gospel which the missionary preaches and Some positive duties lie clearly the institutional activities of the before us. To begin with, the mis- country from which the missionary sionary can highly resolve to keep.
comes-activities through such alive the very contradiction which agents as tourists, commercial and is indeed such a scandal. That is industrial leaders, diplomats and to say, over against the militant militarists….:-.constitutes a scandal selfishness of economic and other to Christianity. Before Christian- imperialisms he can put a service ity attempts to Christianize the so- which seeks no selfish return what- called non-Christianized peoples, ever. One of the practical mys- we are told, the Christian nations teries in the work of the true should themselves be Christianized. missionary is the inability of many This is a counsel not so much of in the non-Christian field to see perfection as of folly. Or rather why he should do what he does it is altogether opposed to the spir- for nothing. One reason why anti- it of the Gospel. If an individual, Christian feeling in non-Christian or a people, waits for complete re- lands gets a start is that the anti- demption before starting out to the Christian agitator seems so sensi- redemption of other persons or ble and plausible when he asks : peoples, there will be no starting "Do you think the missionary is out. For it is a peculiarity of the doing all this for nothing?" Then redemptive process that it no soon- it is easy to conclude that the mis- er begets the consciousness of vic- sionary is the agent of greedy mon- tory in one quarter than it reveals ey-forces. By the way, speaking new realms of individual and so- of contradictions, the very plan it- ciallife still to be redeemed. There self according to which the mis- are causes to which we give our- sionary works is a denial of about selves in all good conscience which everything characteristic of pres- our descendants of a hundred years ent-day capitalism. The mission- from now will look back upon with aries do not get remuneration horror wondering if we of this day which can be called salaries in the and generation were not insincere usual meaning of the term. At the in our claims to be Christians at most theiI" material rewards are all. Moreover, the checking of the small allowances for living ex- expansive impulse leads to the dry- penses, in which all who are in ing up of the redemptive processes substantially similar circumstances themselves. It is just as reason- are treated alike.
IS THIS A CAPITALISTIC ENTERPRISE?
In the next place the missionary said. This missionary's diagnosis can and does accomplish some- of his own plight was wrong. He thing, in some fields a great deal, had failed to make himself one of to soften the harshness of the im- the people to whom he had been pact of Western civilization, so- sent. We cannot ask foreign work- called, upon undeveloped commu- ers in non-Christian lands to dress nities and societies. A large part and eat in forgetfulness of the of the discussion at the Jerusalem lands from which they come, but Conference was devoted to such we can ask them so to lose them- evils as forced labor in Africa. It selves in the thought and feeling is maintained by impartial inves- of their people as to become spir- tigators of African conditions that itually one with them. If they the missionary is the best friend cannot do this, they ought to leave of the African-and that he is do- missionary work, for that calls for ing much to awaken in the African mental and spiritual identification that self-respect which will not for- with those with whom they work.
ever endure the outrage of a forced It is better, I would almost say, labor which is virtual slavery. Re- for a missionary to be mistaken ports at the conference indicated with the people with whom he la- that exploiters of native labor in bors than right with the country Africa fear the plain, unvarnished from which he comes.
tales of missionaries more than Above all, the reaL task has to anything else. . be faced at home. If for no other Once more, the missionary usu- reason than the expansion of ally becomes very much a partisan Christianity, the duty is upon of the people among whom he Christian churches to stand for the works-very much "pro"-Chinese, replacement of that fiercely com- or "pro"-Indian or "pro"-African, petitive spirit which is the parent as the case may be. The people of industrial, national and racial then expect the missionary to make strife by a cooperative purpose the best statement of their cause which can be brought into line with before the public opinion of the Christian principles. We do not world. If a worker among non- have to wait until all our social Christian people cannot thus be- life is permeated with the coop- come "pro" the people, he would erative temper before we can free better go back to his home. ourselves from the contradiction Years ago there labored in Mex- between the message of the mis- ico a missionary who sincerely be- sionary and the practices of the lieved that the only hope for countries from which the mission- Mexico was in intervention by the aries come. If it can be truly said United States. Being an honest, that the churches of Christendom open-hearted soul he kept telling are striving to fill all human con- the Mexicans what he thought was tacts – industrial, international, good for them. When he was re- and racial-with the spirit of J e- called to the United States he felt sus, we have done-not everything that he had been sacrificed because indeed-but a great deal to remove of his complete devotion to a prin- a world-wide obstacle to the ciple, that he had been made to preaching of the Christian doctrine suffer for what he thought and of God and of man.
ANOTHER UNANSWERABLFJ ARGU MENT FOR CHRIS'l'IAN lIIISSIONS Fifteen thousand Korean Christians-a generation removed from sllperstitioll-at a SlIlI(ln,r·Sclwol Hally in Seoul, Korea
A MISSIONARY LOOKS AT THE CRITICS'"
BY REV. E. STANLEY JONES, D.D., Sitapur, India Author oj ((Ghrist oj the Indian ROfld/' etc, FRANKNESS should character- something extraordinary-.-.:some- ize our facing of the modern thing that we cannot do without criticisms of missions. We divine power. The people should have too often been afraid to not think that they must get all acknowledge weaknesses. Our their criticisms of missions from movement is strong enough to secular pUblication. Let us talk acknowledge them. None of the more frankly about our weaknesses criticisms at home are anything as well as our strength.
like as severe as those made on the Look at some of these present mission' field. We missionaries day objections to missions. First, have gone far deeper to examine is the Christian message needed by our motives and outlook, our spirit the followers of non-Christian reand tempe.r of life. We criticize ligions? This is a very serious ourselves and our work because we question and is very prevalent, believe in the movement. We dare though not expressed so much as confess frankly and openly many implied. A book recently recomshortcomings. Mission Boards at mended by the "Religious Book borne ought not constantly to try Club," entitled, "The Pilgrimage to make out a case for complete of Buddhism" says something like success. We ought to take the this: Church into the heartbreaks of many failures. We are up against There is no question about the a task that is terrific, that is superiority of Christianity over Budsearching us to the depths, and dhism or vice versa. They both have oftentimes we fail. Our friends at their contributions to make, and they must join together to fight material- home ought to see the dark spots ism, so that this rivalry between re- as well as the bright spots, so that ligions should cease and cooperation the challenge can come to them as take place, in order to fight materialwell as to us. The Church at home istic attitudes in the world.
ought not to require us on the field That sounds so beautiful, and always to report success. Weare broad, and brotherly that I almost supposed to report angelic virtues wish that my conscience would alin everybody in our constituency. Some of our converts will probably low me to take that attitude. But turn out bad. All do not turn out after twenty-one years in India, I good at home! We missionaries cannot. If I must be narrow, I will are exactly like the people in the try to be as narrow as truth. We churches from which we have have tried to look sympathetically come. We are not super-men and into the soul of the non-Christian, super-women; we are just ordi- and to see good as well as bad. We nary men and women trying to do' are not building Christian mis- sions upon the badness in the non- • Extracts from an address .t the Foreign Christian faiths. In our round MbyistshioensAuCthoonrf.erence, Detroit. Not corrected table conferences in India we were 363
impressed with the fact that the Extravagance!
non-Christian faiths are bankrupt. Some people also criticise mis- They have assets of beauty and sions for "Extravagant expenditruth but these are not sufficient to ture." I cannot answer that as it payoff their obligations. There is relates to the Home Base, but on not enough dynamic and spiritual the mission fields I do not know power within these faiths to re- where we can spend too much in generate and change human so- the face of so much need. You ciety and lift men to God. The finest and greatest word of the could shut your eyes and throw non-Christian faiths does not tell money there, and it would hit some us that "the Word became flesh place of need. So it is almost fooland dwelt among us." All the proof. The reason we have not beauties of these faiths gathered made more mistakes in spending together, pale before the beauty of money over there is because we this Christian faith in which we can spend almost any amount anysee God. It sounds very brotherly where and touch somebody's need. to say, "Every religion is the It is not hard to save oneself from same," but a deep search will show personal extravagance, if one's us that there is something in Jesus salary is below $2,000,· which is a Christ that is lacking in the others large missionary salary. Some say that missionary institutions and that is final and unique. Professor Otto, author of that have over-built in China, but I do remarkable book, "The Idea of the not know where we have over-built Holy," went out to India with the in India. We might have built concept that Christianity is only some of the missionary bungalows the elongation of other faiths. At a bit smaller, but in the hot sum- Jerusalem, when we were discuss~ mer months we wish those rooms ing Hinduism, he said: "As I were big enough to include the went to India, I had the idea that North Pole. Most of the mission- Christianity was only more ad- aries ride third-class in railway vanced than other religions. I trains and if you ask why, they have come back with the convic- say, "Because there is no fourthtion that there is such a difference class." An Indian said to me one in degree that it amounts to a day, "You can ride third-class be- cause you are a religious man; it difference in kind." The conviction has written itself doesn't degrade you, and if you upon my own heart that there is ride first-class, it doesn't exalt you; something in the Gospel that makes you are above those things." I reit unique. The non-Christian faiths joice in my freedom.
are not a sufficient basis for the Another criticism from some regeneration of the men across the quarters at home is: "Too much seas. While Mahatma Gandhi has overlapping." There may be places a good deal to contribute to Chris- where there is overlapping, though tians, Christ has infinitely more to I have not seen them as I travel contribute to Gandhi, namely, the throughout India. In the district best thing in life-an intimate, where my home is there are over personal knowledge of God, which two million people and only one Gandhi confesses that he has not missionary is stationed there.
found. Some people at home seem to think
A MISSIONARY LOOKS AT THE CRITICS
that we are scrambling for terri- and holding us and lifting us while tory in the East, when the fact of we present Him to other people.
the matter is that the territory has This is the great corrective at the been divided so that there is very heart of our Gospel.
little overlapping in the mission We have been told so often that fields. There are various missions we must not be "superior"; that in the large cities, but that does we are to remain inferior. We not mean overlapping for no one ought to stand up in the midst of mission could undertake the whole these situations courageously and job. in Christ's name challenge them.
As a rule the same may be said We have a Christ who towers over of the so-called "Denominational the wrecks of time, and we should rivalry." The fear in the minds of make no apology for Him. The many people is that on the mission man who has fully surrendered field the denominational lines will himself to Christ and His service fade out altogether. In the East can say, "I dare rise and preach the denominational distinctions the Gospel, for I do not want anyare being lost sight of in the bigger thing, therefore, I am afraid of no meaning of being Christian. I one and nothing." We need the work in cooperation with all the divine audacity of one of our mismISSlOns. One board pays my sionaries, to whom a man at home salary and traveling expenses and said: "I am going to give you $50 allows me to work with all the mis- for your work." She had seen the sions. I do not recognize any riv- $100,000 house in which he lived alry between missions as I travel and she replied, "I cannot take it about in India. ·Each mission has from you. I saw your house just a bigger task than it can do, and now and I want $1,000 at least." we do not try to go into another's She got it. We have to stand with territory. Where there is a chance a non-Christian world beating on for overlapping among Christians our faith night and day, so we need in certain villages, they go before to have a divine audacity or break. the Comity Committee and settle It is a divine gift that we can take from God. Most missionaries are the matter. less in danger of suffering from a Unwarranted Claims superiority complex than from an Do the missionaries make "Un- inferiority complex.
warr(J;nted claims of superiority"? Is it true that "The missionaries I do believe that our Christian are ineffective"? Some of us are.
faith is superior-that is why I One said to me some time ago, went to India. But as I make the "Some of us ought to be shipped center of that faith Jesus Christ, home labeled, 'Empty Mission- instead of that belief creating in aries.' " I asked, "Why shipped me a superiority complex, it is a home? Why not go to the Fountain constant humbling process. As I to be filled?"
get into the fellowship with Jesus Many of us may be ineffective, Christ, I find it possible to hold but we come out of your churches this superior faith with a humbled and represent your life. In Heav- heart. The center of the whole en's name, I say: "Send us more enterprise ought to be the Person effective missionaries by becoming of Jesus Christ, who is judging us more effective yourselves." Peter's
spiritual son, John Mark, had the to be satisfied with chains. We same weakness that his spiritual want people to stand up and have father had. Peter turned and de- life. If our Christian Gospel is serted, and Mark, his spiritual son, creating a demand for larger life, did the same thing. If we mission- it is exactly what we expect it to aries are ineffective let us acknowl- do. If it made men satisfied to live edge that the failure is at both in chains it would not be the "Good ends, and try to be more effective News." The Gospel has come to at home as well as abroad. break chains. We want to say to But after confessing our weak- peoples all over the earth: "We ness, I wish I had time to show will not be satisfied until nations how these mIssIonaries have are recreated and free–economicstarted a movement that is the ally, socially, politically, morally, greatest transforming movement and spiritually." That means upthat ever swept across the world. set in some lands. Weare not After one hundred years we are ashamed of that, but we do hope much further along in the Chris- to guide the revolution into sane channels according to the mind of tianization of India than were the Jesus Christ. first Christians in the Christianization of 'Greece. It took three Is there "Too much overlordship centuries to Christianize Greece, exercised by missionaries over the and some would expect us to Chris- native Christians?" No doubt tianize India in eighty years. An there has been in many cases and Indian once said, "You Christians we must guard against it. The can gain conquests in China and reason why there is overlordship is the Islands of the Sea, because they because we are 'sent out to be are the kindergarten of religion. leaders. In India you are bucking against Jesus, in Moffat's translation, said, "Be ye not called teachers." the college of religion." Every- The attitude of the teacher is, I thing in India is being challenged know; you don't. by the Christian Gospel and everything is brought to the bar of that Second, "Be ye not called fa- judgment. Many a non-Christian thers." The fathers are the expein India is living upon a Christian rienced; I know, what do you ideal and thinks it is Hinduism. youngsters know?
Third, "Be ye not called lead- "Spoiling the Natives" ers." The attitude of the leader Again are "Missionaries dis- is; I lead, you follow.
turbers of the peace by their inter- But Jesus said: "Be ye called ference in non-Christian lands?" servants. That is the only attitude We plead guilty. We are spoiling I can trust you with." It is the the natives for some things. We only Christian attitude.
want to. We want to spoil them In the homeland. it might be for chains. We want them to re- well to cease training leaders and fuse to live in slavery, mentally or train some servants, who through spiritually or physically. Lord service will find leadership. If you Inchcape said that the Christian send out leaders. you will have a missionaries are at the bottom of lot of people who are trying to the uprising in China. I shouldn't lead. If you will train servants, wonder. We do not want people the servant of all will become
leader of all by sheer fact of that tionals as soon as men are ready service. That is the kind of leader- to take over, clear up to the bishop- ship that is worthwhile. Tell can- ric. When we suggested an In- didates that you are sending them dian bishop the greatest opposition out there to lose themselves in came from the Indians themselves.
service, and then they will find We have been slow but we are on themselves. the right track.
On the mission field we are At the Jerusalem Conference the searching to find out our weakness- National Christian delegates from es as never before and in some of all the mission fields said that they the strategic places we are putting are not yet able to carryon the nationals where missionaries used work without missionary help.
to be. We are making an effort And these Nationals were men and to develop the right kind of serv- women who are not afraid to take ants as leaders in the native responsibility and to voice criti- Church. cisms. Men like David Yui, one Another objection is made of the outstanding men of China against continuing foreign mis- said: "We need you; we are not sionary support today. It is that yet ready to take over the work of "Nationals 'are able to carryon evangelizing our people."
alone." We wish they were. If The Need at Home we are trying to do anything, it is to work ourselves out of the job. Again, is there "so much work Weare there not merely to do a at the Home Base" that we cannot work, but to train men on the field afford to send men and money who will do it. It is a delicate abroad? I do not doubt at all that question as to how fast we can there is plenty of work to be done turn over the control to the native at home. But the Church at home churches. In North India we have needs Christian missions to save it turned over our largest college, the from decay. I know a great church Lucknow Christian College, to an that has withdrawn itself from the Indian president who now has rest of the world, and has said, American professors working un- "We are going to build a great der him. Our largest theological body." They built a million dollar seminary has also been turned over body at the expense of giving up to a National, under whom are work for others. After they got American professors. Half of our the million dollar body they found finance committee in the North they had a two-cent soul. I have India Conference are Nationals not seen anywhere in the United who can outvote missionaries five States a more disgruntled and un- to one. They can, if they wish, happy congregation. Big buildings send only Indian delegates to our are all right if you have souls big General Conference. Half of the enough to inhabit them and use district superintendents are Na- them. Christian missions help to tionals. We would like to turn put soul into the work of the over more control to them as soon Church. By losing ourselves for as we have the kind of men to others we receive more than we whom it can be entrusted wisely. give.
There is a delicate line there. The In 1923 there was one minister missionaries can be trusted to give to every 524 people in the United over the responsibilities to the Na- States. One minister ought to be
able to look after that number. with a passion that lies at the But when we think of vast millions heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. in the world who have no mission- When we have this the Church will ary or only one to a million souls arise and respond. there seems to be room for missionaries in other lands. Four years ago I found an en- tirely different situation here. At What about the other objection that time we in the United States that "American Christianity is not seemed to be suffering from "the a living power at home and so paralysis of analysis." Men were should not be sent abroad." We seeking to place the blame for cannot assent to that. Christian- failures in mission work. Now we ity in America is not as living a are beginning a constructive phase power as it might be, but Christ of Christian missions. We realize is a living power here. We believe that Christ is necessary to men. that the heart of the home church We know that we have the reis sound and if the Christian min- sources, and if those in charge of istry will lead the church, the the missionary movement have the ~hristians at home are ready for passion and single-minded devoa great advance. This is my con- tion, and if they are willing to pay viction. . the price, then I believe that the doors are open to the greatest con- But most Christian people in structive era in the history of America are not raising objections Christian missions. In the transito the conduct of Christian mis- tion to this new day there is still sions abroad; they are asking: one thing that holds steady- "What can we do to help?" They Christ is as necessary for the huare waiting for leadership in a man heart as light is necessary to constructive advance. We need a the human eye. leadership based upon service and O NE beautiful day we climbed to the crest of a hill above the city of Hwai Yen, in Central China, to look out over the great mission field surrounding the city. I tried to count the vil1ages and towns over those fertile inland Chinese plains and counted up to three or four hundred; then the distant haze hid the other towns from view. The great' fields were ready for the harvest. We turned from the vision of the field waiting and reapers so few, and sat down inside the little temple. On the wall was an inscription which James Cochran, translated for us. It ran: "Where there is an earnest beseeching, there will be a sure reply."
"Wanted-bread for a hungry world." "Wanted-light for a groping world." Will there be a sure reply? Will we put what we have of life and life's possessions into assuring that reply? Are we American Christians going to follow the voice of Christ that bids us go across the world and share what has been given to us with all mankind, or are we not? Will we give the Gospel or try to keep it-and lose it?-"Are Foreign Missions Done For?"
UNCHANGING ESSENTIALS·
BY ROBERT E. SPEER, D.D., New York Interest and Investment in the corporate activities of the O NE of the aspects of the great body. deliverance of the Mission- Third, there is the motive of spe- ary Council at Jerusalem on cial interest in persons or in ac- "The Christian Message," relates tivities. We know some individual, to the bearing of the Message upon or we are interested in a particular the problem of missionary interest enterprise, and we give because of and giving in the church at home. our specific interest. All of our What are the actual motives of boards make as much as they can missionary giving operating in our out of this motive, and in many churches today? cases it is a genuinely spiritual First, there is the motive of lo- motive. In other cases, it is little cal congregational respectability. more than a sense of friendly per- Such money is given with very lit- sonal interest.
tie thought as to the object for Beyond these three motives lie which it is given. Men and women deeper ones. There is the motive feel that they must decently dis- of philanthropic sympathy. Many charge their ordinary responsibil- men will give money for child wel- ities and they give to objects set fare or the relief of child suffering, before them with little more motive who will give it for nothing else.
than that of the sense of congrega- A prominent banker in one of our tional respectability. I imagine that churches, when I was laying a cer- there is more of this now than tain enterprise before him, said: there used to be, in response to the "I will not give a dollar for any- pressure of the every member can- thing except for little children. but vass which brings to bear on the I will give you any amount of mon- whole congregation a sense of duty, ey you need, and that I can, for of sharing in the responsibility of that particular interest." Some- the congregation as a whole. often thing of the same sort lies behind without any very clear realization some of the support of the medical of the objects for which there missionary enterprise. Human suf- should be any giving at all. fering appeals to the hearts of men, Second, there is the motive of and they are moved to give to its denominational loyalty. This is a relief.
little fuller than the motive of con- Beyond this motive there lies gregational respectability. The another, that some would call deep- giving under the budget and the er still-The sense of social obli- ratio plan rests, in the case of many gation. This is based on the feel- givers, largely on this motive of de- ing of our collective relationship; nominational loyalty. The church and the readiness of men to help member feels himself to be part of to bear the burdens of the whole the denomination and he is pressed of the world. Men will give to with the duty of taking some part great educational institutions now and then, because these are min- • Extracts from an Address at the Foreign .t l. n Mlssiolls Conference, Detroit, January, 1929. e r g to deep national needs. IS 4 369
They will even give to missionary terprise needs today is that we enterprises that promote human should rest it more securely and peace and brotherhood and better absolutely than ever on this founinternational understanding, be- dation. cause such work contains the ideals of a more rational collective human Missionary Going life. That motive is a real one, and a great deal of missionary money We might also analyze the accomes from men who are not feel- tual motives behind missionary ing the deeper motive bordering going. We cannot group all these on this. motives under anyone classifica- tion. They are not quite as diverse Behind all these, lie the more and they do not run out quite as purely religious motives. Religion thin as some of the motives of runs far deeper than these other giving. Often a motive will suffice interests and behind these motives to lead a man to give money that I have mentioned, the missionary would never lead him to give his enterprise must rest on a deeper life. religious motive of propagating the Christian religion, of sharing J e- But there are many of these mosus Christ. as Saviour with all the tives that spring from the sense rest of the world. of human compassion and brother- hood. There is the desire to put Even this is capable of a double life to the best use, the willingness interpretation. There are many to give whatever one has that is who believe in sharing Christ with good to the rest of mankind, while the world, because they think other motives are less adequate Christ will be helpful to others; than these. They are worthy mothat the other religions are not tives for human service but not quite as good as the Christian re- absolutely evangelical. ligion; and that there is something in Christ that should be given to The motive that constrained men all other peoples. and women to go out as mission- aries at the beginning, that I be- Christ Indispensable lieve alone will be sufficient to continue the missionary enterprise, But deeper than that is the in- is the desire to share our Saviour terpretation in which I believe- and the only Saviour with a world that Jesus Christ is the only full that absolutely needs that Saviour. religion, and that therefore we are This motive ought to lay hold of bound to carry Christ to all the us in the old way and in a new way. world. He is the religion that every man must accept if he is to I have a letter from a business have the religion that every man man written in reply to a commuabsolutely needs. The true motive nication with regard to the misis the sharing of Christ with the sionary situation. He says in world, because Christ is indispen- substance: sable and absolutely essential to the whole of human life. I am only a business man, but I am speaking, I know, in behalf of thousands My conviction is that if we elimi- of other laymen, whom I am meeting nate this last motive all the mis- allover our Christian churches. Your sionary giving will sooner or later missionary enterprise is suffering, first dry up. What our missionary en- of all because you have too much false and unworthy theology in it. In the second place, it is suffering because you have lost the old central, simple ways
THE UNCHANGING ESSENTIALS
of doing your work and you are relying unprecedented, unequalled, unsucon all kinds of secondary and unspiritual ceeded, historic fact, the fact of the agencies. Your preachers are sensation- incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, alists. They are not content any longer and the delivering deed that Jesus with the reasoned statement of Christian Christ did once for all by His life conviction. They are playing all kinds and His death and His resurrecof games in trying to hold together their tion. We need this very sorely in Christian congregations and galvanizing our modern world-the clear unwith unreal dynamic the activity of the equivocal recovery of this New Christian faith in the modern world. Testament declaration, that was expressed at the Jerusalem Coun- This business man might have a fuller and more comprehensive cil. view, but he has put his finger on The Council, in its Message, also some truth. We might as well recognize it. I thank God that at recognized in the most generous the International Council at J eru- terms the spiritual values of the non-Christian religions, but it desalem, this statement in regard to clared that all those values were the Christian Message, fearlessly fulfilled and transcended in Jesus went right to the heart of this mat- Christ. Those who speak of "the ter. That message shows the foun- new attitude toward non-Christian dations on which alone we can religions" ought to realize that we maintain the missionary enter- dare not call a thing "new," unless prise. it never was before. What is there in our new attitude toward the non- Our Missionary Message Christian religions that is true that is new at all. First of all, the message asserted unequivocally and uncompromis- One of the dearest friends I ever ingly the uniqueness, the finality had, was the late Dr. F. F. Ellenand the absoluteness of J esU8 wood, for more than a generation Christ, and the revelation of God secretary of the Presbyterian in Christ. Without losing our- Board of Foreign Missions, and selves in any cloud we believe that one of the ablest men we have ever Jesus Christ is sufficient and that had in the Christian church or in Jesus Christ is indispensable. Of the missionary forces of our land course there is much in Him, that or of the world. Read Dr. Ellenwe have never yet uncovered. He wood's books, and then tell me wouldn't be God if that were not what you have that is new in comtrue. But we don't believe there parison with his attitude of mind. is anything outside of Christ that needs to be imparted to Him. Go back further to Archbishop Trench, and in his lectures on More and more we have to see "Christ, the Desire of the Naour Gospel whole. We have to tions," read an anticipation of the realize that it is an act that God deliverance of the Jerusalem Coundid, that He did in history, that cil by seventy-five years. Those He did once for all, and it is not lectures are the generous descripdependent upon our belief or our tion of the spiritual values of the unbelief for its reality. It is there non-Christian religions, and show in history, and our Christian Gos- in a most glorious way how all pel is not merely a comparison of those values are realized and perpresent spiritual values between fected and transcended in Jesus the different religions of the world; it is the message of a great, unique,
Christ. These values, which in sive for it holds that all essential their real merit are spiritual religious truth is in Jesus Christ.
values incorporated in personal The Jerusalem Message also sets character, we are constantly con- Christ in His first and central fusing with the great systems from place, so that everything else falls which we think they come out into naturally into its own right place.
the lives of men. When men talk When this position is accepted oth- today about the possibility of our er problems are not troublesome- regenerating these great non- indUstry, the social problem, the Christian systems they forget the race problem, the problem of war, history of human thought. political problems – all resolve In a striking article on the sub- themselves when we put Christ" in ject of our attitude toward the non- his first and central and complete Christian religions, printed in The and commanding place. We will Indian Standard, Dr. H. D. Gris- not have so much discussion and wold, as competent a Sanscrit stu- disagreement over these issues if dent as we have, deals with our at- we all stand on common ground as titude toward the great non-Chris- to the uniqueness, the sufficiency tian religions as systems. The first and finality of Christ.
part of this' paper is a noble and Again the Jerusalem Council re- generous expression with regard to vealed to many of us how close we these spiritual, personal values. have come to universal Christian Then he says: conceptions in the great historic A study of the missionary history of Christian church. Many times we the Christian centuries fails to show a are told that the Christianity of single example of the transfiguration of the west is Occidental, and that we any non-Christian system of thought or must change this if we would comreligion. The early church met Greek, mend Christianity to the world. Roman, and Teutonic paganism. Not As a matter of fact Western theoone of the non-Christian systems assumed logical forms were largely moulded a Christian form, although doubtless they had numbers of adherents whose thoughts and lives had been more or by Eastern minds, for the Greek less influenced by Christianity. As old fathers represented predominantly systems they died a natural death. the Oriental attitude, while the Latin fathers represented the The new wine of the kingdom re- Western attitude. The true, hisquired new wine skins. The new gar- toric, Christian tradition is a comment of Christianity cannot be fastened position that answers to the unias patches upon the old garment of any versal mind and the universal non-Christian system. No man or woman of fine Christian experience and conviction can find a permanent home in any non-Christian system. The only proper home for such is in the Christian heart. Weare coming, in science church. and philosophy, to see that there I believe that the day is coming is no real distinction between Occi- when we will have thought our- dental and Oriental science and selves through a great deal of the philosophy. There is only the vague mist that surrounds us now, truth. The same is true in regard in the field of comparative religion, to the great Christian tradition, and will draw back closer to the as we saw when we tested our full, clear, unequivocal and inclu- Eastern friends at Jerusalem.
sive attitude of the New Testament Set apart for that purpose and toward non-Christian systems. not in the whole commission but The New Testament view is inclu- in a smaller group, two of the men
from Asia raised the question ascended into Heaven-the same whether we other men from the Jesus whom men had seen and who West were not falling altogether will come back as men saw Him too much into Western modes of go–we felt there in that environ- thought and Western forms of ex- ment and in that fellowship, a real pression. Our reply was, "We be- experience such as we never had lieve that we are all essentially had before. And in that experience, agreed in the things that underlie. we saw with a new unclouded as- Won't you two men go off by your- surance what the foundations of selves and put it in words for us?" this Christian enterprise are. The So they went off to put it into missionary enterprise stands more words, and then when they came securely on these conceptions of back we asked them for the result Christianity than any other enter- and they would not give it to us. prise we have. It must be sup- And when we asked them why, they ported, not as a philanthropy, not said, "We find that what we have as an educational undertaking, not written is more Western than what as a great benevolence; but under you have written." Two of the all as a Christological movement in cleverest minds from Asia in the its deepest sense. It must be sup- Conference,' when they attempted ported by men who believe in to express Christian truth in East- Christ as the essential and indis- ern phraseology could not do it pensable Saviour, and in the Chris- and realized that the great his- tian Gospel as complete and final, toric statements of the Christian and to be shared with all the rest Church are not racial; they are of the world. This is the essential not sectional; they are universal. nature of our undertaking. The We are a great deal nearer in missionary enterprise can not be the historic tradition of Christian- transformed into an ecclesiastical ity to a universal accent than we Red Cross, or an international will come by surrendering to the education board, or a society for catch words of our decade, and the improvement of urban and thinking that we can revise what rural conditions. All these are a the whole of humanity, working part of the fruitage that flows through nineteen hundred years, out of the undertaking. But the has not been able to produce. No- real root of this enterprise, the body says that we have exhausted great tap root runs down into the Christ, least of all those of us uniqueness of the Person and the who believe that in Christ dwelleth Gospel of Christ and the indispen- "all the fullness of the Godhead sableness of that Person and that bodily." But we do say that the Gospel to the whole world and to researches must be made in Christ every man and every woman in and on the foundations that have the world.
been laid. Much will change inevitably in Once again, the Jerusalem Coun- the missionary enterprise but this cil brought to all of us a very great one thing can not change. If we experience. There was a fellow- want a watchword for our move- ship there that was a fellowship ment that word is found in the of the highest and there in the land Epistle to the Hebrews: "Jesus where Christ lived, where He died, Christ the same; yesterday and and on the hill from which He today, and forever."
e-oPICS Of THE
WHO IS BROAD MINDED? What is our interest in the Jew at Some men pride themselves on their our doors? Is there anything more breadth of mind and their wide in- than spasmodic attention given to the terests. They contrast themselves to changes going on in the Moslem lands narrow-minded preachers and mission- and in India? Honestly, how broad ary enthusiasts. They claim to be and deep are our interests in our fel- broad because of their "liberal" views lowmen and in their relationship to on strong drink, amusements, sex the program of God? problems and their indifference to the- Even a cursory glance through the ological controversy. Are they really broad or only shallow? Not long ago periodicals and books that come each we met a geJ;ltleman high in the busi- month to an editor's table give some ne~s world, a man of wealth, who idea of the broadening influence of an intelligent interest in missions.
claImed to be too broad to be inter- This subject is vitally related to every ested in church affairs. In point of man, woman and child in this planet. fact, he was too narrow-minded to The purpose of Christian missions is think beyond the present life and too to relate every human being to God limited in vision to see beyond his and to fellow human beings in a way own home and business interests. t~at will. promote wisdom, peace, hap- pmess, nghteousness, love and unself- There is nothing so deepening and elevating as a vital relationship to ish service. J esu~ Christ, the Son of God, and In our own narrow spheres we are nothmg so broadening as a vital interest in the Kingdom of God and impressed with the suffering we see, its progress. Men and women read- with family discords, with business rivalry, with bootlegging and lawless- ing the daily paper reveal their most ness and frivolity. We are either v~tal interests by the attention they tempted to discouragement or indif- glve to sports, fashion, society news, ference and turn our attention to stock market reports, literature, poli- pleasure and other absorbing intertics, religion, and domestic or foreign ests, or we may seek in our own feeble news. Does our reading make us way to overcome evil with good.
more narrow and provincial or does When we read the story of the de- it broaden our horizon and interests? velopment of God's program in the Many are not at all concerned with world life takes on a new interest, the welfare of Mexico aside from the a new meaning. There is no danger influence a revolution may have on of ennui, for time and strength are their personal business. Do we care too limited to keep abreast of all the enough for the famine sufferers of topics and enterprises that are of im- China or Armenia, as well as those portance and of thrilling interest.
in America, to understand their need Here are a few items taken at random and to help to supply it? Are we from the press reports of a single truly interested in the betterment of week-and thoughts they stir.
the Negro in our country and also in . (1) .A picture of a fine group of boys Africa? Do we take time to inform marchmg to morning prayers at Calaourselves as to the Oriental students bar .College, Jamaica. Who can predict and workers in America and in A .? tihnethmeflcuoernnciengthyaetartsh?ese boys may exert Sla.
374 (2) The report of a generous thank- all of God's program; broad enough offering in self-denial week among the in vision to look into all the corners black Christians of the Congo–not one of the earth to see how God is work- generation removed from gross heathen- ing; warm enough in heart not to ism. fear lest they will be moved by such interest and vision to give up some (3) The story of a Sunday with Chris- self indulgence to supply a brother's tian Khond's of India, showing their or sister's need, and loving enough new vision of God and of life. and Christ-minded enough to take in the whole world and to use all talents (4) The romance of the Karen mis- in true partnership with God. sion, Burma, where remarkable trans- formations are taking place. MISSIONARY STOCKHOLDERS ( 5) The answer to the question, Why I T WOULD mean a new day of Iceland gave up prohibition of intoxi- Christian missions if everyone cant&-and what Spain had to do with it. who puts money into the enter- prise would study the reports as close- (6) An estimate of imperialism as a ly and watch the returns as eagerly . menace to Christian progres&-showing as those who invest money in the stock market. the relation of international politics to the Kingdom of God. One great obstacle to missionary progress is the indifference of those (7) The picture of a new day dawn- who should be its supporters. How ing for Baxter, Tennessee–and what many hear an appealing statement of New York Christians had to do with it. the need and opportunity, invest a small sum in the enterprise and (8) The story of some startling de- promptly forget.about it. They never velopments in China and the relationship make inquiries as to the returns, never of the new government to the old religion. send up a prayer to God to guide and bless the workers and consequently (9) A report of the activities of the never know whether the investment Mexican War-God, and the possible re- has really been worth while. sults. One of the officers of the Presby- (10) A description of the Anglo-Sax- terian Board of Foreign Missions has on in the southern mountains of the issued a "statement to stockholders" United States, and the results of ar- that may well represent the returns rested progress. on the investment in the work con- ducted for Christ in many fields by So we might go on picking up clues many boards. This statement by Dr. at random from hundreds of papers. Robert E. Speer is in part as follows: Every broadminded man must be in- terested in his fellowmen, of what- The foreign missionary business is not ever race or color or nation. Every the business of the Board only; it is the true Christian must be interested in business of the Church. The Board is God's program for mankind, and in simply chosen by the company to direct the way in which the purpose of Christ affairs, honestly, economically and effi- and His mission to the world is being ciently. fulfilled. There are certain problems which must The REVIEW exists especially to make be reported to the stockholders for their known the facts of vital importance information and decision at this time. related to the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth-without First, certain adverse conditions, which prejudice or partiality. Here you will were very unfavorable to the enterprise, learn of the needs of obscure corners are beginning to settle down satisfac- of the earth as well as those that torily. For the time being, at least, appear on the front page of the daily civil war in China has practically ceased press. Here we describe work of all and a group of men is trying to develop branches of the Christian church in a stable national government. The new all parts of the world. The followers situation provides more stability and a of Christ should pull together in car- rying out His program and in order to do this we must each of us "look not only on his own things but also on the things of others." There is great need today to increase the num- ber of Christians who are broad enough minded to take an interest in
better hope that the old nominal consti- and opens the way for our Christian tutional promises of religious liberty may business. And the other of these two be observed. Missionaries have returned new elements in the life of India is the to their stations. Most missionary insti- ever enlarging admiration for Christ and tutions have resumed their work, and the the ever wider conception of him as the Chinese Christians have had thrown upon authoritative moral ideal. Will the them and are not unworthily bearing a Company seize this opportunity to acmuch heavier burden of responsibility. complish the task for which it was or- China is the biggest field in the world for ganized and which each stockholder has the diffusion of Christianity. The need declared is the chief con~ern of his life, is more distinct than ever and the op- namely, to make the Saviour known and portunity is opening to meet that need. to fulfil his prayer, "Thy kingdom come Will not the shareholders order their on earth"? directors to act with courage and daring? Our personnel and plants throughout Another anxious situation has been re- the world are very satisfactory. There lieved in Persia. For a few months it have been some heavy losses.. …. But seemed possible that mission schools there are fifteen hundred men and womwould have to close or would be closed. en of the best on earth representing us. It was proposed to exclude from them And their schools and hospitals and all Christian teaching and to require the in- the institutions of their work are so clusion of Moslem teaching. But now many efficient and productive powerthe schools may go on with larger privi- houses of life and love and service. leges and immunities than ever, including exemption of students from military Your directors want to say a plain and service, and no limitation whatever on conclusive word about the misrepresenta- Christian teaching and influence except tion in circulation to the effect that your that the Bible may not be taught as a business is mismanaged, that "it takes a required subject in the regular cur- dollar to send a dollar," or worse yet riculum to Moslem students. A Church that "most of each dollar is taken up by of Christians from all races is growing administration and promotion and never up in Persia at the center of the Mo- reaches the field." This is false. And hammedan world. Is this not another the gifts on the foreign field received by call for wise and friendly development of the missionaries for the work offset three times the total cost of promotion and the enterprise? administration. And all around the 'world the field is Each dollar spent in this business acopen and inviting. In Chosen the gov- complishes ten times as much as a dollar ernment is giving the mission schools spent at home. Take the case of one the recognition which they have long suburban town near New York. Each sought, and now the question is as to dollar given for the hospital in that town the ability of the missions to improve provides 1/17 of the expense of one pathe opportunity for which they have tient. In our foreign missions hospitals worked and prayed. What is the use of each dollar given by the home Church toiling with sweat and blood for oppor- provides the support of ten patients. In tunities which, through want of support the schools in this same town there are from home, cannot be used when they 3,314 pupils and the cost of the schools per annum is $395,000, or $119 per pupil. are won? And the grade of these schools does not In India two new elements fill each go above the high school. On the for- eign field the total cost of our mission year an increasing place. One is the schools to the home Church, including growing recognition, in theory at least, the salaries of all the missionary of the principle of religious freedom. teachers, is approximately $1,500,000. The Religious Unity Conference held in There are 110,653 pupils – an average Delhi in 1924, composed of leading rep- cost per annum of $13 per pupil as comresentatives of all the religions in India, pared with $119, and our foreign misadopted strong resolutions in favor of sion schools include colleges, universifull religious freedom and the new con- ties and graduate schools. The business stitution proposed from India by the All is efficiently and economically done. It Parties Conference of 1928 provides, challenges anyone's closest scrutiny. among the acknowledged "Fundamental Rights," that "there shall be no state re- But the support of the enterprise by ligion for the Commonwealth of India the stockholders of the Company is inor for any province in the Common- adequate. We have our work laid out wealth," and tbat "no person shall by on a scale of operations beyond the presreason of his religion, caste or creed be ent support of the organization. One of prejudiced in any way in regard to pub- two things will have to be done. Either lic employment, office of power or honor the level of our activities will have to and the exercise of any trade or calling." be lowered and their scope contracted or This indeed is as yet only theoretical but it is becoming increasingly IIctual
TOPICS OF THE TIMES
the level of the Church's support will in the home and in the vocational direchave to be raised. The stockholders will tion of life. have to decide…… Read again Matthew 28: 19 and Mark 16: 15 and Acts (5). The right ideals and principles of 1: 8 and Luke 9: 62. separate, cooperative or united work in the relationships of men and women. If, in spite of the charter and the will of the Head, the Company means to con- A special committee of the General tract and withdraw, where shall the reduction be made? What sick folk are to Council consisting of Dr. Robert E. be turned out or what boys and girls are to be dismissed from school or where Speer, Mrs. F. S. Bennett, Miss Maris the Gospel to be withheld? garet E. Hodge and Dr. Lewis S. If the Company is unwilling to scuttle any of its Lord's work then there is only Mudge, was appointed to study the one alternative. Lift the level of giving. Lift it now ….. . subject further and report at the We can give all that the Head of our meeting of the Council, March 6th. Company is asking of us in order that That some adjustments should be His last command may be obeyed and that His gospel may be given to all to made is obvious, when the General whom it belongs. Council has found the way of wisdom STATUS OF WOMEN and the true path of progress. Many women in the Church are not satisfied with present administrative OBITUARY NOTES conditions. Some fear the loss of the women's organizations through which JAMES R. BAILEY, M.D., of Impur, they have worked and some regard as Assam, died on December 8, 1928. From unjust the lack of adequate represen- the time of his arrival at Impur in 1910 tation of women in the Church. as an American Baptist missionary, he had been traveling constantly among the The General Council of the Presby- natives, ministering to their needs, terian Church recently appointed a preaching the gospel and by his own special committee consisting of Mrs. example teaching them to know Christ. Fred S. Bennett of the Board of Na- During the World War Dr. Bailey spent tional Missions and Miss Margaret his furlough in France ministering to Hodge, of the Board of Foreign Mis- the Assam Labor Battalions. He is a sions, to consider the matter. They graduate of Bucknell University and the presented a careful report to the Coun- Medico-Chirurgical Medical College, cil in November, 1927, and later fifteen Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His work representative women were invited to in the Naga Hills annually meant the meet with the General Council for a care of 5,000 out-patients, 1,000 free full study of all the issues involved. treatments to Impur school boys, hun- These topics included: dreds of calls throughout the district, and many operations. "To do this work," (1). The status of women in the Dr. Bailey said, "many hundreds of miles ecclesiastical organizations of the had to be traveled on pony, and when Church-the diaconate, the eldership and paths were too steep, on foot. Many the ministry, the presbytery, the synod, times I have sat down to rest thinking and the General Assembly. I had used my last ounce of strength, only to be renewed and start the climb (2). Women's organized work in the in a few minutes, up and on till the last Church, the Missionary Societies, young village was reached, and there hold meetpeople's organizations, and women's aid in"'Q sell medicine, visit sick, and then societies-their present and future scope to bed about midnight, tired and weary, and responsibility. yet conscious of being spent in the Mas- ter's service." (3). The relations of the women of the Church to women's organizations ** outside of the Church. REY. GEORGE H. HUBBARD, a missionary (4). Women's unorganized work in in Foochow, China, since 1884, until his the Church, including personal evangel- last furlough, died recently at West ism, Sunday-school teaching, influence Haven, Conn., at the age of seventy- three. As a missionary of the American Board, he and his wife specialized in evangelistic work, and were always in- terested in the common people. He edited a colloquial paper printed in the Romanized Chinese, and aided in the preparation of other literature, but his chief contribution was the foundinl!' of the Chinese Christian Endeavor Move- ment in 1885.
WHO'S WHO AMONG OUR tian Missions in China" and other vol- AUTHORS umes.
WILLIAM T. ELLIS, LL.D., is a well- DR. WILLIAM BANCROFT HILL pracknown and popular lecturer, traveler tised Law at Baltimore from 1882 to and author who lives at Swarthmore, 1883 and after occupying the chair of Pennsylvania (when at home). He philosophy at Park College, Missouri, bestumped the country with the Laymen's came professor of Biblical Literature at Vassar College, which chair he occupied Movement for the first big conventions. for twenty years. He made an extensive His articles on Sunday-school lessons are visit to mission fields in Japan, China printed in more than a hundred daily and India a few years ago and to Egypt newspapers with a weekly circulation of and the Near East last year. He is president of the Board of Trustees of several million. He has been a Chautauqua speaker and is author of several the American University in Cairo. volumes including "Bible Lands Today" and "Men and Missions." Among his books are "The Life of CORNELIUS H. PATTON, D.D., is Home Christ," "Graves Lectures on Missions," and "The Apostolic Age."
Secretary of the American Board of REV. W. B. ANDERSON, D.D., went as a Commissioners for Foreign Missions and missionary to India in 1897 and was is a writer and speaker of note. He is a president of Gordon College, Ramal graduate of Amherst College and Yale Pindi, from 1899 to 1903. He has been Divinity School, and has traveled ex- corresponding secretary of the Board of tensively through Africa and the Orient. Foreign Missions of the United Presbytf,- His books include "The Rosary," "The rian Church since 1916 and is the author Business of. Missions" which has been of "Far North in India," "A Watered widely influential. His latest volume is Garden," and other volumes.
"Foreign Missions Under Fire." DR. FRANCIS J. MCCONNELL, is Bishop DR. THOMAS JESSE JONES is a well- of the Methodist Episcopal Church (New known sociologist. He was acting head York District). He was president of worker in the University Settlement, DePauw University from 1909 to 1912 New York City (1901-02) and director when he was elected bishop of the Methof the Research Department of Hampton odist Episcopal Church. He was presi- Institute (1902-09). He was specialist dent of the Religious Educational Assoin Education in the U. S. Bureau of ciation in 1916 and is now president of Education (1912-19) and has been Edu- the Federal Council of Churches of cational Director of the Phelps Stokes Christ in America. Among his books Fund since 1913. He led an Educational are "Religious Certainty," and "The Commission to West, South and Equa- Christlike God."
torial Africa in 1920-21 and again to REV. E. STANLEY JONES, D.O., went to India in 1907 and in 1926 was ap- East Africa in 1924. His latest volume pointed evangelist to Educated India and is "Essentials of Civilization" (1929).
REV. HUGH T. KERR, D.O., is now the to the high caste Indians. He was a pastor of the Shadyside Presbyterian delegate to the General Conference of Church. He was lecturer at McCormick the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1924, Theological Seminary (1910-11) and a and has twice refused the bishopric. He few years ago made a tour of the Far is a widely-known evangelist and the East studying the missionary situations. author of the popular volumes "Christ Among his books are "Children's Story of the Indian Road," and "Christ At the Sermons," "Children's Missionary Story- Round Table." He has just returned to Sermons," "The Highway of Life" and India after a strenuous speaking tour "The Gospel in Modern Poetry." He is in South America and in the United president of the Board of Christian Edu- States.
cation of the Presbyterian Church. ROBERT E. SPEER, a graduate of Prince- PROF. KENNETH SCOTT LATOURETTE ton University, has been corresponding was for some years in China under the secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Yale Mission and is at present professor Foreign Missions since 1892. He has of Missions and Oriental History at Yale several times traveled around the world University. He is a member of the Inter- and to South America and other lands. national Missionary Council and was for He was moderator of the General As- some time chairman of the Executive sembly of the Presbyterian Church from Committee of the Student Volunteer 1926 to 1927 and president of the Fed- Movement. He is author of "The De- eral Council of Churches from 1924 to velopment of China," "The Development 1926. He is the author of many volumes of Japan," "The Christian Basis of the latest of which is entitled "Are World Democracy," "History of Chris- Foreign Missions Done For?"
ETIlODS fOR
By MRS. F. I. JOHNSON, New York President of the Federation of Woman's Boards of Foreign Missions HANDLING OBJECTORS ice has steadily decreased from ap- A chronic objector, sooner or later proximately 2,700 in 1920 to less than to his own hurt, becomes a despised 300 in 1928. During these same years obstructionist. the number of new missionaries has also dropped though not in the same A good thing to remember proportion. Our American Boards And a better thing to do, have always had more volunteering Is to work with the construction gang than sailing in any given year until And not with the wrecking crew. 1924. Since then the opposite has CRITICS AND CANDIDATES been true, and so persistently and in- MILTON T. STAUFFER, creasingly true as to justify genuine concern. The contrast between 252 Secretary of the Foreign Missions Conference people who volunteered for mission- 0/ North America ary service in 1928 and 600 in the same year who received appointment We are deeply concerned over the (having volunteered from two to six future supply of well-qualified mis- years previously) must make every sionaries. Many of us repeatedly missionary leader pause and wonder raise questions like these: Are our where our future supply of missionyoung people volunteering in suffi- aries is to come from. The visible cient numbers? Are we sympathet- number of candidates now in line for ically aware of their difficulties and application and appointment in 1933 needs whenever we challenge them to and on, offers a strange contrast to consider foreign missions as a life former years. While a few Boards calling and are we helpful to them in may still be embarrassed by their reaching right decisions? So many riches in available candidates-the infactors enter into present-day situa- evitable consequence of the outpourtions that answers to these questions ing of life immediately following the are not simple, yet we feel we must war-this embarrassment is sure to be face them if the cause of foreign mis- short-lived, unless indeed our Amer- Jions is not to be embarrassed or even ican churches fail utterly in their miscrippled in the years immediately sionary giving. ahead. Now is the day for intelligent action. Tomorrow may be too late, so During the current year, the various far as our needs for missionary can- foreign missionary agencies of the didates next year and the following United States and Canada have listed year are concerned. Merely recording calls for 1,186 new missionaries. Of certain observations in outline, let us these, 432 are marked provisional, see if we can help one another toward which means that while the Boards a more fruitful exercise of our mis- would like to send out 1,186 workers, Rionary witness.
The Situation Calls for Concern tinancial provision has thus far been made for only 754. Of these calls 700/0 The number of young people vol un- come from ten major boards. For the teering during college and post-college first time since the war, mission years for the foreign Christian serv- boards are experiencing difficulty in 379
securing enough candidates. Either The Decline in ClUldidates they must be content with second-best material or let their calls go unfilled. Speaking negatively, it cannot be at- Eleventh-hour hand picking in the open market will not solve this diffi- tributed to any lack of social idealism culty which for some boards is certain to grow. on the part of Christian youth. They At the present time, mission boards are concerned with the abolition of are making their selections from candidates who volunteered five or six war, the Christianization of racial and years ago. Weare still running, therefore, on the momentum of pre- industrial relations, and other similar vious years so far as recruiting and selection are concerned. We are not social issues. The fact, however, that securing sufficient recruits to meet the needs of the boards four and five this idealism is not leading them into years ahead. foreign missionary service needs in- Inquiry over a long period of years has revealed the fact that new mis- terpretation. Among many factors sionaries are reaching their decision for missionary service earlier in life that account for this declining rate of than was true formerly. For example: in 1920 we find that 31 % of those candidates the following may be sugvolunteering decided on a missionary career before entering college. In gestive to us who seek ways and 1927 practically 500/0 reached this important decision during high school means of bettering present situations. years. The pre-college influences seem, therefore, to be on the increase. 1. Adult Christians lack interest in evangeli3m. The term itself has come In 1920 there were 280/0 of the vol- to mean something less or other than unteers who reported strong college the real thing. The church is not sufinfluence resulting in missionary de- ficiently impelled by the thought of its cIsIon. In 1927 only 100/0 attributed debt to Jesus Christ or by the vision of their decision to college influence. In the "life abundant," which He and He other words, we are probably safe in alone gives, to promote missions at sacriconcluding that college influences have ficial cost around the world. We are failed more than pre-college influences anemic. The heat of our enthusiasm is in this direction. In view of the in- below the burning point. As someone creasing number of life work deci- has said-"our churches are now carrysions which are made before college ing all the missionary load their spiritdays, would it not seem wise to give ual strength will bear." Special appeals, greater attention to missionary educa- threats of deficits may be applied as tion among preparatory and high stimulants to a spiritually underschool students? nourished church and these may result in extra contributions over and above Happily, at present, interest in vol- the church quota, but stimulants to a unteering among college students church that has no great increasing seems to be slightly on the increase. purpose to share Christ will never lead The number of students volunteering to missionary life decisions. It takes during January, 1929, is double the spiritually robust churches to give birth number of last January. The in- to missionaries who are qualified to meet crease in inquiries from students re- the exacting spiritual demands of misgarding missionary openings leads one sionary service today and who will bring to believe that this interest in volun- back sheaves. teering will continue. 2. The mtsswnary appeal of our churches i3 frequently mechanical and despiritualized. Material needs and deeds in the mission field are played up but not personality – undeveloped and en- slaved because lived apart from Christ and the freedom and power He offers. As long as youth is asked to give to the general benevolence budget of the church, or toward some school in Asia instead of for human beings, who unlike themselves are in need of intellectual and physical privileges, and most in need of a Christlike understanding of God and of Christ's message of salvation and hope, the heart of the whole matter is missing. Make missions impersonal, despiritualize its objective and you rob it of its warm appeal. It ceases to cap- ture the imagination of youth. It in- spires few life ~commitments.
METHODS FOR WORKERS
3. There is a wide-spread uncertainty nationals. Some students from other among students as to the future of the countries have represented their people foreign missionary enterprise. Some as being hostile to the missionary forces; in fact, a considerable number have em- have been led to believe that the day of phasized the value in their national the missionary enterprise, as it has been cultures to such an extent that they carried on in the past, is over. They have raised doubts in American students' are also questioning whether the Boards minds as to whether or not Christianity will be able financially to send them out has any vital contribution to make to if they do volunteer and prepare for others. Repeatedly they have heard our such service. The last five years have civilization and professed Christian furnished good reasons for this query. social order condemned until, to some The presence at home of so many fur- well intentioned students, it appears as loughed missionaries, and especially the if Western life were still 90% pagan. recent exodus from China, together with the unfavorable attitudes of some for- 7. Then too one will always find those eign students now studying in America, who are suspicious of organized Chrishave increased this uncertainty. In view tianity and do not see that the Christian of these facts, many young people doubt message is being applied in a consistent the desirability of definite and advanced practical way to the whole of life. They decisions in terms of a life purpose. hesitate to subscribe to the credal and doctrinal statements which they think 4. Going deeper one senses particu- they will be required to subscribe to when they apply for missionary service, larly among our college young people an. and which they think are outgrown or upon which they think too much emphauncertainty as to their Christian mes- sis has been placed. One needs sympathy sage. While this lack of religious con- in dealing with these young people for viction is not peculiar to student groups whom the non-Christian aspects of the effect of it in motivation for life serv- American life, even inside our churches, ice is unquestioned. There is in many constitute real obstacles to volunteering cases a vagueness of conception as to for missionary service. the uniqueness of the Christian message. This may be due in part to the rather S. Young people want to look forward superficial study of comparative religion, to a life in which they will find ever wider opportunities for service as the leading students to an over-emphasis on years go on. They have seen missionthe values of non-Christian religious aries return after short periods on the systems, in part also, to the growing field and have come to wonder if missecularization of all life and to inade- sions are any longer a life job. quate or wrong religious education. Certainly there is not evident, on a large 9. During the four years of their scale, that dynamic and passion that ac- college course, which are so important company deep conviction. in making life decisions, students look for religious leadership to student pas- 5. Many students, and this has always tors, faculty members, Y. M. C. A. and been true, are seriously questioning Y. W. C. A. secretaries. At the present whether they can really make th.eir time there is a confusion in the minds of many of these men and women as to the greatest Christian contribution to their place of the missionary enterprise in our generation through foreign missionary day. Many of them are not informed service. There are many new channels as to the facts and have not been given for Christian service, national and inter- satisfactory information and answers to national, opening up today. There are their questions by missionary leaders. broader conceptions of what is involved in Christian service. Moreover, there 10. Students do not know the needs of is a growing tendency in education to- the world. We have been neither realwards specialization. The seeming in- istic nor individualistic in our descripability of the Boards to let the volunteer tion of need. Our missionary literature know the possible general type of service has not dealt adequately with the unand field sufficiently in advance for them finished task either geographically or to prepare adequately for it, has a tend- functionally. ency to deter Volunteering. We are convinced that this demand for some means Ohanging the Situation of certainty is not consistent with a life purpose decision nor with the essential The above analysis of some of the attitude of mind which would make the missionary willing to meet emergencies causes which seem to operate against and hardships once he has accepted missionary appointment. an adequate commitment of life to for- 6. Students today more than formerly eign mission service may leave one in want to know whether th€ younger church groups are inviting missionaries a despairing mood unless he reminds or whether they are being sent in spite himself of these two facts; first, that of the best judgment and desire of the
there are many young people in our waits to be 'motivated by the horror that men should live without Him. This churches and colleges of whom none of means that our apologetic for missions these things can be said and, second, must increasingly be phrased in terms that the bringing in of righteousness of "the abundant life" which Christ and around the world is God's task first Christ alone, can bring. We must visu- alize that abundant life to student audiand last, and ours chiefly and merely ences, we must experience it and because we are God's happy helpers. manifest it in our own lives and over The kingdorn of love, when it cornes, against our picture of the abundant life rnust be His free gift, not something in Christ we must give a true and com- pelling picture of the millions everywe have achieved in and by ourselves. where who are without life abundant here This thought should bring us relief and now, who do not know of Him who from any feeling of strain; a sense of says, "I am the bread that gives life."
power for the missionary movement This is the most difficult and most im- perative and most highly rewarding is nothing less than our partnership obligation we face as Christians today. with God who "will not fail nor be dis- We are challenged to prove the validity couraged until He hath set up right- of our missionary efforts and to match eousness on the earth." As mission- our claims for our faith by the quality and fullness of life we experience. This aries we need this good news to set us is not easy, but it is possible. When free from anxiety. We are not related our young people are arrested by the to a losing cause. Present indications picture of "full" redeemed life-"lacking to the contrary, we know that God's nothing, enjoying all" and have it proved to them that Christ alone for various task in India and Africa will not lag reasons and in various ways makes posfor want of workers. To believe any- sible that life, there is nothing that they thing less would be to admit loss of will not do or dare to share that gift of faith in the essential soundness of life with the last most distant man, woman or child on earth. The trouble youth today, and, worse than this, loss is not with our Christian propositions of faith in God Himself and His ulti- but with our demonstrations. Christ- rnate triumph. like life now, in the flesh before our eyes, To the extent that the present sit- is the Q. E. D. we need for Christian motivation and conviction that will drive uation can be improved by human ef- and drive. fort (and one is convinced that Christian leaders can influence it consider- 3. It will help if we vigorously repudi- ate false and subtle charges against misably if they will) that improvement sions such as the following:-"Missions appears most likely along the follow- are the right arm of Western imperial- ism" – "Missions are nothing less than ing lines: intolerant propaganda." Let us encour- 1. A missionary informed and mi8- age the view that the missionary entersionary motivated ministry in order that prise, like the Christian enterprise, is a the young people of our churches may movement of life, that it is a constantly be prepared for the appeal for life com- changing and growing thing, that it is mitment. The fire of the evangelistic not without its weaknesses and mistakes, must burn again in the home minister's that it truly is progressive, that in all heart and there must be a new and pos- fairness we ought to relate ourselves to itive Christian apologetic. The fellow- it because of its genuine worth and we ship of Christians of all races and creeds ought to judge it in terms of its "whither in a common program of world redemp- bound" no less than in terms of its past tion must become a joyous contagion accomplishments.
until everything the minister does in 4. Because the missionary enterprise America suggests its relation and makes has become a partnership· of younger its contribution in his mind to the total Christian effort around the world. Our and older churches working together, our young people welcome the inter-related- young people before making any final decision for a missionary career should ness of efforts at Christianizing life here be assured that the calls of the mission at home with those of evangelizing and boards are no les8 the calls of Christian of Christianizing life elsewhere. national8 broadcasted from the mission 2. Young people desire nothing quite fields. They have a right to know that so much as "fullness of life here and they go out at the call of the native now." The horror that men should die churches to associate themselves with without Christ has motivated former -native Christian leaders, preferably generations–the present generation under the direction of these leaders, to
METHODS FOR WORKERS
assist in a program of evangelism which 9. The desire of young people for the these native churches have set up for interpretation by Christian nationals of conditions and needs in their own lands themselves. 5. The close bond of sympathy and suggests the application by Boards of a understanding between youth around policy recently adopted by the Student the world suggests another very effective Volunteer Movement. In college after approach, namely, to begin one's address college a little Korean woman in love with a description of those causes or with Christ and the women of her race movements abroad in which the Chris- has been witnessing this past year to the tian youth of other lands are specially worth of missions and appealing for interested and for which they welcome more and better missionaries. Students help with open minds. Our students do not easily forget her word or her call. eagerly respond to the call of fellow She fulfills their demand for first-hand students dedicated to some high cause assurrance that they are still wanted as and by making articulate in our Ameri- missionaries and that there is a real can colleges the aspirations and strug- task awaiting them in foreign lands. gles of youth in foreign lands, the re- 10. Of recent years the suggestion that our recruiting should be made on· sponse is often most encouraging. 6. Not infrequently among students the basis of commitment of life to full who are weary of discussing the prob- time Christian service without reference lems of the world one finds the best ap- to place, reserving that decision until proach to foreign missions through mis- later, has gained wide acceptance. The sionary biography. Unfortunately, much declaration of the Student Volunteer of our modern missionary literature in Movement now reads:-"It is my pur- North America lacks up-to-date human pose, if God permit, to become a foreign interest material. We have produced missionary." There are ardent missionfew biographies since the war, which is ary workers among students today, who surprising when we think of young believe that certain inhibiting reactions American volunteers, who only yesterday to this declaration can be overcome fared forth to share "life," but who are without perceptible loss to students and now gone-William Borden, Max Chap- with possible gain to the missionary lin and Warner Lentz, to mention three. cause, if some such declaration as this One's mind goes out to a great company were to be substituted, namely, "it is my of men and women, "pioneers of life" purpose, if God permit, to give my life in unprivileged places today, the record to full time Christian service, at home– of whose unselfish sharing would shame abroad-," leaving the volunteer free to and thrill every sincere lover of human- indicate, either at the time of signing ity. this declaration, or later after further 7. A recovery of the individual em- study and prayer just where he or she phasis in missionary service is needed purposes that this life service shall be to offset in some degree the institutional given. Obviously there are very large emphasis which is often less personal values in the present wording with its and challenging. Similarly less emphasis strong purposive note and its specializa- on the administrative problems of mis- tion on foreign missions. And no Chris- sions and more emphasis on the needs of tian leader or sincere student, for that men for creative Christian personality matter, would care to see any substituwould greatly strengthen our appeal for tion which would eliminate this purmissionary candidates. Too frequently posive note or weaken the appeal to the audience receives an intellectual dis- definite foreign service by broadening it course on the changing aspects of mis- until it covers both home and foreign sionary effort but is not given a vision fields. of the man in need at one extreme and 11. Until recent years the primary Christ who can meet that need at the and abiding motives of foreign missions other. The latter is needed to win com- have been set forth most vigorously and mitment of life to the missionary cause. insistently by the followers of the con- 8. We have today almost 10,000 for- servative theological school. Their apeign students in our American colleges. peals have been the most earnest and The great majority of these are non- imperative. Their message has been a Christians. A definite program of evan- simple call to repentence from sin and gelism among these foreign students by to belief and salvation in Christ. Beour American churches would witness to cause of failure t() carry this message our sincerity to share what Christ can to all the world countless souls for whom give to all and would greatly enrich the Christ died cannot but be eternally lost. religious life of the countries from which During recent years, particularly these students come and would, I believe, since the war, we have a large and inexert a profound influence on our own creasing number of college students young people who now are arrested by throughout North America who think the foreign missionary challenge, but that they cannot be intellectually honest who are not convinced. with themselves and interpret the pri-
~ary aims and motives of foreign mis- corne life to us. We would share that sIOns exactly in these terms or solely life." within these limits. These students are deeply and sincerely religious. They "Since Christ is the motive, the end have a passion for humanity and for of Christian missions fits in with that unselfish service. Spiritual values are motive. Its end is nothing Jess than real and vibrant for them. They are the production of Christlike character deeply challenged by Jesus and are try- in individuals and societies and naing to live as His true disciples. But tions through faith in and fellowship they do not hold with like firmness some with Christ the living Saviour, and of the dogmatic pre-suppositions which through corporate sharing of life in lie back of foreign missions as inter- a divine society." preted ten or twenty years ago. Important Not. We seem for the present, therefore, to have two schools of thought so far The edttor of thts department covets your as the presentation of foreign missions reaction on Mr. Stauffer's analysis of and sugis concerned. Among certain student gested methods for dealing with the serious groups the older interpretations still problem of life enlistment. hold; among other groups, perhaps equally influential and certainly rapidly Is the scarcity of volunteers for the ministry increasing in numbers, quite different and for Home Missionary work due to these interpretations are alone understandable same snggested causes? and acceptable. The question naturally arises-is the motivation of missions at What methods would you like to see used? its center to be different today than in Your letter should reach me not later than William Carey's time? If it is to be June 1st. different, we may learn from this stu- Address Mrs. F. 1. JDhnson, Room 1018, 156 dent generation what this new motiva- Fifth Avenue. New York. tion is and whether or not it squares with truth and promise of having the A FREE-FOR-ALL DISCUSSION same appeal and power as the old had in its day. "By their fruits ye shall There is scarcely a church in Amerknow them." If it is not to be differ- ica which would not profit by having ent-if the chief difficulty in presenting this heart-searching demonstration the foreign missionary motive today is put on by a group of its finest men. largely one of phraseology and not of content, then to the younger generation (Mr. Pastor, why not try it?) there comes the challenge to recIothe the old primary motives of foreign missions Personnel with twentieth century language and power. W. B. JONES . . . . . . . . "Billy" … Bale Ties RUSSELL J. BALYEAT. "Russ" '" Coal The Jerusalem statement on the GUY CARPER ..•.••••• "Guy" …. Lumber Christian Message may prove of great ARTHUR BROOKS . . . . . "Arthur" . Educator help in this connection. Every Chris- E. G. THATCHER ••••• "Thatch" . Y. M. C. A. tian young man or woman I have met since Jerusalem-regardless of theolog- Secretary ical stand-has subscribed uncondi- HORACE BONNEWITZ .. "Horace" . Batteries tionally to paragraphs like these: WILLIAM MCGIRR•••• "Cap" …. Insurance "Our true and compelling motive lies CHAS. N. POLING •••• "Charley" • Banker in the very nature of the God to whom G. A. BERGER ••••••• "Gus" . . . . Insurance we have given our hearts. Since He C. A. L. PURMORT … ' 'Clyde" .. Insurance is love, His very nature is to share. Christ is the expression in time of Scene the eternal self-giving of the Father. Coming into fellowship with Christ The parlors of the Y. M. C. A. prior we find in ourselves an over-mastering to Monday Rotary Noonday Luncheon. impulse to share Him with others. We Members are arriving by twos and are constrained by the love of Christ threes. Members are standing, seated and by obedience to His last command. or lounging and engaged in informal talk He Himself said, 'I am corne that they on topics of business, sports, politics, might have life, and that they might telling stories, a babel of talk on every have it more abundantly,' and our ex- subject, laughter, argument, all done in perience corroborates it. He has be- a natural way, as men would talk at such times. The crowd increases as other members drop in, there are greet- ings, back slapping, kidding, more or less confusion, at the height of which Mr. Carper remarks and repeats for em- phasis in order to get the subject across to the audience.
Mr. Carper : Well, I see that Dick Carson has graduated at Princeton with high honors and has decided to throwaway his life as a missionary in
1929J METHODS FOR WORKERS
China, Timbuctoo or some unheard of of foreign nations and our country is place, trying to Christianize the na- always in trouble by threats of war tives. on their account.
(The members seat themselves Mr. Thatcher: All right, we have around the table.) just heard from one of our domestic heathen and "a peace at any price" Mr. Balyeat: The poor fish, he cer- exhorter. Now then, if there be other tainly cannot have much regard for uninformed knockers against foreign his parents who have slaved and sac- missions within the sound of my voice, rificed and almost broken their backs let 'em speak now or forever after to put him through school. hold their peace. Come on in boys, the water is fine. Right here you Mr. Carper: Well, the odd thing fellows will learn a lot. Fire and fall about it is, his folk approve. back. Shoot!
Mr. Bonnewitz: How do people get Mr. McGirr: The converts are not that way anyhow. I don't understand genuine. it, all the Chinks, Japs and African Niggers in the world ain't worth the Mr. Thatcher: Not altogether true. little finger of a fine American chap In the Boxer uprising in China it is like Dick. of record that 6,200 Chinese Chris- tians remained true to their faith and Mr. Purmort: Oh, I don't know 1,500 converts were killed. boys, I guess you birds had better get wise to this missionary stuff before Mr. Balyeat: I repeat that missionyou knock it too hard. Dick has not aries are trouble makers for the govyet been boiled in a big soup kettle. ernment. The cannibals haven't eaten him yet. Mr. Thatcher: Listen to the facts. Mr. Berger: Speaking of soup ket- Ex-President Taft denounced this tles, when do we eat. criticism as unfounded. Hon. John Barret, Minister to Siam, said that Mr. Balyeat: I'll say he runs a 150 missionaries gave him less trouble mighty good chance of becoming an in five years than 15 merchants did Irish stew, or Hungarian goulash and in five months. he will not be the first fool missionary to meet that fate. Mr. Berger: Suffering Mike! Ain't we ever goin' to eat? Mr. Purmort: You said a mouthful then, old scout, and Dick would be Mr. McGirr: Christianity does its only one of thousands who have of- converts more harm than good. fered their lives for Christ, and of others who have sacrificed their ca- Mr. Purmort: Nothing to that. reers, banished themselves for life in Consult the records. Christianity heathen countries, undergone hard- makes him a better man. He has a ships and privation, suffered and died superior faith, a better morality, to the end that Christ, their Master thrift and integrity. In the Jap-Russ might be exalted and His cross lifted War the Japanese Government emup that aU the people of all the world ployed none but native Christian inmight see and receive its blessing. terpreters, because they were honest. A governor of a province in Siam Mr. Jones: Say mister that lingo testified, whenever a Christian misof yours sounds fine but it is ail sionary settles, he brings good to the bunk; it don't get us a thing. We people. In China recently the cusare wasting our efforts and throwing todian of a large bridge building fund was intrusted to Christians only, beaway our money on foreign missions. cause the subscribers said, "the Chris- Mr. Brooks: Atta boy! I agree, I tians could be trusted not to steal it."
am for Home Missions. We ought to Mr. Poling: But I still think, "Charkeep our money at home for our do- ity begins at home." mestic heathen. Mr. Thatcher: Let us consult the Mr. Balyeat: Exactly right, old top, old dope sheet on that point. Listen! and besides these foreign missionaries are a set of meddlers in the affairs 5
In New York City alone there are American business man should sup- 3,800 religious and philanthropic port the foreign missionary.
agencies. In the United States there A forgotten missionary carried the are 207,734 Protestant churches or Gospel to Peru, and brought the use one for every 427 of the non-Catholic of quinine for the sick. A humble population. How about it abroad? missionary, Schneider, learned of the Africa has one missionary for each naval orange that in a single year 24,000 population; Japan one for netted our commerce $36,000,000. Our each 52,000; India one for each 62,- giant rubber industry is the by-prod- 000; China one for each 65,000. There uct of the work of a missionary with are over 160,000,000 people untouched the South American Indians. Where- by missionary influences. Figures ever the message of the Gospel goes, don't lie, but liars continue to figure. there is a rich reward. The Premier I am quoting facts and an important of Finance in Great Britain says that fact is that the people who do not as a matter of investment, the gov- contribute to foreign missions seldom ernment could take over the financing give anything to home missions. of the whole missionary enterprise Mr. Jones: I insist missions don't with profit.
get us anything. Where do we come Mr. Berger: Good night, I'm starv- in? It is all "payout" and nothing ing; haven't eaten since breakfast.
coming in. Quit chewing the rag and let us all Mr. Thatcher: That is a good money eat.
grabber's question. One of the kind Mr. Thatcher: Say Berger, you are who never sees good in anything un- one of the kind who thinks of noth- less there is a dollar in it. Mission- ing but eating and sleeping and busi- aries raise the standard of life for ness.
the natives and the result is that they Mr. Carper: We had better make buy goods from America and Europe. every American a Christian before we Thirty years ago a bag of American waste any money on foreign people.
flour could not be bought in all China. Mr. Purmort: Does a commercial Recently there was in Peking a pile house wait to sell every person in one of American flour 30 feet high, 100 town before they send their salesmen feet deep and a quarter of a mile to the next?
long. Thirty years ago in China, to Mr. Giffin: I think you are only get a can of coal oil it must be ordered pampering the people by pouring mon- from San Francisco or Chicago. Now ey into churches and schools and hos- Standard Oil is the "light of Asia." pitals. Why don't the people do Missionaries took sewing machines to something for themselves.
China and it is now one of the largest Mr. Thatcher: Wrong again. Every markets in the world for the Singer. time we give $2.00 to missions the Mr. Purmort: Recently one Ameri- native Christians give more than one.
can steamship delivered 27 Baldwin So $2.00 becomes more than three.
locomotives to China. Every mission- That's God's kind of arithmetic.
ary is, in effect though not in inten- Mr. Jones: They have their own tion, an unsalaried drummer that helps religions. They had them before the to open up the larger markets of the New Testament was written, before world for the output of American mills Christ was born. Why go and try and factories. The industries of to convert them to our faith? Their America could well afford to pay twice own has served them for thousands the cost of all missionary enterprises of years. Let them alone.
in foreign lands. This trade which Mr. Carper: Did you know the follows the flag which follows our Standard Oil Company has millions of missionaries is only a by-product of dollars invested in the business of sell- missions and not the real thing. But ing China kerosene for lamps, and for business reasons alone, every thousands of men converting the Chi-
METHODS FOR WORKERS
nese to the use of kerosene lamps? and preach the Gospel to every crea- Why? Well, it is not because they ture." Shall we answer Him: "No have no lamps. They have lamps it is not convenient? How much monmade of an earthen bowl and bean ey will I have left if I obey Him 1" oil with a wick of pith. Makes your "I have bought a piece of ground, five eyes ache to look at 'em. They had yoke of oxen, married a wife, it isn't 'em long before, thousands of years convenient to have Him call me to before John D. was born. But kero- this other thing." sene is much better. So John D. has sent his missionaries to convert them. Mr. Bonnewitz: Well boys, I guess If you believe in Christ as hard as we didn't have all the ammunition John D. does in Standard Oil, you when we began the shouting. would be in the light business for Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the Mr. Purmort: I wonder whether light of the world." you fellows know how far behind the women we men are on the interna- Mr. Berger: For the love of Mike, tional stuff. Why, my wife knows let's eat! more geography and history and world politics in a minute than I do all day. Mr. Brooks (Leans back, and says You see they have mission study sympathetically): Well, I once felt classes and meetings every month and as you did, at least I thought it wasn't they read THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF up to me. I had so many demands THE WORLD and other magazines. on my money. Then I heard a man We'd better wake up or we can't keep from China talk, and one story stuck up the "superior sex" bluff much to me. Said that over there he saw longer. a man fall into the river near a fisher's barge. The fishermen saw him Mr. Thatcher: Yes, and I'll put but no one did anything. They had down a dollar on it that not one of a fine net, strong hooks-just the thing you howlers against missions ever to drag the man to safety. He shouted read a book about the work in your to them, "Save that drowning man." lives (Here enthuse over one). And They called, "It's not convenient, can't if we ever caught you to hear a misyou see we're fishing." He shouted sionary speaker, we had to bait the again, "I'll pay you for your time. hook with a dinner before we could Throw the net." They answered, haul you in. How many of you birds "What'll you give 1" "Five dollars." know that our church has an official "Too little." "I'll give you all I've magazine 1 Did you ever read it 1 got. Throw that net at once." "How No! if you had, you wouldn't have much have you got." "I don't know gone off halfcocked the way you did exactly. About $14.00." Then at today. Might try readin' your Bible last, even then slowly, they paddled too. Something about missions there. over and let down the net. In less than a minute they brought up the Mr. Berger: For the last time, beman. Then they were clamoring and fore I die, When do we eat? angry while the missionary tried to resuscitate the man before paying Mr. Jones: Say fellows, tnese are them. Say, I was mad to think of knockdown arguments Clyde and those fishermen. It was just as if Thatch are putting across. It is getthey had murdered that man when ting uncomfortably warm here, don't they could have saved him and didn't. you think it is time to go in to lunch? They aren't worth sending mission- When I make up my mind, I like to aries to, I was thinking, and then stick to it, right or wrong. I hate I heard what the speaker was saying, like blue blazes to do it, but in this "Is it worse, fellow Christians, to neg- case I feel that the only manly thing lect to save the body, or to neglect to do is to follow the course of Brooks to save the soul?" Jesus says, "Go and Poling and own up that I must be dead wrong about foreign missions, that I did not know what I was talk- ing about. I wonder if nine-tenths
of the opposition to foreign missions the first convert to give in, is a famous is not due to the same cause as mine, Boy Scout specialist and expert. that is, downright, dense, unmitigated, uncalled for ignorance. I am sorry to admit it, but the cost connected with foreign missions has And come to think of it, the Legion made it hard for me to give in. Why, leader of the heroes who faced the Mr. Frantz is liable to preach one of horrors of France and Flanders, his two-edged sermons one of these Charlie Poling, is not very consistent days that will make you feel like turnwhen he ridicules Dick Carson for lay- ing your pocketbook inside out. When ing down his life for a principle. you need some money for foreign mis- sions, count me in. Some things I heard before today, and that I tried to forget, keep crowd- (A dinner bell is rung off stage.) ing into my mind. One is that "the Mr. Balyeat: There goes the lunch light that shines farthest, shines bell! Let's go. brightest nearer home." Our confab (All join in singing) : here today confirms the statement. Clyde and Thatch are the champions "Old Bill Jones ain't what he uster be of the foreign mission cause, and if Ain't what he uster be you want any home enterprise or drive Ain't what he uster be to be sure to win, the town will insist that they take the lead. And Brooks, Old Bill Jones, he ain't what he uster be Many long years ago."
CURTAIN PERSONALS FRANCIS P. MILLER has been called to DR. WARREN K. STRATHMAN-THOMAS, succeed Dr. John R. Mott as chairman twenty-eight-year-old research pharmaof the Executive Committee of the cologist at the University of Wisconsin, World's Student Christian Federation. and DR. CLEMENT C. CHESTERMAN, one Mr. Miller is at present Administrative of the secretaries of the London Royal Secretary of the Geneva office of the Society of Tropical Medicine, have gone Federation and is expected to accept to the Belgian Congo to find a cure for this appointment. Previous to the war sleeping sickness. Dr. A. B. Loevenhart, he served for three years as secretary professor of pharmacy at Wisconsin, for Y. M. C. A. work in preparatory characterizes the work of the men as schools and immediately following the war he became one of the Secretaries of . .. .. "equivalent to discovery of a continent." the Student Movement in the United States, and later as one of the secre- REV. L. K. WILLIAMS, pastor of Olivet taries of the English Student Movement. Baptist Church (Colored), Chicago, was awarded a prize by the Harmon Foun- * * '" dation of New York. The awards, ad- ministered by the Commission on Race DEAN WILLIAM HUNG, of Yen Ching Relations of the Federal Council, recog- University, Peking, is lecturing at Har- nize "achievement which is of national vard University, having been selected as significance and which measures favorthe ablest Chinese to explain Chinese ably with the best that has been done in culture ~ American students. Mr. Hung the particular field by any race or nais the son of a Chinese scholar of Shan- tionality." tung. He was educated at the Anglo- Chinese College, Foochow, and Ohio *** Wesleyan, Union Seminary, and Columbia. DR. HOWARD GUINNESS, a graduate in medicine of London and Cambridge, a *** son of Dr. Harry Guinness, and a grand- son of Dr. H. Grattan Guinness, founders DR. GEORGE U. WENNER, who came to of the Regions Beyond Missionary Union, New York from Yale in 1865, is still and the Congo Balolo Mission, is comserving as a Lutheran pastor in "The ing to Canada as a representative of the ~as House District," Nineteenth Street Cambridge Christian Union. He will be and First Avenue. He has officiated at available for some months to address 7,949 baptisms, 4,576 weddings, and groups of students, large or small, 3,291 funerals. He has confirmed 2,140 throughout the Dominion. Address: catechumens. He is the refutation and Care Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Chrisrebuke to all the charges recklessly fiung tian Union, 366 Bay Street, Toronto. at the Protestant ministry.
WOMAN'S HOME MISSION
EDITED BY FLORENCE E. QUINLAN, 105 East 22d Street, New York MRS. G. W. COLEMAN Mas. F. S. BENNETT Mns. JOHN FERGOSON MRS. ORRIN R. JODD President, 1.908-1915 P resident, 1916-1923 Honorary President, President, 1924-1928 'I'reasurer, 1920-1928 President, 1929· 1929- COUNCIL OF WOMEN FOR HOME MISSIONS om"ers Mrs. May Leonard Woodruff, Method- Honorary Pres·ident–Mrs. George W. ist Episcopal. Coleman. Mrs. J. W. Downs, Methodist Episco- President–Mrs. Orrin R. Judd, Northern pal, South. Baptist. Mrs. C. S. Kidd, Methodist Protestant. Vice-Pre8ident-at-Large – Mrs. F. W. Wilcox, Congregational. Mrs. W. C. Winsborough, Presbyterian in the U. S. V ice-President.- Miss Nannie H. Burroughs, National Miss Ann Elizabeth Taylor, Presby- Baptist. terian in the U. S. A. Mrs. Athelia M. Howsare, Christian. Miss Mary Campbell, Disciples of Mrs. Taber Knox, Reformed in Ameri- Christ. ca. Miss Grace Lindley, Episcopal. Mrs. J. S. Stamm, Evangelical. Miss Alice E. Bell, United Brethren. Mrs. George C. Rewwer, Evangelical Synod. Miss Lillian Robertson, United Pres- Mrs. C. E. Vickers, Friends. byterian. Mrs. Christine S. Smith, African Meth- odist Episcopal. Miss Jean MacGregor, Presbyterian, Mrs. Carrie T. Burritt, Free Method- Eastern Division, Canada. ist. Miss Bessie MacMurchy, Presbyterian, Western Division, Canada. Mrs. James Harrison, United, Canada. Recording Secretary-Mrs. Edwin W.
Lentz, Reformed in the U. S. Treasurer-Mrs. Raymond B. Fenner, Lutheran.
MRS. F. W. "VILCOX MISS H. M. BRICKMAN MISS F. E. QUINLAN Mas. R . B. FENNER Vice-Pl'esident-at-Large Director, Indian Work Executive Secretary Treasurer 389
On Execntive Committee GRADUATE STUDY FOR THE Members-at-Large RURAL PASTOR Mrs. Fred S. Bennett. That the farmer and his family are Miss Amelia D. Kemp. facing most serious problems at this Mrs. Millard L. Robinson. time need no longer be argued. We Miss Ruth B. Rule. need higher motives, broader contacts, Miss Daisy June Trout. larger vision, more efficient plans and institutions in country life in order to Committees and Chairmen make life more satisfying to the largest industrial group in America. STANDING To bring this about we must have a leadership trained to lead rural folk Administrative-Mrs. Orrin R. Judd. in the solution of their problems. The Chautauqua-Mrs. John Ferguson. rural pastor stands out in the com- International Relations – Mrs. D. E. munity as the most respected and often the most influential citizen. He Waid. has an opportunity for unselfish Legislative Matters-Mrs. Samuel Sem- leadership enjoyed by few men, which position offers the key to the solution ple. of the great country life problem. In Migrant Work-Mrs. Kenneth D. Miller. order to render this effective leader- Student Work-Miss Muriel Day. ship the rural pastor must not only know his people, but he must know the JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES problems with which they must struggle daily on the farm and in With Home Missions Couneil their homes. He must be familiar with modern farmer movements and Joint Administrative-Dr. Carroll M. the agencies which can help the Davis. farmer.
Indian Work~Dr. Frank A. Smith. Educational institutions in several City and New Americans-Dr. Charles states were prevailed upon to establish interdenominational summer schools H. Sears. for rural pastors, with a curriculum which will offer our country ministers With Missionary Education Movement the preparation necessary for their great opportunity. Joint Committee on Home Mission Lit- erature-Miss E. Jessie Ogg. The committee promoting these schools is made up of the country life With Federation of Woman's Boards of specialists of the various denomina- Foreign Missions tional boards constituent to the Home Missions CounciL Last year the Coun- Conferences and Schools of Missions- cil sponsored eleven summer schools, Miss Carrie M. Kerschner. which were attended by about 1,000 men and women. World Day of Prayer-Mrs. S. S. Hough. The universities and state agricul- SPECIAL tural colleges are giving splendid co- operation. They are placing fine By-Laws-Mrs. Fred S. Bennett. buildings and equipment at our serv- Finance-Mrs. F. W. Wilcox. ice. They are furnishing their pro- Literature-Mrs. F. W. Wilcox. fessors for lectures on important Nominating-Miss Amelia D. Kemp. rural life subjects, vitally connected Leadership Training-Miss Ann Eliza- with the country church, and in other ways are rendering within their con- beth Taylor. stitutional limits, a very unusual and With Home Missions Council Cornity and Five Year Program of Sur- vey and Adjustment-Dr. Hermann N. Morse.
North American Home Missions Con- gress-Dr. Charles L. White.
Executives Executive Secretary-Miss Florence E. Quinlan.
Director, Religious Work for Indian Schools-Miss Helen M. Brickman.
Secreta1'y for Migrant Work–Miss Laura H. Parker (until May 15). Miss Edith E. Lowry (after May 15).
TVestern Supervisor, Mig1'ant W ork- Miss Adela J. Ballard.
Assistant Treasurer-Miss G. Evelyn Morse.
WOMAN'S HOME MISSION BULLETIN
valuable service. There ought to be rural church problems, are given free 2,000 men and women in these schools play in the operation of the course. during the summer of 1929. The benefits derived from this co- operative experience are invaluable. Every rural pastor needs them. Not because he is not the equal of his All the approved schools, as listed city brother-in many cases he is the page 392, will be in session for no less than two weeks or ten working days. superior – but because these schools A few will be conducted for three are specialized conferences on one of weeks. Specialists will conduct the the most difficult and important phases courses, thus offering always the best of modern church work. Here men experience in the particular subject engaged in the same kind of work, offered. All the approved schools have with common problems and similar agreed to accept the suggested fourneeds, meet for two weeks to think to- year course of study as outlined below gether about the best ways and means as the basis upon which to arrange of accomplishing their common task. their curriculum, thus making the They are in a certain sense trade schools more uniform in character and schools where the best methods and service. Three or four sessions of the programs are studied under the school are necessary to cover the enleadership of the greatest specialists tire suggested course, but the arrangeour Protestant churches can find. ment is not rigid. Students can at- Every man slirving in a rural church tend a single session without any emshould, if possible, attend one of these barrassment. schools. The expenses are nominal, consist- Every rural church ought to co- ing only of board and room while at operate in promoting these schools by the school. Rooms are usually promaking it possible for the pastor to vided at three dollars per week and attend. In many cases the pastor of meals can be secured at very low rates. the rural church cannot afford to go The schools are financed by the colat his own expense. His salary is leges themselves. Study the list of small and there are heavy demands schools, make your selection and lay made upon his meager resources. your plans to attend one of the schools this year. What better investment can a congregation make than to pay the way of Suggested 4-Y ear Course of Study its pastor to a summer school of this kind and take care of the supply of 1. Rural Sociology: General Rural Sohis pulpit during his absence. ciology. Social Psychology. Sur- veys and Community Organization These schools, organized especially -Program and Methods. for the convenience of country pastors, have arranged their curriculum 2. Rural Economic8 and Education: and instruction so as to meet the most Rural Economics. Farmer Moveintimate problems of any and all who ments and Cooperative Marketing. shall attend. Pastors are given an op- Agencies with which to cooperate. portunity to state their local difficul- General Education-Home and Comties and the group, under the guidance munity. of the instructor and with the help of his advice, attempts to analyze and 3. The Rural Church: Conditions and prescribe for the problem at issue. Problems. Organization, Program The lecture method is frequently used and Methods. Pastoral Visitation but is frequently interspersed with -the project method. Interchurch questions, reports of assigned read- relations. ings and general discussion. The members of each group represent 4. Message, Preparation and Church many denominations and varied types Program: Message Content. Reof experience. These factors, 80 im- ligious Education. Worship-Evan~ portant in the adequate solution of gelism. Training, Preparation and Delivery of Sermons; Teacher Training; Leadership Training; Preparing for Rural Ministry.
5. Recreation-jor Home and Commu- nity: Play and Games. Drama,
Pageantry, Music. Boys' and Girls' BoulderJ Colorado-June 19·27. Work. A well-balanced community )"1rs. Henry F. Hoffman. 741 Adams St., recreation program. Denver, Colo.
6. Services of Agricultural Extension: 3 Chnutauqu",. Nf'w Ym'k-August 11·16. By lectures, tours of buildings, Mrs. John Ferguson, Room 1007, 1123 campus, farms, experimental plots, Broadway, New York, N. Y. demonstrations, literature, etc. 2 a7wutnurr.ua, New York-August 1~-23. For further information address directors of Mrs. 'Ym. A. Mont,g-omery, 144 Dartmouth the respective schools. (See list below) St., Rochester, N. Y.
DallaB, Trma.8-September 30·0ctohpr 4. Mrs. G{'orge A. Brewer, 4301 Edmondson, Dallas, Texas.
Schools for Rural Pastors 'Dalla8, Tema8 (Nellro)-September SO·October 4. Recommended by Home Missions Council Mrs. C. R. Buswell. 1719 Allen St.• Dallas, 1. Vanderbilt Rural Church School-April 1 Texas. to 12. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., Prof. C. C. Haun, Director. De l.Jand~ FZorida-Fehruary 3-.R, 1929. Mrs. Dora Smith, 135 East New York Ave., 2. California Ministers' Summer Institute— De Land, Florida. May. Paclftc School of Religion, Berk· ley. Calif.. Dr. E. W. Blakeman, DI· Houston, Texas-(Date not Yf't decided.) rector. Mrs. M. G. Stell, 2716 Rosrdale Ave., Hous- ton, Texas. 3. New Englaud Summer School for Town and Country Pastors-June 10 to 21. 1 Kerrvillp-. Team~-At1gust 21·2R. ~Irs. H. W. Hamilton, Cotulla, Texas. ~:cl~~~ ~~:~.~O~~l. ~mbn.arliac~;~~~ llH88ouri-lHinoiR (G-rf'cnviUe.. TIl.)-(No School Sterling, Mass., Director. ' of Missions in 1921:),) 4. School of Community Leadership-June 10 Mrs. J. D. Bragg, 638 Oakwood Ave., Web· to 20. Kansas Agricultural College, ster Groves, Mo. Ni~~~t~t;.ap, Kan., Prof. WaIter Burr, Lake Geneva.. Wisconsin-July l-R. 5. School for Rural Pastors-June 17 to 28. Mrs. J. A. LeaB, 8781 Clifton Ave., Chicago, State College of Washington. Pullman, Ill. Wash., Dr. A. A. Cleveland, Director. Minne.ota (.'lfinneapoliR-St. Paul)-June 2-7. 6. Wisconsin Rural Leadership Summer ~Irs. A. W. Goldsmlth, 944 Ashland Ave., School-July 1 to 12. University of St. Paul, Minn. Wisconsin, MadIson, Wis., Dr. J. B. Kolb, Director. ACt. Hermon. OaU!arnia–.July 6-18. Mrs. C. W. Brinstad, 2929 Lincoln Way, 7. Auburn Summer School at Theology-July San Francisco, Calif.
1 to 18. Auburn Theological Seminary, Mountain Lflke Park, Maryland-July 31· Auburn, N. Y. Dr. H. L. Reed, Dirf'rtor. August 6. 8. Indiana Rural Pastors' School-July 15 to Mrs. F. I. Johnson, 150 Fifth Ave., New 27. Purdue University. Lafayette, In- York, N. Y. diana, Dr. O. F. Hall, Direetor. New Orleans.. IJDuis1ana-NovembrT 4-R 9. Summer School for Rural Pastors-.Tuly Mrs. J. R. Kendall, 1224 Octavia St.• New 15 to 27. Michigan Agricultural Col· Orleans, La. lege, East Lansing, Mich., ·Dr. Eben Mumford, Director. 'Northfield, Massachusetts (Eaat NorthfieZd)- 10. Estes Park Pastors' Fellowship SchoCl'l- .Tuly 5-12. July 15 to 31. Estes Park Association ~Irs. Frf'lon Eugene Bolster, Portchester, of the Y. M. C. A., Estes Park, Colo. New York. Dr. Warren H. Wilson. 156 Fifth Ave., New York City, Director. • Northfield, Ma8aachu8cfts-July 12-20. Mrs. Seabury ~rastick, Pleasantville. N. y, 11. Summer School for Town and Country Ministers-July 22 to August 8. Cor· Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.–Septembel' (Date nell University. Ithaca, N. Y., Prof. R. not yet deci<led.) A. Felton, Director. Mrs. C. O. Cole, 208 West 22d St., Okla- 12. Summer Rcbool for Rurnl Pastors-Rept. homa City, Okla, 2 to 13. B~ngor Thf'olo~ical Rpminary, Bangor, MaIlle, Dr. W. J. Moulton, Di· St. Peter8Durg. Florida-February 2-7. 1no. rector. Miss B. Loulse Woodford, 980 23d AYe., St. Petersburg, Fla. 13. Summ('r School for 'Ministers and Church Workers (Coiorcdl-June 17 to 2~. ,ro::onthrf"n California ([,OB Angclc.~)-'!.Iay 20- Fisk University. Nashville, Tenn. Ad· dress "The Executive Secretary." 24. Mrs. C. E. Rif'lHlrds, 1211 :Magnolia Av('" Los Angeles, Calif.
lll'nrrcn. Ohio—Ortoher 15·16. Mrs. George Konold, 227 Scott St., Wnrrpn, Ohio.
CONFERENCES AND SCHOOLS OF W'Uson College, Chambersburg, Pcn.1l811li,anir, MISSIONS -June 27-July 4. AfflltRtf'd with Ff'npration of Woman's BoarilR MIss Murtha Hartman. 233 South 44th St., ~)f For{'i~n lfi~sinns and Couut'il of Wompll for Home Missions. Dates and Chairmen. West Philadelphia, Pa.
1 BaUinWI'f, 1IIal'yland-O('tobf'r 30-31. llTijlDtHz, J,(lke, eIn. d iana-.T IlI IIPn'.2!,2-2~0.. 1~~mwHn1 Mrs. Peter Ainslee, Ten tIills, Baltimnrf', Hnntel Md. J..trs. I~liu Bethesda, Ohio-.July 15-19. A ve., Oak Park, Il1. Miss 3tIary I. Scott, 310 r.romlinSOIl Ave., Moundsville. W. Va. 1 Affiliat~d with the }l"'('u('ration. 2 Foreign only. Affiliated ,vitlI FI:-'dpl'ation. 3 Home only. Conducted by the Council, "Affiliated with the Council. I> Home only. Affiliated with the Council.
WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSION
EDITED BY ELLA D. MACLAURIN, 419 Fourth Avenue, New York YOUTH AND FOREIGN MISSIONS* Christian world. Thanks to the rise of a social gospel, the truth has dawned By STANLEY HIGH, New York of the paganisms in our own civiliza- tion. The argument that results from Editor of the Christian Herald these two facts runs about like this: For the first time in its history The non-Christian world is not much foreign missions has ceased to be a worse off than we are. The non-Chrisyouth movement. The significance tian's facilities for making his world of this fact involves the vitality of better are almost as good as ours. Therethe entire missionary undertaking. fore, we will best serve others by leav- ing them alone to mend their ways, When I was in college, a short de- while we get busy to mend ours. cade ago, it was customary to measure the depth of a student's faith in terms Thus, here at home foreign missions of his willingness to go to the foreign has ceased to be a youth movement. mission field. That was a conventional standard of consecration appraisal. But this fact is not only apparent And almost every Christian student, at home. It is equally apparent abroad. at some time or other, faced that call. The youthful missionary is put in his It was inescapable. Christian youth proper place. That place, very often, thought in foreign missions terms. is one where, in matters of funda- mental importance, he is asked not to Such a situation does not prevail cooperate but to keep quiet. Young today. Foreign missions is no longer men who, like William Carey, rise up the great adventure on the horizons with an inspired idea are told, as of Christian young people. That is William Carey was told, "sit down not, I believe, because youth are less young man." ….. . adventurous or less Christian. For world peace and better race relation- A good many young folks, for exships they stand ready-in significant ample, observed what happened last numbers-to speak out and to act sac- year in China. The amazing thing rificially. But foreign missions, as to them was not that the missionaries youth sees the enterprise, has lost its were withdrawn, but that, when the hold upon their aspirations. time for return came, the oldest mis- sionaries were hurried back to salvage According to the report of a Y. M. the status quo and the younger mis- C. A. Secretary in one of the most sionaries-many of them-were adpopulous states in the Union, the un- vised to settle here. dergraduates of this state in 1921 gave nearly $300,000 to foreign mis- Doubtless, these young missionaries sion enterprises. During the academic who were left high and dry recognized year 1927-1928 they gave $30,000. the arguments of experience and sen- The reports of the Student Volunteer iority back of such a policy. But Movement indicate that there is a they knew also that the new order of marked decline in the number of stu- things in China was a youth-led order. dents who volunteer for foreign serv- They knew that every significant naice. Not only are numbers lacking, tionalist movement from Capetown to quality also if; lacking. Shanghai was a youth-led movement. They realized that the greatest prob- The conviction has grown up that lem confronting Christianity was and there's not much wrong with the is that of adjusting its organization world anyway – especially the non- to the new day that these young peo- pie have ushered in. They were curi- "'li:s1~n:dg~~~~r~~~~~rt~2'l!~ the Detroit Foreign 393
ous to inquire, therefore, whether that Youth doesn't know much. Thank adjustment could not more surely have God. It's a fine thing that there are been guaranteed had youth had a some who can set a goal for themselves larger leadership in the missionary and have no better sense-no more enterprise. Because youth is at the facts and experience-than to believe business of remaking the nations to- they can reach it. There is, for exday the missionary enterprise dare ample, the question of a united Protnot cease to be a youth movement. estantism on the mission field. The The God that will be served in to- facts and experience are against it. morrow's world will be of youth's Youth, unencumbered with either, bechoosing. To Christian youth there lieves that it can be accomplished. must be entrusted a larger share of There is the question of inter-racial the responsibility to present the claims relationships-in the homes of the of the God that Christ revealed. missionaries let us say. Facts and experience are against too many ges- Now, it needs to be pointed out that tures of equality. Youth spared the foreign missions, from the outset, has knowledge of all that has happened found its most vital expression before, believes that equality can be through the leadership of youth. That, attempted. There is the question of to me, is one of the most striking the gunboats. Facts and experience facts about the whole enterprise. The are against any drastic dissociation story of William Carey is duplicated from these expressions of western imat every stage of missionary progress. perialism. Youth, knowing no better, At Williamstown five young men be- believe that they can be dispensed gan our foreign missionary enterprise with, to the glory of God and the in North America. They had no facts progress of Christ's Gospel. The misand no experience. They were sionary enterprise needs youth because equipped only with the enthusiasm of youth can dare to refuse to be bound, youth and with the fiaming message unchangeably, to the past and can beof Jesus burning in their hearts. And lieve unreservedly in the future. all the doubts and hesitancies of vested ecclesiasticism couldn't stop them. If the missionary enterprise needs youth, how can youth be re-enlisted? Now, youth is still required for the I have no panacea-only several sugrevitalizing of foreign missions. This gestions. is true, in part, because of the kind of a world to which the missionary In the first place they might be goes out to work. It is a world of gathered in greater numbers in conflux. Men and women, particularly ferences. You have been depressed young men and young women, are about the reactions of young people groping. They are not sure how they toward the enterprise. Well, it seems wish to make the future. They are logical that youth might have someonly sure that it must be vastly dif- thing to say on the subject. Why ferent from the past. Old economic not try them. standards, old social systems, old religious beliefs are being thrown into If youth is to be reenlisted we need the crucible. Those who speak for to demonstrate, all over again, that Christianity in such a laboratory must foreign missions is a prophetic movebe prepared to submit their faith to ment. I mean by that, prophetic in the same process; must be willing to terms of today's problems as in the see old forms and old structures torn past it was prophetic for the past's apart; must be ready to stand by the problems. The striking fact about vital elements of Christianity without foreign missions in the past is that too much concern for the forms that it was courageous and outspoken, are found to express it. And for that prophetic if you please, in terms of service youth has peculiar qualifica- the current world. Youth likes to be tions. ahead of the times and associated with movements that are. Just now there
WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSION BULLETIN
is a wide-spread question as to wheth- tate. We need to reexamine the roots er missions are ahead of the times. of our faith; and the fruits of our own experience and to stand forth, There are three fields in which it as other generations stood forth, nevoccurs to me the missionary movement er doubting that there is no other might raise the voice of prophecy. name given under heaven whereby men are being saved. Once we are 1. In regard to church unity. Youth sure ourselves our certainty will comhas scant reverence for the contem- municate itself to these young people. porary significance of denominationalism. This is particularly the case Finally, youth may be rewon when in regard to the foreign field. And we see to it that this indispensable it is not an adequate answer to read Gospel has a more adequate chance the long and cumbersome roll of the here at home. The world today lives various cooperating agencies. Youth in embarrassingly close quarters. wouldn't understand them. Who does? Everyone knows a lot about everybody We will begin again to win the heart else. The result is often disconcerting. of youth when we make it plain that It is no longer possible for white church unity is a major purpose of Christians to profess things on the our program of world evangelism; highways of the world that they do that denominationally we are prepared not practice back home. Folks know to decrease in order that Christianity the gulf that very often yawns bemay increase. tween the things we publicly profess and those that we privately practice. 2. Prophecy is needed in the realm of social relationships. The question A Christian community, outspoken young people raise relative to missions on the war issue, is doing a missionis not how many have been baptized, ary job. The proper Christian influbut how many baptized individuals ence in our industrial situations at have been made to live and to act home is as good missionary work as like Christians. a year of intensive evangelism on the field. Young people must be convinced 3. Prophecy is needed in the realm that we are not advocating for the of international contacts. I believe world a Gospel that we are afraid to that the missionary enterprise repre- attempt in the United States. Youth sents the one uniformly unselfish con- will be reenlisted when they are certact between white and non-white peo- tain that our fight is against heathples. Take away the missionary and enism-wherever it shows itself; that you remove the only real evidence we are out to destroy unrighteousness available to the non-white world to in- and that we recognize no national or dicate that Christianity has not sold racial lines for our consecration to out to Mammonism. But this fact that task. needs translation into policies that cut all connections with imperialism. I believe that foreign missions must rewin youth and that youth can be In these three particulars there is rewon. The enterprise, if its vitality ample room for forerunning; there is to be restored, must be restored is ample field for prophetic-if em- with the spirit of youth; there must barrassing – pronouncements; there be injected into our purposes the fire is an opportunity to reenlist young of prophecy; into our hearts a new people. experience of the certainty of our faith; and into our program a com- In the second place, to rewin youth prehensiveness that knows only the we need to offer new proof that the distinctions between righteousness foreign missions Gospel is still indis- and unrighteousness and between men pensable to the world's salvation. and societies that are pagan and men and societies in which the spirit of As Christians we are too easily Christ has found supremacy. stampeded from the bulwarks of our faith. The young people of today hesitate about accepting our claims for our faith because they see us hesi-
AMERICA tunity to attend religious
The Methodist and Presbyterian Foreign-Language Seriptures churches formed a federation under the name of the Eldorado County Fed- T HE American Bible Society is co- erated Church. Although the work is operating with the Bureau of Ref- organized as one parish with one proerence for Migrating People of the gram of activities there are two pas- Home Missions Council and Council of tors, one a Methodist and the other a Women for Home Missions in provid- Presbyterian. A recent report indiing for the distribution of diglot for- cates that six places outside of Placereign language scriptures to foreign- ville are now regularly served with speaking newcomers. This will serve occasional services in other communithe minister, or church worker who ties. The people have responded to has received the name of an immi- this type of program with increased grant foreign-speaking family from financial support.. the Bureau of Reference for Migrating People, as a spiritual introduction. Pioneer Hardships Today Diglot scriptures are in two languages, English and a foreign language, both "ADISTRICT Superintendent in appearing on one page. For instance, Central Tennessee does not drift diglot "Fatti Degli Apostoli" is the "Acts of the Apostles" in Italian and toward heaven on palatial airships," English, the right-hand column of the writes the Rev. E. M. Nunally, Dispage giving the English, and the left- trict Superintendent of the Baxter hand column the Italian, verse for District, Central Tennessee Conferverse. ence. Last Thanksgiving he started out through the mud and drove thir- The gift of a diglot copy of the teen miles until he could go no further scriptures which can be read in the on account of a muddy hill. He and newcomers' own language may serve the local pastor left the car and to reawaken interest in the Book of walked to the bank of Cainey Fork books, help them to connect with a River. He says: "We found no boat church in the new home, exert an in- or canoe. We had no road. Had' to fluence for good, and acquaint them walk through muddy cornfields, climb with the English language. back on the hill and descend over a rocky cliff and wade through mud The Bible Society has supplied the caused by a recent tide until we came Bureau with special request blanks at last to the river bank where we for the use of ministers to whom the were carried across in a canoe. Then name of a foreign-speaking family is we had to walk nearly two miles to the sent. This enables the minister to for- church through mud. The business ward a request for a particular diglot, session of the first Quarterly Conferdirect to the branch agency of the ence fixed the pastor's salary at $350. American Bible Society nearest him. They had paid the pastor this quarter The Result of a Survey DOR seventy-four years Methodists $13. However, we visited two old widows, enjoyed a good dinner (no .£' and Presbyterians worked side by turkey), visited a home where a baby was sick, but where a four-year-old side in Placerville, California. A sur- girl ran to us and threw her arms vey of the county showed that about half of the people in it had no oppor- 396
WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
around our necks. We also visited an- our old missionaries say (a man who other family whose little girl had lacked only one of having enough headed off in the muddy road to invite scalps to make him a chief when the us to her home. We held a prayer Spirit of the Lord laid hold upon service in one home. After all we him) : felt that we had enjoyed a good Thanksgiving." You know when we used to fight our enemies, we neither ate, slept nor rested Education for the Negro till we conquered them. Can't we do as much now for our Lord?" COLLEGES for Negroes in the U. S. have more than doubled in The Gospeb In Navajo number, and enrollment has increased six times in the past ten years. In T HE Rev. Fred G. Mitchell, of the spite of this gain, there is urgent need Presbyterian Mission in Ganado, of more and better education. For ex- Arizona, preached the first fourteen ample, there is but one Negro physi- years of his ministry to the Navajos cian to each 3,343 of Negro popula- without a single convert. He now betion in America. Negro theological lieves that within five years the whole seminaries are turning out annually tribe can be reached with the Gospel, less than ten graduates to fill 19,000 and the apparently quickening intervacant pulpits. It is encouraging that est of these Indian shepherds wherethe Negroes themselves are striving ever the native evangelists and to better this situation, having estab- community workers go support Mr. lished sixteen colleges and univer- Mitchell's belief. His twenty or more sities, which they own, manage and in years on the reservation and a coma large measure finance. plete knowledge of the language pe- culiarly fit him for the task for which Nez Perces Missionaries he has asked a year's leave of absence to devote himself more exclusively to THE United Presbyterian Church, the building up of evangelistic outsta- in its mission in Idaho, has for tions and to the translating of Gospels forty years been training Indians of and gospel hymns. Mr. Mitchell is the Nez Perces tribe for Christian a pioneer in this latter work, and one service. Miss M. M. Crawford writes of the committee of four which has of their work: "The Nez Perces are already reduced the Navajo language greatly concerned for the salvation of to a writing and translated in whole their red brethren. They have gone or in part twelve books of the Bible.- from tribe to tribe in parties, paying Presbyterian Magazine. their own expenses and sometimes traveling as much as 800 miles each The MOrDlons Today way, to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For ten years they T HE United States Bureau of the have been reaching an average of six Census in its recent report of "The tribes each year. Our Nez Perces Latter Day Saints" in America states gladly help missionaries of any evan- that this sect, founded by Joseph gelical faith, and missionaries among Smith in 1830 at Fayette, Seneca many tribes are calling for them. The County, New York, has now 1,867 Indian can reach his own people as no churches with 606,561 members. Of one else can. He knows the Indian this number 592 churches and 64,367 background, the temptations of the are members of the "Reorganized Indian heart. He knows, too, how to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day condemn the old sins; and you may Saints." One-fifth of the members be very sure the Nez Perces are not are under thirteen years of age. The afraid to strike at any sin of their old expenditures of both branches of the heathenism …. I once heard one of church in 1926 amounted to $3,095,- 895 and the pupils in Sunday-schools numbered 209,593.
The growth of these churches from gation have stopped in to speak to 1906 to 1916 showed an 80% increase him whenever there was the chance but from 1916 to 1926 it was .only and in this way he has felt as one of 20%. The annual expenditures, how- us.
ever, between 1916 and 1926 increased "Jim had been in the community for from $949,104 to $3,095,895 or over a number of years and none of the two hundred per cent I Of the income Christian bodies had ever thought of reported $463,749, or about one-fifth, him in spite of the fact that they were was for missions and benevolences. all doing work in China. It quite The Mormons of the larger Utah startled them when he was confirmed 1"
branch report churches in forty-five states, the largest number of. organi- LATIN AMERICA zations being: Utah (544), Idaho Two Black Republics (270), Arizona (58), California (48) and Wyoming (45). Foreign mission- THE island of Haiti, where Chrisary work is conducted by them in topher Columbus landed on one of Great Britain and Ireland, all the his voyages to America, contains two countries of Northern Europe, Tur- distinct republics: the Republic of key, South Africa, Mexico,. South Haiti, known as the "Black Republic," America, Australia, New Zealand and and the Dominican Republic, occupythe Island,! of the Pacific. They re- ing the eastern end of the island. Beport 1,045 missionaries with 6,735 na- cause of a difference in complexion tive helpers, 469 mission churches and there is considerable race feeling be- 53,089 communicants. tween the two countries on the island and, owing to the fact that communi- Foreign Missions at Home cation between them has not been JIM LUM is "just the ordinary good, there has not been a large inter- Chinaman who has a laundry in so change of population. Now roads are many places," an Episcopal rector being built, and the demand for labor writes. "He did my laundry and I in the Dominican Republic is bringing was struck by the thought that we large numbers of Negro Haitians to spend so much money in trying to that country. Among these Haitians help the Chinese in his own country there is a widespread Protestant moveand do not bother about him at all ment and hundreds of these Protestant when he is at our very doors, often- or potentially Protestant people are times very lonely and isolated. now in the Dominican Republic, and they are beginning to call upon mis- "Jim could speak little English, but sionaries there for help. The strong could understand it better than he race prejudice between the two peocould talk it, so I would stop and talk ples makes it impossible to take the to him. He had a good moral reputa- Haitians into the Dominican halls, and tion and was easily interested in com- so missionaries face the dilemma of ing to the services which he learned refusing to minister to these Haitians to enjoy and appreciate. I approached now living in Dominican territory, or him on the subject of his uniting him- of attempting a task altogether too self with the church and tried to make large for their present resources.- clear to him what it would all mean. World Neighbors.
"He was the first Chinese who had been presented for confirmation. This was about two years ago and Jim has Bibles in Mexico B been one of our most faithful com- IBLE Institutes are becoming an integral part of Mexican church municants ever since. He has con- tributed regularly each year more activity, and are of real value to col- than he promised, to both sides of the porteurs who gather annually for duplex envelope, and is always anxious study and prayer. The American Bi- to give. The members of the congre- ble Society in Mexico, established fifty
WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
years ago, has had a memorable year, Sunday-schools, in literary output, in having distributed 47,507 copies, and evangelistic work among the aborig- 1,652,850 volumes in its fifty years' inal Indians, in theological education, history. The appointment of a Mexi- in movements of social reform and in can as agency secretary is a forecast other ways the Committee on Cooperaof the day when all this work will be tion has been able to promote construcin the hands of Mexicans themselves. tive work. There is also cooperative work with the Church in other lands. A New Indian Mission Today, school children of Brazil cor- respond with school children in Portu- T HE Indian Mission Committee of guese Africa and Japan. A letter America was formed in 1921 for from the Transvaal missions anthe purpose of taking the Gospel to nounces the liberation of an exiled bethe neglected Indians of Latin Ameri- liever in India, a case in which our ca speaking only their own language intervention had been asked. It was or dialect. Dr. Thomas C. Moffett was this committee that made it possible Chairman and Mr. Dinwiddie, General to intervene with the authorities in Secretary. Last Spring Dr. Moffett Japan in favor of liberty of conscience resigned from the Indian work, of of their emigrants to Brazil. which he had had charge for about twenty-one years, under the Presby- The Earthquake and the Gospel terian Board of National Missions and as a result the Executive Committee T HE earthquake did not touch us, was called together and the Indian Mis- but it did touch the conscience of sion of America was organized with some who were badly scared-es- Mr. W. B. Coleman as Chairman, Dr. pecially one old sinner in Concepcion, Moffett, Secretary, Mr. Legters, Field who has been attending our Gospel Secretary, and Mr. Harvey Borton as hall. He immediately married the Treasurer. Dr. Moffett is now on an poor dear soul with whom he has been extended trip to Central America in Jiving for years-a thing I have not order to have first-hand information been able to persuade him to do herethat he may be better able to present tofore. But the earthquake did! We the needs in the United States. The have small shocks here every two Lord has already raised up a Maya weeks or so!. ….. Indian, fully equipped with college and seminary training, who is ready to go In all her history I do not think the among his own people. His support officia~ doors in Chile have ever been has been supplied, and Mr. Legters so open to the Gospel as now. For is leaving on the 24th to make the instance, the other day the governfinal arrangements for starting this ment granted me written permission new work among the Mayas, of whom to preach the Gospel in every jail and there are 227,000.-Report of the penitentiary in the country. One of Pioneer Mission Agency. the secretaries of the Department of Justice, and later the chief of the Revival in Brazil Prison Department, in granting the permiso, said that we are doing just AREVIVAL of interest in religion what they want to have done! To has been noted in Brazil in recent have tbem express such sentiments in years and both Roman Catholic and an official position in a Roman Cath- Protestant churches are attended by olic country is a bit surprising. increasing numbers. The Protestant churches realize that the time calls We have just finished in Concepcion for cooperation among the various de- a fine Bible campaign in the big exnominations if advantage is to be posicion in Concepcion. Last year, we taken of the opportunity for construc- saw the opportunity at a similar fair tive work. and promised the Lord, if He would give us the chance, we would put a In religious education through the stall of His Word in the next big
exposition. Therefore, when the no- sionary interest by an effort to expand tices began to appear about the ex- the interest of other Christians in posicion rtacional, I wrote to a good mISSIOns. A group of students, se- friend in Santiago, and he telegraphed lected for the campaign, made careful that he would come and help. I im- preparation under competent leader- mediately took a stall contract and ship and then went forth in small then the fun began! Help came to us groups to preach in the churches, and from all parts-Valparaiso, Santiago, to deliver addresses in schools and to and Argentine. Tracts, Gospels, Bi- other gatherings.-The Indian Wit- bles and various exhibits began to ness.
pour and we sold or gave out over 50,000 tracts and Scripture portions. The United C,hurch in Scotland Among the sales were Hebrew, Arabic, ,tFTER long negotiation the Church Yiddish, German, English and Arau- f t of Scotland, (Presbyterian) and cano (the main Indian tribe here) the United Free Church, are coming besides those in the principle language, together. The negotiations for union Castellano. Many of the highest have been carried forward with paclasses were reached with the Gospel tience and careful consideration of messages at the open-air meetings in those who hesitated over the proposal to give up their historic identity. The front of the stall every night. One afternoon the admiral and the promise is that this union will be comandante of Chile's big battleship effected without any serious loss, but stepped up and held a few moments' a practically unanimous action in both conversation with us. Before they Churches. Legislation was secured left, they invited us to speak again through the British Parliament which at the fleets' winter quarters in Co- removed the old objections of the Free quimbo.-Wm. M. Strong, Concepcion. Church, and made it impossible for the State to interfere with the inter- EUROPE nal affairs of the Church.
Mlasionary Interest in Universities One small group in the United Free BRITISH Universities, notably Ox- Church voted against accepting the ford and Cambridge, appear to basis of union, and at the meeting of be experiencing a distinct revival in the General Assembly last May threat- the missionary interests of their stu- ened to carryon as a "Continuing dents. The postwar pessimistic reac- United Free Church." Later reports, tion against idealistic activities has however, show that the large majority seemingly subsided and is about to be of this small minority will be satisfied succeeded by a reassertion of faith in, to have their protest recorded and will and devotion to, organized movements not become parties to another ecclesi- for the glory of God and the service astical "split."
of mankind. The meetings of the two General Groups of students meet to pray Assemblies this year will be events for the advancement of the Church of tremendous interest. It will be the throughout the world and particularly last time these two bodies will sit as in regions where special difficulties separate and more or less rival or- are being encountered. ganizations on opposite sides of High A group of Oxford students spent Street, Edinburgh. Already American their long vacation in missionary work Churches are designating special dele- in South Africa. We read of a mis- gates to these meetings when the af- sionary campaign in five Deaneries in fairs of the Church of Scotland and England in which students from Ox- the United Free Church, as separate ford, Cambridge, King's College, Lon- ecclesiastical bodies, will be closed up.
don and the C. M. S. Woman's In October or November a special Training College, participated. These meeting will consummate the union.
students sought to exercise their mis- There will remain a few small bodies
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of the Presbyterian order which will Union is representative of five be independent of this national Pres- Churches and includes both home and byterian Church, such as the "Wee foreign missions (in the East and Frees." This union should give Scot- West Indies), medical missions and land a great Church, which will be missions to Jews. The total member- able to multiply its activities. ship of the affiliated groups is over four hundred and fifty. A scheme for Polish Reformation a Home Preparation Union has been T HE ProteBtantiBche RundBchau de- adopted and applications have already scribes a new reformation among been received from candidates for the Poles. The National Church in Bible study. The organizing secre- Poland has now fifteen parishes and tary is Miss A. E. Adriani, formerly a hundred thousand adherents. a missionary in Java. Miss Adriani recognized the need for organizing the The first synod of the church was many isolated groups and circles of held in Warsaw last June, there being women in Holland who were interested two hundred and fifty present, among in and working for missions and this them two bishops and three laymen unified group will u n d 0 u b ted I y from America. Plans were made for strengthen the women's side of misthe establishment of a theological sionary work in the Netherlands by seminary and the statement was issued making known the need for women that the National Church of Poland to fill posts on the field, by encouragwished to live on good terms with all ing offers of service and directing Christians who based their teaching courses of preparation. In America on the Gospel. All members of the and in Great Britain similar organizachurch are equal, the women having tions of women have been a prelude church franchise. to the full cooperation of men and women in missionary organizations. If the two Polish Reformed Catholic churches unite it will mean an im- portant secession from Rome, for the Communism in Norwa.y Mariavites number 100,000 with 4 I N THE labor parade last year in bishops, 30 priests, 500 sisters, and Stockholm a twelve-year-old boy 200 lay-brothers. They possess 68 carried a banner on which was inparishes, 7 convents, 80 parish schools, scribed, with a picture of a Bible 12 orphanages, and 60 workshops for burning, the words, "Away with Christ children, an old people's home in every from the schools." The Vice-Chairparish, and a great number of agri- man of the labor party in Norway, cultural and industrial enterprises Professor Edward Bull, has recently which support the clergy, the sisters, said: "We of the workers' party will the charities, and schools. The clergy fight dogmatic beliefs both in church have no fixed salaries. The institu- and state; also the Christian teaching tional- developments of this reformed of non-resistance and humility and its Catholic church are evidence of its bondage to the letter. We will secularvitality. In renouncing Rome they ize the schools, the hospitals and care also have renounced spirits and tobac- of the sick, burials, marriages, and the co. They are evangelical, but with registration of births. Weare the ircertain erratic interpretations.-Sun- reconcilable enemies of the dominant day School Times. Lutheranism as of all the other stupe- fying sects. Our church policy is one Holland Women Unite of attack."
ON JANUARY 18TH, delegates At the last general congress of the from thirty different Protestant Lutheran Church held in Hamburg, missionary circles united to form the Dr. Schabert of Riga spoke of the Vrouwen – Zendingsbund (Women's ecclesia crucis ("called-out ones of the Missionary Union) of Holland. The cross"). He has been twice impris- 6
oned by the Bolshevists, once banished manpower out of the villages. Old to Siberia, once sentenced to death, tribal relations are breaking down. escaping as by miracle before execu- Thirty thousand Negroes now live in tion. The Baltic Christians were the native quarter of Leopoldville. crowded into cells in which one could They come from all parts of the Connot stand upright. The coarse and go and are subject to the fierce temptyrannical conduct of the guards, tations and powerful influences of the weighed like one of the Alps on Chris- city. tian prisoners. Those who were sent to execution had to dig their own French, as a common language, is graves on cold win t e r nights. being pushed by the government. A Churches were defiled. Yet in spite course of study for the schools, inof all, the spirit of love exhibited it- cluding French, is proposed and beself. People shared with each other fore many years may be required of and with the prisoners. Among the mission schools. A restlessness, a thousands executed were thirty-six yearning to see other places, a shift- Lutheran pastors. – ERNEST GORDON, ing of population, a desire for instrucin The S. S. Times. tion, is manifested everywhere.
AFRICA A great colonial empire has come into being in the Congo. The same Contra.ts in Africa challenge is found also in other states -Cameroons, Liberia. DR. AR'FHUR C. BALDWIN gives this picture of the Africa of to- The Protestant missionary forces day: must get together and comprehend the challenge. Rome sees it. Three thou- The changing order in Central Af- sand white-robed priests, Jesuits, Rerica presents a challenge to Protes- demptors, etc., are working without tant Christianity. scruple to overcome Protestant influ- ences and possess the land.-Missions. The old Africa, land of mystery and isolation, has passed. Civilized imple- God Is Able, We Are Able ments have opened the interior. Commerce is threading its rivers and THE Sudan Interior Mission, with forests. Where Stanley took 999 days which is united the Abyssinian to come down the river Congo, travel- Frontiers Mission, has as its letterers today can go from the east to west head motto: coast in two weeks. Huge steamers carrying 1,000 passengers are on the God is Able river. Its vast tributaries are mapped 2 Cor. 9: 8 and visited by regular lines. We Are Well Able Num. 13: 30 The narrow-gauge railroad from Matadi to Leopoldville is being rebuilt Not to mention the associated mison a better roadbed with a broader sion which has been noted in previous gauge. The traffic of all Congo pours issues, we emphasize here the work down through this neck of the bottle. of the older mission, now in its twen- Automobiles are seen by the hundreds ty-seventh year, which has received up the river. A highway for auto most of its support and force from trucks now connects Thysville and Canada. Its December circular letter Elisabethville, 2,000 miles away, to gives good reason for thankfulness. the great copper mines. For three years in succession it has made nearly a twenty-five per cent in- Infant industries, cotton mills, etc., crease annually in the missionary are springing up. In Leopoldville a force. Three new stations have been cotton mill is now being erected, and established in the French Sudan and it is reported that 500 Belgian girls in Nigeria. And the union with the will be brought down to work in it. Abyssinian Frontiers Mission is an- The demand for labor is drawing the other cause of encouragement and thanksgiving. But when one reads of
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their own task, the need of enabling Keeping her in the dark, he first tried is manifest. The Moslem provinces to scare her into obedience to her facing them in Northern Nigeria have mother by his gruesome conjuring, in- five million people unreached except cantations and magic, calculated to very slightly. The great areas west- raise the hair of a warrior. Not sucward from its two stations in the ceeding, he scourged her and then French Sudan, with large pagan tied her up by her feet to a branch tribes, are unentered still. These that the new religion might percolate needs above the normal one for ex- downward and flow out of her mouth. pansion in their older stations and the This also failing, he gave her an obreplacement of losses all call for an noxious medicine that almost killed able and energizing God. If the spirit her. of its present staff is continued in the nearly forty acceptable candidates who Then, giving the child up as incorhave offered themselves, and more rigible, her mother determined on a than half of whom are supposedly on last resort, kill-or-cure remedy. Drivtheir way, a bit of darkest Africa will ing her away from the school into the see the sunrise of a new life. forest she bound her little daughter to a tree with bark ropes stripped from New Center in the Congo a sapling, and left her there as food for lions. The dreaded black night ANEW station has been opened in enveloped the child in the dreary Af- the Congo, under the Southern rican forest. Darkness came on and Presbyterian Board. It is called Lu- the fearsome noises of the forest; but bondai, is 180 miles southeast of Luebo the angel of the Lord encamped about and 20 miles from a station of the her, for when a Christian found her Ba-Congo Katanga Railway, recently the next morning, he saw lion tracks completed. A splendid motor highway within six feet of her. She had seen connects the mission with the railroad. their glaring eyes as moving balls of It is also on the air mail route from fire, but remembered what she had Luebo to Elisabethville. The mission learned in school, that God had made boasts a large number of adobe build- the lions and her too, and so fear left ings, dispensary, chapel, classrooms her; she felt so sure God would not and residences, but as yet only one let them eat her up. permanent structure, the Pattie M. Sleeper Memorial Church. Ice in Africa Within the short history of the sta- I T IS said that Africa is a continent tion forty young men have decided to of contrasts. Nowhere is this enter the Gospel ministry, twelve of manifested better than in the making whom have sufficient training to enter of ice practically on the Equator. The the Morrison Bible School of Mutoto. ice machine at Central Hospital at Elat, West Africa, has been a source "X.ions and the Lion-Hearted" of amazement to the natives, to whom this is the queerest of all the white FROM the Luanza Mission, Belgian man's medicines. To the sick it has Congo, comes this tale of a believ- been a source of comfort and healing. ing African girl, about nine or ten From the wife of a government official years of age. This daughter of a heath- to several of our own missionaries, ice en mother, had become acquainted with has brought relief when other the missionaries and longed to attend agencies failed. Buried in saw-dust, their girls' school; but her mother it was even taken to another station, forbade her doing so, lest the native fifty miles away, for use in a case of teacher's religion should exert its un- severe illness. When not needed for canny power to change lives. So the therapeutic purposes, ice has given mother turned her over to the witch missionaries an unexpected taste of doctor, "to put fear upon her," which home. On Saturday afternoons the he proceeded to do in this fashion.
missionary children at their school change makes it much easier for new home scramble for the privilege of missionaries to learn the language. "lickin' the dasher." It is fun to see It is also far easier for Turkish chilthe look of bewildered astonishment dren to learn. There is some grumon the black cook's face as he is first bling about the compulsory change, initiated into the mysterious rite of mainly on religious grounds, since, by making ice-cream. "Just like a white forbidding the teaching of the Arabic man," he thinks, "to waste good salt characters, the coming generation will by letting it melt away"-and hastens be prevented from reading the Koran. to catch the icy salt water, which he The Government, while frankly nonboils down patiently until he is re- religious, does not seem to be planning warded by the salt crystalized in the its measures against the Koran, but bottom of the pan. The soiled color this measure is one of the many to of it bothers him not at all as he takes bring Turkey up with Europe. The it to his smiling wife who carefully Government does not care what may preserves it to use in her cooking. be the effect on the religious life of "There is then," thinks she, "some- the people." thing gained from the mad whims of the white people."-The Drum CatL Mount of Olives Bible School WESTERN ASIA T HANKS to a devoted Christian woman of wealth, a site for a Bible In Saint John's Isle study center for the use of Bible students and church workers of all T HE Isle of Patmos, off the coast denominations and nationalities, has of Asia Minor, supports 250 been secured on the Mount of Olives churches. A visitor, whether he be facing Jerusalem. The land has been Jew or Greek, Catholic, Protestant or given to the Travel Institute of Bible agnostic, is received with cordiality Research and is the first plot to be at the monastery. For three days he owned there by a Protestant Organizamay remain and pay nothing for food tion. It is near the traditional site of nor the use of the library, the most Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, interesting feature of the place. A above the Garden of Gethsemane and rich collection of parchment manu- only a few minutes walk eastward scripts includes a fragment compris- from the Brook Kidron. The building the major part of St. Mark's Gos- ings will be erected and study bepel, and a seventh century Book of gun as soon as the funds are raised Job, written on vellum. for the purpose. As the land and the Book and the Man are so intimately Opportunities in Turkey related, it ought to be the most help- ful Bible School in the world, if its AMISSIONARY conference in regulations are dominated by the spir- Adana in January brought to- it of the late Conference upon the gether delegates from all mission sta- Mount of Olives.-Sunday School tions in Turkey. Rev. Charles T. Riggs Times. writes: "Opportunities for service seem to be increasing almost every- Pioneer Evangelism in Iraq where in spite of restrictions as to religious instruction to children under OF THE work of Rev. and Mrs. eighteen. There is a great eagerness Albert G. Edwards in Hillah, the to read, and a wide-open door for good new station of the United Mission in literature. The Bible societies are Mesopotamia, another member of that finding an increased demand for their mission says: "By courage, friendliproducts. But the greatest interest ness and steadfastness they have made now is in learning the newly-adopted their place in the community." Mr. alphabet, and thousands who never Edwards himself writes: "We have tried to learn Arabic are making good made almost daily visits in the bazaar, progress with the Latin letters. The
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in the coffee houses, in the various by a neck incision and the patient offices, or in the homes of the various was at last relieved.
ecclesiastics. In these visits about the city, a good many thousand tracts Oentral Asia'. Ohallenge T have been distributed, all of which HIS part of the world contains Afghanistan, Russian Turkestan, present, more or less fully, the gospel message. Sitting in the coffee houses, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet and Mon- we have often had the opportunity of golia. Centuries ago the Gospel was reading the Bible to quite attentive proclaimed in some of these fields, groups, and the literature we have mainly by Nestorians, but it did not given out is often read to other groups take permanent root. Dr. Kilgour of scattered about. In the last few weeks the British and Foreign Bible Society we have received a few more calls at rightly attributes this lack of per- our house than earlier in the year, manency to the fact that the mission- but we find that on the whole to reach aries did not take to these races the the Arabs in Hillah we have to go Scriptures in their own tongue. They out to where they congregate ….. . had a fine translation of the New Tes- There is a general interest and a wear- tament in Syriac and to the Tibetans ing down of fanaticism, but there has and even the Japanese they taught been aroused opposition in some quar- Syriac, but nothing was done for the ters, especially in Najaf, opposition native tongues. A secondary reason which has been expressed by the print- mentioned by him and by other schol- ing of very blasphemous books against arly resident missionaries is the fact us, our books, and our Saviour." that the Nestorians compromised and mingled Christian truths with Central Persian Aeroplane and Missions Asian mythologies or half truths, as DR. BLAIR of Teheran tells this one sees in the oldest of their monu- story, which is here abbreviated. ments still standing in Rsi-an Fu, A prominent citizen of Tabriz hap- Shensi. Yet of many of these mid- pened to swallow his false teeth while Asians what Mrs. Burroughs said is taking his soup. The partial plate true, that, as in Little Tibet which she followed the soup only to a point be- represents, there is far more concern low and behind the larynx and there about religion in Central Asia than remained fast. For two days he·was in Europe where the lives of the peo- able to swallow fluids but then the ple are dominated by the ever present inflammation prevented all eating and fear of demons and evil spirits. With drinking. All the Tabriz doctors tried the few beacon lights in a territory to relieve him, but lacking special in- about 3,000 miles in breadth there is struments were unable to afford re- abundant reason for the Central Asia lief. A brother in Teheran, who is Prayer Fellowship with its London a member of Parliament, consulted a headquarters.
prominent Persian specialist, and he urged that he be brought to Teheran INDIA AND SIAM at once. The brother chartered an A Oritical Year T aeroplane and sent for the sufferer,RIS is evidently going to be a crit- ical year in India. The movement the distance between the two cities over mountain ranges being 350 miles, for political independence is receiving which by ordinary conveyances would the support of the younger men. The have required fifteen days. The plane recent National Congress, however, de- left Tabriz about noon and was at cided by a majority of votes for Do- Teheran by sunset. The leading Per- millIOn Status in the meantime.
sian surgeon, and the English surgeon Mahatma Gandhi threw the weight of refused to risk operating. So he was his influence in the scale against the taken to the American missionary hos- impatient idealists. Dominion Status pital, where the plate was removed thus represents the largest measure
of agreement among the various be open all the week, and have morn- parties. But the demand for it is ing and evening prayer.
coupled with the provision that if in- 3. Islam is a religion of hospitality.
dependence is not granted before the Is Christianity? It is common to hear end of the year civil disobedience will the complaint, "When we were Mos- be resorted to. lems we could go to anybody's house The National Congress was notable for a cup of coffee, but now we are for other reasons. Pandit Motilal Christians we cannot."
Nehru, the President, made the ob- 4. Too great a lack of teaching aft- servation that "religion as practiced er baptism.
today is the greatest separatist force. 5. Christians ignore the Moslem It puts artificial barriers between man virtues, and emphasize their vices.
and man and prevents the development 6. Social difficulty of marriage.
of healthy and cooperative national 7. Temporal needs of the converts life." It is the Pandit's belief that often blind the missionary to their the purdah and other disabilities of spiritual needs, and favoritism in sup- women are a curse and should be plying temporal needs creates jeal- wiped out without delay. The Chair- ousy.
man of the Reception Committee said, Mortality and Morality in Bomba.y in his address: The man pow.er of India must be fully T HE popUlation of Bombay in 1928 developed and equipped with up-to-date was estimated to be over 1,300,000 ideals. The women must be free. The of whom 850,000 were Hindus, 200,000 thousand and one airtight compartments Moslems, 68,000 Christians, 52,000 of the social fabric should be knocked Parsees, 24,000 Jains and 8,000 Jews. down without mercy. What can we ex- Three-fourths of the population are pect from a people with a polygamous illiterate and sixty-six per cent of the habit? A people so pleasure-seeking, so people live in one room (as compared devoid of self-control, cannot show that with 6% in London); out of every self-abnegation which is so very neces- 1,000 births 828 children die in the sary in a soldier of liberty. There should first year! The low moral conditions therefore be a social revolution which are shown by the fact that there are must go hand in hand with political rev- over 1,000 brothels known to carryon olution. We do not believe in the pro- their- trade in the city, employing 20,- gressive realization of freedom. 000 prostitutes. From these brothels -The Record of the United Free Church of Scotland.
Why Converts Slip Back 134 children were rescued and over 500 boys and girls were found to be DR. s. M. ZWEMER, speaking at living lives of vice. A Rescue Home the 8th Annual Conference of the is conducted under the auspices of the Egypt Intermission Council, quoted Vigilance Association.-DnyanQdaya. some interesting statements from a meeting of converts from Islam, held Women's Moral Reforms at Lahore, India, during his recent T HE Eighteenth Biennial Convenvisit there. Reasons were given why tion of the Indian W. C. T. U. met converts were not more numerous and in Delhi last November under the why some slip back. Presidency of Miss M. J. Campbell, wearer of the rarely bestowed Kaisir- Briefly these reasons were as fol- i-Hind medal. Among the resolutions lows: passed by that body are the following: 1. Because the Church of India is Resolved that the National W. C. T. unsympathetic towards the Moslem U. of India, representing nine provinces convert who has lost his old friends and 7,000 members now in session in and is hungry for new friends. Delhi, express their hearty appreciation of the appeal for better laws restricting 2. Converts miss prayers and Zikrs the traffic in strong drink, and pledge in the church. Prayer is not prom- their full cooperation and support. inent enough. The churches should
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Realizing the terrible effects resulting Thus the Word of God was proclaimed from the use of opium (especially by mightily.
giving it to infants) and other narcotic Refo1'll111 for "Untouchables"
drugs, we urge our members to agitate T HE "depressed classes" of Bengal, numbering eleven millions, sent a against the use of the same; and we deputation to the Simon Commission. pledge ourselves as an organization to The deputation drew an appalling pic- ture of the conditions under which cooperate with any effort toward the 25 per cent of the popUlation in Ben- gal live. The "depressed classes" are suppression of the opium traffic. prohibited from taking water from the wells controlled by the District Regretting the evils resulting in low- Boards; they are compelled to sit shoeless at separate benches in the ered moral tone from the use of im- village schools, and are not even al- lowed to enter the public temples for proper pictures, we desire to cooperate worship. As their spokesmen pathet- . ically declared: "Even our gods are with those interested in their purifica- a depressed class, and untouchable."
tion. We urge a strict national censor- Sir John Simon pointed out that ship of all cinema films. the real task was not to reform the social conditions of the Hindus, but Resolved that we, as an organization, to consider the reconstruction of In- dia's Constitution. The retort came, pledge our cooperation with, and our sup- polite but emphatic: "Until we get port of, every action against prostitu- real direct representation on the Coun- cils our conditions cannot be imtion; and that we urge our members proved." to initiate programs and to carryon Pressed to submit definite proposals, personal and cooperative work to elimi- the deputation pleaded for a separate electorate, adult suffrage, and reprenate this evil, and also to procure moral sentation by their own people, who instruction in the schooI.-Indian Stand- are unwilling any longer to depend on ard, Delhi. . nomination by the Government, and are tired of the lip sympathy of other Sundar Singh, and Other Sadhu8 parties and classes, which evaporates whenever the time for practical action A DECADE ago Christians were comes. deeply moved by a truly holy man, Sadhu Sundar Singh, known in North- Head-hunters on the Burmese Frontern India as "the Apostle of the Bleeding Feet." A Hindu by birth, he tier believes that Christ called him to a life of self-sacrificing service. Today T HIS custom of savages is not conhe spends most of his time in the fined to Borneo, eastern Formosa lofty Himalaya mountains, bringing and other remote regions. The Octoto others the message of his Lord and ber issue of China's MiUions contains Master. Hindu Sadhus live in desert an article about work among Chrisplaces, eat simple food, and with long tians in southern Yiin-nan ,on the matted hair, they resemble somewhat Burman frontillr where head-hunters the Nazarites of Christ's day, as did abound. Gruesome as the details are, John the Baptist. The saintly life of the periodical prints them "to stimu- Sundar Singh has made a deep im- late prayer." The reason of the cuspression upon Hindus and Christians tom here is the needs of agriculture. alike. I''fhe heads when secured are hung up For these reasons some Christians have adopted a similar mode of life, some true followers of Sadhu Jesus and some as imperfect Christians, have adopted healing as did the Master. A village boy who had studied in the mission high school of the Lutherans in Guntur, believed that he was called of God to be such a sadhu, and crowds by the thousand came to hear him and to receive healing. Such huge meetings afforded e"ce)lent opportimities to preach the Gospel, and unable to IIleet sO great a demand he as~ed Lutheran teachers flnd pa!3t gr tJ to pr«;)/!!!h at sllCn met)ting~,
in a high bamboo frame, while direct- tion against the marriage of a girl of ly below in a space carefully protected fifteen to a widower of fifty-five. from intruding animals, a large pile of loose earth is placed. After the The whole town was thrown into in- blood and decaying matter has all tense excitement as young men of the dripped down, it is mixed carefully Jain Association picketed the bride- with the loose earth and each family groom's house to guard against viola- in the village or group of villages is tion of the court's order. given a handful to ensure good crops. The families under each headman The Youths' Association produced have to procure a head each spring at 150 affidavits to show the match was planting time, and the families have improper and stated that the girl was to take turns in supplying the heads. being forced into the marriage by her If he (the headman) cannot procure father against her consent and asked a head, the law is that one of his own that she be separated from her parents children has to be killed and sacrificed to prevent undue influence. Orthodox in the same way." The article says Hindus favored the marriage but the that they have never heard of one of youth of India react against it. . those who have become Christians los- ing his life in this way. Ps. xlvii 20 CHINA AND TIBET is quoted, ·"The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of FaDline Vondit:lons in Vhina cruelty," as being illustrated by this custom. If the British authorities T HE Rev. F. J. Griffith, who is do- concerned would take over this "no ing relief work from Tatungfu, man's land," the district would fall has sent the following account of within the field allotted to our Amer- famine conditions in the province of ican Baptists. Shansi, North China, to The Mis- sion Field, giving a pitiful picture of Moslem,s and Hindus the suffering of the people of that province: MOSLEMS and Hindus in India seem incapable of living in har- In Saratsi yesterday six persons were mony. The Moslems are intense found dead on the street starved and monotheists; the Hindus are fanatical frozen to death. polytheists. At Bombay labor difficulties have arisen. Moslems were at- The poor people are now forced to eat tacked and retaliated. Fighting with food that is not usually given even to rifles, knives and stone-throwing has pigs. Weeds from the fields have been spread to the Moslem and Hindu used for several months, but with the quarters of the city. The police were frost this supply has stopped. unable to cope with the frenzied mob. Many were killed and wounded. Com- The outer husks of millet which had panies of English regiments quelled no use before are being eaten, also bean the rioting. The trouble indicates cake and bark of trees. what will happen to India if the British leave that country entirely to The villages have been largely evacu- itself.-W atchman-E xaminer. ated. Many women and girls have been sold into slavery.
It is estimated that more than 17,000 women and girls have passed through Yen Men Kuan, the main pass into cen- tral Shansi, since the autumn harvest.
In the train yesterday, I heard the re- mark that the only trade in this district at the present time is this "white slave traffic."
One dutiful son carried his mother 200 Ii on his back and was moving away farther south.
Youth and Child Marriage New Mission to the Hak-ka's ADISPATCH from Bombay, March A NEW mission to China has re- 14th, reports that the Association cently been organized, with headof Youth of the Jain Community at quarters at 75 West Street, New York Ahmadabad obtained from District City. It is a mission to evangelize Judge Davis, a European, an injuuc- the neglected Hak-ka people of south-
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east China. They are called "stran- said, "Now, girls, line up two by two, gers," having mig rat e d from and march out of this building singsouthwest China to the Provinces of ing 'Onward, Christian soldiers.''' Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Fukien, Kiang- They did it while the men stood dumbsi and Honan. They still remain founded. She said to the leader quietunique in character, customs and lan- ly "Confucius could never have helped guage, and are hardy, intellectual, us do that."-In Dnyanodaya. brave, highly civilized and receptive toward the Gospel. It is estimated Progress in China that there are over 15,000,000 of them almost wholly untouched by Christian TARIFF autonomy, so long and armissions. The Hak-ka Mission is be- dently Bought, came into oping promoted by an Executive Committee of which Dr. A. C. Gaebelein eration on January 1. How much this is chairman and Colonel G. N. Sanc- will mean practically only the future tuary is treasurer. The Chinese cen- can disclose, but its coming will mean ter of the w 0 r k is Shiuchow, to that extent, "equality and justice" Kwangtung. in international relationships.
The New Chinese Calendar January 1st was also the date set for the completion of the registration ONE of the reformations of the new of schools. There are signs that the government in China is the adop- Government is tending towards a more tion of the solar calendar instead of liberal attitude to religions as such the lunar calendar which has been but neither the government or. the used in China for thousands of years. educational authorities show any The government seems determined to tendency to give up the requirement force the acceptance of its will in this that attendance on religious services matter, and has refused to allow the and instruction in registered schools lunar calendar to be printed. If it is be voluntary. successful in this undertaking it will be an influence in undermining a great Opium addicts are, after March 1st, number of superstitious practices to be classified as criminals and treated based on the reckoning of the lunar accordingly. Facilities are to be procalendar. vided whereby they may break their bonds but after six months the "iron The Power of Christ hand of law will know no mercy" to opium addicts. The Nationalist Opium DR. J. H. RITSON, secretary of the Suppression Committee is made up of British and Foreign Bible Soci- one hundred representatives of variety repeats a remarkable story that ous organizations, and includes in its he heard from Chinese delegates at membership two leading Christian the Jerusalem Council meeting. The members of the National Anti-Opium incident was related by a Chinese Association, Mr. T. H. Li and Rev. lady, head of a girls' school. In the K. T. Chung. Through it the Nationfighting two or three hundred Bol- alist Government aims to throttle shevik troops, mad with lust, broke China's domestic narcotic menace. into the school-poured in like a river. The yearly consumption of opium in They came up to that lady, little, Peking alone is reported as valued at slight, absolutely helpless apparently, $44,000,000, or 30,000 Chinese ounces and they put a bayonet against her per day. breast, and threatened to pierce her. She said, "Wait a bit"; and she gath- Fortune tellers, who have been patered all the girls together, and with ronized by emperors and coolies alike these men standing around dumb- for centuries in China, must now find founded, she raised her hand and said some other occupation according to "Let us pray." She prayed; then she an order issued by the Nanking Gov- ernment. The order is extended to the entire country, but it is not clear whether the order applies also to as-
trologists, who are called upon to de- body is destined to play an important cide lucky days for all important cere- role in Chinese national life. monies, such as weddings and funerals. There are more than 2,200 Chinese young men and women studying in Christian Officiab in China eighty American colleges in fi'fteen states. More than one-fourth are ABOUT half the heads of depart- Christians. Seven hundred and twenftments in the new government of ty-one Chinese Christians are banded China, and one-fourth of the other together in the Chinese Student's officials of the Central administration Christian Association which after are Christians. These Christians hold nineteen years of steady growth, has regular meetings together for prayer now over thirty-five local units. In for the success of their great task of these associations the Christians meet reconstruction. They are subjecting for social fellowships, intellectual ex- Christian schools to no strictor regu- ercise and the cultivation of the spirlations than the schools of other itual life. The association carries on religions, and are showing general many lines of activities designed to friendliness to Christian missionaries, aid Chinese students in their often restoring to them, one by one, the difficult adjustments to American soproperties commandeered for military cial and college life. In addition it and government purposes during the aims to assist worthy but needy stumonths of struggle. Of course they dents who desire to devote their lives have "done things which they ought to Christian work in China.-Chinese not to have done," but they have Recorder. shown so many evidences of real unselfish patriotism and a desire for Rifles and Chaos in Tibet happy international relations, that we certainly should be able to forgive MODERN rifles, smuggled in from certain extreme expressions of that China, India and Russia, are patriotism-and some acerbities of at- helping to create chaos and confusion titude toward those who have seemed in Tibet. Not only does every little disposed to deny them the equality principality now have its army, but which they claim. every large monastery has one, too, and clashes are constantly occurring. The same thing is true, in many For example, the monastery of Kanze ways, of the attitude of the people with 3,000 Lamas, equipped with modgenerally. They are ashamed of the ern rifles, is being besieged by an excesses of recent years, and, thor- army from the principality of Drangu. oughly weary of military dictatorships, are earnestly desirous of peace The Panchen Lama, who, as temamong themselves and with other na- poral ruler of Tibet, ought to be maintions.-Courtney H. Fenn in Women taining order, is a fugitive in and Missions. Manchuria, while the spiritual author- ity of the Dalai Lama is being con- Welfare of Chinese Abroad stantly menaced by the appearance of rival incarnations of Buddha. T HE Welfare Association for Chi- nese Abroad was inaugurated in Why do Tibetans want Western Shanghai on November 11th to pro- rifles, but not the religion of Westmote and protect the interests of Chi- erners? Is it any more inconsistent nese abroad. Among its directors are with his religion for a Lama to use well-known Chinese who represent a rifle, than for a Christian? Contheir constituents in the United States, sidering the terrible burden which Canada, South America, India, Siam, western militarism has been to China, Singapore, Java, Australia and the how do you account for the fact that Philippines. Such a representative one of the earliest products of Prot- estant missions in China, Yung Wing, in his autobiography, boasts of thll
WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
fact that he introduced gatling guns except Holland, Belgium, and England, into China, and started the first mod- and these nations have overseas pos- ern arsenal? Is the Church doing sessions which afford some relief, anything adequate to undo the harm whereas Japan's overseas possessions, which Western munitions of war are Korea and Formosa, are already well doing in non-Christian lands ?-Mis- occupied, and her immigrants are re- sions. fused a welcome in lands ruled by the white races.
JAPAN AND KOREA To help solve this problem the north- A Japanese View of the Need ern island of Hokkaido is being de- T HE Executive Committee of the veloped. At present the population Board of Directors of the Kumiai of the island is not more than 2,300,- (Japan) Church states that foreign 000, but it may eventually reach 10,- missionaries are still needed in Japan. 000,000. The rapidity of development in some districts is amazing. (1) Because of the great task ahead. The task of the evangelization The C. M. S. started a mission in of Japan is one far beyond our power Hokkaido fifty-four years ago, to evanof accomplishment at present, in view gelize the aboriginal Ainu. Today it of the shortage of our forces. This is confronted with a far bigger task, shortage is emphasized by the duty that of establishing a church that will that devolves upon us of taking the bring the Christian message to new Gospel to great numbers of Koreans, towns and cities. Round each mis- Formosans and Manchurians who are sion station is a potential town or without our borders. village, some of which will become considerable centers of population in (2) For the sake of world prog- the future. The present aim should ress that will come through the open- be to plant the Christian Church in ing of the civilization of the Orient. each new settlement before the Budd- The urgent duty of the present lies hist temple or Shinto shrine is built in the direction of a thoroughgoing there. Christianization of Japanese culture, which is central to the culture of the Work with a Purpose Orient. T OYOHIKO KAGAWA began work (3) Because of the need of a me- eighteen years ago against the dium for continuing friendly relations slums of Japan. Tuberculosis, leprosy, between Japan and America. We be- trachoma and syphilis are the four lieve that the work of bringing about worst diseases under attack, and the peace on earth, no less than that of method has been by public addresses saving individuals, is one of the great and writing fiction about them. Some tasks imposed upon Christianity, and pamphlets containing extracts from that the missionary's opportunity in his novels were distributed in the this present instance is very great. House of Peers two years ago and Over-Population of Japan this led to the Government's appro- priating 20,000,000 yen for a ten year T HE Church Missionary Outlook program to destroy all slums in J a- says that there are few problems pan's large cities.
more urgent to the Japanese states- With the money derived from sales man than those of an evergrowing of his novels Mr. Kagawa gave 5,000 population and an already over-popu- yen to establish a night school for lated country. In 1926 the people of laborers; others have been organized Japan were a million more than the for peasants. He feels it of utmost previous year; in average years the importance that these schools be main- net increase has been from 700,000 to tained on Christian principles. Chris- 800,000. Japan has already more peo- tian Japanese and Americans of Cali- ple to the square mile than any nation fornia contribute $300 a month, and
in the East a group, called Kagawa meet in fifteen separate groups every Cooperators in America, is raising Sunday, except the first Sunday in the $5,000 to enable Kagawa to give half month when they unite in a meeting his time to the nation-wide evangel- for testimony and prayer. istic campaign, instead of raising money for his social and religious In the Union Christian College in centers by incessant writing of books Pyengyang the influence of the revival and articles. Mr. Galen M. Fisher of was felt. The evening meetings for the Institute of Social and Religious students from the various schools Research, is chairman of the Eastern were attended by about 1,000, many group of these cooperators and Mr. of whom became Christians. Others Harry E. Edmonds of International decided on life work for Christ. In House, New York, is treasurer. the midst of the strong impact of non- Christians, of infidelity and material- Ohristian Literature :for Korea ism, where multitudes are not inter- ested in any religion; in the face of T HE Christian Literature Society constantly increasing skepticism, of Korea is seeking to provide caused by reading the papers, magafor the publication and distribution zines and books published throughout of Christian literature in Korea, where the Far East, the students are standing there are now more than 300,000 Prot- firm with strong faith in a sovereign estant Christians, the great majority God and an all-sufficient Saviour and being resident in villages. This union Lord. publishing institution meets the needs of practically all the missions work- Mr. Lee of Shantung, China, one of ing in that land and provides Chris- the missionaries sent by the Korean tian material for Sunday-school General Assembly's Board of Foreign lessons, Bible institute studies, theo- Missions, tells how the Pyengyang relogical seminary textbooks, multitudes vival meetings stirred Chinese Chrisof tracts for the wayside distributor, tians to plan a revival campaign in and a weekly newspaper, The Chris- Shantung. "Chinese evangelists with tian Messenger. Korean authors and enthusiasm got Chinese Christians to translators are contributing to the give time to preaching in organized output of this society. bands. What wonderful grace of God! We preached in fifty-three vil- A Revival in Pyengyang, Korea lages, giving true witness about Jesus, the Saviour. We preached to 15,683 I AST October witnessed a real re- individuals personally, distributed 14,- L vival in North Korea. As a result 000 tracts and sold 4,400 gospels . . . . . We must bring China to Christ. The about 2,000 men and women decided revival has begun. Keep on praying." to accept Christ during the three weeks meetings. The Sunday-school Korean Ohri.tian Student Revival" enrollment increased and the churches made special efforts in caring for the SEVERAL students of Union Chrisnew converts. The Christians were tian College, Pyengyang, Korea stirred with a new zeal in saving (Chosen), during the Christmas vacasouls. tion answered calls to conduct revivals in a number of churches. After pray- On the last day of the revival meet- ing together, they discussed with ings, many young people not only reg- church officers how to make the most istered decisions for life service but successful attack in several large unsome two hundred, mostly students, evangelized communities. They debound themselves together in a league cided to divide into bands of two each. for daily Bible reading, prayer and It was zero weather, snow covered the leading others to Christ. They have ground but the warmth of Christ's grown in numbers until there are love in the hearts of these young colabout four hundred young people who
WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
lege boys made them willing to go to enter these fields, the influence of Mothe limit of sacrifice in touching the hammedanism, which is spreading cold hearts of Christians and giving rapidly, will soon be such as to form life to the unevangelized in a difficult a most effective barrier to its progsection. ress. Mohammedanism is rapidly dis- placing paganism. This fact surely In three weeks of intensive efforts makes the evangelization of these over 3,000 were personally approached. fields all the more urgent. As Paul Meetings were held every evening at heard the pitiful cry of the man of which more than 400 decided for Macedonia, 'Come over and help us,' Christ. The Christians, having been so may we today hear the cry of the stirred, went out to preach to rela- perishing in Borneo and these islands." tives, neighbors and friends, and to -Report of the Pioneer Mission lead them to the meetings, thus being Agency. themselves greatly revived in leading others to Christ. Evangelist Kim, New Mission in the Philippines full of enthusiasm over what had been accomplished, writes: uNothing short DR. RAPHAEL C. THOMAS, for of a miracle. . . . .. These young men twenty-four years a medical miswere filled with the Holy Spirit ….. . sionary of the American Baptist For- These students brought new life, new eign Mission Society in the Philipstrength to fight the evils, a new vis- pines, has left that Board and, since ion of the Christ, a fresh hope for the March. 1928. has been evangelizing future." the 20,000 students in Manila. He has organized the first Baptist church in ISLANDS OF THE SEA that city, backed by a small group of Baptists who wish to try the simple Unevangelized Millions apostolic method of evangelism. Mrs. Henry W. Peabody of Beverly, Mass., REV. R. A. JAFFRAY, of the Chris- is the chairman of the committee in tian and Missionary Alliance, re- America. and Miss Traver, a graduate cently made a trip of exploration in of the Biblical Seminary, New York, the unreached parts of the South Sea is secretary. Dr. Thomas will con- Islands. We quote from his report: tinue to supervise the work of the new Doane Hall in Iloilo, a great student "Wherever I went, I asked in Eng- center. Patricio Confessor, a gradlish and Chinese, 'Is there anyone uate of Gordon College, is assisting here who knows Jesus? Do you know the new missionary, Mr. Castrodale, anyone who believes on the Lord J e- who has just arrived. Both Mr. and sus Christ?' Often they did not know Mrs. Castrodale are graduates of what I meant; they did not know that Moody Bible Institute. The new misthere was a Lord Jesus Christ." Mr. sion asks for buildings, equipment, a J affray learned that there is no work small hospital and general support.- being done in any of the following Sunday Schoot Times. fields: Religion in Sumatra The east and west coasts of Borneo. The Boeginese people on the coast DR. WARNECK in the Berichte of of the Celebes, and the wild races of the Rhenish Society presents the interior. some interesting facts concerning re- The southwestern coast of Sumatra. ligious conditions on this great island. Smaller islands in the East Indies He reports that the struggle with real and Malay Archipelago. heathenism is due to two great ob- Large parts of the great island of stacles: The first is the tendency to New Guinea. an increasing compromise on the part It is estimated that the unevangel- of weak Christians. This he defines ized population of these islands is between six and seven millions. In closing his report Mr. J affray says: "If the Gospel of Christ does not soon
as a mixture of pagan elements with chairman, and one on Doctrine, Bishop the Christian faith which they pro- W. F. McDowell chairman, to consider fess. The second lies in the fact that these aspects of the subject and re- so far the Christians number barely port to a later session.
one fourth of the whole population. Whatever recommendations the com- There are in all about one million missioners may eventually make, it is Bataks and one fourth of these are evident that this is to be no merely Mohammedans. The rest live in a perfunctory discharge of duty. The very crass heathenism. So there is question of blending these commis- still much to be done, in spite of mass sions is being discussed in earnest by movements and glorious successes, be- strong men, who have the larger re- fore the whole island will be turned ligious interests of the country at to Christ. One splendid feature about heart.-The Christian Advocate.
the real Christians on the island is that they themselves are carrying on COMING EVENTS Christian missions. They have an or- RURAL LIFE SUNDAY .•……… May 5 ganization known as the "Zending UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST CON- Batak," which has its contributors in VENTION, Lancaster, Pa…• May 14-24 . all of the congregations. Last year PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE U. S. their contributions amounted to 28,000 ASSEMBLY, Montreat, N. C. May 16-23 gulden (about $11,200). GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, U. S. A., St. Paul, Minn., ……….•…………… May 23-29 MISCELLANEOUS REFORMED CHURCH IN THE U. S. GEN- 'Ehe Oriental Dispersion ERAL SYNOD, Indianapolis, Ind. . ..• •……….•……•…•.. May 22-29 T HERE are about 8,000 students from India, ,Japan, China and Af- NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES, Detroit, Mich. • •.•….• rica in western educational institu- •..•..•••••..•…•••. May 28-June 4 tions. In addition there is a vast tide UNITED PRESBYTERIAN, GENERAL Asof immigrants, estimated at 3,000,000 SEMBLY, Pittsburgh, Pa. May 29-June 4 from India, 9,000,000 from China and 1,000,000 from Japan. These figures REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA, GENpresage an outward amalgamation ERAL SYNOD, Holland, Mich•. June 6-12 from a material standpoint. While much has been done by the Student NORTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION, Den- Christian Movement and other agen- ver, Colo••..••..••.•….. June 14-19 cies, most of the students return not so much allies as enemies of the Chris- ALLIANCE OF REFORMED CHURCHES tian cause. They know that Christianity teaches equality of races in the THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HOLDING sight of God, but they find in the west an evident contempt toward their col- THE PRESBYTERIAN SYSTEM, Boston, Mass…….•……•….. June 19-27 CONGRESS ON CHRISTIAN WORK IN THE CARIBBEAN, Havana, Cuba .June 20-30 WOMEN'S UNION, EVANGELICAL SYNOD OF N. A., Detroit, Mich…. June 25-28 LUTHERAN WORLD CONVENTION, Copen- hagen, Denmark ….•. June 26-July 4 or. The western world had failed to NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, show them the real glory of the Chris- Atlanta, Ga……….. June 28-July 4 tian life.-From an address by the DISCIPLES OF CHRIST CONVENTION, Bishop of Litchfield, at York, England. Seattle, Wash.•…..•••• August 8-14 SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCHES CON- Presbyterian-Methodist Union VENTION, Milton, Wis••. August 20-25 T HE initial meeting of the Meth- CONTINUATION COMMITTEE, WORLD odist and Presbyterian commis- CONFERENCE ON FAITH AND ORDER, Engadine, Switzerland •..• August 27 sions at Pittsburgh agreed upon a EXECUTIVE AND CONTINUATION COMstatement that complete organic union was desirable and they named two MITTEES, UNIVERSAL CHRISTIAN sub-committees, one on Property with CONFERENCE ON LIFE AND WORK, Dr. H. C. Swearingen, of St. Paul, as Eisenbach, Germany •. September 2-9 PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFERENCE, Pittsburgh, Pa•….• September 11-17
K.S WORTH
Any books mentioned in these columns will be forwarded by us on receipt of price.-THE REVIEW.
Are Foreign Missions Done For ~ By fields-in geographical areas and in Robert E. Speer. 16 mo. 152 pp. unreached classes-occupy one chapter Printed for free distribution. Presby- and show how much remains to be terian Board of Foreign Missions. done. Finally he presents the need New York. 1928. and opportunities for a "life invest- ment" that make their appeal to men. Already 25,000 copies of this little The book is not a collection of dry book have been printed and distrib- statistics. It is full of human touches. uted, chiefly among business men. It is one of the ablest presentations for the cause of Foreign Missions that we Copies of this book, while they last, have seen. Its strength consists will be sent free on request. Address chiefly in foul! things: (1) In the concrete facts relating to the enterprise; the Editor of the MISSIONARY REVIEW (2) The number, variety and standing OF THE WORLD. D. L. P.
of authorities quoted; (3) The un- Foreign Missions Under Fire. By Cor- swerving loyalty to Christ and His nelius H. Patton. 12 mo. 180 pp. standards; (4) The presentation of Paper,60c; Cloth, $1. Boston. 1928.
the case with fairness, fearless logic, It is always easy to find fault, es- force and sustained interest. pecially with work or workers with Every honest open-minded critic whom we are out of sympathy. Many should read this little book to learn even found fault with Jesus Christ the facts, which no one knows better and His program. Many find fault than the author. He lets these facts, with God Himself. Such critics un- and the remarkable array of witness- consciously criticise themselves and es, speak for themselves, and they reveal their ignorance and lack of vi- speak with no uncertain voice in ref- sion.
erence to the missionaries and the Dr. Patton, who has been for many disturbances in China; the influence years in vital touch with Christian of missionaries in India; the achieve- missions and their critics, takes up ments of Christian workers in Africa some concrete modern objections to and the benefits received in Japan. Christian missions and then he pro- The indirect influence is more remark- ceeds to criticise the critics. The book able than the direct. is a popular presentation in the form Dr. Speer takes up specifically the of a dialo~ue or demonstration and contention of some that Christians are is thus well adopted to presentation in not justified in pressing their religion a church. Various men-lawyers, on those of other faiths and shows business men, pastors, student and Christ's need of humanity and human- editor-make their objections and ity's need for Christ and His Gospel. these are answered by well-informed He devotes one chapter to the effi- secretaries and others. One element ciency of Christian missions and its of strength of the book is the number conduct. Then he explains the policy of actual quotations from recent books and program of the foreign mission and magazines, bearing on the sub- enterprise and shows its completeness ject. This little volume will be of and adequacy. The unoccupied especial interest and value to practical 415
business men whose minds are open other pages. It has maps, a bibliogto the influence of facts. raphy and a good index. It is another Dr. Patton, in his discussions, takes up such objections as that missions i1lustration of the splendid work of are futile; that they interfere; that the cost of administration is too high; this Chinese press in Shanghai which that native converts are insincere; that is one of the largest presses in the we have no Christianity to export; that denominational rivalry is killing world. the work; that missionary methods are antiquated, and other criticisms. This is an authoritative volume The answers come not only from the secretary but from such men as E. that will not be superseded for a long Alexander Jowell (traveler and author); Dr. Charles W. Elliot (Ex- time. The tone of the book, on the president of Harvard); Prof. Paul Monro (Columbia University); How- whole, is judicious and fair. The ard W. Taft (Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court) ; events of recent years, as well as those Charles A. Selden (Curtis Publishing Co.); The Governor of Bengal, India; connected with the beginnings of Far Prof. J. F: McFadyen (Queen's College, Toronto); Dr. Thomas Jesse Eastern relations with the western Jones (Director of the Phelps Stokes Foundation) ; Theodore Roosevelt hemisphere, are recorded without bias (former President of the U. S. A.); and, in passing, many voices from non- and with sufficient detail to give the Christian lands. One striking fact is the contrast between the limited reader a clear idea of this history. knowledge and standing of the critics and the intelligence and high positions American thought has too long been of the defenders of missionary work. centered about itself and Europe. Far Eastern International Relations. By Hosea Ballou Morse, LL.D., and Only a small minority of our American Harley Farnsworth MacNair, Ph.D. Pp. XX, 1128. The Commercial Press, people have known or cared about de- Ltd. Shanghai. 1928. velopments in the Far East. The The three volumes of Dr. Morse, on "The International Relations of the study~ of this book will dispel that Chinese Empire," have long been standard reference books but are now ignorance and lay the foundations for out of date. Dr. MacNair has now condensed Dr. Morse's books and has the more detailed study of various asadded a number of chapters, not only bringing the history down to June, pects of the important changes taking 1928, but also enlarging the scope of the work to include the Far East as a place in the relations of the Far East whole. China occupies the. larger part of the book, but the international re- to the rest of the world and of the lations of Japan, Korea, Siam, and Soviet Russia in the Far East are political, social, industrial and cultural briefly recorded. developments in the Far East itself. The book is fully documented. Footnotes are plentiful and valuable, in- Especially interesting are the chapcluding many cross-references to ters on the World War; its effect upon the Far East, Soviet Russia and the Far East, 1917-1925; the Washington Conference and the Far East in 1927.
They present in concise form the out- standing events and give a calm in- terpretation of developments of the past decade that have been reported with partisan glamor or feverish ex- citement. This book is indispensable for the better understanding of the Far East. The missionary who goes to the Far East will need to know the contents in order to understand the questions about which the people in the Far East are very much concerned.
The missionary on furlough who is so constantly asked to explain the daily newspaper reports of Far Eastern events and to give his opinion of the significance and probable outcome of them will be enabled to speak with much more intelligence and authority if he will study carefully this really great book. A. L. WARNSHUIS.
BOOKS
EDUCATION We Believe in Immortality. Sydney Strong. 193 pp. Coward-McCann. IS A New York. 1929. PROFESSION Youth and the World Outlook. For Young People's Classes and Societies. John HARTFORD'S School of Religious Edu- Leslie Lobingier. 12 mo. 64 pp. 35 cation (interdenominational) offers cents. Pilgrim Press. Boston. 1929. thorough training to men and women. 230 graduate and undergraduate American Missionary Association-Annual courses available in three schools. At Report. 79 pp. American Missionary least two years college or normal work Association. New York. 1928. for entrance. Degrees B. R. E., M. A., M.R.E., Ph.D. Graduates hold sala-· The Chinese Revolntion, 1926-27: A rec- ried positions. ord of the period of the Communist control as seen from the Nationalist Address Dean Karl R. Stolz, Ph.D., Capital, Hankow. H. Owen Chapman. D.D., Hartford, Connecticut. Map. 328 pp. 128. Constable. Lon- don. 1928. HARTFORD· Some Bigger Issues in China's Problems. Seminary Foundation Julean Arnold. $2.50. Stechert. New York. 1928. W. Douglas Mackenzie, D.D., President China's Millions. Anna L. Strong. 413 pp. $4. Coward-McCann. New York. 1928.
India: The New Phase. Sir Stanley Reed and P. R. Cadell. 175 pp. 38. 6d. Allan. London. 1928.
The Untouchables: A Story of Indian Girls. Lt.-Col. M'atilda Hatcher. 141 pp. 28. 6d. Salvationist Pub. and Supplies. London. 1928.
Arabia of the Wahhabis. H. St. John B. Philby. Illus. Map. Plan. 438 pp. 318. 6d. Constable. London. 1928.
Economy . A-MODERN PENTEcosi I with or I Comfort POWER FROM ON HIGH In New York WONDERFUL story of great Mora- vian Revival resulting in conversion ! Guest Accommodations at the of John and Charles Wesley, the birth National Bible Institute of Methodism and Modern Foreign Mis- sions and the largest eontrilmtion of PASTORS, Missionaries, Evangelists and standard hymns in church history. other Christian men and women can secure attractive accommodations when Book just published; 96 pages, :Li visiting New York in the eleven-story, cents each; three for $1. 00 postpaid. fire-proof building of the Institute erected at the heart of the city. Every room an ., . . . 'Power from on High' is a small honk, hut is outside room, newly furnished, with hot filII of fire. One reams, as one reads it, for the full- and cold running water. Rares excep- ]less of the Spirit." tionally low. For further information or reservations address: – Record of Christian 'York, :!orthtleld, Thlnss, . . . . . 'Pmyer from on lli~h' has been a Yery great i inspiration to me,and I "wish it could be in the hands of eYery minister in all our ('hUTches:'
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l 340 Vest 55th Street Add,,,,,. the Author New York City REV. JOHN GREENFIELD I Warsaw, Indiana t Please mention TIlF. lfrSSIO.NARY REYIEW OF THE WORLD in writing to advertisers.
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Includes chapters on BELIEF PRACTICE Tests for Truth The Christian Life The Riddle of the Universe Why Vork' Can We Know God? The Value of Money The Credentials of Christ Shall We Play? . The Reality of the Spirit Marriage and Divorce Concerning the Trinity Effective Prayer What Is the Bible? Life anel Its Meaning Creeds and Their Consequences Death and Its Sequel JIuJtitudes of practical questions are aske(1 and answered.
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