The Missionary Review of the World — March 1935
MARCH,1935
Two Young Missionary Martyrs Editorial Why I Am Returning to China Beatrice Scott Stevenson Tshekedi……Chief of the Bamangwato A. M. Chirgwin Christianity and the World Today Herbert H. Farmer Twelve Years of the Turkish Republic J. Kingsley Birge Fifty Years of Cooperation in Chosen c. A. Clark 25 Cents a Copy $2.50 a Year
Weigle to study all grades
WINONA LAKE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY training schools, Bible Schools and WINONA LAKE, INDIANA methods of training voluntary work- ers. -;- ;~ * Evangelical Scholarly Interdenominational Bishop Herbert Welch of Shanghai Courses Almost a score of stutes (besides foreign coun- was one of foul' Methodists to whom English Bible, (J eremiah), Biblical tries) and an equal number of denominations were awarded gold medals by the re- Archffiology, Christian Ethil's, Mod- represented each year, ern Cults, Christian Evidences, cent General Conference of the Korean Hymnology, Biblical Messianism, AdrninistraUol! .' Dr. W. E. BiedlTwolf, Presi- Church. Greek New Testament, Barthian- dent; Dr. J. A. HulTman, Dean. ism, *** Faculty.' Dr. .1. A. Huffman, J )1'. tiamucl ,1. Two Ue'mesters oj 15 days each.. Zwemer, Dr. Harold Paul Sloan. Dr. Leslie Ray The Rt. Rev. Dr. M. T. M. Hard- July 9 to August 11, Work lead- ~Iurstoll, Prof. RoIlin Pease. j )1'. Howard T. ing, Bishop of Qu'Appelle, has been ing to regular Theological Degrees, Kuist, Prof. Mable McQueen Weir. For 11Tin'isfersJ Teachers, JUs8ion- elected Archbishop of the diocese of aries and Laymen, Send for l~-page Pl'osvectu:-; at once to Rupert's Land, and Metropolitan of DR. J. A. HUFFMAN, Dean the province of Rupert's Land. He Marion, Indiana succeeds the late Archbishop Stringer who died October 31.
Dates to Remember Personal Items *** March 1·2-Christian Youth Confer- Dr. John R. Mott, and Mrs. Mott, Rev. Frank P. Parkin, D.D., Secre- ence of Pacific Northwest, Interde- sailed from San Francisco on Febru- nominational, Seattle, Washington. ary 22d to spend a month in Japan tary of the Atlantic Agency of the and Korea, a month in China, and a March B-World Day of Prayer. shorter time in the Philippines. They Pennsylvania Bible Society, has re- expect to be back in America June 5th. signed after 17 years of active service. March B·lO-Youth Conference under The object of this trip is to further the Auspices of the Greater New service of the International Mission- ;~ * * York Federation of Churches, River- ary Council by conferences with the side Church, New York. various National Christian Councils. Dr. Charles E. Maddry, Executive May 2·5 – Young Men's Missionary * * :;:- Secretary of the Foreign Mission Congress under the auspices of the Laymen's Missionary Movement, Dr. Ivan Lee Holt, newly-elected Board of the Southern Baptist Con- Chicago. President of the Fedel'al Council of vention, and Mrs. Maddry, with Dr. Churches, has sailed for China to fill J. B. Weatherspoon, of the Southern May 2l-23-National Council of Fed- a three-weeks' visiting pastorate in erated Church Women. Annual the Community Church of Shanghai. Baptist Theological Seminary of Meeting. Rochester, N. Y. He expects also to visit Australia, and Louisville, Ky., are spending seven Japan. May 26-Rural Life Sunday. months in the Orient to make a de- *** If you use tailed study of Southern Baptist work Dr. Robert P. Wilder, recently sec- in Japan and China. Dr. and Mrs. PRINTING l'etary of the Near East Christian Council, has sailed for England to Maddry plan to return to the United YOU will profit from an ac- spend some months among the British States in July in time to be at Ridge- quaintanceship with us. We University students, holding meetings crest, N. C., for Foreign Mission do the job complete in our own under the auspices of the "Inter-Var- plant, whether it be large or sity Fellowship." Week, August 11-1R. small. * * :i;. * oj; While our specialty is Books, Maga;zines and Pamphlets, yet David R. Porter, who has been act- Archdeacon Briggs of Ugogo, Tan- we have a variety of modern ing-headmaster of Mount Hermon equipment to meet all the re- School, Mount Hermon, Mass" since ganyika, has received the "Order of quirements of your particular the tragic death of Headmaster Elliott the British Empire" award. He has job. You will find our service Speer last September, has been elected prompt, careful and courteous. Headmaster. He was born in Old been working in East Africa for the Town, Maine, in 1882. After gradu- Church Missionary Society for more Will you allow us to estimate ating at Bowdoin he was a Rhodes on your next printing? We be- Scholar at Oxford. Since then he has than forty years. lieve you will be delighted with worked among students as a Y. M. our product, price and service. C. A. secretary. He is the author of * ~; The Church in the Unive1'sities. The EVANGELICAL PRESS Dr. G. O. Teichmann, a Baptist *** missionary and senior doctor of the Printers of Chandraghona Hospital, Bengal, has Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American The Missionary Review of the World Board missionary in the Philippines, received the Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Med- is returning to America this summer PLANT AND MAIN OFFICE on furlough by way of India, Egypt, al. Third and Reily Streets Harrisburg, Po. Syria, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. He is spending three or four months *' in India studying the situation and attempting to help adapt his teaching Dr. A. J. Hunter, who is doing vali- method to the Indian languages. ant work as a medical missionary *** among the homesteaders in the pioneer Dr. Luther A. Weigle, of Yale, has settlements of Manitoba, has been gone to China for six months of in- tensive service in connection with the awarded the M. B. E. medal by King World S. S. Association. The National George V. Committee for Christian Religious Education in China is anxious to have *** made a study of the problems of train- ing for church leaders and has asked Dr. H. J. H. Cox, of the Church Missionary Society, who has charge of the Peshawar, hospital, Northwest Frontier, has received the Kaiser-i- Hind Gold Medal. Mrs. Starr (now Mrs. Underhill) was matron of this hospital when she rescued Miss Mollie Ellis from Afghan brigands. The great grandfather of Dr. Cox was the first white missionary to preach in Bangalore, India.
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Rev. A. C. Pelly, has recently re- turned to England from India where he has been principal of St. Andrew's College, Gorakhpur, since 1916. He has received the Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal. * :j: 'i: Dr. Dandeson C. Crowther, Arch- deacon of the Niger Diocese, has re- ceived the "Order of the British Em- (Concluded on page 97.)
MISSIONARY "THE MISSIONARY REVIEW fills a
REVIEW OF THE WORLD need which is not being met by- any other printed page in America. May DELAVAN L. PIERSON, Editor it continue for many years."
VOL. LVIII MAR., 1935 No.3 AMELIA D. KEMP, Executive Secretary, Women's Publication and Business Office– Third and Reily Sts., Harrisburg, Pa. Missionary Society, United Lutheran Church. Editorial and Executive Office– 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City. *** Entered as second-class matter at Plans are being made for the spe- Post Office, Harrisburg, Pa., under cial mission study topic numbers of Act of March 3, 1879. THE REVIEW for the coming year (1935-36) . The Home Mission topic 25 cents a copy-$2.50 a year. will be "Winning America for Christ" Foreign Postage, 50 cents a year. -to appear in June. The Foreign Published monthly, except August. Mission topic is "The Gospel in Latin All rights reserved. Copyrighted 1935. America"-to appear in October. British agents – Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 12 Paternoster Buildings, DO NOT MISS THEM. London, E. C. 1 shilling per copy, 10 shillings a year. *** MISSIONARY REVIEW PUB- Our good friend, Dr. Frederick G. LISHING CO., INC. Coan, formerly of Persia, writes as follows to correct a slight misstate- BOARD OF DIRECTORS ment in the story of the Life of Dr. ROBERT E. SPEER, President Sa'eed Khan which appeared in our WM. I. CHAMBERLAIN, Vice-President January issue. Dr. Coan says: ,VALTER McDOUGALL, Treasurer DELAVAN L. PIERSON, Secretary "I have known Dr. Sa'eed for many SAMUEL MCCREA CAVERT years . . . When he went to Hamadan MRS. ORRIN R. JUDD he was never obliged to work as a stable boy. This is the most menial WM. B. LIPPHAIW position a man can take … Mr. J. W. Hawkes, of the Persia Mission, had a ERIC M. NORmI great deal to do with Dr. Sa'eed after JESSE R. WILSON he reached Hamadan . . . He is the greatest Kurd in history and a very A. L. W AlL'ISHUIS great power for God in Persia today." SAMUEL M. ZWEMER Editorial Chat The annual meeting of THE REVIEW Personal Items SPEEDWAY TO ORIENT was held on F<:!bruary 15th at 156 Fifth Avenue, New York, at 3 p. m. (Concluded from second cover.) YOKOHAMA IN 10 DAYS •. . fastest, shortest Pacific crossing .•. by the Dr. Robert E. Speer presided and pire." He is an African, son of the sister-ships Empress of Asia or there were present a number of first native Anglican Bishop in Afri- Empress of Russia. Or via Honofriends of the REVIEW, including a ca. Although past 90 years of age, he lulu in 3 days more on the Empress quorum of the Directors and Stock- is still an active and enthusiastic holders (in' person or by proxy). The worker. The honorary degree of D.D. of I apan (largest, fastest liner on Treasurer presented his annual re- was conferred on him by the Archport for the year 1934 showing the bishop of Canterbury (Dr. Davidson) the Pacific) or the Empress of operating income $5.00 in excess of fifteen years ago. Canada. expenses, which have been reduced to ~EDUCED ROUND·TRIP FARES … luxa minimum. The Secretary presented *** urious First Class, excellent Tourhis report, revealing some problems ist Class. Also, 10w-costThirdClass. and encouragements met in editing Cannon Pyfrom, Curate in charge FREQUENT SAILINGS ••• from Vanthe REVIEW. An inspiring annual ad- of St. Paul's Church, Bahamas, a na- couver (trains to ship-side) and dress on some world conditions was tive missionary to his own people, has Victoria. Orient fares include pasdelivered by the President; sugges- received the M. B. E. award. sage to and from Seattle. California tions and messages of cheer were sailings connect witlr "Empresses" brought bv Mr. D. J. Fant of the *** at Honolulu. Orient ports-oE-calI: Evangelical Press, Mrs. Charles F. Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Shang- Wray of Rochester, Dr. Arthur J. Frances Hatton Eva Hasell, Hon- hai, Hong Kong, Manila. Brown, Dr. Courtenay H. Fenn and orary Organizer of Caravan Work in • Also • •• low-cost World Tours. Wm. M. Danner. Miss J. H. Righter Western Canada, was awarded the BOO K LETS, information ••• from presented the report of the Nominat- M. B. E. in ·the .King of England's YOUR OWN AGENT, or any Canaing Committee and the directors were New Year Honours List. A story of dian Pacific office: New York, Chiunanimously re-elected for the ensu- courage and adventure lies behind this cago, San Francisco, and 34 other ing year. Mr. Jesse R. Wilson, Sec- award. Miss Hasell, after doing Sun- cities in tlre United States and retary of the Student Volunteer Move- day School work in England for a Canada. ment was elected a Director in place time, decided to start the Sunday of Dr. Milton Stauffer, resigned. Miss School habit in the remoter parts of Constance Brandon, American Secre- Western Canada. Fifteen years ago tary of "The World Dominion Move- she bought a motor caravan and spent ment," led in the closing prayer. a summer with another woman, trav- eling among the isolated communities. *** Wherever she found children without religious privileges, she held a Sunday Among the recent encouraging School class, and then she persuaded words from readers of THE REVIEW someone in the community to carryon are the following: the work, left books for their guid- ance, and went on to the next place. "I save the REVIEWS for a year to Wherever she went she also enrolled use in our programs and find it one new members of the "Sunday School of the most valuable sources of infor- by Post Movement." mation we have." Now Miss Hasell has 17 caravans, MRS. DANIEL E. MILLER. and each is "manned" by two women Fargo, N. D. (a chauffeur and a teacher). When the road is too bad for driving, they walk or borrow a horse from a farmer.
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courtesy of OMna's Millions. Copyrighted by Keystone Views
HELEN PRISCILLA STAM – "THE MIRACLE BABY" ELIZABETH SCOTT STAM AND JOHN C. STAM, who were killed by Communists in Southern Anhwei, December 8, The three months' old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Starn was left for 30 hours In an abandoned Chinese house, until 1934. Photograph taken at the time of their marriage, found by Mr. Lo and taken to Wuhu. October 25, 1933.
Copyrighted by tlw Keystone Views 00. HELEN PRISCILLA STAM, CARRIED IN A BASKET FROM. MIAOSHEO TO SHAN CHENG Mr. Lo, a Chinese Christian, with his wife and child, and a Chinese coolie who carried the orphaned baby about 100 miles from Miao- sheo to Wuhu. They traveled on foot for the first 75 miles, and the remainder by railway train. From left to right those in the picture are: Mr. Lo, the Christian colporteur; Charlotte Haia; the coolie, who carried the baskets; Mrs. La; Rev. George Birch, of the C. I. M., and Dr. Robert E. Brown, of the Mission Hospital, Wuhu. Helen Priscilla and Mrs. Lo's four-year-old Chinese baby occupy the two rice baskets. REVIB ORLD VOLUME LVIII AN INTERDENOMINATIONAL REVIEW OF WORLD-WIDE CHRISTIAN PROGRESS NUMBER THREE MARCH,1935 Topics of the Times HOME MISSIONS NOT OUT OF DATE or by a division of territory; to the evangelization of those who have never yet had any adequate op- It requires no argument to prove that the peo- portunity to know Christ and the power of His pIe of the United States owe many and great bless- Gospel- these include many unevangelized Inings to the home mission enterprise which has dians, some Eskimos, the Jews, Mormons and been carried on for three centuries by devoted Orientals; the underprivileged in the Southern Christians. It was they who, as the early settlers, mountains and in other impoverished areas. won the friendship of suspicious and hostile Indians and led many of them to Christ. They The home mission problems before the Church helped to build up and maintain the morale of the today have to do with the evangelization of the pioneers as they pushed into the interior; they godless rich and the unchurched masses in our were instrumental in establishing the schools and cities and rural districts; the more adequate colleges for the training of the youth; they helped Christian training of youth; the rescue of multito make the laws of the land; they established and tudes of boy and girl tramps and the migrant kept alive churches and Sunday schools for re- workers of America; the reaching of criminal ligious instruction, for the worship of God and classes; the more effective presentation of Christ service to man; they welcomed and helped to to atheists, agnostics, and materialists who are assimilate the newcomers from Europe and Asia seeking to destroy Christian institutions and and Mexico. They have been leaders in promoting ideals. The Christ of the New Testament must righteousness and the spirit of brotherhood; they be lifted up in such a way as to draw those who have done an incalculable service in giving the have been following ignorantly a false and caricaolder, more wealthy and established churches tured Christ, or none at all. There is still need an inspiring, unselfish and Christlike objective to evangelize and revivify some of the churches through the home mission enterprise. by the Spirit of God, not by organized human effort. Perhaps the largest and most difficult But with the development of the country the problem before the Church is how to bring indusopportunities and the problems of the work have trial and political activities, social and domestic changed. Today there are not the same vast pio- life, education and the press, under the sway of neering projects in unchurched territory; there Christ and in harmony with His ideals-that is a is not the great need for new independent educa- task that calls for the union of human service tional institutions; multitudes of new and unas- under Divine leadership and power. similated Americans are not now flocking to our shores. But there are still challenging problems But there are in America many reasons for enthat face us today in the task of giving everyone couragement. The signs of God's working are not in America an opportunity to learn of Christ and lacking though our knowledge of them is limited. to apply His teachings to every phase of life. Some Many thousands of churches from coast to coast of these problems and a few of the cheering en- stand true to Christ and are being widely used in couragements were presented in our February winning men and in training and enlisting them number by home mission executives. Other prob- in His service. Most of the Protestant denominalems will occur to many. These relate to the tions report an increase over last year. In every strengthening of existing churches rather than to city Gospel missions, street meetings, prison, home their multiplication; to the elimination of rivalry and hospital visitors-unknown to the world but and duplication by church union and cooperation, known to God-are sacrificially and effectively carrying on the work of Christ. In the midst of [99 ]
the flood of pernicious literature, of indecent films the anti-religious atmosphere of Soviet Russia. and plays, of objectionable radio programs, there Arthur von der Thur, in the Allgemeine Evanare thousands of uplifting, spiritual books and gelisches (Lutheran) Kirchenzeitung reports that radio Gospel messages. The Bible is still by far there is an abating of the denial of God and an the best seller and the Pocket Testament League increase in belief in a Supreme Being. These reand School Bag Gospel League are leading many ports are not based on hearsay of visitors to Russia thousands to accept Christ and read the Bible for but on the statements found in atheistic Russian spiritual light and strength. papers. Several leading anti-religious periodicals have suspended publication for lack of support. It is encouraging that reports of evil deeds are The Bezbozhnik shows evidence of lack of support still regarded as news. Unheralded good deeds, and acknowledges that atheism is not having a normal Christian home life and spiritual activity clear field. in the churches often pass unnoticed because they are not news. There is ample encouragement to The local committee of the Communist party of faith and victory is assured but there are enough the city of Gorky (formerly known as Nizhni Novserious problems to engage all the powers of mind, gorod) and of Molokoff, calls the attention to the body and spirit of the Christian forces in America. necessity of strengthening their anti-religious We must advance on our knees with the realiza- work, not only in the region about Gorky, but in tion that the solution of home mission and other all lands and free states of the U. S. S. R. "The problems depends not on man but on God who success of the first Five Year Plan and the fact condescends to work through man. that the U. S. S. R. has entered the period of an attained socialization, tempts many comrades to RELIGION NOT DEAD IN RUSSIA believe that the anti-religious propaganda has be- come a matter of the third rank. That is a false Christmas was celebrated by large crowds of idea, which in practice leads to an underestimate worshippers in Russia last year, according to a of the fight against religion and to a discharge of correspondent of the New York Times. There is anti-religious propaganda, i. e. to a weakening of plenty of evidence that religion is not dead and the fight against Kulaks and sectarians." will never die in Russia. Some forms of religion may die and the State and individuals may be As to the positive growth of religion, this is without signs of spiritual life. Religion is the noticeable both in the evangelical sects and in the cultivation of a relationship between man and the old Orthodox Church. Christian colporteurs are power of the unseen world, and may be expressed carrying religious literature and their activity in many forms-good and evil. It may be based makes it possible for pastoral letters to reach such either on fancy or on reality. Mankind as a whole of the population as are not in touch with is apparently incurably religious, as history has churches. In many instances priests succeed in beshown. Persecution cannot stifHe religion though coming members of the communistic Kolkhozes materialism may suppress its expression. But and preach and teach within them. Beside the there are so many mysterious phenomena in the anti-religious Kolkhozes there are pure Christian world that men are constantly seeking an explana- collectives. The missionary activity which has tion in the realm of the superhuman. been begun in many places bids fair to become very effective. If religion cannot be annihilated in Russia much less can Christian faith and life be exterminated. Not only do the elders abide by the Christian It may be banned by the State but Christ cannot faith but the younger generation shows a desire be uprooted from hearts where He has already to deny the atheistic views of the leaders. While formed a home. We have His word for that and the Orthodox Church has lost much of its former His Church is immortal. Even the simple unen- influence, the Protestant sects, especially the Baplightened form of Christianity found among the tists and Adventists, are finding a favorable soil. Russian peasants has too much vitality to be They start schools for the illiterate and sewing stamped out by Soviet laws and persecution. courses, they attend to the education of the After seventeen years of communist domination younger generation and enter in where governthe masses of the people refuse to reject what they ment efforts fail. They have started a large numhave learned of Christ as the revelation of God ber of private village schools which are Chrisand His Way of Life. tian and maintain themselves in spite of persecu- tion by tlfe authorities. But there are also thousands of evangelical Christians in Russia whose spiritual life may be The true Church of Christ may· and will pass hidden as in the days of the Maccabees and in the through times of persecution. These will not Dark Ages, but it will not be uprooted. The light destroy but only purify it as a flail separates the may shine in obscurity without being extin- wheat from the chaff. Christians in Russia are guished. Already there are signs of change in suffering and where faith is burning brightly they are experiencing the· way of the Cross-as
TOPICS OF THE TIMES
many can testify. Christians in other lands can life that most deeply interest even serious minded help them with their sympathy and their prayers, folk are revealed by a questionnaire recently sent keeping their own lamps burning and their ma- out by the National Economics League. The an- terial and spiritual resources ready to help when swers show that by far the largest number of opportunity o:ffers. voters are most interested in politics, taxes, mone- tary policies and administration measures; next THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND MONEY in order come how to combat organized crime, the administration of justice, international affairs, Figures have been published that should cause world peace and national defense, economic and industrial problems (including unemployment). Americans to stop and think and seek to change Then follow problems of transportation, public utilities and the conservation and use of national the trend of the times. In 1927-during years of resources; housing, mortgage relief, public health and education. Religion and philanthropy as such unprecedented prosperity – $680,000,000 w ere have no place in this list of subjects most occupy- ing public attention. May not this be the cause spent by the United States Government to prepare of our distress and the reason why the incomes of practically all religious and philanthropic agencies for war with our neighbors, while $833,000,000 have fallen off even more rapidly and extensively than private incomes? Jesus Christ, who knows was used in religious and philanthropic activity. mankind and the laws of the universe, has given us the solution of the problem when He said: In 1933, when depression had gained almost a strangle hold, we increased the amount spent di- rectly on the Army, Navy and air force to $788,- 000,000 (an increase of $100,000,000 or 15%), ro ). while benevolences had shrunk to $550,000,000 (a decrease of nearly $300,000,000 or 60 In the thirty-three years between 1900 and 1933 the Fed- eral Government expenses increased from half a "Seek ye first the Kingdom (the recognition of the billion dollars to five billion a year, or $13,700,000 sovereignty) of God and His righteousness and all a day. War and Navy expenses increased from these things (necessary for our material welfare) about $400,000,000 to over two billion a year-a will be added unto you." fivefold increase; while all gifts to benevolences were not even doubled. The population of the ENCOURAGEMENTS IN THE WEST INDIES country increased fifty per cent in the same pe- riod. Do not Christians need to rededicate to God Mission work in the West Indies has reached a and His service themselves and their possessions stage where the outstanding things to a casual ob- -of which they are only trustees? The need for server may seem commonplace. The national Christian benevolence at home and abroad was leadership is settling down to a more serious never greater. Many wish they had given away understanding of the needs of their own countries.
what they have lost in the past five years! In the unsettled political conditions in Cuba and But the United States is still the richest country under the strain of the present financial depres- in the world-in assets, in average income, in com- sion, the national church has set itself not to be forts and in the average scale of living. Govern- moved by these conditions and to contribute in ment officials now talk in billions of dollars now every possible way toward the stabilization of life.
where they used to ask millions for public appro- Recently a two-day meeting was held in Havana priations. Americans talk poverty and over of the representatives of all evangelical denomina- twenty-five million people are dependent on the tions doing work in Cuba. These men from all Government payrolls—.:either as employees, pen- parts of the island formed a union that seems to sioners or recipients of the dole. Taxes are being mean far more than an organic union. They increased to pay these growing expenses-and the definitely committed themselves to preaching the end is not yet. In the meantime pastors, mission- Gospel of Christ throughout Cuba. This seems to aries and other Christian workers as well as teach- bespeak a new day in the Evangelical cause for ers and other professional workers, trades people, that republic. The national leadership in the clerks and most employees in industry see their Protestant Church is convinced that the only solu- incomes decrease, while taxes and expenses in- tion to the fundamental problems of Cuba is found crease-and there is, humanly speaking, no relief in the Gospel of Christ.
in sight. Consequently gifts to church work, mis- Another encouraging development has been an sions and other benevolences decrease and the organization of Christian students in the Univer- work of God-meaning the work He wishes done sity of Havana. A group of boys has rented a for underprivileged men and women-suffers. house and established a Protestant center. They But there is no lack of money in America, if we are without funds and the accommodations very can judge by the amount spent on amusements, humble, but it is their own and a friend intends theatre, sports, cosmetics, tobacco, strong drink, to help them as much as possible because they are pleasure automobiles, and fiction. The phases of willing to undergo privation for the sake of hold-
ing together those who have similar high ideals on national "Crime Institute" was proposed-a sort faith and daily life. These things are significant of "West Point" training school-where Federal and back in many of the churches from which agents can study the best methods of dealing with these students oome there is reflected a new seri- crime and law-breakers, and where criminal rec- ousness about the development of their work. ords will be available to all.
The days of prosperity are not always the best Third: more strict Federal regulations are days for the Church. needed to govern the sale, possession and use of While there are many reasons for encourage- firearms. Attorney-general Cum min g s also ment in Puerto Rico, unemployment, inadequate called attention to the evil effects of narcotics and schools and general living conditions all help to alcoholic drink, the abuse of parole, the evils of create for the Church an atmosphere that is ex- lax law enforcement and the weakness of present ceedingly difficult. There is, however, consider- forms of criminal procedure. "The whole move- able activity along evangelical lines. For example ment against crime has been too sporadic and in- the Presbyterian mission has been carrying on a effective."
program of tent evangelism in villages which the What have the churches to do with this probgeneral public neve.r visits. After six weeks of lem and how can Christians help in crime preservices the whole town and country round about vention, in law observance, and in the reclamation seem to want to come into the church. Such in- of criminals? stances are duplicated in all the surrounding country. 1. Our whole educational system must recognize Representatives of various mission boards hav- the importance of moral and religious education.
ing work in Puerto Rico are now holding a joint The subject should be wisely emphasized in text- conference on the island to study conditions and books and on the platform; only teachers of high to propose ways for closer cooperation and more moral character and influence should be employed effective work in evangelism, the development of to train youth.
self-support, improvement of the Uniqn Seminary, 2. The Church must unite with all forces ·for the literature program, women's work, and sec- moral betterment to undertake more seriously the ular and religious education. E. A. ODELL. reformation or elimination of extra curricula edu- cational factors – such as the unwholesome mo- THE CURE FOR CRIME AND CRIMINALS tion pictures, demoralizing tabloid press and other pernicious literature. Prof. Thorstan Sellin, of the University of Penn- 3. Must we not give more attention to the moral sylvania, recently stated that there were 1,300,000 major crimes committed in the United States in and religious training of parents – to persuade the year 1933. Only one in four of the perpetra- adults to set a good example to youth-in the obtors of these crimes were ever brought to justice! servance of traffic and other laws, in the adoption of higher moral standards, in abstinence from in- The crime situation has evidently become so toxicants, in discountenancing all forms of gamserious in the United States that Federal and State bling and by the adoption of higher ideals in all Governments, as well as municipalities, are study- forms of amusements. ing ways in which to combat the trend and to make it more dangerous and less profitable to murder, 4. There is also need to return to the Christian steal and betray a trust. The cost of crime in ideals of marriage and the home; to emphasize lives lost, in money, jewels and other property the responsibility of parents for the training of dishonestly acquired, and for law enforcement and children, teaching them the arts of peace rather dealing with criminals, has mounted to an alarm- than glorifying war, and instilling ideals of truth, ing extent. purity and unselfish service.
Recently the Attorney-general of the United 5. The Church and State, working together, can States called together some six hundred Federal, do much more to redeem criminals, to clear slums, State and local officials for a conference in Wash- providing proper housing facilities, and improvington. They finally proposed to state legislatures ing public health and recreation, with better soa program with the following suggestions for combating crime and dealing with criminals. cial and economic conditions. 6. The Church must herself be purified and strengthened to make her more attractive, educa- First: a number of recommendations were tional and influential, both to young and old.. The made looking toward improvements in court pro- real solution of the crime, and of all other moral cedure so as to speed up the course of justice and problems, is after all the regeneration of the indi- to make trials by jury less cumbersome and more vidual. This can only be accomplished through satisfactory. the Spirit of God but Christians are responsible Second: suggestions were made for better co- for proving that Christ does save and give power operation between State and Federal officers. A to overcome evil with good.
Young Martyrs in
The Testimony of Mr. and Mrs. John Stam Who Witnessed to Christ by Their Death at the Hands of Chinese Communists EDITORIAL T HE story of John and Elizabeth Starn is one Mr. Lo, a pastor of the China Inland Mission, was taken of heroic Christian faith and inspiring cour- captive by the communists on their arrival in Miaosheo, age. At the threshold of their missionary but was released when they learned that he had only arservice for Christ in China, these two young mis- rived the day before. He fled to the mountains with most of the townspeople when he learned that two foreigners sionaries were put to death by communists on De- had been killed. He came back to investigate and see if cember 8 about one hundred miles south of Wuhu, he could be of any help. This was a dangerous thing to do. Anwhei. The only reason for the murder seems to He learned that the baby was still alive. The people were have been resentment against all foreigners be- afraid to give information, but finally an old lady pointed cause their governments are siding with the Chi- in the direction of a certain house, where he heard the infant crying and found it after traversing many court- nese against communist activity. The tragic story yards and rooms. It had been left alone without food or care for over twenty-four hours. He took the child out is briefly told by Robert E. Brown, M.D., a mis- and found a Chinese mother who volunteered to nurse the sionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church and baby. He then went to look for the bodies of Mr. and superintendent of the Wuhu General Hospital, Mrs. Starn and found them still lying exposed except for where the Starn baby was born last September. a few handfuls of grass which had been laid over them.
Wuhu is about eighty miles from Tsingteh, the As all local officials had fled to the mountains, Pastor Lo mountain mission station of the China Inland Mis- offered to take charge. sion, where Mr. and Mrs. Starn and their baby were located. Dr. Brown's account, taken from The Chinese pastor found that Mrs. Starn had made pro- vision for the little one to the best of her ability, hoping eyewitnesses, is as follows: * that someone would save it. A ten-dollar bill was found wrapped in a piece of paper among clean napkins between On December 6, 1934, the communists made a surprise the baby's blankets. On the table was an empty tin of attack and entered the town of Tsingteh.. After looting powdered milk, a little sugar, and some crackers. The the place they carried off the Starn family and a number pastor then gathered his own family together and started of Chinese. Early the next day they marched rapidly on a forty miles' journey to Kinhsien, the nearest large fifty li to Miaosheo, and the Starns were left at the post city toward Wuhu. office while the town was being taken. The postmaster offered them fruit and tea and Mr. Starn took advantage Chinese mothers were found ready to nurse the baby of the moment to write a letter which he left with the as they walked the forty miles and so no doubt saved the postmaster. Someone asked Mr. Starn where they were child's life. They arrived in Wuhu, Friday, December 14, being taken and he replied, "Weare going to Heaven." the baby having been in the sole care of Chinese friends for nearly a week. When seen by the members of the The next morning they were led through the streets, and mission hospital staff, the baby was in perfect health and the people of the town who had not fled to the mountains smiled from her little crib, all unconscious of the tragedy were called to witness the execution of the foreigners. It in her life.
is reported that they walked with an appearance of un- A later word from Dr. Charles E. Scott says: shaken courage and calm assurance, probably conscious: of Another walking with them. At·the head of the main "When the Reds forced the people of Miao Sheo street on a hill the communist officer addressed the crowd, to witness the murder of Betty and John, the explaining that the foreigners were hurting China by help- Christian Chinese knelt and pleaded for the lives ing Chiang Kai-shek and the Nanking Government, as of their beloved friends. As a result they were demonstrated by using the people's money to build new themselves led away to torture and death. Even roads throughout the country; therefore they should be non-Christians knelt and pleaded in vain." killed. When they ordered Mr. Starn to kneel down for the knife a number of people, including some non-Chris- The Associated Press has published a dispatch, tians, were daring enough to speak in behalf of the Amer- as from Rev. W. J. Hanna, of the China Inland ican mIssIOnaries. They were rewarded by kicks and Mission, who brought the child from Wuhu to curses. One Christian Chinese fell on his knees before Tsinan to her grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. Scott: the executioner and begged for their lives, finally asking, if they would not spare both, at least to save Mrs. After the execution of Mr. and Mrs. Starn the com- Starn. For his persistence he was accused of being one munist captors were on the point of killing the child to avoid the trouble of taking care of her, but a man who of them and was bound and taken away. We have since had only just been released from the village prison by heard that he was killed. Such Christian courage and Communists, pleaded for the infant's life. loyalty deserves the highest praise. Mr. Starn addressed the crowd. What he said is not known, but it was prob- "Who are you?" a Communist officer asked. "Why do ably a Christian testimony. While he was speaking he you intercede for the baby?" was killed and his wife was then executed. The prisoner replied that he had no connection with "these foreigners," but begged that the baby's life be • Account taken from The Chri••tian Advocate, January 31, 1934. spared and volunteered to forfeit his own life to save the [ 103]
child. He was killed on the spot but the baby was saved. John and Elizabeth Starn were members of the This account was amply authenticated by Chinese wit- China Inland Mi~sion and for academic training, nesses who said that the martyr "gained great heavenly favor" by his act. strength of character and Christlike spirit were among the most promising and attractive mission- This baby girl, Helen Priscilla Starn, was born aries that ever went to China. John Starn was at Wuhu on September 11 just three months be- the son of Rev. Peter Starn, of Paterson, New fore her parents' death. Alinost on the same day Jersey, and was a graduate of Moody Bible Insti- on which the press dispatches reported the cruel tute, Chicago. "Betty" (Elizabeth Alden Scott) tragedy, a letter was received in the New York was born in China and was a graduate of Wilson office of the REVIEW, containing a two-years' sub- College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. She was a scription for Mr. and Mrs. Starn. It was sent by gifted and beautiful girl. Her life motto was in- Dr. Charles E. Scott, of Tsinan, Betty Starn's fa- scribed on her photograph: "For to me to live is ther, who wrote at the same time, telling of the Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1: 21). In marriage of another daughter, Beatrice, to Dr. the farewell meeting in Philadelphia, before she Theodore Dwight Stevenson, of Princeton, and sailed for China, her last words were: "Whether their sailing for mission work in South China. living or dying, I am the Lord's." Her testimony, , – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – , composed when she made her decision to be a missionary, is as follows: And shall I fear That there is anything That men hold dear Thou wouldst deprive me of, And nothing give in place? That is not so, For I can see Thy face; I hear Thee now: "My child, I died for thee; And, if the gift Of love and life you took from Me, Shall lone precious thing Withhold to all eternity- . One beautiful and bright, One pure and precious thing, withhold- It cannot be."
John Starn, in his farewell message be- fore leaving America for China in 1932, said: God in His infinite grace sometimes virtually pushes us into His way for us, if we are unready to learn in other ways that His will is always good and acceptable and perfect. So He did with me.
I thank God for Christian parents, a Chris- tian grammar school, and a pastor who taught the Word book by book and verse by verse. I thank Him for bringing me to Himself under deep conviction of sin. As a self-righteous young man I needed to see myself as a sinner hope- lessly lost and on his way to an awful hell be- fore I could at all realize my need of the Saviour.
I should have gone right out into active Chris- tian testimony, but to my shame I must write that fear kept me from boldly witnessing for Christ. God in His mercy shook me out of such a condition through a challenge given by my own father. One summer when I asked why our -group hadn't started street work, he 'replied, "Well, why don't you go ahead?" It staggered me-but I went ahead. I had to. God blessed those first half-hearted efforts, ridding me of the fear that old school friends might see me and smile, and filling my heart with joy and bless- By courtesy of "China's Millions," Philadelphin.; photo by John C. Stam. ing in the work. In a few years I found my am- A SCENE J'US'I OUTSIDE ONE OF THE GATES OF TSINGTEH, ANHWEI, bitions to make a success of myself in the busi- THE CITY FROM WHICH MR. AND MRS. J. C. STAM WERE TAKEN TO ness world beg•mnm• g to lose ground, and dl.S- MEET THEIR MARTYRDOM AT THE HANDS OF THE OOMMUNISTS
TWO YOUNG MARTYRS IN CHINA
covered to my own surprise that my chief interest had What could be more glorious? The manner in which they shifted to the work of the Lord. were sent out of this world was a shock to us all, but At the Moody Bible Institute and in its student mis- whatever of suffering they may have endured is now past, sionary activity I was brought face to face with my own and they are both infinitely blessed with the joys of responsibility to heathen millions. The Lord laid China Heaven.
upon my heart, and slowly the conviction deepened that I, It was our desire that he, John, as well as we, should for one, would have no valid reason to give my Lord if I serve the Lord, and if that could be better done by death did not go where the need was so great. God's Word it- than by life, we would have it so. The sacrifice may seem self, prayer, and a study of conditions in China, and my great now, but no sacrifice is too great to make for Him own circumstances soon left no room for doubt that the who gave Himself for us. Lord was assuredly leading. A great volume of prayer was going up for their release It is blessed to know for the future even when we are from their communist captors. We need not feel that these fearful of failing Him, that "He will not suffer his faith- prayers were unanswered. Betty and John were released. fulness to fail." We need your prayers. Pray for us. They were released from the pain and toil of life, and One of the last letters from John Starn to the brought into the presence of the Saviour whom they loved China Inland Mission in Shanghai on December so dearly. 6, shows the caliber of the man and his faith. Weare earnestly praying that it will all be for God's glory and for the salvation of souls. How glad we shall be My wife, baby and myself are today in the hands of if through this dreadful experience many shall be won to communists in the city of Tsingteh. Their demand is the Lord Jesus. How glad we shall be if many dear Chris- twenty thousand dollars for our release. tian young people are inspired to give themselves to the All our possessions and stores are in their hands, but Lord as never before, in a life of sacrifice and service. we praise God for peace in our hearts and a meal tonight. We were honored by having sons and daughters minister God grant you wisdom in what you do, and us fortitude, for our Lord among the heathen, but we are more signally courage, and peace of heart. He is able–and a wonderful honored that two of them have received the martyr's crown.
Friend in such a time. Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Scott, who have been Things happened so quickly this A. M. They were in the city just a few hours after the ever-persistent rumors missionaries of the Presbyterian Church in China really became alarming, so that we could not prepare to for nearly thirty years, write that Romans 8: 28 leave in time. We were just too late. expresses their abiding conviction. Their only The Lord bless and guide you; and as for us, may God be glorified, whether by life or by death. desire is that the "will of God may be done on In Him, JOHN C. STAM. earth as in Heaven." Dr. Scott has sent us a ,poem which was a favorite of both Betty and The last letter, written in Miaosheo, was given John. It was written by E. H. Hamilton, a misto the postmaster with the request that it be sent sionary and a friend of the Scotts and was inon. Mr. Starn said to the postmaster, "I have no money to pay the postage, but please send this spired by the fact that when bandits asked the Presbyterian missionary, J. W. Vinson, if he were for me." As the mail leaves only once in five afraid, he replied : "No; if you shoot, I go straight days, the postmaster gave the letter to Mr. Lo to to Heaven." His decapitated body was found post at Kinghsien. When he and his wife and later and the incident was told by a little Chinese child set off with the baby for Kinghsien, they girl who was present. took with them the letter which is as follows: Afraid? Of what?
MIAOSHEO, ANHWEI, To feel the spirit's glad release?
December 7, 1934. To pass from pain to perfect peace, CHINA INLAND MISSION. The strife and strain of life to cease?
DEAR BRETHREN: Afraid-of that?
Weare in the hands of the communists here, being Afraid? Of what? Afraid to see the Saviour's face, taken from Tsingteh when they passed through yesterday. To hear His welcome, and to trace The glory gleam from wounds of grace? I tried to persuade them to let my wife and baby go back Afraid-of that? from Tsingteh with a letter to you, but they wouldn't let Afraid? Of what? her, and so we both made the trip to Miaosheo today, my A flash-a crash-a pierced heart; Darkness-light-O Heaven's art! wife traveling part of the way on a horse. A wound of His a counterpart!
They want $20,000 before they will free us, which we Afraid-of that?
have told them we are sure will not be paid. Famine Re- Afraid? Of what? To do by death what life could notlief money, and our personal money and effects are all in Baptize with blood a stony plot, Till souls shall blossom from the spot? their hands. Afraid-of that? God give you wisdom in what to do, and give us grace "Here is a good tonic for timorous Christians; and fortitude. He is able. something to hearten the saints; a challenge to Yours in Him, (Signed) JOHN C. STAM.
The parents of the martyred couple show a like faith and fortitude. The Rev. Peter Starn, of the Door of Hope Mission, Paterson, New Jersey, writes: Our dear children have gone to be with the Lord. They loved Him, they served Him, and now they are with Him.
us to put more spiritual vim into the blood," says With thousands of missionaries living in isolated and Dr. Scott. defenseless stations throughout the whole of China the Betty Scott went out to China, before her mar- problem of ransom is of the greatest importance. If the brigands found that the missionary societies were willing riage, in 1931, and John Starn followed a year to redeem their workers for money, the capture of mislater. They were married in the home of the sionaries would immediately become a lucrative employ- bride's parents in North China and were appointed ment. No one would be safe. The perils of the missionary to the town of Tsingteh, a pioneer mountain sta- community would be immeasurably increased, and the scale tion, where they planned to begin their work of of captures would very soon make ransom impossible. The love and mercy. ransom of a few would imperil many hundreds. There is no deliverance along that road. The only wise way is to A letter (dated January 2, 1935) from the act in such a manner as to cause the brigands to learn that it is not a profitable business for them to take cap- Rev. Howard Van Dyck, of the Christian and tive those who are among them as friends, and not as rep- Missionary Alliance Mission in Wuhu, throws resentatives of wealthy corporations. What may appear some light on the character of Mr. Starn and the hard is in truth the greatest kindness, and some missiontragedy that closed his earthly career. aries, even when in captivity, have asked that no personal We have just returned from a sacred spot which, in sympathy for them should cause their friends to take the days to come, may well be visited by many a Christian false step of payment with worse consequences to follow. pilgrim. It lies at the foot of Wuhu's highest hill, con- In principle all missionary societies are agreed in this trasting sharply with the bare brown slopes, a little matter.
square of living green, a grove of trees and shrubs that The Moody Bible Institute Monthly calls attenmutely testify of tender care. It is the Wuhu Foreign tion to the fact that from the first year of the Cemetery. There today, under leaden skies and in a Christian Church the story of the faithful witness drizzling rain, a solemn group of Chinese and foreigners, gathered around an open double grave and reverently and of disciples of Christ is like a manuscript illumlovingly committed to this quiet resting place the bodies inated with sacred blood. "During the first three of China's latest missionary martys, John Stam and his centuries it is reported that at least 1,000,000 folwife, Elizabeth Alden Stam. lowers of Jesus Christ suffered death at the hands of persecutors. In the forests of pagan Europe, The murder of the Stams reveals dark depths of human depravity. Committed by one of Kiangsi's red armies so loudly praised by foreign admirers of Chinese communism, in India or China, and before the onrush of fanat. this crime is its own commentary upon the nature of that ical Moslem hordes, countless thousands died movement. Led by youths known to possess moder~ rather than deny their Lord. And the story of education, it warns against the fatal folly of filling un- modern missions is another chapter in relentless regenerate wine-skins with the strong wine of economic experimentation. The whole incident demonstrates that persecution. To mark the martyrdoms of only the greatest need of 20th century humanity is the un- the past century on a map of the missionary world changed power of the first century Gospel. with crosses of red would present a picture of startling significance. Not one mission field has That transforming power, a Christian fortitude worthy of Nero's arena, and a remarkable series of divine provi- dences are the high lights standing out against this dark been occupied without the price of the Cross. background. But the blood of the martyrs has ever been the seed of the Church. When the world courts and The roll of martyred missionaries in the China flatters the Church she becomes effeminate and Inland Mission now numbers seventy-four, be- spineless; but the fires of persecution purify and sides thirty missionary children. To this list must produce strength, fidelity and courage. Will the be added the names of hundreds of native Chris- youth of the Church in the homeland feel the thrill tians who have sealed their testimony with their of an hour like this, when challenge and call ring life's blood. so clearly from that ripened harvest field in In regard to the ransoming of captured missionaries, China's Millions says: "The demand for ransom by the captors of Mr. and Mrs. Starn China 1"
did not reach the Mission's headquarters in Shang- The martyrdom of th~se two young missionhai until after their death. The communists who still hold Mr. Bosshardt and Mr. Hayman in cap- aries has created a profound impression in many tivity have demanded an exorbitant ransom in lands. Not only have a multitude of expressions military supplies or in money from the Chinese of sympathy come to the bereaved families and government. In view of the widespread interest to the Mission, and many have offered to adopt in these cases and of a possible misunderstanding Helen Starn, but a number of volunteers have ofof the whole question of paying ransom, some ex- fered to go out to China to take the place of the planation of the position taken by the Mission, martyred missionaries. These offers have come and indeed by the missionary body in general, we not only from the United States but from England cannot do better than to quote part of an editorial and Shanghai. God is able to make this witness note in the December issue of the British edition of His servants, sealed with their blood, abound of China's Millions. to the glory of Christ and blessing to the Chinese.
I Am Returning to
By BEATRICE E. SCOTT STEVENSON, Canton, China A Presbyterian Missionary Mrs. Stevenson, a graduate of Wilson College and of Biblical Seminary, New York, is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs.
Charles Ernest Scott of the American Presbyterian Mission at Tsinan, Shantung Province. She was married last year to Dr. Theodore Dwight Stevenson, a physician, the son of Dr. J. Ross Stevenson, of Princeton Seminary. They will be settled in Canton. Mrs. Stevenson wrote this paper (which is reprinted from The Presbyterian) while she was a student at Biblical Seminary, New York, and before she had become engaged to marry Dr. Stevenson. Her sister, Eliza- beth, and her husband, John Starn, missionaries of the China Inland Mission, were recently murdered by communistic bandits in Anhwei Province. Mrs. Stevenson's article reveals the true missionary call-not merely a philanthropic impulse to serve others. Dr. Charles Scott writes: "It seems as if this article by Beatrice were written under the clear guidance of the Holy Spirit, not only in the general argument but in the very choice of words. There was no thought of the publicity it has gained or the wide usefulness. It has been owned and honored of the Lord-the only article Beatrice has written for publication outside of college magazines. She decided to return to China to lead edu- cated Chinese girls to Christ, and this was in the face of alluring offers to work in America." EDITOR.
PEOPLE have always expected me, as the self wanted more than anything else in life, I saw daughter of missionaries in China, to return then that God expected a good deal more from me there some day-but that is not why I am than a mere complacent endorsement of Chrisplanning to be a foreign missionary. I was born tianity. He wanted a hunger in my heart that in China, and learned from childhood to love the would respond to His will for my life; He wanted East, with its antique culture, its picturesqueness, a personal consciousness of Christ and a burning its calm, happy-go-lucky people – but that is not love for Him which would motivate all my living why I am hoping to return. My own home is over and make me long to "be about my Father's busithere, and the two people I love most in the world ness." And He awakened both in me, by letting -but even that is not what ultimately draws me. me see the selfish, conceited person that was my- For it takes something stronger than home-ties or self, and then showing me by contrast, how altothe spirit of adventure or a sense of duty to make gether lovely is Jesus Christ, and how much better a missionary and keep her on the field. I would qualified than I to run my life. The whole experinever dare set myself up, even as an embryonic ence was a beautiful outreaching of God to me one, if something had not revolutionized my whole that I never deserved and certainly never soliclife first, and given me my first true call to mis- ited-too proud and too blind to see how lonely and groping and dissatisfied I was without Him. sion work. St. Augustine has told my whole story for me, This was a personal experience of the presence of a living Christ in my own life. It came to me, more clearly and beautifully than I could ever quite undesired, shortly after I had reached Amer- hope to do, when he wrote: ica for my college education. I believe I was a Christian before then, but certainly a very nom- And behold Thou wert within, and I abroad; and there inal one, sliding through life on my parents' re- I searched for Thee; . . . Thou wert with me, but I was ligion rather than living in intimate friendship not with Thee. Things held me far from Thee, which, with a .personal Saviour I knew. Yet the experi- unless they were in Thee, were not at all. Thou didst call, ence was not one of my seeking, for there was and shout, and didst burst my deafness. Thou didst flash nothing in the world I thought I needed less. I and shine and didst scatter my blindness. Thou didst was a Christian; I came from a Christian home; breathe odours and I drew in my breath and panted for I had had religious training at home and at school Thee. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. Thou didst all my life. What more could God ask or want of touch me, and I burned for Thy peace (Confessions 10: me? His answer came, too forcefully to be 27). ignored, in a small Gospel mission in the heart of Chicago. I had gone, chiefly out of curiosity, to My Second Reason In the light of this new experience of Christ, I was able, for the first time, to apply to myself Christ's commandment, "Go ye into all the world."
see how drunken bums "got religion." Suddenly I am willing, of course, to go anywhere He wants I realized that they had what I had never really me to go (if He will only show me the way had, what God wanted me to have, and what I my- clearly); but, naturally, my thoughts swing back [107 ]
with renewed interest to China, my beloved "na- background and knowledge of conditions, if I did tive land," where I have personal acquaintance not cooperate with Him in His great plan for the with the language and the need. That first-hand world, to the best of my ability. knowledge of conditions constitutes, I believe, my second big reason for returning to the foreign Finally, there is a third reason why I am refield. As I look back now at poor, superstitious, turning to the foreign field, and that is-I want war-torn China, I realize that she is not getting something really worthwhile to live for. Like what Christ died to bring her-in spite of what most young people, I want to invest this one life "broad-minded" churchmen today may say. I can of mine as wisely as possible, in the place that see, in the eye of memory, picture after picture yields richest profits to the world and to me. This that was impressed on me as a child walking about may be in China, or in India or Africa, or the with my nurse – a woman weeping loudly at a squalid slums in New York. But, wherever it is, I small grave, without comfort because of the black- want it to be God's choice for me and not my own. ness of death around her child; unwanted girl- There must be no self-interest at all, or I do not babies eaten by dogs on the village commons; a believe God can reveal His will clearly. Certainly procession of idols, with their sightless eyes, car- Paul never saw his vision of the man from Maceried out to view the dry, parched fields; walls donia by looking in his own mirror. I know very and high doorways and crooked alleys, to hinder well that I can never realize the richest, most the ever-present evil spirits in their progress; satisfying life Christ meant for me, if I am not war, disease, hate, fear. China, like so many giving my own life unselfishly for others. Christ countries of the world, is "an infant crying in the said: "He that would find his life shall lose it," dark, with no language but a cry." There is only and He proved the truth of this divine paradox at one solution and that is the Gospel of Christ, Calvary. I want Him to lead, and His Spirit to which (for some strange reason I cannot yet fill me. Then, and only then, will I feel that my fathom), God has left to us – you and me – to life is justifying its existence, and that I am realspread. I would certainly be a quitter, given my izing the maturity in Him that Christ meant for all men, in all parts of the world.
/, THE FIRE OF GOD* A Poem by ELISABETH A. SCOTT, Recently Martyred in Central China Depth And height, All was night. From the mystic holds Of the starry worlds Issued forth the pure white flame Which was called "The Light" by name; And, God being good, the black deep fled From the white fire glowing red-white, red. And the flames grew vast, unfed by fuel above; For the Lord blew gently upon them the breath of love; Till the prophets known to God, whom the Holy One did inspire, Distinguished the form of the Son of God in the flames of fire. Oh, the tongues of the lapping flames about him were scarlet and hard and hot; , But the Son of man with the eyes of God loved the world and faltered not. And the flames of wrath by the will of God have curled themselves into a heap of a cross, Wheref the hate of myself for the love of God was pinning that Figure – Oh, terrible loss To the .will of men! to the pride of men! to lust and conceit, as my sin and the cross are seen! Now the world is cold; but the hearts of men who received the Fire have been burning warm and clean. And, see! on the fringes of earth and heaven, how the flame is a golden wave of tongues that ripples and runs; From the sea of crystal mingled with fire – golden, purple, scarlet, and white – that enfolds the suns.
• Reprinted from The Moody Bible Institute Monthly.
Chief of the
By the REV. A. M. CHIRGWIN, M.A., London, England General Secretary of the London Missionary Society TSHEKEDI'S country is situated between the The Bamangwato, in common with the other Union of South Africa and Northern Rho- Bechuana tribes, are not a conquered people. desia, and is occupied by a scattered popula- They are not British subjects but are a free peotion of cattle-owning people. Like all the Bantu ple, who willingly and by treaty placed themselves they are a friendly, well-mannered folk. Tshe- under the protecting care of Britain. They hold, kedi's own tribe, the Bamangwato, has been more with proper pride, that they have the right to than commonly fortunate in treat direct with the British its recent rulers, and his fa- Sovereign or his Ministers of ther, Chief Khama, was prob- State. The population is ably one of the greatest rulers sparse, being only about one Bantu Africa has yet pro- per square mile, but it is not duced. as sparse as at first sight it Khama was succeeded, after appears. Little villages of a reign of over fifty years, by round mud huts are scattered his eldest son Sekgoma. It over the veld. In the old days was during Sekgoma's Chief- of tribal warfare the African tainship that the present learned the necessity of hid- Prince of Wales vi sit e d ing his home as far as possible Serowe, the capital of the from the eyes of his enemies, Bamangwato, to unveil the and, like the wild t h i n g s tribal Memorial to Khama. around him, he took advan- On Sekgoma's sudden death tage of color protection, build- the hereditary Chieftainship ing his hut with walls of mud fell to his little son Seretse, and roof of grass.
then a child of five or six. A The first time I visited one Regent was necessary, and of these villages it impressed the choice fell on Khama's me as a higgledy-piggledy youngest son Tshekedi, then a place, entirely lacking in any student at a mission school in plan, as though the huts had Cape Colony. grown up as daisies do, any- Bechuanaland is a British how. But I learned later that Protectorate, and makes up, a Bechuana village has a lay- with Basutoland and Swazi- out as clear as that of New land, the three High Commis- TSHEKEDI AND SEMANE York, only different. In the sion territories of Sou t h centre, like the hub of a wheel, Africa. This single area, as large as France and is a large cattle-pen or kraal, where the cattle are Germany put together, is occupied by five Bantu driven at night for safety. Ranged round this tribes, all related and all speaking the same lan- cattle-krall, as it were on the rim of the wheel, are guage, the Bamangwato being by far the largest the huts of the members of one family-group who and most important of them. jointly own the cattle. This ring of huts is the The London Missionary Society, through such unit, and a series of such units makes up a native men as Robert Moffat and David Livingstone, has township.
played a large part in the history of Bechuana- The Bechuana look upon their cattle as their land. It was missionaries of this Society who in- most precious possession and their attitude to troduced Christianity into Bechuanaland over a their cattle has an almost religious quality, point- century ago. ing back, perhaps, to some kind of earlier belief [109 ]
in a mystical connection between the life of the gestions of his advisors in regard to marriage. tribe and the cattle that they own. The Bechuana He determined to marry where he would, and he hoard cattle as a miser hoards gold. dared to seek his wife outside the clearly-defined circles of the tribal aristocracy. Semane, whom But what impressed me most about the people he took as his bride, was not only a young woman of Bechuanaland was their unfailing courtesy. of education and bearing, she was the best Sunday They have a natural dignity of bearing and are school teacher in the tribe. She is today a woman rarely ill-at-ease. I do not recall ever having seen of queenly presence, and carries on still the proj- a single discourteous act, except amongst those ects that were dear to her husband's heart. She who had gone off to the towns and picked up the is a deacon of the Church, a teacher in the Sunday rather casual manners of the European. school, the leader of a large Women's Bible Class, and the president of the Women's Christian Tem- Serowe, the great native town which is the cap- perance Union. In her home and in the Church, ital of the Bamangwato, with its 30,000 people, is she always impressed me by her competence and probably the largest native town in Africa south leadership. She shares with all Bechuana women of the Equator. a love for striking colors. The last time I saw her she was wearing over her shoulders a bright prim- The Chief asked me if I would come to the rose-colored shawl embroidered in orange, and an Kgotla at dawn and preach at the annual "Plough- emerald-green handkerchief knotted round her ing Service" of the tribe. I found some six thou- head. These colors, which no white woman could sand people awaiting me in the Kgotla the next wear, seemed somehow to suit her chocolate skin morning. In the old days it was customary for and royal bearing. the Chief and his sorcerers to arrange for a pagan service just before the people began their plough- Tshekedi was educated at Lovedale, the famous ing. The object of the pagan rites was to secure institution of the Church of Scotland in Cape Colfertility from the spirits of the earth and air. ony, where so many chiefs have been trained. Thereafter the Chief gave the word and the people were free to start ploughing as soon as the Tshekedi's Government rain should fall. Some of the rites were indecent, but at the same time the whole thing was rooted The administration of justice in Bechuanaland, deeply in the tribal life and certain elements were so far as the native people are concerned, remains worth preserving. When Khama became Chief, largely in the hands of the chief and headmen of and the time for ploughing drew near, the head- the tribe, though certain cases go before the men asked him to arrange for the rites as usual, European magistrate. When an offence is reso that the people could begin on their lands. ported, the chief and the headmen gather in the Khama's reply was that if they wanted their rites Kgotla with any adult males of the tribe who are they could have them, he would not interfere; but interested to attend. The accuser and the defendas for himself and the Christians in the tribe, they ant make their statements, the elders of the tribe would have a meeting for prayer in the Kgotla. give their view of the case, often at great length, From that day the "Ploughing Service" has been and then it is open to any man in the assembly to baptized into Christ, retaining the good and drop- speak. The Bechuana are excellent speakers and ping the bad features. Without any disruption of debaters, and make their points in a clear, logical the tribal life the whole course of an old custom way. When the matter has been thoroughly dishad been changed; the pagan rite had been filled cussed, the chief sums up the general sentiment with a Christian content. After the service was of the assembly, and pronounces sentence. He is over Tshekedi rose and gave the word for the thus not an autocrat, but the mouthpiece of his ploughing to begin. The next moment three people. The punishment meted out is generally mighty, long-drawn cheers went up from six thou- either flogging or a fine of two or three oxen. sand throats – "Pula! Pula! Pula!" (literally, "Rain 1 Rain 1 Rain 1"). This Bechuana word for Tshekedi seemed to me to be a hard-working "Hurrah" is significant of the place rain occupies chief who took his duties very seriously. He apin the mind of the people of this dry and thirsty peared to have no relaxations; indeed sometimes land. seems to be too serious and too absorbed for a man of his age. He scorns delights and lives la- Khama, Tshekedi's father, was perhaps the borious days. I found him considerate ·and apgreatest son that Bantu Africa has yet produced, preciative. When an old woman fainted at a a man of strong intellect and stronger character, meeting Tshekedi helped to render first aid and ,who set himself to prepare his people to take their afterwards drove her home in his own car. proper place in the life of the new Africa, and in fact led them a long way along the road from It may be that there are still chiefs in Africa pagan barbarism to Christian civilization. Khama who wear feathers and skins, who live in the was a big enough man to brush aside the sug- midst of either squalid superstition or barbaric
TSHEKEDI, CHIEF OF THE BAMANGWATO
splendor, who are hard-drinking, overbearing, un- For an outside authority, therefore, to remove a tutored polygamists. Tshekedi does not belong to Chief or even to encroach seriously and suddenly their set. He is an educated, quiet-mannered, upon his functions is to deal a blow at the whole competent Christian young man who neither poise and equilibrium of tribal life. To disturb drinks, smokes nor swears. He may not have his the status and functions of a chief is one of the father's stature or commanding presence or surest ways to bring about detribalization, that powerful mind, yet he has courage and persist- worst malady of African life. Tshekedi feels that ence, with, maybe, a touch of obstinacy, combined his main task is the maintenance of his chiefly with unwavering devotion to his tribe. He seemed prerogatives, and he is robbed thereby of the freeto me to be cautiously progressive. He is a dom of mind necessary to think constructively on church-member and a regular worshiper at the the needs of his tribe or to frame a progressive great church his father built, and would certainly policy for them. be a deacon of the church, were it not that both he and the missionaries in Bechuanaland agree The Status of a Bechuana Chief that it is probably not in the best interests of the church or the tribe for a chief to hold office. From the first Tshekedi has taken his duties There are morning and afternoon services every seriously. His guiding principle has been to main- Sunday in the vernacular for the people of the tain the main lines of Khama's policy, and to pretribe in the great Khama church, and whenever serve the prerogatives of the Chieftainship intact the missionary is in Serowe on Sunday evenings and hand them on unimpaired to Seretse when he conducts an English service for Europeans in the latter comes of age. It was to defend the the tiny church which has been built for their use. status of a Bechuana Chief and to prevent the ab- On the Sunday evening when I preached there the sorption of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in the Government doctor played the harmonium, one of Union of South Africa, that Tshekedi came to the traders gave out the notices, and another took England three years ago, and there won many the collection, which, by the way, was on behalf friends by his quiet, courteous, friendly ways and of missionary work. by his courage and competence in standing for the rights of his people. He speaks English fluently, Bechuanaland is a Protectorate, and there is lives in a European type of house, and has a reatherefore a dual authority. The Bechuana are sonable knowledge of English law as well as a ruled both by a European Administration and by thorough understanding of African tribal cusa Native Chief. This situation calls for states- toms. Like most African chiefs he strikes those manship and tact if friction is to be avoided. It who know him well as a trifle secretive, in spite is obvious that with the spread of European cul- of his friendliness of manner. He has not the ture the inevitable tendency is for the Adminis- powerful mind or personality of Khama, and when tration to encroach upon the functions and privi- hard pressed he tends to become obstinate. His leges of the Chief. The powers of the Chief have policy in general is cautious, and is regarded by been considerably reduced since the death of some people as being conservative. He believes Khama, and it looks as though it is intended that profoundly in education, and he himself studied the process shall continue. It is natural that up to the matriculation examination at school. Tshekedi should view the tendency with concern, He maintains at his own expense a school of 700 and that he should offer all the opposition he legit- children in Serowe, and he has spared no pains imately may. He is only the Regent or Acting or money to make it one of the model native Chief, and will therefore be expected, both by his schools of South Africa. He has moreover been nephew, the real Chief, and by the tribe, to hand contemplating for some time starting an instituon the prerogatives and functions of the chieftain- tion of a higher standard for the training of teachship undiminished. ers and for the giving of education of a more ad- vanced character than anything at present pro- But there is something deeper than that in the vided by the Government. Tshekedi is forwarddisquiet with which Tshekedi views the frequent looking, but he is at present engrossed in the infringement of his functions. The Chief in a maintenance of the status and prerogatives of the Bantu tribe is looked upon as something more Chief as against the inevitable encroachments of than a political personage. He is regarded as the European administration. Given a clear and gathering up in himself the whole life of the tribe. acceptable definition of the rights and functions He is a religious symbol of the tribal existence. of the Chieftainship Tshekedi would be free to He has an almost spiritual significance. More- initiate a progressive policy for the Tribe. The over, an African tribe carries subtle nonmaterial Administration would likewise be free to help him elements in its life. It is, in fact, a singularly in its realization. delicate organism, and its balance can be destroyed much more readily than it can be restored. There are one or two elements in the tribal'lif€.
that are not favorable to Tshekedi. Intrigue ing of the women, known as the duduetsa. Then thrives under tribalism. But with the vast ma- an old, old woman of the tribe rose from the jority of his tribe Tshekedi is personally popular ground and went to meet the Chief. She turned and officially respected. The people know that he and preceded him, executing a curious native seeks to maintain their rights as a free people dance. As the Chief reached the front of the under the wing of Britain's protection. They give gathering the great company as one man rose and him their regard and confidence and are making greeted him, with renewed cries of "Pula!" As good progress under his leadership. the cheering died down Semane, the Queen- This was demonstrated in an unmistakable mother, rose from her seat and advanced towards fashion on his return from England. A crowd of her son; she bent her knee,· took his hand and nearly ten thousand men and women gathered in drew it to her lips. In a great stillness Tshekedi, the Kgotla, or place of tribal assembly in Serowe, with tears in his eyes, raised his mother to her and the welcome they gave him demonstrated feet. He had come home; the welcome was com- their loyalty and affection. The great gathering plete.
sat with their eyes turned expectantly towards the Between mother and son there is a perfect shoulder of the hill round which the Chief and his understanding, and as Tshekedi remains unmar- horsemen would appear. It was like watching for ried Semane has many public duties to perform, a king returning from the wars. Presently a but she is none the less friendly and approach- great shout went up as a cloud of dust began to able. Both mother and son are members of the rise and move towards the town. In a few min- Christian Church; both are on friendly terms utes the whole cavalcade galloped round the stock- with the missionaries and other Europeans in ade of the Kgotla, where the Chief dismounted and their town; both are keenly interested in tem- walked slowly up the avenue between his people. perance and in the Boys' Brigade and the Girls'
From thousands of throats rose up the Bechuana. Life Brigade; both are seeking to lift the moral hurrah, or greeting of respect, "Pula! Pula! level of the Tribe and to maintain the best tradi- Pula!" immediately followed by the strange ululu- tions of a free people.
Opportunity-The Way of the Lord By JEAN KENYON MACKENZIE Formeriya Missionary of the Presbyterian Church in West Africa W HO has not wakened in the night to hear ing of the stranger-and all because in a dark a bell strike in the heart-and it is now hour our Lord spoke to us, waking us from sleep, too late to do what we have planned to do, calling us back again into his service. Not as he for we have dallied? called the child Samuel, who must rebuke the faithless with the glitter and dew of his young The child is now grown, the friend is now gone, faith-but as He calls His tried,servant who must the harvest is now passed, the night has now come now bear the heat and burden of the noon and winter seals the door. Across the heart's dark hour. . . . there is a flooding light that reveals with a strange clarity the very path we missed, and we had For this is the Way of the Lord. By much passvowed to take it on a day that passed. ing it is made straight, and those who go there are the caravans of the Future. It is for these jour- How sweet it is then if a friend knocks at the neys that the Head of the caravan has called you door and begs from us three loaves of bread! It again before it is yet day, giving you an hour for is not then we fail to rise and give him. It is not remembrance and repentance before you shall on the morrow of such dark thoughts that we deal arise "renewed to your works, and charity, and stonily with our children, or begin, with our min- service, and faith, and your patience, and your ister, to make delays and excuses. On the morrow works"; and the last-by his mercy-to be more of such a night we are up early to fill the lamps than the first. with oil; we search our purses then for whatever coin may be there; we fill the cup against the com- -From Women and Missions.
and the World To,Day*
By the REV. HERBERT H. FARMER, M.A., -.. ~ Hartford, Connecticut Professor in the Hartford Theological Seminary To ANYONE who believes that God savingly present age is really another way of facing the revealed Himself to mankind in Jesus Christ question what our essential Message is. If we in a final and unique way-and can anything believe that God speaks to the world through the be properly called Christianity which has not that Church we must also believe that He speaks to the belief in one form or another at the heart of it?- Church through the world, challenging it, thrust- Christianity is not more relevant or differently ing it out of its thoughtless and treacherous acqui- relevant to this age than to any other. Its rel- escences in styles of life really alien to Christ and evance is that it is the saving word of God to now receiving God's judgment in the outward mankind and that mankind is confusion and the inward de- mankind. Jesus Christ the same spair of mankind. The subject yesterday, today and for ever, Here is are mar k a b I y of this talk, in fact, could as and mankind, though in a dif- thoughtful paper, read at the well be the relevance of our ferent sense, pretty much the recent Foreign Missions Con- present world for Christianity same yesterday, today and for- ference. Dr. Farmer deals as the relevance of Christianity ever. The point is not unim- with the spiritual as against for our present world. portant, for so soon as we try the material, the eternal as Some years ago an anthroto adj ust our preaching of against the temporal, the di- Christ to the results of our own vine program and power as pologist of international repureflection on its relevance to a against human ideas of social tation, widely travelled, observvast and complex world situa- progress. He shows how the ant, sensitive, cautious in all his tion, the whole work and wit- revelation of God in Christ statements, said in my hearing: ness of the Church is thrown is the only basis of hope for "In my opinion the most iminto the utmost jeopardy. The the rescue and regeneration of portant and disquieting feature men from the inequalities, the of our time is the increasing prime motive of Christian mis- failures and the destruction sense of the futility of life sions must always be the com- caused by the ignorance and which is to be observed in alpelling touch of God upon our sin which are so prevalent in most every section of human own hearts and lives through the world today~ Here is the life." I have thought much Christ, and we should be bound about that statement. One is to obey that compulsion, even Christian philosophy which the more disposed to believe it though the relevance of what underlies the missionary en- true when one can see that there we have to say to the world sit- terprise. God, the loving have been at work in human uation should not at the moment Heavenly Father, has come in life over a long period of years be very apparent. That is to the person of His Son, Jesus certain tendencies of thought Christ, to reveal the value of the individual soul, and to say, our judgment of the rel- make it possible for man to which were bound in the end to evance of Christianity must al- look forward to an eternity produce that sense of futility ways be in a measure a judg- of fellowship with Him. which the observer referred to ment of faith, and not of sight. discerned as deeply underlying Though we must beware of the modern temper.
altering the Message to suit our own superficial In this connection I venture to state categor- judgments as to what the world needs, yet ft may ically two propositions.
happen that certain aspects of the Message are Impor.tance of the Eternal more relevant to some ages than to others and should be proclaimed with special" clarity and The first is that human nature is so made that emphasis and practical endeavor. To ask our- only the awareness of a factor in existence which selves what is the relevance of our Message to the is eternal can give man a sense of permanent meaning and direction and worth-whileness in his en:e;Ot9~5~sed from an address given at the Foreign Missions Confer- life. Without that the sense of futility, though it [113 ]
may be temporarily smothered in the distractions futility. No eternal, no unconditional; no uncon- of business or pleasure, always comes back like a ditional, no meaning; no meaning, nothing in the slow stain spreading from beneath through a end but a hollow sense of futility-that is an un- closely-woven fabric. The hunger for the eternal changeable law of the human heart.
I take to be as certain a fact of man's response to How unchangeable this is is shown by events his world as his hunger for food, though it is not in the world today. I am thinking particularly of so immediately obvious. It arises indeed inevi- the terrific outburst of nationalism tending to tably from the fact that he is self-conscious, and absolute dictatorships and the totalitarian state.
yet at the same time both his own being and all Many causes doubtless have contributed to bring to which he puts his hands are under sentence of these things about, but the deepest one I am con- death and dissolution. vinced is just the hunger of the human soul for an The second proposition is that the living sense absolute, an unconditional to give permanent of the eternal as distinct from armchair philo- meaning and, direction to life. It is pathetic sophical reflections, if it comes to the human soul witness to the emptiness of the human spirit when at all, always comes in the form of an uncondi- it has lost the sense of the vertical, the eternal, tional imperative addressed to the will. By an and merged itself horizontally in the process. It unconditional imperative we mean one which is the nemesis of naturalism. One of two things cla:ims the whole man, one which in principle asks always happens, as Heim has said: either the the surrender of life itself rather than to be diso- process itself gets deified, as in Marxian mate- bedient to it. Just because it is felt to claim life rialism, or one item in the"process, as in the Marx- itself it is felt to transcend life, or rather, what is ian doctrine of the proletariate or the Nazi doc- the same thing, to transcend death, to have the trine concerning the Nordic race. It is all very quality of the eternal. G. K. Chesterton has point- pathetic. Man creates his own pitiful eternal in ed out that whenever men contemplate the total some mythological Nordic race which shall go on giving of themselves they always talk the language forever and conquer all things; his own little tin- of eternity. Leonidas at Thermopylre does not pot deity of a Lenin or a Hitler or a Mussolini; say to his fellow Greeks: "Friends, I think that his own puerile sacraments of swastika banners all things considered Prof. So and So is right when and uplifted arms, and to them he is ready to give he suggests that Greek civilization is preferable himself-ready if need be to die. They are substi- to Persian; therefore I beg to move that we stay tutes for the unconditional eternal. And the here and die fighting." No, he cried, we may sup- strength of these movements is youth, youth pose, with a look up into the sky, "Athens (or which in its relatively unspoiled nature wants Sparta) forever." something to give itself wholly to, and is not able We reach then the familiar proposition that, in to find it. Those therefore who discern in these the long run, men cannot find anything worth liv- modern movements something of the lineaments ing for unless they can find something worth of religion are right. It is substitute religion.
dying for, and they cannot find anything worth The Christian Message dying for unless they can find something which transcends death, something eternal. Whence, What then is the relevance of this to Christian- clearly, the hollow sense of futility which has in- ity? The answer I propose to give is along two fected so much of modern life. For a variety of lines: the first concerns more the content of our reasons modern man has lost the sense of being message, the second more the manner of our wit- related not only, so to say, horizontally to the nat- ness to it.
ural order, but also vertically to something or First concerning the content. I am convinced some one which transcends the natural order and that a very large number of Christian thinkers which alone can make it other than a tale told by and preachers have been deeply infected (without ail idiot signifying nothing. Far more deeply their knowing it) with the prevailing monistic than we have ever realized the modern man has naturalism of this age, and so long as that is so become naturalistic in his whole outlook; he has they will have nothing to say in this present age.
become monistic-that is to say, he has lost the They think of God vaguely as a "life force" run- sense that there are two orders, time and eternity, ning through the processes of nature and history and has tried to live in one only. There is there- and somehow producing what they call values of fore no true unconditional for his will, for his will truth, beauty and goodness. Yet what is that "but is, only part of the ongoing natural process and the horizontal look, the deification of process?
we can all do what we like, seeing that natural They are very hesitant about speaking of God in process makes us like it. Because there is no un- personal terms, as a transcendent will addressing conditional there is no meaning, such is the human the will of man in unconditional demand and ask- heart, but only a growing sense of emptiness and ing for critical decision. How often have I heard
CHRISTIANITY AND THE WORLD TO-DAY
sermons which have not mentioned the word God makes a difference every bit as unmistakable and at all. What is talked about is religion, cultivat- costly as the difference which Communism has ing the spiritual life, integrating the personality wrought in Russia or Hitler in Germany, or Mus- with what is vaguely called life, and being our- solini in Italy, then men will pass it by and go selves as I heard a preacher only last Sunday say, alusting after false gods. I want the young peo- "bits of divinity." Anything approaching the ple of the world to be challenged as absolutely prophetic word, "Thus saith the Lord, the Holy with Christ as they are being challenged by Com- One," to your will asking utter obedience even munism and Fascism, but of what power is the unto death is absent. The same appears in what challenge on the lips of those in whose manner is said about Jesus Christ. There is little sense of of life there is little evidence of the presence of a an absolute, unconditional final approach of the Divine Dictator whose will at any cost is obeyed?
Eternal to the human soul in him. On the contrary Here we touch on something really important; He is looked upon as just a bit of the process, a it is precisely that accusation against Christi- product of evolutionary forces for which we may anity which Communists are continually making, be thankful and which we may as well try to copy; namely, that taken as a whole it has preferred to but He may be superseded at any moment and if establish itself on the comforts of the old order you like Buddhism or Confucius or Karl Marx and has consciously or unconsciously refused to better as the basis of your religion, you are per- make any really cos~ing sacrifices or brave any fectly entitled to adopt one of them and we wont risks for a better way of social life. It is evident worry you with Christ. After all, it is said that that mankind has reached a stage in its history all religions seek the same end; in other words when something radical must be done about life.
they are all part of the one ongoing process. It is surely not without significance that our mod- If that is all a man can genuinely say about ern dictatorships are strongly tinged with social- God and about Christ he must not, on peril of his ism. Communism is the whole thing in an ex- soul, try to force himself to say more. But let treme form, but Nazism and Italian Fascism are such an one remind himself that that sort of thing professedly also attempts to create a juster social is not historic Christianity; if it had been then unity and cooperation. Young German Nazis be- Christianity would long since have disappeared. lieve they are fashioning a new society, and for That sort of thing is pitifully inadequate to the that they are ready to surrender themselves and present situation, being indeed a surrender to make sacrifices.
those very untruths which have produced the A Christian message which is not backed by a present situation. I want a modern Christianity manifest willingness to set right the wrongs of which, without ceasing to be really modern, shall our hideous capitalistic order and to pay the cost recover the sense of God as personal Will, and be of so doing, is irrelevant today.
bold in the preaching of it, shall recover the sense The Dictatorship of Love of God as absolute unconditional demand, which shall really enthrone Jesus Christ as the revela- The witness of the Church on these matters tion of that demand to the sin-darkened spirits of must be distinctively its own, and it is becoming men. I want the Christian Church to set up its increasingly clear what the distinctive Christian Dictator against these other tawdry substitutes witness fundamentally has got to be. It must be which are walking the earth, not in word but in a much more deep-going, uncompromising, costing deed. If we cannot have a Christianity which affirmation of the principles of love, a much more does that we cannot have one which is relevant deep-going, uncompromising, costing manifesta- to the modern world. I want a Christianity that tion of the fact that we stand under the dictator- has emancipated itself from monism and takes ship of love and intend to obey and take all the its stand on the dualism of time and eternity, of risks of obedience. What then do we mean by love?
the divine will demanding, and the human will We mean at lea~t this, an intense passionate sense which must obey. of the value of every individual life because we The Christian Witness see resting on it none other than the eternal love of God with which we dare not and cannot trifle.
This has involved me in the second point, This is intensely relevant to the world situation namely, the manner of our witness to the Chris- today. You have noticed what a shockingly low tian Message. To preach God as Holy Will, save valuation of the individual personality is mani- as our own will is humbled before it, is worthless festing itself. There has always been such in the and pernicious, and never more so than today. world, but today it is peculiarly blatant and un- Unless in actual Christian living there is mani- ashamed, and, curiously enough, it is manifesting fest an austerity of the unconditional Word of itself in connection with the building of what is God, the willingness clearly evidenced that Christ regarded as a new social order. In Germany,
Russia, Italy, Turkey and elsewhere the individual but hardly a.n ideal for man as revealed by the counts for nothing or little, and that not as the God who has shown His face to us in the love of outcome of transient excitement but as a deliber- Christ. The Christian ideal is a fellowship which ately professed theory of human life. The indi- is achieved only as love, that is to say, only as a vidual must be sacrificed ruthlessly to the sup- unity amid the richest individual difference.
posed needs of the whole. This is the theory of Nothing other than that can be the ideal which the the totalitarian state: the state is all, the indi- Christian is seeking to achieve. There is, how- vidual is nothing. ever, one place where it ought to be fully achieved, This seems to be as direct an assault on the and can be fully achieved if we dedicated our- Christian message as anything could well be, for selves to it, namely the Christian Church. The if it is valid then the doctrine of God as love is relevance of the Church today to the world situa- phantastic nonsense. It is indeed inevitable that tion is to show forth a conception of fellowship, we should meet what we are meeting today in this a way of the solution of social problems, which is frightful devaluation of the individual. The based on the keenest awareness of the value of things that have been happening in Germany, every individual in the sight of God. A Church Russia, Italy, are but a violent symptom of some- which reproduces in itself the racial cleavages, thing which is widespread in humanity and is the gross financial inequalities, the caste distinc- very manifest in America, though here it is kept tions, the perverted values which set more store partly in check and driven underground by a on the trappings of the altar and the choir than on stronger tradition of liberty, a liberty which has loving mercy and doing justly and walking in been far too much in the nature of license to flout awed obedience to a Holy Will of love at any cost, the very principles it professed to preserve. in view of the terrific forces which are sweeping This has its roots once again in the loss of the the world today, is an impotent irrelevancy. . . .
sense of the eternal as Holy Will, and the merging I do not see that a Christian message can enter of man in mere ongoing natural process. Never the modern scene with really powerful relevance was there a more pathetic and stupid fallacy than except it is prepared to be frankly eschatological that of humanism which supposes that you can in its outlook, as the New Testament is. By being exalt man by denying God;' in the end man be- eschatological in outlook I mean briefly what comes just an item in process and nothing mote" comes to expression in the epistle to the Hebrews to be treated as such by any tyrant who can win where the writer having exhorted his readers to power and persuade himself that the process is stand firm and absolute in their obedience to for the moment incarnate in himself. If I do not Christ come what may, adds: "for we have not derive my existence from God and my significance here an abiding city but we seek one which is to from His love, then I derive it simply from race, come." This again would be to escape from mon- and race can annul me whenever it wants. The ism into the thought that there is a Divine Will decapitations in Germany and shootings in Russia which, whilst it meets us in history, none the less are perfectly logical. But, mark you, the same transcends history in its ultimate consummation; attitude is to be observed in America, and in the wherefore we can commit ourselves wholly to it in churches. Many Christians take precisely the absolute obedience, no matter what folly it may same attitude to the execution of criminals; they appear to be in the eyes of the world.
feel great satisfaction that society "has been rid God's Concern for Man of such vermin." That is the same attitude at bottom, though in a more restrained form, as What a tremendously significant thing it is that of Goering and Stalin. A less polite name for after all, for you and me to affirm that God is it would be the "swat that fly" attitude. holy, personal, fatherly love, with an individual The Question of Social Reform concern for the personalities of all men and women, and on the basis of that affirmation to The relation of all this to social reform is that call upon one another to walk the way of love, we must take our choice between dedicating our- taking all the tasks, even unto the death of the selves to a Christian idea of social fellowship and cross. What folly it looks on the surface! Sit another idea which is opposed to it. Only we down and read history. The endless procession of must dedicate ourselves to it with the same abso- the generations, millions and millions of individ- lute devotion as the young Nazis. Christian Nazis uals born, suffering, dying; earthquakes, famines, have been surprised when I have pointed out that pestilences, men and women and children wiped a beehive or an ant hill is a perfect social unity, out like flies, Attila and his Huns sweeping across similar to the unity of Russia and Germany and Europe, Ghengis Khan and his bloody massacres, Italy, and doubtless a wonderful work of nature sin spreading a corrupting blight from generation
to generation! Look at the world today, say men it was not necessary to say how; for the moment of the world, and then tell us that God is love, and love was apparently defeated, but what is the ask us to live by love. moment? In His deep awareness of God He knew that in eternity, in the beyond of history, God's What can we say in reply? Only this, that we love was not defeated, that with Him alone was do not claim to understand or to justify the eternal the victory. So with quiet conviction He says: purpose of God in terms of what we can see hap- "hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man, the Crucipening on this narrow, transient stage of time. fied, sitting at the right hand of power, and com- God's purpose is too vast in its scope, too profound ing on the clouds of heaven." Do not let us miss in its meaning, too transcendent in its ultimate the deep meaning of that, because of the imagery glory to be measured by what we can see, or what in which it is expressed. It is the deep assured this world can hold. We have not here an abiding vision of one who sees right through the appearcity, but we seek one to come. Here we "see as in ances of terrestrial events to the transcendent vica glass darkly." If we can live by love and take tory of God. I do ask you to share the vision and all its risks and all its apparent defeats with a to have the peace and the power and the steadfastquiet mind and an unaltered loyalty, it is because ness which that vision alone can bring. Only as we live in the power of a world to come. Thus it we do so shall we be able to stand steadfastly for was with Jesus when He went to the cross. What the way of love in this troubled world; only so utter defeat that was to all outward appearance, shall we be able, if the call comes, to go forth to what triumph of the coarse insolences of worldly Him whom we call Master and Lord, without the power over the weakness of love! Yet Jesus knew camp, to Calvary, bearing His reproach, yet sharthat the victory was not with the crucifiers but ing also His joy. with the Crucified; He could not have said how; THE NEED OF THE HOUR* In the face of a world that is literally sliding towards hell with accelerated speed what shall the righteous do? How can the followers of Jesus Christ bring His spirit and His person to this sin-cursed generation? There is no short way. But the task now faced by the Church can never be done unless it is clearly recognized that there are thousands upon thousands of Christians who are such only in name. They do not believe and have never believed in the way of love even unto the Cross. Only a remnant believes this and upon that remnant God has placed the burden. But God's arm is not shortened in this day any more than it was in the days of Gideon. He can save by many or by few.
But it is not the many or the few that will do the saving. It will be God working through them. The great responsibility now upon these disciples of Christ, who see that this world with all its boasted science and humanitarianism is lost, is to bring Christ into the personal lives and the institutions of men. Only He can take away the lust for possessions and the lust for power which are the basic cause of all tyranny. Only He can give the drive and the courage to fight institutionalized wrong. Only He can give the ethical wisdom to penetrate all the sham and hypocrisy of the social order about us.
"Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?" asked Jesus. Those early disciples said they could and to their eternal credit they did. But they drank of that cup, and His followers today can drink of it, only if their spirits are continually renewed by waiting upon God. This age is lost unless Christians are raised up who constantly renew their spirits in prayer. Spiritual strength demands spiritual discipline. The task is altogether too great for any man in his own unaided strength. But any man may be a vehicle for the Almighty.
The world can be saved if every Christian who sees the crisis of this civilization will face it with the utter consecration shown by the early Christians as they faced Rome. We know that it is only as we daily and systematically commune with the ever-living God that we can find strength and wisdom for the mighty task before us. To live creatively and triumphantly we must wait upon God. Those who seek the Kingdom will never find it unless they wait upon Him.
• Condensed from The Presbyterian Tribune, New York.
Years of the Turkish Republic*
-ell By the REV. J. KINGSLEY BIRGE, Istanbul, Turkey O N THE 29th of last October the Turkish was natural to leave the affairs of this world, as people celebrated the eleventh anniversary well as the next, to Him. Man's efforts to build of the founding of the Turkish Republic. his own world riot only seemed not worth while, No country has ever made as many revolutionary but even definitely irreligious.
changes in a similar period of time as has this On the other hand, there was the powerful influ- new Republic. ence of the more or less secretly organized dervish, In Turkey at least, the importance of the rela- or religious lodges.. Counting their members by tion of Christian missions to the present world the many thousands, an attitude of reverence for conditions can only be understood in the light of the miraculous powers of the grandmasters of the meaning of these changes. Even the past two these lodges led to a widespread belief in magic months have seen a social development in Turkey and superstition. Admirable as was the devotion of so radical a nature as to make the friend of of many earnest seekers after reality in these Turkey not only feel respect for the leadership lodges, the mental attitude they developed of su- being exercised in that land, but also cherish an perstitious belief in tombs and sacred places, of expectancy that anything may happen there. dependence upon unseen powers of a world of To understand the significance of the recent magic, made them hardly adapted to the social events in Turkey it is necessary to glance into the needs of the twentieth century. Back in the middle more distant past and note the state of affairs of the last century an Ottoman holding high office shortly before this interesting Republic was born. in the state made this remark to a friendly for- For centuries Turkey suffered under an abso- eigner: "Depend upon it, our ministers are laborlute monarch. The dynasty of Osman, beginning ing in vain and civilization will never penetrate with a succession of brilliant rulers, ended its into Turkey so long as the dervish lodges and the absolute sway with the thirty year's reign of tombs (of their holy men) remain standing." t Abdul Hamid. During those thirty years the The point of all these facts is that religion has rights of the people were in every way suppressed. in the minds of many of Turkey's leaders demon- Education was discouraged. Science, particularly strated its social ineffectiveness, even its positively all that was involved in the use of electricity, was harmful influence on human progress. viewed as positively dangerous. Not only the Born into such a world, under the able leader- Christians, but in some respects the Turks, suf- ship of Gazi Mustafa Kemal the Republic of Turfered under the absolutism of Abdul Hamid. key has attempted in the course of less than one When today the Turkish Republic is represented generation to bring about changes which western along with Greece, Bulgaria, Jugoslavia, Rumania Europe and America took centuries to effect. The and Albania in the Balkan Union, Turkey, in imposing array of reforms will perhaps be the common with the other nations feels she has won more impressive if I mention them as they ocher independence from the sway of the old Otto- curred year after year. In 1922 the Sultanate was abolished. man Empire. In those old days the part religion played was In 1923 the Lausanne Treaty was signed grantnot calculated to commend itself to the progres- ing the Turkish people a degree of equality with European nations which had never before been sive leaders of today. On the one hand were the recognized. In October of that year Turkey was teachings of orthodox Sunni Islam. A sublime declared a Republic. conception of one God, breeding a devotion both of belief and worship that is the admiration of the In 1924 two revolutionary changes took plac,e. friendly observer, served also to cultivate a fatal- The medressehs, or Mohammedan religious schools istic attitude toward all life, with a consequent were abolished, and the mekteps or schools mod- stifling of individual initiative. Since God was elled on the schools of the west, took their places. the all-powerful, creating both good and evil, it The Caliphate was also abolished, and the royal family was banished from the country. * An address delivered at the Foreign Missions Conference, Garden t Ubicini: "Letters on Turkey," 1856. I 108, City, New York, January, 19.15.
[ 118] The year 1925 saw three innovations each of a bridge the gulf between the city dweller and the kind to cause a complete revolution in the mental- peasant, an organized social attempt to get the ity of a large majority of the people. The fez, educated interested in the underprivileged man of long identified with their religion, was discarded, the remote village. and men were required by law to wear the headgear of the western world. The tekkes, or dervish In July, 1932, the Society for the Investigation lodges were closed, as were also the tombs which of the Turkish Language was organized, a society had in the past been objects of pious visitation. whose labors for two years are now making them- The calendar and system of keeping time were selves felt in Turkey in one of the greatest literary also changed to conform to the custom of the revolutions any nation has ever seen. European civilization. The fall months of 1934 have brought still more In 1926 complete new legal codes were adopted. reforms. The language has begun to change to a civil code influenced by Swiss laws, a penal code an unbelievable degree, as Arabic and Persian based on the Italian system and a commercial words are cast out and old Turkish words taken code taken from Germany and Italy. In 1926 the in their place. All titles of special respect have first statue in Turkey was unveiled. That began been abolished and a common title "Bay" for Mr. a new era in which the picture for the first time and "Bayan" for Miss or Mrs., have been adopted began to play its part as an influence in school for all, preceding the name, as with similar titles and home. in the west. A recent law has forbidden the wear- ing of clerical dress anywhere except in the place In 1927 the railroad from Ankara to Cesarea of worship, and this last month the constitution was opened, beginning a period of great railroad was amended so as to permit women to share on expansion under government control. Each year absolute equality with men in both voting and has shown progress in the efficiency with which standing for election as members of Parliament. these railroads are run. Two Basic Turkish Ideas In 1928 the constitution was amended to strike out the clause that said that the religion of the Hiding behind this very formidable array of State was Islam. Henceforth in theory, and in- reforms, each with its interesting possibilities, creasingly in practice, a complete separation was are two very basic ideas. One is that if Turkey to exist between religion and the State. In May is to take her place among the leading civilized of 1928 the international numbers were adopted, nations of the world she must somehow or other and in November the incredibly radical move was cast off, not so much the clothes of the past, as made of substituting for immediate use in all pub- the complete mentality of the past. In place of lications of a new phonetic Turkish alphabet the religious mentality of the past with its tendmodelled on the Latin alphabet of the west, and ency toward fatalism and consequent quietism in taking the place of the difficult Arabic alphabet its highest expression, and toward superstition of the previous centuries. and magic in its cruder manifestation, there must be spread abroad the new mentality of the West, In 1929 national schools were opened for adults a belief in natural law and in man's capacity to and the whole nation gave itself to the Herculean shape his own life. task of learning to read in the new Turkish letters. Apparently inconsistent with this almost whole- In 1931 all elementary education was limited sale taking over what they conceived to be the best to Turkish government schools. The law was an of western civilization has been operating all the expression of the belief that education of the time the second great basic force, namely, nationyoung was a primary duty and opportunity of the alism. Itself an importation from the west, na- State. It was also a witness of the great progress tionalism has established itself in Turkey as that had been made in what is perhaps the Turk- strongly as in any country. Peaceable in its forish Republic's most fundamental aim-the edu- eign policy, desiring no aggression toward any cation of all the people. foreign power, Turkey is nevertheless very deter- minedly equipping herself for adequate self-de- In April, 1931, a new law inaugurated the use fense. In her development of a more purely of the international system of measurements by Turkish culture she is turning her eyes to the meters and kilos, although this law was only fully ancient past. Convinced that the earliest civiliapplied in 1934. zations came out of Central Asia, her own home- land, the Turks are being educated to feel that In April, 1931, the People's Party took over the they should be leaders, not so much in war as in full responsibility for operating all over the coun- the civilized ways of peace. . . . try People's Houses, Halk Evleri. The social and recreational needs of the common people were The Turkey which I have tried to sketch briefly thus recognized. One of the encouraging features is the background against which we must try to of these houses was the Department of Village Life, which was organized in them, an attempt to
understand modern Christian missions in this day, is not calculated to make him place the Chris- country. The probability is that the virile leader- tian religion among those useful elements in ship being offered the world today by Turkey will western civilization which he desires.
be followed in many respects by other countries The picture, however, has its brighter side.
as well, especially of the Moslem world. The Foremost is the undoubted fact that Turkish lead- situation in Turkey therefore is of peculiar sig- ers are eagerly studying our civilization to find nificance. every socially useful element in order that they From the missionary point of view there are may import it into their rapidly-awakening land.
two sides to the picture. The dark side shows a . The second factor on the bright side is there only resentment springing from their nationalism if an affirmative answer can be given to a question against every effort by foreigners to influence that strikes at the very heart of our faith: Can their way of living. Any attempt to convert them the religion of Jesus Christ function through mod- tends to defeat that purpose, for it sets people ern missions in such a way as to give expression against what, if left alone, they might have looked to absolutely disinterested goodwill? Is Christi- upon with favor. A second element on the dark anity Christianity only when it is taught by word side is that religion has gained for itself in Tur- of mouth, or is Christianity truly expressive of key a bad name. Mohammedanism has shown Christ's own spirit when, under conditions where itself as a reactionary force, and what the aver- propaganda will defeat its purpose, it seeks to live age Turk has been able to see of Christianity, as in self-forgetting abandonment in service of God's it has worked in Europe and America, not only in children as with very great sincerity they search the Crusades but in the recent World War and in the surface of the earth to find what forces will the social disorders and inj ustices of the present build a better Turkey?
TERSE TRUTHS ABOUT STEWARDSHIP When a man becomes rich, God gains a partner or the man loses his soul. *** Stewardship puts the Golden Rule in business in place of the rule of gold. *** Not how much of my money will I give to God, but how much must I use for myself? * * .* "I will place no value on anything I have except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ." *** The Kingdom of God can never be established by "raising money," but it cannot be ex- tended without sharing money.
*** Give, not from the top of your purse, but from the bottom of your heart.
*** He is no fool who parts with what he cannot keep, and so obtains what he will not lose.
*** The unconsecrated wealth of Christians is the greatest hindrance to the progress of Christ's Church.
*** Jesus teaches that a man's attitude to the Kingdom of God is revealed by his attitude to his property.
*** Diligent earning makes an industrious man; wise spending, a well-furnished man; pro- portionate saving, a prepared man; Christlike giving, a blessed man.
Little children, in a spasm of generosity, often give to those whom they love some posses- sion, and take it back again; or use it without reference to the ownership they had conferred. It is thus that too many Christians act towards Christ. They ask Him to consider all their. possessions as His; but within an hour they spend as if they were as much their own as ever. They determine how much to give to some Christian cause without once asking Him what He desires them to give.-THE REV. F. B. MEYER.
-Sayings from many sources quoted by the Laymen Company, Chicago.
Years of Cooperation in Chosen*
By the REV. C. A. CLARK, Ph.D., D.D., I~- Pyengyang, Chosen ~==============================~, THE last hundred years have been preemi- groups of Methodist missionaries and believers nently years of competition throughout the into one great Korean Methodist Church, the world, in business life, national life and movement which was consummated in 1930; secchurch life. There are undoubtedly many advan- ondly, the growing together from the beginning of tages in competition in stirring men to do their the work of the four Presbyterian missions into very best, and the world is full of good things their one National Church, fully organized in which we would not have obtained except for com- 1907; and the third item, the territorial divisions petition. We have discovered by hard experience, between the two churches consummated in 1909, however, that with men constituted as they are just twenty-six years ago.
and as selfish as they are, unrestrained competi- Those three are the greatest movements. We tion often means the crushing of the weak, and the may add to them the various specific items of taking advantage of accidentally acquired rights union or cooperation in various movements and to deprive others of even their natural rights. Be- institutions. Among those we may mention the cause of these things the world today seems de- following: termined to abolish competition or, at least, to 1. As TO MOVEMENTS: put it under severe restrictions, such that we may get from it its benefits and not have to take its Cooperation in the production and distribution of evils. Literature.
I suppose that there is no place in human ac- The Presbyterian and Methodist Councils. The Federal Council.
tivity where unrestrained competition is more in- The National Council. excusable than between two churches, where each Early movements for making Educational work is equally evangelical in its teaching. We have seen that illustrated all over America to an aston- uniform-the Senate. ishing extent, five or six churches sometimes in Work for Koreans in Japan. Sunday School and other Religious Education work.
a town of less than 1,000 people, or half a dozen Union Medical Association and the Nurses' Assochurches in a city, all with palatial buildings, all ciation.
within a block or so of one another, all half empty II. As TO INSTITUTIONS: and all living at a poor dying rate. Korea has The Chosen Christian College in Seoul. been wonderfully blessed from the beginning in The Union Christian College in Pyengyang. having relatively so little destructive competition The Severance Union Medical College.
of this type. The Ewa College for Women, Seoul. The Union M. E. Theological Seminary in Seoul. When we speak of cooperation in Korea, we The Union Presbyterian Seminary in Pyengyang. necessarily refer to Methodist-Presbyterian coop- The P'ierson Memorial Bible Institute in Seoul.
eration. Other denominations, with one excep- The Christian Literature Society.
tion, did not come into the country during the first Union Hospitals in Seoul and Pyengyang. quarter century of its missionary history. It is a Tai Wha Community Center, Seoul.
matter of deep regret that, when they did come, A. Territorial Division.
none of them were willing to consider territorial To my mind the greatest step ever taken on division or to join the Federal Council or like ac- cooperation lines, as between our two great detivities. It is a matter for great thankfulness, on nominations, was the territorial division of 1909. the other hand, that they did not feel called upon, I do not believe that very many of us here realize except in a few and somewhat recent cases, to what a marvelous thing that has been for all our carryon distinctly competitive activities. work during all of these last twenty-five years. I visited a mission field a year ago where sixty de- As to Methodist-Presbyterian cooperation, the nominations and organizations are at work, with outstanding items for all of the years have been scarcely a vestige of comity or cooperation, and three: first, the gradual combination of the two • From The Korea Mission Field, October, 1934. my heart wept for them. There are over 100 de- [121 ]
nominations in China working with relatively few merely Methodists and Presbyterians that watched comity arrangements. The actual total available their step when they met one another in those force of Christian workers in those countries is early days. I've heard the fathers of our work large enough to quit€ fairly cover their whole tell how, when they were forming their first orfield if all the force were used unitedly and co- ganizations, even Presbyterians looked at Presbyoperatively. As it is, possibly a third or even a terians and Methodists at Methodists to be sure half of the force's vitality is used in duplicate or that something was not being put over on them. competitive activity. What a lot of suspicious folks we are anyway! God has been good, however, and, within our sev- When division of mission territory in Korea eral groups, at least, we have gradually come to was actually signed, we could meet one another trust one another absolutely, and the two groups without automatically putting ourselves mentally have also grown together a long way. in an attitude of self-defence. We could rejoice heartily in every victory of our neighbors across C. Council of Protestant Missions. the dividing lines, for their work and ours were one in the most practical possible way. We speak Dr. H. G. Underwood used to tell how in Janof dividing lines but a better name would be uary, 1886, only a few months after he and the "unifying lines," for real heart' unity became pos- Appenzellers and Scrantons arrived, all of the sible through this division of the field. When I two groups met in a prayer service and asked God am willing to trust my brother with half of the to give them souls that very year for their hire. field and believe that he will evangelize it in as Missionary cooperation in Korea began in the one good or better a way than I could, that is real way which will always be effective, cooperation on unity. If we had tried to force organic union we our knees before the Throne. might have secured an external superficial union, with no real union of hearts. As the work developed, there were many in- stances of cooperation between the two Churches. Many times in the last twenty-five years our As early as 1893, there was a set of Comity Rules Korean brethren on each side of the lines have drawn up as a general guide. In 1905, we form€d wanted to break through. The grass outside the the General Evangelical Council. It looked as pasture always appears to be sweeter than any- though there would be almost at once one single thing inside the fence. We've had very few such union Church in Korea. Our Committees wrote breakings forth and they have always been for us a possible Polity and a suggested Creed. quickly corrected. It is a marvel that we have Then the two Korean Churches were founded and not had a hundred times more breakings through. our hour of opportunity was gone. And yet what possible excuse could any of us have given to our Lord if we had broken through when We've had our Federal Council, however, for everyone of us had within his own boundaries far nearly twenty years and it would be difficult to more than he could ever evangelize within his life over-estimate what it has done for us all. Sometime? times, when we come to this Council, there are not very many live subjects up for debate, and we As these recurrent movements for breaking wonder if it is all worth while. We've already down our division lines have come from time to cut down our voting membership because we time, I have trembled a bit for what might happen thought that it cost too much. If we ever stop some day. A new generation is with us which this Council I believe that it will be a disaster to has nev€r learned the wastefulness and the heart- all our work. We can learn to like people and breaks that go with unrestricted competition in work with them only if we know them. Wholly religious work. I do not think that there is any apart from the many important actions which we greater service that our missionary body can do take here year after year as a body, in relation to our Korean Churches than to teach and reteach, to the Government, or in connection with social to emphasize and reemphasize, what the Lord has or educational or evangelistic movements, the done for Korea on territorial division lines. Only Council pays enormous dividends in making the evil one himself could possibly get an atom, friendships and bringing mutual understandings. of profit from the breaking of those lines. D. The National Council of Churches. E. Organic Union. This Council was our next large venture in co- The second important step that we have taken operation, and it ought to do for our Korean in cooperation was the gradual gathering together friends what the Federal Council has done for us of the two Methodist groups in their Council and and more.' Many of us have not given of ourthen into organic union, and the similar gathering selves enough as yet to make that Council what it of the Presbyterian groups in their Council and ought to be. For the last two or three years, in then in their self-governing Church. It wasn't spite of the many useful actions which that Coun-
1935J FIFTY YEARS OF COOPERATION IN CHOSEN
cil has taken, the groups seem to be growing same time show the benefits of all forms of coop- apart. We need to get into that Council in the eration. Briefly, those benefits as I see them, are spirit of Dr. Underwood's prayer of 1886, and as follows: must do it at once or that Council will fail. 1. There has been a great saving in working E. The Work for Koreans in Japan. force through territorial division. Each Church having but half the field to cover has not needed This work is now being reported to the Na- so many workers and ha~ been able to work its tional Council but it existed long before that field more intensively, with a smaller force.
Council was thought of, and is one of our out- 2. There has been an immense financial saving standing adventures in cooperation, in evangelism. in salaries and buildings and other forms of equip- The work began as a united work in 1912 and has ment.
therefore been running for 22 years. The six 3. There has been an immense increase in effi- Missions in Korea and the two Korean Churches. ciency for every active worker caused by the realong with the Canadian Presbyterian Church's lief from tension which everyone used to feel Mission in Japan and about ten of the Japan Mis- when he had to be on the defensive all the time sions, have cooperated in this work. During this against his brethren. last year three missions have been compelled to withdraw their support and all cooperating 4. There has been a great increase of mutual agencies have diminished their gifts, so we've had confidence and love and we've been able to pray to recall two of our three men there and diminish unreservedly for one another as we could not do the work by 50%. That work could never have before we had the divisions. begun except for cooperation. It would have been a crime to have put two denominational churches 5. Each of our great Churches has been able to there in the early years and to have each of those work out its own unique policies unhindered and ten Japan Missions running small groups of local then each has been able to share with his neigh- Koreans in each of their several neighborhoods. bor the benefits of his free experimentation. By uniting we have built up a strong Church of some fifty congregations, and we have ten pastors 6. Each of our groups has been able to use disthere and a dozen or more other salaried workers. cipline in the work of training the believers, and It is easy in that Church to see the benefits of thereby maintain standards and ideals of conduct cooperation. which would otherwise have been impossible.
7. Each of our groups has been able to develop its own theological standards and to adapt them to this Eastern world without interference.
F. Cooperation in Religious Education. 8. Each group has had the spur of brotherly competition across the line where our activities In the 1925 National Sunday School Conven- have run parallel, and each in his own field could tion it was reported that we had 121,000 enrolled try to excel the victories of his brother without in all the Sunday schools of Korea. In 1929, taking anything from him. 254,000 were reported, a gain of over 100%. In 1933, 369,000 were enrolled, again a gain of over 9. Each group has had the advantage of disin- terested brotherly criticism from across the line 50 %. It is not difficult to see the benefits of co- when he has grown slack in his activities.
operation. These are a few of the great benefits coming Two years ago the subsidy received by the from the sorts of cooperation which we have had in Korea. We should give thanks every day for Korea Sunday School Association from America these blessings which the Lord has given to us. was largely withdrawn, so that each of our denominations has been thrown upon its own resources and we have had to set up denominational Boards tl of our own. For a large part of the work, how- KAGAWA',S WISH, , ever, we stin have cooperation, as to lessons prep- I want to be ever a chHd. . '.' aration, conventions, the Children's Magazine, etc., and we hope that the new arrangement may I want to feel an eternal friendship flf>tthe rainnot imperil the many benefits which we have al- drops, the flowers, the insects~ the. srtowflakes.
ready received. I want to be keenly interested in everything, with mind and muscle ever alert, forgetting my G. Cooperation in Institutions. troubles in the next moment.·, , The benefits of cooperation in colleges and med- The stars and the sea, the ponds and the trees, ical work are too obvious to catalog. I think, however that we can realize especially what the the birds and the animals are my comrades. benefits 'are that have come from territorial division. In indicating those benefits, we at the Though my muscles may stiffen, though my skin may wrinkle, may I never find myself yawning at life. '
and Communism in Japan*
By HELEN TOPPING Secretary to Dr. T oyohiko Kagawa TAST year a granddaughter of the famous attitude, but not fully understanding the Christian L Prince Iwakura was imprisoned on a charge way, she came again to be taught. Dr. Kagawa of communism. After her release she com- told her of a young man, employed in one of the mitted suicide. In happy contrast to this tragedy University Students Cooperatives, who had also is the story of the young woman whom I found been arrested and imprisoned as a communist sus- talking with Dr. Kagawa. She had been waiting pect. He came to report his complete change of since early morning to see him, for a stream of heart and to apologize for having caused Dr.
callers had occupied him. She wished plenty of Kagawa such embarrassment. Many young peo- time, and he intended to give her all she needed. ple go through the same experience. Dr. Kagawa For she had recently been released from more said: "The Christian way is very unpopular with than a year's imprisonment for communism. She the young people because it does not have revolu- was arrested when about half way through her tion in it. But this is the way that all must come course at the Woman's Higher Normal School. As to eventually for real economic reconstruction.
a day pupil, she had been very useful to the com- There is no other way."
munists' organization in carrying communications to and from the school. Even her younger sister, though quite ignorant of what she was carrying, WE ARE MAKING GOD'S NEW WORLDt was expelled from her school because she had a By REV. JAY H. SMITH, Belgaum communist paper in her possession which she had been asked to deliver. The elder sister was also Come forth, ye men of every race and nation! converted to communism through her Normal- We are making God's new world for all the sons of men; Our hearts unite in daring expectation, School sister and was imprisoned for a time, then· For the matchless Lord of Life doth tread this earth again. Behold, He comes as first He came released because of her recantation. The father To write upon the hearts of men in words of living flame is an agriculturalist with a doctor's degree. He His Spirit of Heroic Love, raises dahlias, but the dahlias have not been sell- That one redemptive purpose through this age may move! ing well recently and the family had great hopes of this brilliant daughter when, after graduation, Awake, 0 sons of privilege and power, she could earn a good salary as a teacher. They For the dispossessed of earth to God for justice cry! were making every sacrifice to help her through Let eager hands restore their rightful dower her education. When she plunged them all into Lest the clamour of our greed His Providence deny. The last, the least, the lost are ours; such dire distress, the mother came in tears to Mrs. To their emancipation we devote our ardent powers.
Kagawa who gave her Dr. Kagawa's books to read While they are bound can we be free? and told her to tell the two sisters in prison that The knights of service choose the nobler liberty.
there was a better way of solving social problems We build a world of justice fired with love, than through communism. When the elder sister Where the common good inspires the deep concern of all; was released, Mrs. Kagawa arranged for her to go Where Christly spirits through our markets move, to Dr. Kagawa's Farmers' Gospel School near And all our councils own His Kingdom's sovereign call; Kobe where she helped with serving the meals. A world of truth, a world of good, The girl returned transformed, saying she had A world where beauty's symphony is crowned in brothernever in her life had such a happy time. Now, hood; For this we live, for this we die, through Kagawa's introduction, she is serving at And blending strength with Strength Divine we bring it nigh. the Imperial University Y. M. C. A.
The second sister was not so easily converted. Though lust of power may shake its sinews gory She told Dr. Kagawa that even though her mother We hold ourselves for Thee all loyalties above.
did tell her, while in prison, of the Christian way Though storms of hate may rage in empty glory of saving society, she had been stubborn and not In the splendor of the Dawn we see Thy cross of love. impressed. Since her release, however, she has With healing rays it gleams afar, been attending church, and having personal con- And radiates its deathless hope from star to flaming star. tact with Dr. Kagawa. A change has come in her We march with Thee where martyrs trod, Till all the sons of men become the sons of God.
• From The Kagawa Fellowship Bulletin. t Reprinted from The Baptist MiSSionary Review, India.
[124 ]
Present,Day Problems in Missions*
-..ufll By DELAVAN L. PIERSON llJie– PROBLEMS, difficult problems, are among the teaching and products. But there is one cause . factors that make life worth living. Even for encouragement – we are not content with great disappointments may prove to be God's things as they are, even in America, and we are appointments to point out the way He would have trying with God's help to solve our problems and us go. Every age has its problems, its crises and to better conditions. its critics who think everything is wrong and doomed to failure, unless we follow the critic's Christian missions, in America and overseas, advice. There are today problems in interna- have always· presented an abundance of difficultional affairs and in national life, the youth prob- ties and problems, and never more so than today. lem, crime wave problem, marriage problem, We will consider only a few related to foreign church problem, economic and social problems, work. Home missions have equally important missionary problems. They are a sign of life and problems and difficulties of their own, which are make life interesting. worthy of special study.
Some of our difficulties and failures are due to Fifty years ago there was a recognized crisis in ignorance, some to lack of energy, some to narrow foreign missions. This was due to the fact that views, or the fact that we are too much occupied there were many and great unevangelized fields, with petty, unimportant activities. For the solu- while the forces to occupy them were woefully inion of any great problem we need a clear vision of adequate. At the same time there was prospect God and His will for mankind. We also need a of rich harvests if we could take advantage of comprehensive view of the world-its needs and open doors. The opposition of most non-Chrisopportunities; we need a true conception of the ti,an governments and the hostile attitude of nongoal toward which we are working; and we should Christian religious leaders also called for earnest know how to use the forces available. What a prayer and generous support to overcome the wonderful help it would be if, in the midst of the difficulties. There were few volunteers for forstruggle, we could sometimes detach ourselves and eign service and funds were lacking to carry on view the conflict from the outside to gain perspec- the work. There was great need to arouse the tive and proportion and a right estimate of values! Church at home before it was too late. There were then less than 10,000 Protestant missionaries and In Benares, India, I went through the bazaar the total money given annually to the work abroad with the Rev. J. Chadwick Jackson who has mar- was not more than ten million dollars. That crisis ried an Indian wife and has become as an Indian was met with Christian courage and devotion. to the Indians that he may win them for Christ. The Church was aroused to pray and give and We stopped at a shop to look at some trinkets and send. In answer to prayer and faithful witnessthe Indian shopkeeper recognizing me as a stran- ing new doors opened, hostility decreased, the ger, asked Mr. Jackson (speaking in Urdu which number of volunteers multiplied, the Student Vol- I did not understand) : unteer Movement was organized, and the foreign missionary force more than doubled. Later the "Where does this man come from ?" awakening of the laymen caused gifts to flow into "From America," replied Mr. Jackson. mission treasuries so that the annual receipts in- "Oh, that is hell," said the shopkeeper. creased more than fourfold. New interest was "Why so?" asked my friend, wondering how awakened and spread throughout the Church as clearly the Indian understood conditions in Amer- a result of increased knowledge disseminated ica. through the Ecumenical Conference in 1900. "Well," said the shopkeeper, "they tell us America is down there" (pointing down), "and hell is Today we face a new crisis, and a different also down there, so they must be the same." series of problems in foreign mission work. Some At times we are tempted to think the Indian of these are due to changes at home and others to was not far wrong and we can see why, holding changes on the fi·eld. Let us look at only four or this view, Indians may hesitate to accept our five.
be: t9;~3/ead at the meeting of Philadelphia Presbytery. Novem- 1. There are still unevangelized fields such as the large areas in Central Africa, Central Asia, [125 ]
the interior of South America and the great island particular task. Any talent or training that better of New Guinea. The number of non-Christians fits a man to win others to Christ is desirable.
is greater today than it was fifty years ago, though Others are of doubtful value to a missionary. If the proportion of Christians is larger. But the there is ever a choice between sending out Christ- greatest problem today is how to evangelize the like Spirit-filled evangelists who are not highly un-Christian areas in the life of every nation and trained technically, or sending as missionaries every individual. How are we to bring Christ those who are well equipped mentally and with into control of politics and education, business technical skill, but who lack in spiritual qualifica- and pleasures, social life and the home? Even the tions, we do not hesitate to say that the former Church, in many cases, needs to be evangelized. are far preferable and more effective. In fact the This can only be done through the regeneration latter should not be sent in any case. If a man has of the individual. Godless communism, socialism not experienced the "new birth"; if he has not and other misguided philosophies are today clos- clearly heard the call of God to witness for Him; ing doors that were formerly open to Christian if he has not a true love for the souls of men and evangelists. We need, not less evangelism, but a keen sense of their need for Christ as Saviour more than fifty years ago. New conditions pre- and Lord, then we have no business to send such sent new problems and call for earnest prayer a man, no matter what the need or what his other and sacrificial devotion to the cause of Christ, qualifications. But we occasionally met well-edu- with a clear conviction of men's need for Him. cated missionaries on the field who seemed to feel The Problem of Personnel uninterested in meeting with other missionaries for prayer and some confessed their failure to 2. Linked to this is the problem of how to en- speak to non-Christians about their need for list more adequate missionary forces for the work. Christ as Saviour. In one mission college, an The quality of the personnel is always a most im- earnest Indian Christian was asked about the in- portant factor in any enterprise – commercial, fluence of the missionary teachers in winning stu- business or religious. While the number of work- dents to Christ. He replied: ers is still woefully inadequate for the task, the "The former president did much personal work, greatest problem is to secure young men and for that was his chief aim in life. He made a women spiritually equipped for the work. The practice of speaking to each student at least once Student Volunteer Movement and other agencies' a year, tactfully presenting the claims of Christ.
have rendered remarkable service and yet forty The result was seen in the attitude of the faculty ye~rs' study of this subject, and observations at and in the whole student body. They thought that home and on the field, convince me that undue if this meant so much to the president, whom they emphasis has often been placed on the need for honored for his learning and his loving service, specialized intellectual and vocational training for then it must be very important." The president particular phases of the work and too little em- who succeeded him was very capable but was so phasis on the prime need for spiritual equipment busy with organization, with finances, and with and experience before workers are sent to the field. lectures and surveys and reports, that he had little On the foreign field I met missionaries of over or no time for personal Christian work. The re- twenty-five denominational boards and independ- sults were manifest.
ent societies. One – not a Presbyterian – when Thank God there are many mission colleges like asked about the spiritual results of the work, an- those at Teheran, Persia, and Pyengyang, Korea, swered rather impatiently: "I have nothing to do that still put evangelism and Christian training with that. I'm not an evangelist; I am an edu- first where it belongs, while educational standards cationalist." are not neglected. There are many mission hos- Thank God, I believe this feeling is not general pitals, like that founded by Dr. William Wanless but it is present in some whom the churches at in West India, where the doctor's first interest is ,home have sent out as messengers of Christ. We in the eternal welfare of his patients, while at the believe that a missionary doctor should be a same time he lovingly and skilfully ministers to 'skilled and devoted physician and surgeon, and their physical needs. Would to God that this that a missionary teacher should be as good a could be said of every mission hospital and every teacher as possible for the pupils under his or her educational institution! How to make our institu- care; but the great problem today is to find and tional work truly Christian and at the same 'time send well qualified doctors, nurses, teachers, and effectively evangelistic is one of the present-day social workers who are at the same time and pri- problems.
marily effective evangelists; whose first and high- 3. Another present-day problem is presented in est aim is to win people to Christ by life and per- the development of indigenous churches on the sonal witness, as well as by serving at their own mission fields. Fifty years ago most of these were
PRESENT-DAY PROBLEMS IN MISSIONS
young, feeble and struggling; almost none was tional mission work. There has been a tendency self-supporting or self-governing. Their prob- in the past quarter of a century to build up large lems were problems of infancy and childhood. and more or less elaborate institutions that ap- Today they have grown in numbers, strength and peal to large givers at home and to the governinfluence. Many are independent. But with ments on the field but that sometimes tend to comgrowth have come new problems-,–the problems of promise and are not effective as evangelizing youth. They desire independence but are with- agencies. On our recent world tour, we visited out the experience and training to make that bene- over one hundred and fifty missions of forty difficial. Many of their leaders ask to be supported ferent societies in twenty-eight countries. We by foreign funds but wish to control their own saw some mission institutions built like palaces affairs. With increased membership, factions at great expense-an evidence of faith and genhave asiren to divide the churches. In South India erosity on the part of the founders, but of doubt- -and even in the north-some congregations have ful wisdom from a missionary point of view. perpetuated the Hindu caste system. We were They put American missions in the limelight, and told of one congregation of low caste Christians their equipment compares well in some respects that refused to allow their pastor to serve con- with similar institutions in America but they are verts from the "untouchables." When a request too far above the level of the people they serve was made to allow "outcaste" Christians to use and could not be maintained by them if foreign their church for worship, the caste members set funds are withdrawn. fire to the homes of these outcastes by way of protest. Even in Korea, that banner field, there is When missionaries first went to these nontoday a growing division between the Presby- Christian lands they offered the only opportunities terians of the Northern and Southern Missions. to the people for modern education. Schools were Each desires control. This is not a simple prob- established to teach people to read the Bible and lem and can only be solved when the Spirit and to prepare them for service. Today the national Mind of Christ have full sway. schools and universities are offering high grade secular education and missionary institutions are Correcting Our Mistakes required to meet government standards. In order to do this, and to receive government subsidies, We realize that mistakes have been made in most of the higher educational institutions, and producing and perpetuating on the foreign fields some lower grade mission schools, are obliged to denominational organization, ideals, ritual, and employ a majority of non-Christian teachers, to methods that have their roots, not in the New fill their rolls with non-Christian students, to in- Testament, but in Occidental lands. We recognize crease expense for up-to-date equipment, and the foolishness of having an American-Chinese- even to compromise in their missionary purpose Dutch-Reformed Church and we all cherish the and Christian teaching. Many of these educational ideal of one United Christian Church. Yet union institutions are so largely made up of non-Chrisand even close cooperation – on the field or at tians that they can with difficulty be recognized as home-present their own problems, when efforts missionary projects, though the Christian spirit are made to unite all churches in a given field, the of helpfulness clearly actuates their Christian basis of union sometimes leaves out what many teachers. Some of the short-term workers sent believe to be important elements of our faith- out from America have proved a positive handicap such as the final authority of the Christian Scrip- from a missionary point of view since they are tures; the necessity for the atonement of Christ not primarily actuated by the missionary motive. on the Cross; or the regeneration of the indi- One Chinese Christian wrote home from the vidual. The present-day problem of the church Christian university he was attending: on the field is the problem of maintaining sound, intelligent faith in a harmonious body, with true "Pray for me. This pla,ce is so comfortable that evidence of spiritual life and growth. How.to I am being spoiled for the hardships of Christ's cooperate with other Christians – without com- work in the interior. There is so little prayer here promise-this problem must be solved through that my spiritual life is in danger of being acceptance of the Bible as our standard of faith starved." and practice, with earnest prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and by faith working through We do not quote this incident as typical but it love. Formal organic union without spiritual illustrates the problem. unity is worse than useless. This is sometimes proved in individual churches and presbyteries at Today the governments of China, Turkey, home. Japan, Persia, Mexico and other lands are threat- ening to take over all educational work, bringing 4. Related to this problem is that of institu- the mission schools and colleges under national control, obliging them to omit religious instruction (certainly in the lower grades), ;:1.nd in some cases
positively requiring them to teach non-Christian 5. How to awaken and maintain missionary in- or anti-Christian ideals and doctrines. In Mexico terest in the home church is another great prob- every building used for education is declared to lem today, as it always has been. Formerly only be government property and the work conducted those Christians most vitally concerned with spir- therein must conform to government standards, itual things, and with the eternal destiny of the which are increasingly anti-Christian. We can human soul, had any interest in foreign mission- see where this will lead when governments are ary work. When missions became more popular, communistic and anti-religious. It is a modern the philanthropic motive was emphasized, many problem. Has not too much money been expended young people responded to the call to go to the and are not too many workers and too much mis- field to train men's minds and save their bodies sionary energy put into large institutions on the without much reference to their souls. The early field. They seem to have absorbed strength that missionaries-like Carey and Morrison, Verbeck should be put into the primary work of making and Livingstone-did not overlook the need for Christ known and in training Christians for His saving the whole man, body, mind and soul, both service among their own people. When a cut in for time and eternity, but to them the soul was the mission budget is necessary, the evangelistic supreme. The change in theological views at home work usually suffers most because the institu- is largely responsible for the change in the main tional work is more complicated and more difficult missionary motive and the lessening of mission- to curtail. ary interest. How can we secure and send out Equipment VS. Life consecrated missionaries, eager to win people to An example of the relation of evangelism to Christ and depending on the leadership and power elaborate institutional programs is illustrated in of the Holy Spirit, when some colleges and even the case of two missions working in the same ter.. seminaries in America teach that regeneration is ritory-one denominational and one independent not necessary, that Jesus is divine only in a larger -and plenty of room for both. A denominational degree than other men, that there was no necesmissionary wished to reach out to evangelize more sity for Christ's atonement for sin, and that after unoccupied territory. His board – which is not all the Bible is a series of human documents, far extravagant – replied that no funds were avail- from an infallible guide; that human judgment able for additional workers and new stations:, must decide on what is true or false. Why should The missionary resigned, joined an independent people at home make sacrifices to go or send if mission on a lower salary and soon went out to the they do not believe in Christ as their Saviour and field with nineteen new missionaries to establish Lord and also that He is the only hope for sufferten new stations. Is there not a temptation to ing and sinning humanity? The Church at home spend too much money to "dig in" for the sake of must be convinced as to the infallibility of the Word of God if we are to have any enthusiasm what we consider permanency? While it is im- about sending out messengers to give the essential portant to establish some strong centers and to Good News to others. How can we expect the men do thorough work, we are too often inclined to of our churches to be interested in missions if they insist that denominational work shall be done on are not fully surrendered Christians and if they too elaborate a scale, sometimes with equipment are not informed Christians. Many of them do and salaries that do not call for enough sacrificial not even hear one missionary address a year and service. Are we not in danger of making the mis- read no missionary books or magazines! They takes of thinking that substantial equipment rep- are simply ignorant on the subject and read more resents permanent and substantial work-both in our churches at home and abroad? The building anti-missionary stuff than tpey read articles that of a new and elaborate church building too often are well-informed. The same is true of the youth. is coincident with a decline in spiritual effective- The communists today, though misguided, set us ness. The one thing most essential for perman- an example of devotion to their cause by their conence and strength in mission work is spiritual vi- viction and passion and self-sacrifice. They study tality. Without that any work is dead; with that, and go out to propagate their views even at the and the guidance and blessing of God, any work, risk of their lives.
however small and poorly equipped, is worthwhile One church in America which, when it was and is sure to succeed. The first Century missions small and- growing and worshiping in a small were conducted with the most primitive organiza- chapel, undertook to support a missionary at a tion and equipment and at a minimum of expense, real sacrifice. Their pastor was a missionary- and yet the results show the power of God and the minded leader. They prayed and studied and gave wisdom of God. The present-day decline in mis- generously. God blessed them. When under a sionary income has, in many cases, proved a real new pastor they built a large church and their spiritual blessing. budget for local expenses increased fivefold, their
missionary ardor cooled and some began to say, the relation of foreign mIssIOnaries to national "we give too much to the heathen, we need to look workers, and problems of how to develop an inafter our heavy expenses at home." The Church digenous Christianity that will be vitally Chrisbecame sick and weak and showed their need for tian in faith, spirit and activity, but unhampered "the missionary diet." If we are not interested by foreign paraphernalia. in saving others we are scarcely worth being saved. There is a church in Cleveland, with a The early Church had its problems and made pastor who has no stated salary and receives about mistakes. Every Epistle of the New Testament, $2,000 a year, but that church supports twelve as well as the Acts and Revelation, deals frankly missionaries and most of the money comes in small with them, but the Apostles of Christ were not gifts from people who are poor in this world's discouraged-neither are we for, like them, we begoods but rich in faith and love and good works. lieve in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour; we believe in the Holy Spirit as our Guide and *** Helper, and we believe that in proportion as we are "steadfast and unmovable, always abounding We might mention many other problems were in the work of the Lord, our labor is not in vain there time. There are the problems of missionary in the Lord." administration, at home and on the field; the problem of how to develop a missionary minded- (The second part of this paper deals with ness in the rising generation; the problem of the "Some Present-Day Encouragements in Foreign relation of missions to governments; problems of Missions." It will appear in our April number.) SOME JAPANESE IDEAS OF CHRISTIANITY In a Japanese magazine, edited by a Japanese Congregational minister of Tokyo, two questions were asked: 1. In what points is Christianity superior to other religions?
2. What is the greatest mission of Christianity to modern Japan?
Here are some of the answers, mostly to the first question: Naoshi Kato, editor of the Kuristikyo Sekai (Christian World) says: "Christianity emphasizes the value and dignity of personality. Religiously, morally, politically and literally, we lack this emphasis."
Professor Keiji Ashida, of Doshisha College: "We lack today a strong religious faith with ethical colors, and a strong idea of personality. Christianity must supply these."
The late Bishop Honda, of the Methodist Church: "The belief in God's fatherhood and man's sonship."
Masanori Oshima (not a Christian), editor of an educational review: "In doctrines, Christianity is not superior to Buddhism. But Christianity is far more ethical and practical than the latter."
The Rev. Seizo Abe, a Congregational preacher: "The unparalleled personality of Jesus Christ."
Professor Tomeri Tanimoto (not a Christian), of the Kyoto University: "The revolutionistic spirit of Christianity, and its emphasis on human personality."
Dr. Eun Mayeda, an eminent Buddhist, and lecturer at the Tokyo Imperial University: "The practical social work of salvation and help. Buddhism is learning this."
The editor sums it all up, the following points of Christianity being looked upon as superior: the transcendent and yet immanent idea of God; the value and dignity of human beings; the highly ethical and social nature of Christianity (morally, especially the purification of motives); the Christ-centric idea. Some more commingling of thought with it may be necessary for us. The future Christianity of Japan will be something different from that of the West, without losing its fundamental character.
*** These Japanese replies are far from complete or satisfying to the Christian who takes the New Testament view of Christianity. None of these Japanese point out the fact that Jesus Christ is the only adequate and true revelation of God and that He offers the only. salvation from sin and the way of life eternal. Through Christ only comes the power to live the life of victory.-EDITOR.
Lepers With a Chinese Doctor*
-4111 By LADY HOSIE IIJ;o- W HEN she lived in India Lady Willingdon en-who respected and looked up to them. One became greatly interested in a Leper Asy- of the men had been a professional acrobat, and lum, which is called by her name. Later on our arrival he gave a display of his prowess, she was interested in a leper hospital that British standing on his head and doing somersaults for missionaries founded in Hankow, China. While our entertainment. The doctors encourage all pos- others went looking round the hospitals and sible muscular activity, as it helps the lepers schools there, we went to visit this Leper Asylum morally and physically. Lady Willingdon, with a with Dr. Duncan Main, its founder and mainstay. kind word, dropped gifts into each leper's hand.
It is one of the few asylums for lepers in China Meanwhile I made the acquaintance of Dr.
and Lady Willingdon wanted to compare it with Wang, Dr. Main's assistant. He was a man of others she had visited in India. The Prince of about thirty, clad in the long grey Chinese schol- Wales said that he might forget the grown-up ar's gown; of no great physique, but with an lepers' misery, but he could never forget the look amazing sweetness and serenity in his quiet eyes.
on the leper children's faces. He is now the Pres- A sort of heavenly candor shone in him, a spir- ident of the Leper Relief Society of the British itual illumination which nobody could mistake. He Empire. told me something of the treatment of leprosy. If I had never seen a leper and my heart failed a leper comes to the hospital before his leprosy me at the thought of visiting them. To her, lepers has been developed seven years, the doctors can were like many other fellow human beings, to be check the disease. The injections will not restore cheered by a little attention from the outside a finger or nose, or bring elasticity back to a world; liking small kindnesses as do other sick solidified joint; but the disease can be arrested- folk, and especially entitled to them considering at least for some years, perhaps longer. There is the awfulness of their affliction. She sent to a hope that the day may come, with research, when Chinese confectioner's for packets of sweet cakes the patient can return to life in the community.
and dainties, wrapped in the gay red paper proper In China, as yet, there has been no law making in China, one packet for each of the seventy lepers. any disease notifiable. Public Health is only be- There are two homes connected with the hos- ginning to be a matter for public attention. We pital, one for men, the other for women, on the in the West have had more scientific doctoring hillside overlooking Hangchow lake, with its boats than the Orient and more understanding of the and white sails and curving parapeted bridges. dangers of infection. When Chinese become lep- Dr. Main thought lepers should have lovely sur,- ers, they usually seek the neighborhood of temples; roundings, even more than other folk. One of the they lie on the temple paths exposing their sores accusations brought against him by the ultra- and misery to move hearts of the compassionate Nationalists was that he, a foreigner, had bought and draw a coin. How else can the leprous father up the best sites round the lake.. They were waste of a household keep his family going? When a land before, and are now being used for hospitals patient came to the hospital on whom the dreadful and convalescent homes and leper asylums. But disease was discovered, Dr. Main had not the Hangchow nowadays is developing into a summer heart to send him away. He determined to grapresort for rich Chinese from Shanghai-and 10, ple with the problem. Hence the asylum. Yet it the lepers have the finest views. is of their own free will that his patients remain The lepers, knowing of our coming, had put on under its roofs. Many of their fellows cannot their clean clothes, and those who could awaited bring themselves to give up lying about the temple us on the veranda. Even among lepers, social precincts: the free life a beggar, though it means distinctions weigh. Two of the women had put on rags and pain and lack of attention, is a more fresh tunics of silk. They came from genteel paying proposition.
homes, and spoke differently from the other wom- Unspeakably bitter must it be to leave wife and child and human intercourse and enter for ever, • Quoted from "The Portrait of a Chinese Lady" by Lady Hosie. confessedly a leper, into a segregated colony. It Published by William Morrow and Son, New York.
[ 130 ] speaks much for Dr. Main's influence that there looked so clean, so wholesome. I put my head were no unscaleable high walls or locked gates to against the bricks and wept.
that asylum and the lepers rarely disobey the ad- The others had gone up the hill, to the Tuber- vice not to go beyond a certain point lest they culosis Sanatorium at the top. Dr. Wang waited bring harm on those outside. It is an appalling beside me, looking at me weeping. I tried to sidelight on Chinese poverty, and Chinese igno- murmur apologies for breaking down. He quietly rance about disease, that poor folk from the peas- stood by and looked at me. Then presently he put antry around have climbed over the asylum wall his hand on my arm. He broke the silence, and and stolen lepers' clothing. this is what he said: "T'a,i T'a,i: only Christ can It was evident that the lepers loved Dr. Main help those poor people. But he does help them." and Dr. Wang. One of the difficult symptoms of I took his hand, English fashion, and from the leprosy is that the moral sense, owing to physical bottom of my heart answered: causes is apt to become perverted. Lepers, for "And you are truly His disciple."
instance, in Africa, are subject to ungovernable He gave a little smile, and we went on to see fits of black rage, which sometimes lead to mur- his tubercular wards. They were not easy to visit der in a leper colony. Yet here were these Hang- for many of the sufferers had come to hospital chow lepers living peaceably together on the far too late.
whole. Ah, but a large proportion of them had I have heard of Dr. Wang. Three months after become Christians! Two were baptized that very our visit his wife died of typhoid, and he was Sunday morning of our visit. left with two children.
We came to a ward where one elderly man, "My poor friend is in sore grief," wrote Dr. with a fellow-leper sitting beside to help him, lay Main who himself retired to England soon after semi-comatose. The footsteps of Dr. Main and this, for he had reached the age of seventy. Lady Willingdon had roused him, and he was raising his head with its sightless eyes an inch from "The lepers came to see us off at the station," his pillow. One glance at his face, and I knew he told me later, "those that could walk the disthat his spirit was loosening its bands. Dr. Wang tance, men and women." Once more they put on stopped and told him, for he was wondering evi- their best clothes, and, keeping in a little band to dently at the footsteps, that some foreign guests themselves, walked through the streets and on to had come to pay a visit and bring gifts. Then Dr. the station platform. The medical school, pastors, Wang looked seriously at me and whispered, school boys and girls, all were there in flocks to "Speak to him. He is dying. Soon nobody will see off this man they loved and his wife whom be able to do anything for him." My heart nearly they loved also, for she had been an equal worker. failed. What could I possibly say? This was beyond speech. But the Chinese doctor kept his "The last people we saw when the train left eyes earnestly on me. That Eastern Christian, so were our lepers," he said. "There they were, wavshort a time a Christian, took it for granted that ing their stumps of arms, the tears running down any woman from the West, with its long tradi- their disfigured faces. Tears ran down my cheeks tion in the Faith, would answer to his call. too. And Dr. Wang was standing by them, look- ing sorrowfully after us." So I steadied my voice, and lifting my head called to the dying leper, with the politeness which When the Nationalists first came to Hangchow, China teaches: they took down the Ten Commandments from the Lord's Table and put up the portrait of Sun Yat "Elder Brother, art thou at peace?" Sen instead. They earmarked the mission hos- pitals for special rigor. They made some attempt And from that frame almost unrecognizable as to keep the Leper Asylum going: but a number human, with an affected tongue and from a lipless of the lepers, fearing them, fled to their homes, mouth, came a voice back to me, cracked yet stead- taking their disease with them. Those who refast: mained wrote sad letters of the treatment which "Yea, at peace, at peace. And I shall soon see they were given.
my Lord." One of the complaints which the lepers in the "The Heavenly Father support thee!" I called asylum made at the oncoming armies was that again. they were forbidden not only to hold services but Unconquerable, wonderful spirit of man-truly to sing hymns. They would quaver away now and a candle lit by the Lord! Exult, oh dust and then, to keep their courage up. "Jesus Christ,"
ashes! said one poster in the streets of Hangchow during I went out with Dr. Wang, clattering down that period, "was born in Palestine, which is some wooden steps. The sun was shining. We under British mandate: and therefore He must came to a gate and a boundary wall. The bricks be a British Imperialist." Another informed the
citizens that Christ and Plato, on whom Western China. The first thinks greatness means possescivilization was built, died two thousand years sions and power, which must be maintained by ago: so what had Western civilization to give to show of military capabilities. The second is char- Modern China? Nay, one poster ran, "Down with acterized by suspicion, of every other nationality, Heaven! It is a dream"-in which case lepers and is susceptible to every imaginary pin-prick: certainly should not be permitted to sing about it. this sort is pervaded by race-consciousness, as the modern parlance has it. The third has discovered And the lepers' second complaint was: "They that the only measure of greatness is the measure have ringed us around with barbed wire!" So of service rendered to the world: that there is they wrote, and wrote again and again as if in no other greatness at all in any nation except that tears. which says, "I am among you as One that serv- eth." Barbed wire! Ah, what it has meant to this generation! Dr. Wang belonged to this last class. It is not so small or select as one might imagine. That Dr. Wang, because he had worked under a mis- barbed wire has been taken down now, and he is sionary society, was a Christian, and remained back with his lepers again, Dr. Wang-the leper steadfast to his foreign friends, nearly lost his doctor of Hangchow. I suppose he has his faults life, and had finally to flee to Shanghai. Yet Dr. and deficiencies, but I did not see them. Wang is a NationaIist. It seems there are three classes of Nationalists· in the world-not only in JAPANESE CHRISTIAN WORK OVERSEAS* The Japanese Government in 1932, reported 760,000 citizens of Japan residing in other countries. Besides 335,685 Japanese in Manchukuo (out of a population of 33,500,000), there were 120,908 in Hawaii, 100,128 in Continental United States, 20,989 in Canada, 5,832 in Mex- ico, and 19,572 in the Philippines. There were 116,647 in the coffee~producing provinces of Brazil, and 20,535 in Peru. In the Straits Settlements there were 6,833, and in the Dutch East Indies, 6,369. In China proper there were 54,965. In most of these countries, except the United States and Canada, there has been a considerable increase since 1932.
The Japanese Christian work for J apariese in foreign countries began about thirty years ago. Though the number of churches in other lands established through the direct efforts of Christians in Japan is small, most of these churches are successful and self-supporting. There have been many Japanese churches established as a result of mission work undertaken by Christians in the United States and Canada, (87 in Continental United States, 30 in Hawaii, and 12 in Canada). Churches established by the Japanese Christians for the benefit of their nationals overseas include the following: In Korea, 59 Japanese churches; in Manchukuo, 32; in Formosa, 34. The first church organized by the churches of Japan for Japanese abroad was in Tientsin, China, in 1903. At present Japanese Congregationalists are carrying on work in Tsingtau, China, Peiping and Shanghai. Rev. M. Furuya, long pastor of a Japanese church in Los Angeles, is the pastor of the Shanghai church. The Japanese churches in China have been almost self-supporting from the beginning. There is also a Japanese church in Hong- kong and one in Singapore.
More than 120,000 Japanese had emigrated to Brazil before the Brazilian Government stopped the rapid inflow of Oriental settlers. One church has been organized in Sao Paolo, with two ministers for that compact Japanese community. The twenty thousand Japanese in Peru have only one lay Christian worker and his wife.
The. newest and most successful work of the Christian churches in Japan for their nation- als oVer&eas is in the Philippines. It is about three years since a Japanese evangelist began work at Davao. In a year and a half he had baptized sixty persons and built a church.
Apparently the only Japanese work among non-Japanese which has been very success- ful has been that in the mandated South Sea Islands, where the Japanese Congregationalists have been carrying on the work formerly under the American Board and a German mission ever since 1919. Within the boundaries of Ponape, a former American Board field, there are 13 native evangelists, 2,100 Christians and 9 congregations. In the Summer Islands of Truk there are 18 native evangelists, 3,392 Christians and 19 congregations. In the Autumn Is- lands of Truk there are 7 evangelists, 1,248 Christians and 7 congregations.
In the effort to extend the Christian work among Japanese overseas, the Christians in Japan have recently organized a Mission Board for Overseas Work.
• Condensed from an article in the Japanese Christian Year Book, 1933, by Rev. M. Kohayashi, formerly executive secretary of the Japanese Interdenominational Evangelistic Association on the Pacific C(}ast.->George W. Hinman.
A Witness for Christ in
A letter from A. MAIR, Chinkiang, Kiangsu Missionary of the China Inland Mission, 1907- My FRIEND, Hsieh Meng Tseh, is unique. strenuously resisted the invitation, but on learn- I have never met another man exactly like ing that no foreigner would be preaching but only him, nor has anyone else. To know him one of his fellow countrymen he reluctantly is a tonic. Meeting him casually one might fail agreed to go. The Chinese evangelist who spoke to find anything specially striking about his per- to the handful of people little realized that the sonality; but listen to him, watch his face as he seed sown that day would, in the coming years, speaks of the faith that is in him, and you realize result in a rich harvest in every part of China.
that you are in the presence of a man of extraor- "God is love," was Mr. Hu's text and message. It dinary force of character – a man of God. If was an absolutely new idea to Hsieh. Was it there has been any attempt to standardize Mr. possible that God could love human beings? He Hsieh, he certainly will have had a quiet chuckle had read of a Supreme Being in the writings of over it. He is a man with a single purpose-to the sages, but somehow they seemed to know little witness for Christ among his own people and win about Him, and never was He represented as a them to the life which he has proved to be life God of love. Here was light indeed-a conception indeed. that invested life with new meaning! He was His call to this ministry reminds us that God's gripped as he had never been during the course ways are totally different from man's ways. "God of his thirty years.
hath chosen the weak things of the world to con- Many a talk had Hsieh with the evangelist dur- found the things which are mighty; and base ~ng the following days and countless were the things of the world and things which are despised questions he had to ask. There was one matter hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not of vital import which puzzled him and seemed al- to bring to nought things which are." Until he together beyond his understanding. Why was it reached the age of thirty Mr. Hsieh was without necessary for God to send His only Son to this hope and without God. Life to him had always world to suffer such a cruel death on the Cross?
been a serious matter, yet somehow it seemed The evangelist insisted that this was the supreme wholly without aim or meaning. There was some- demonstration of God's love to mankind, but Hsieh thing lacking, and although this seeker after could not fathom the meaning of such a statement.
truth yearned for a revelation somehow beyond "For a whole year," he said, "I pondered the his ken he seemed to get nowhere. meaning of the Cross but seemed to get nowhere.
Ho-Yueh-Chow, a small island town situated on Then one evening God revealed His Son to me.
the Yang-Tsi River, was the place where our I have no explanation as to what happened; I friend first heard the Gospel. He was a money- simply state the facts. In a flash, as it seemed to lender, and his profession brought him into con- me, my room was flooded with light and before tact with all sorts and conditions of people. He me a Cross was upraised, and upon that Cross was heard in a vague sort of way of a strange religion the Son of God. With eyes of love He looked at which foreigners were seeking to propagate me and said, 'I suffered this for you.' When I throughout his native land and, while resenting came to myself I found my face wet with tears; such a palpably foolish proceeding, felt that it and from that hour I have never had the shadow did not concern him in any way. But who could of a doubt as to the necessity of Christ's atoning dream that the foreigners were to come to Ho- death on Calvary for my redemption and the re- Yueh-Chow from Anking, secure a house, and demption of every sinner."
preach every day to crowds of people? Strangest Shortly after this striking revelation which of all, there were folk belonging to the place who changed the current of his life and made him a seemed willing to stake everything on the truth of man with a message and a mission, Mr. Hsieh re- this new religion, and found a positive joy in do- moved to Anking, the provincial capital of Anh- ing so! What did it all mean? wei. His testimony was already proving effec- One day an enquirer asked Mr. Hsieh to ac- tive, for both his wife and mother had become company him to the Gospel Hall. At first he believers in Christ. What he would do in Anking [133 ]
had not yet been decided, but it was clear to him in that wonderful school of faith and service. In that God had a plan for his life, and that resi- Mr. and Mrs. Westwood, Hsieh found understand- dence in Anking formed a necessary part of it. ing friends, and was greatly helped by their kindly He rented a house near the mission compound so encouragement.
that he might have constant opportunities of fel- A Man of the Book lowship and service. But what a cramped, dilapi- dated-looking building was that first home of his! The Scriptures have meant more to Hsieh than Yet he and his were as pleased as if it had been a pen can describe. He has always been a man of palace! A joy unspeakably sweet had come to one Book; and his methods of study have been abide with them and life had become wonderful. peculiarly his own. Commentaries or "helps"
Then came a real testing of faith. Hsieh had con- have never appealed to him. Others might use served as far as possible the money brought from them, but he left them severely alone. "Would it Ho-Yueh-Chow, but it gradually dwindled away not be wise," he was asked on one occasion, "to until little or nothing was left. Although the know what interpretation the commentaries New Year was at hand-China's time of feasting give?" "I like to make my own commentary,"
-this family, for a number of weeks, lived on was the characteristic reply. His method was what was practically pig's food. He spread the simply that of meditation and prayer. He be- needs of himself and his family before the Lord, came steeped in the Scriptures; six or seven and believed that provision would be forthcoming hours of study was his daily routine. His medi- in the right way and at the appropriate time. At tations in the Word of God were to him a matter New Year the Chinese, according to long-estab- of life and death. He believed that God was in lished custom, paste on their doors strips of red need of men with an experimental knowledge of paper bearing suitable mottoes or quotations for Himself through the Word so that they could be the year they have entered. Hsieh expended part ready for anything. The pages of his Bible were of his remaining coppers on red paper, and the covered with notes-the results of his prayerful words written on his cracked and battered door meditation. He was greatly helped by Evangelist were singularly significant – "The House of a Tong, his closest and most understanding friend.
truly rich man." He was able to testify later how He was a man of prayer and, in a rare degree, wonderfully the Lord provided for him during versed in "the deep things of God." The Word of that testing period. God was Tong's very life, and those of us who Soon he was taking part in street chapel work, knew him were keenly conscious of this fact. Un- and here his genius in attracting and influencing like his friend Hsieh, he was always on the out- individuals was early perceived. He was genu- look for books and tracts, written by men of spir- inely interested in people, and those with whom itual insight and experience. How he revelled in he spoke were immediately aware that here was a the biographies of Luther, Miiller, Moody, Spur- man with a truly vital message to impart. Not geon and a host of others! They belonged to a only had he rare understanding of their ordinary fellowship which he joyfully realized was also his, everyday needs and problems but also a peculiar and to view the truth with them from some new insight into the feeling, desire and condition of standpoint was to him a sheer delight. And every their hearts. Sin was ruthlessly exposed and con- fresh discovery became doubly precious when demned and the sovereign remedy invariably pre- shared with his friend and fellow-worker. Thus sented: "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh Hsieh's life became enriched and enlarged away the sin of the world." There was no falter- through fellowship with one who communicated ing in his proclamation of the truth; he himself what he himself had learned of the grace of God had received the revelation, and his supreme pas- from the life and witness of others.
sion was to lead others to the Crucified Saviour. During those early. years Hsieh was truly a Gradually the scope of his service began to "son of Thunder." Full of zeal, and himself widen. He accompanied the missionaries in long wholly consecrated to God, he was amazed when and arduous itineraries in the districts lying others who named the Name of Christ lightly re- north of Anking, and "south of the River" (the garded His claims, and lived as if their own af- Yang-Tsi-Kiang). As they journeyed they dis- fairs were of primary importance. His denuncia- tributed portions of Scripture and tracts, and tions were scathing in the extreme; sin was ex- everywhere-at the wayside, on the ferry-boat, in posed in all its hideousness and utterly condemned.
temples full of idols, inside and outside country Some resented such plain preaching-especially inns, in farmhouse and shop-the Gospel was pro- when the application was of a somewhat personal claimed, and signs followed. Years afterwards, nature-but he fearlessly proclaimed his message, when his name was known in every part of China, believing it would be owned of God in the convic- he used to speak of the priceless benefits received tion and conversion of sinners. I recently heard
A WITNESS FOR CHRIST IN CHINA
him express the opinion that perhaps he was too small in comparison. He was a man who realized fiery and unsympathetic at the beginning of his that the supreme need of his country was a spir- . ministry. Time, however, had given him a larger itual message, and he himself had proved that understanding and a deeper love. And yet in the only effective message to meet the crying need those days he was utterly true to the light that he of every heart, and the problems of every compossessed. His opinions and judgments were munity, was the knowledge of a Crucified Saviour, clear-cut, either white or black, and woe betide the risen and exalted, who could: one who thought otherwise! And yet there was nothing little or mean about him; rather was Break the power of cancelled sin there something unusually arresting-something And set the prisoner free. that marked him as a man who would not falter in his witness for Christ, cost what it might. He During the subsequent years I was privileged to did not toy with opinions; he expressed convic- be in almost daily contact and fell0.wship with Mr. tions. Hsieh. These were for him years of preparation and deepening experience for a wider ministry. ANew Experience He had many difficult lessons to learn but these contributed in no small way to make him the man At this time Hsieh received a new experience he ultimately became. His extraordinary indeof the unsearchable riches of Christ. Dr. Jona- pendence in thought, word and act made it at than Goforth was holding special meetings in the times-especially for the uninitiated-rather diffinorth of China and reports of the marvelous cult to work with him. Those who knew him, and workings of the Holy Spirit in that district appreciated his real motives, were more than willcreated a desire in many hearts throughout China ing to stick to him through thick and thin. His that the work would spread. Hsieh accompanied eldest son, a lad of about ten years of age, con- Mr. Westwood to the province of Honan, and tracted spinal trouble, and the father's tenderness there God met him and spoke to him. From that as he daily carried him into our compound and time there came to him a new accession of power, looked after his comfort was beautiful to see. Sufand his message was charged with fresh unction fering love charged his independent spirit with a and urgency. The awfulness of sin was revealed new sympathy and thus he became the more fitted to him in a new way. He saw men and women to .tell others the message of Calvary. stricken down by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and crying to God for pardon. He wit- Going Further Afield nessed those same people changed by the transforming touch of God's Spirit, testifying to the Gradually there came to him the realization that possession of a priceless peace which the world God wanted him to go further afield. His centre could not give. Hsieh yielded himself to the Lord would remain Anking, but he would be ready to -body, soul, and spirit-for anything, and thus go wherever the Lord directed. The church at there commenced for him a new spiritual epoch. Anking held a peculiarly sacred place in his heart as it had been to him a spiritual home since he Never shall I forget Hsieh's return to Anking first knew the Saviour. He began to dream of a and its sequel. Trouble had broken out in our city. revival society within the churches, and soon he We were on the eve of great political happenings, had in mind a number of schemes which he longed and it was feared that Anking would be within the to see carried out. It was about this time, while fighting area. Our friends returned from Honan visiting the Province of Hunan, that he met Genjust in time to enter the city before the gates were eral Feng, the Christian General. Feng had evishut. An hour longer and they would have had dently been impressed by the sincerity and indeto wait outside for several days. The following pendent bearing of Hsieh, and invited him to call day was for many a time of acute anxiety, but at his camp that they might have a meal and talk Hsieh was not troubling about it in the least. together. "We had not any grand fare," said Firing began in the evening, and nobody seemed Hsieh to me, recalling the event, "the food was as to know what the outcome was to be. That same plain as it could be-in accordance with the Genevening Hsieh was addressing a gathering of eral's invariable custom-but after dinner we had Christians, and never shall I forget the intensity two hours of Bible reading." Feng was so pleased of feeling with which he spoke of the things which with Hsieh's visit that he pressed him to visit he had seen and heard. His words were punc- him daily while in that locality that they might tuated by the crack of rifles, but he was so ab- study the Word of God together. So for a month sorbed in his subject, and the desire to make or two they met every day, and after each meal known the wonderful vision which had dawned Bibles were produced and Hsieh spoke to the Genupon him, that the events taking place outside- eral of the things of God. Feng fully sympathized events which were the prelude to the fall of a with him in his· desire to commence a school for dynasty and the setting up of a republic-seemed the training of workers in evangelism and offered
a large donation for that puropse. The conditions he was assured that the time had come for his attached to the offer did not satisfy Hsieh, and visit to those country churches. For seven years so the matter was allowed to drop. Years after- he was away from home proclaiming his message wards I heard him express the conviction that in all the Northern Provinces. He arranged his God restrained him from carrying out the project time-table as the Lord directed. Here he would he had then in view as he was not meant to settle spend a few weeks, and there a month or two, down in one place; his parish was to be the whole holding daily meetings for Bible study, and helpof China. ing believers and enquirers by personal talks. In those country places, at certain seasons of the The Revival Society really came to be Mr. Hsieh year, the farmers have little or nothing to do, so himself. In course of time invitations to conduct Hsieh gathered companies together in numberless special meetings reached him from districts far districts and faithfully sowed the seed which has removed from' Anking, and thus began his mis- already brought forth a great spiritual harvest. sionary journeys throughout his. native land. He had not the slightest doubt as to God's leading in His supreme desire is to see Christians wholly the matter; the call came and he obeyed. But he surrendered to the Lord, and his Bible talks are had a wife and family and what of the where- directed to this end. He usually plans to have wit~l for their support? Hsieh's reply was clear these meetings daily, and seldom speaks for less and final: "The Lord is sending me; He will be than an hour and a half. There is nothing speresponsible "for the supplies." Arrangements cially attractive about the delivery or style of his about money received for his work have been emi- address, yet all sorts and conditions of people nently sound and sensible. I have met with no simply hang upon his words. They know that he one anywhere with less desire to use money for is dealing with spiritual realities which he himhimself and his own plans than Hsieh; nor have self has experienced, and his illustrations are so I met anyone more careful of money for the Lord:s apt and to the point that even the unlettered have work. He himself did not personally accept con- no difficulty in grasping his meaning. But it is tributions for his work, but requested that such his spiritual insight and power which draw peogifts should be sent to Pastor Hu at Anking to ple to hear him. I have in mind now a talented be entered in the Revival Society account. Once young Chinese teacher, extremely up-to-date and a month the pastor gave Mrs. Hsieh a fixed a staunch nationalist, who had listened to several amount for household expenses, and as Mr. Hsieh of the most outstanding preachers in China; yet had given instructions about the matter it is al- he felt there was a quality in Hsieh's message most unnecessary to add that the amount given which met his deepest need, and satisfied him as for this purpose was certainly not more than ade- no address had ever done. The Lord has used the quate. Often did he say, "the money is not mine; life and the message of His servant in various it is the Lord's." In every possible way he sought parts of China to lead many to dedicate themto curtail personal expenses in order that he selves to the preaching of the Gospel, and scores might have more to use in the Lord's work. On of Christian workers have been inspired by his one occasion he informed me with a smile that on example of whole-hearted, unremitting zeal in the returning to Anking from a certain down-river service of Christ. port he had traveled fourth class. This I could scarcely credit as the lowest fare on any steamer When he was at Anking about three years ago is third class. Hsieh explained that on certain it was learned that he intended giving a series of steamers there is accommodation somewhere be- Bible talks to the members of his family who were low for beggers traveling from one port to an- at home during the summer. He thought that in other, and he had availed himself of the oppor- this way he would be making up to them in some tunity to travel with them. "But," I enquired, measure for the long periods when he was away "was not such a proceeding rather risky? Did from home. Several friends suggested that others none of your neighbors make off with your be- might be permitted to attend as well as the memlongings ?" "Oh, no," he replied, "it was the bers of his family, and that the meetings might safest place on the ship; no one dreamt I had any- be held daily in the church. He agreed, and every thing worth stealing, otherwise I wouldn't have afternoon during the extreme heat of the summer been there. The important thing about it," he an eager company gathered for the study of God's added, "was that I had an opportunity of preach- Word. At each meeting there was an atmosphere ing the Gospel to those poor people." of keen expectancy. Not a few regularly attended at no small sacrifice to themselves. Hsieh sug- About 1916 he received pressing invitations to gested the study of one of the Gospels, taking a visit a number of outlying districts in the North chapter a day. He requested that all of them of China, and, as for some time he had been con- should prayerfully study the chapter and be pretemplating such a journey and praying about it, pared to say a few words on one of the verses.
Few could have conducted the meetings on those be absolutely sincere, and he will assuredly meet lines so naturally and effectively as this veteran with us, and give exceeding abundantly above all Christian worker. At each meeting over a dozen we ask or think." people, some of whom had never spoken in public before, commented on verses of Scripture. As The keynote of those meetings was reality, and day succeeded day it was remarkable how their the working of the Spirit of God was truly eviwords gained in clarity and effectiveness. Hsieh dent in our midst. What must be the cumulative summed up after the others had spoken, and his result of thousands of similar meetings held by comments were always helpfully suggestive and Hsieh among all types and conditions of people to the point. He then gave his own special mes- throughout China? He continues to preach and sage bearing upon the chapter' and had any of teach with unabated zeal. I bade him goodbye at our Western commentators been there they would Anking two years ago as he set out on a preachhave marveled at the typically Chinese coloring ing tour to the Western Provinces. God has been given by him to certain passages of Scripture. It mightily using him, and I have heard from variwas clearly evident that he was steeped in the ous quarters of lives having been won and trans- Word of God, and that his chief delight was to be formed through his witness for his Saviour and God's messenger to others. One evening when requesting several to lead in prayer, he said, "Do Lord. not make a prayer, please, but speak to God, and Pray that men of like spirit may be raised up ask Him for what you really desire. We need to to carry the message of Life to every part of this great and needy land. Only in this way can China be won to Christ.
"I LOVE JESUS"
In the stillness of a schoolroom where the American Indian children were studying, a child's voice rang out like a Christmas bell: "I love Jesus."
"What does the child mean?" thought the teacher who looked into the shining eyes and the glory-glinted face.
The child had heard the story of God's great Christmas gift to the world. Christ had come to dwell in her heart and she bubbled over in her joy because of His gift to her. There in the sunlit schoolroom sat the little Indian shepherdess, her heart flooded with the heavenly Light such as crowned the hills near Bethlehem more than nineteen hundred years ago.
Before Christmas seventy-eight boys and girls enrolled in the Tuba City Indian Government School, came to the missionary with these same words – a song on their lips: "I love Jesus."
Jesus is all the world to me; I want no better friend.
. I trust Him now; I'll trust Him when Life's fleeting days shall end.
A thrill stirred the air in the little mission chapel when they sang the song on a Sunday afternoon when these young people came before the congregation to be baptized. Later they sat at the Lord's Table, in company with "believers in Jesus in Navajoland," and partook of the broken bread, emblem of His broken body, and of the fruit of the vine, emblem of His shed blood.
Thanks be to God for the unspeakable joy He gives to those who are his voice in proclaim- ing His Christmas gift to an impoverished, heart-famished world! "I love Jesus." Our hearts unite in the song of gratitude that this timid shepherdess sang so that comrades and teacher were startled in the silent schoolroom.
Danny-A High..-Grade
~-tijf I By F. A. ROBINSON, Ph.D., Toronto, Canada I)ilt— N o OTHER home in the district was avail- honor of sleeping with the minister was scarcely able for the visiting preacher so there was worth the ordeal his mother's suggestions in- no help for it, he had to sleep with ten-year- volved. old Danny. The shack contained three beds and there were eight to be accommodated. It was use- Two or three hours later the preacher did his less to make any other suggestion for the little best to get Danny out of his monopolistic position prairie home contained no lounge nor even chairs across the bed, and lay alongside .of his soundly that could be used as a possible excuse for sleep- sleeping little bedfellow. It was not long ere the ing separately. Danny's usual berth was with his mother's prophecy was being fulfilled, and Danny father and mother, but the coming of the preacher was "snuggling" up to the preacher with much necessitated a general change. more enjoyment to Danny than to his bedmate. The dirty little arms and tousled head seemed to "Danny's a bit restless," said his mother, "but vie with one another in getting into the immediate he never wakes up when he strikes the pillow, and vicinity of the preacher's nose and mouth. he's as good as one of those hot water bottles. Early in the morning the curtain was pushed We can't keep a fire going all night, and after it aside and a tin bowl containing warm water was has been out a while, it gets a bit frosty along the placed on the rough box that served as a table. logs. It was twenty below most nights last week. "I thought you might like warm water to wash in. When it gets that way Danny snuggles up real Danny, you come out now and bring your clothes close." so's the minister will have room to dress." Danny The last bit of information did not add to the was scarcely wide enough awake to heed his preacher's enthusiasm over his bed fellow. mother's command. After a few minutes he Danny's general appearance was not encouraging. pushed back the hair from his forehead and be- Facilities for keeping clean are not many in the came intensely interested in w a t chi n g the kind of shack occupied by the Wiggins family and preacher. Danny really had no use for "facilities." He washed his hands and face only under the utmost At last his surprise at the intricacies and myspressure, and a bath in winter-time was an un- teries that were involved in the preacher's method of dressing could be restrained no longer. With thought-of thing. When the "slough" was warm something akin to a sigh, he said: enough, it was difficult to keep him out of the "Say, Mister, how often do you wash yerself water; but to Danny's type of boy, a swimming hole and a wash-bowl are as different as Paradise like that?" and Hades. His tousled hair looked as though it With a smile came the answer, "I don't often had never come in contact with a comb. In the shack his coarse shirt and semi-long trousers were do it just like that, but I like to have at least a all he could be persuaded to wear. The latter good sponge off every morning. Water is a bit were so large and ill-fitting that they gave no in- scarce out here, isn't it?" dication as to whether Danny was coming or going. Evading the question, Danny asked, "Say, Mis- ter, how often do you pull that there black thing Shortly after supper on the night of the preach- through yer hair like you was doin' for sich a er's arrival, the mother got Danny behind the spell?" curtain, where the crudely-made and unpainted bedstead stood. Danny had to listen to a number "Well! I'm afraip my hair often gets rough, of "don'ts" that also reached the ears of the Danny. I carry a comb in this little pocket, see, preacher. "Now, don't you sit on the bed with then I can comb my hair whenever it needs itthem dirty pants of yours. No! you can't get in maybe half a dozen times a day." bed that way! Now, Danny, you undress properly! You're going to put on your Sunday shirt Danny's face had on it an expression of mingled pity and disgust as he said wearily, "You must be an awful pile 0' trouble to yerself, Mister."
Breakfast with Danny revealed the fact that he was "just an appetite with a skin pulled over now that you're sleeping with the minister." him." Not until that morning had he ever been Danny's answer was in a tone that suggested the present where family worship was conducted.
[138 ] The reading was of the lad's small store of loaves the cow stable. With his face on his arms as he and fishes and the preacher had Danny look on leaned against the logs in a dark corner, the little the Testament with him. It was something new lad was shedding many tears. "I don't want you for Danny to kneel down, and he went about it to go away, never!" was his only response to the rather awkwardly as though uncertain what came kindly touch of his preacher friend's hand. A next. few farewell words of confidence in Danny's fu- ture and the preacher hurried to the big box In the approach to the Father of us all, strange, sleigh. Wrapped in well-worn blankets and with deep yearning for Danny came into the preacher's a carpet of straw, they started on their cold jourheart and he saw more than an untidy, tousle- ney across the prairie. As the preacher turned to headed boy. That yearning led to efforts to gain get another look at the shack that had been his Danny's confidence. He helped him to carry in home for the past three weeks, he saw the little the wood and chopped through the ice for the lad with the coarse shirt and baggy trousers gazdaily water supply. Then there were ways of ing wistfully in the direction of the sleigh. A adding to the lad's fun. A few old boards were little hand responded to the farewell wave and fashioned into a sleigh that did quite well on the then the boyish figure disappeared-perhaps to go snow-covered slope after the preacher had shov- back to the dark corner again. elled the snow so as to make a surface across which they could easily glide. Within a week the *** two were good friends and Danny accompanied the preacher whenever allowed. He was permitted Twelve years passed. Many new settlers have to go to two of the evening meetings conducted come to the foothills district where once stood the by the visitor and especially enjoyed the music. Wiggins shack. In the same district stands a small church in which there is a Sunday school Within two weeks Danny was showing more superintendent whose name is Danny Wiggins. concern about his hands and face and hair, and And two thousand miles away a preacher gives was following the preacher's example in a number thanks to God for the strange little chap who, of ways. An illustrated edition of a pocket Testa- twelve years ago, shared with him the bed behind ment, in which the preacher had printed the boy's the curtain in the log shack on Windy Plains, and name in full, was the first gift of any value that who has so grown in the knowledge of the Lord Danny had received and his pride in its possession Jesus as to be leading others into paths of rightwas manifest. eousness.
On the last evening of the preacher's stay in the SILVESTER HORNE'S LAST CONVERT* lonely settlement he had a talk with Danny. "I believe you are going to be a fine boy, Danny. I Silvester Horne, the great English preacher, shall be a long distance away from you, but I am died on a St. Lawrence steamer. The captain of going to count you as one of my friends. Every that steamer told the story and its sequence: day I shall be reading from a little book like the one you have, and I shall be thinking of how my It was on this very boat. I chanced to see him fall and friend Danny is reading from the same book, and ran toward him. His wife holding his head called out in it would be one of the biggest disappointments I agony, "Are you dead?" An instant later she turned to could have if my Danny was not true and brave me and said, "Captain, is my husband really dead?" I and clean. You remember about the boy who nodded my head, and ordered some sailors to carry the brought all he had to Jesus. You are doing that, body into the cabin; but that was not the end of the tale. aren't you, Danny? You are going to let Him Mrs. Horne came in and immediately knelt down beside count on you to help make this world a bit hap- the body. She turned to me and commanded, "Captain, pier. You won't go back on me, will you, Danny, you must kneel." I was altogether indifferent to religion, because I want you for Jesus." The little lad with but I hesitated only a second, then knelt. Her prayer was the coarse shirt and baggy trousers looked up into the simplest, most beautiful and most natural prayer I the preacher's face and said with a bashful smile: ever heard. She mentioned all the children by name, the "I'd like to be jes like you and preach." church, and various causes that had been dear to her hus- band's heart. I have never been able to escape from that "God bless you, Danny, my boy. I'm not anxious prayer. It brought me to Christ. Whenever I can I you should be like me, but I want you to be like attend the little church of which I have become a member. Him, like Jesus. He was so good and brave and I was Silvester Horne's last convert. kind." The radiance of that life has continued to shine, When the sleigh came early next morning to and we have no doubt that a great many who knew take the preacher to the railway station, twelve him and loved him were brought to Christ as they miles distant, Danny was not in sight. There was remembered his thrilling words. But the capno response to the calling of his name. The tain was brought to Christ as much by Mrs. preacher hurried around the little shack and into Horne's marvelous courage and trust as by any- thing that Silvester Horne had ever said or done.
• From The Watchman-Examiner. Effective Ways of Working 'Tested Methods for Increasing Interest at Home EDITED BY MRS. ESTELLA S. AITCHISON, GRANVILLE, OHIO ~========================~======I New "Tools in Type" A MEN'S MISSIONARY LEAGUE boys' mISSIOnary society. The boys' work shall be supported and directed BULLETIN NUMBER Two One of the foregoing plans by the League. may well commend itself to Readers of THE REVIEW will every pastor. It was the ideal of With all due honor to the the Rev. George A. Brown, of recall that some months back the the United Presbyterian Church faithful women who have so long Professional Advisory Section of Elyria, Ohio, to develop a mothered boys' missionary or- men's organization which, in inon Missionary Education of the terest, activity and spirit, would ganizations in the local church, International Council of Reli- equal any woman's missionary your Department Editor vengious Education brought out a society. The resulting league tures the opinion that this move bulletin giving a bird's-eye view has for its object the "promotion toward "fathering" is a distinct of best methods among all coop- of an intelligent, active interest erating denominations. Weare in missions on the part of the advance. glad to report that the wide- men and boys of the church" inspread appreciation of that first volving the following particu- OUTCOMES OF STUDY CLASSES effort has led to the issuance of lars: Bulletin No. Two, which is over- In the setting of the subject flowing with stimulating sugges- 1. The recognition of the privilege tions for all departments of and duty of sharing the Lord Jesus matter in this Department last church life, including that of the Christ with the world through the enpastor. This is mimeographed tire missionary enterprise. month, Bulletin items under the and may be obtained at cost price of twenty-five cents, from 2. A comprehensive educational pro- above heading are particularly Miss Ruth Heinmiller, 2969 gram for the thorough missionary in- West 25th St., Cleveland, Ohio. struction of the men and boys of the apropos. The contributor, Mrs. Some idea of the contents may church. be gained from a few of the lead- Phillip H. Waddell Smith, of ing topics, such as: Reading 3. The practice of definite, intelli- Suggestions (detailed informa- gent prayer for missions in general Princeton, N. J., tells us that tion as to the best missionary and especially for the missionary books available for all ages, five agencies of our own church. when her church studied "The large pages being devoted to this a Ion e); Missionary Movies; 4. The actual support of some spe- Church and the Community," Young People's Work; Mission- cific missionary project which we will ary Education in a State Denom- have as our own and for which we will the text was taken seriously so inational Program; Group Cor- be personally responsible financially. respondences (keeping in contact that a playground for children with definite mission stations) ; 5. The rendering of definite, per- Children's W 0 r k (excellent sonal missionary service as we may of the streets was started with plans); Men's and Women's have opportunity and ability. Work; General Suggestions and one paid worker and daughters Promotion (plans of various de- All men over eighteen years nominations for effectively fur- of .age are eligible to member- of interested parents as helpers. thering work in the whole field ship. Included among the comof missionary education). Such mittees is one to select, supervise The project still continues as a live, usable material as is cov- and handle the correspondence ered by the foregoing outline of some definite project for ac- Summer Bible School with atshould be in the hands of every tive participation. The article local church worker. It repre- in the constitution headed "De- tendance increasing each year. sents literally a "League of De- partments of Service" reads: nominations" under the leader- Children enlisted in the earlier ship of the Prince of Peace. In order for the full realization of the final objective of the League, which years have become, themselves, is that of a growing likeness to Jesus Christ in life and service, the follow- competent helpers, branching ing things shall be emphasized: Bible study and prayer for personal spirit- out into service at homes for ual development; faithful church at- tendance; personal evangelism; Chris- crippled children, and in other tian stewardship; welfare work; Christian fellowship; the work of the projects. At first supported en- [140 ] tirely by women in Mrs. Smith's own church, the enterprise was eventually taken up in coopera- tion by other churches until it now has three paid workers and many volunteers. Each year the handwork is displayed in the show windows of one of the lead- ing stores. .
Another year the problem of the rural church was studied with the result that the women of the Princeton church volun- teered their services in helping near-by country churches, either
EFFECTIVE WAYS OF WORKING
by leading their meetings or 'The Way of Holiness.''' The oring new members, a. Guide helping them plan their work. mottoes are, "I am the Way," Post of "Keep to the Right," One year a summer school was and "In all thy ways acknowl- Proverbs 4: 11-18, with the started and a worker was paid edge Him and He shall direct warning, "Danger! Cur v e s for on condition that mothers of thy paths." Between these two Ahead !" Two guides conducted the country children provide the Scripture verses is their poetic the program. entertainment for her during correlate: November brought the year's her term of service. To every man there openeth study topic, "Japan," with a The study of the Caribbean A way and ways and a way. "Highway Tea Garden," a problem eventuated in making The high soul climbs the High Way, "Cross Road Guide Post"-Luke 24: 13-32-and a topic of "Highsupplies for victims of the hurri- The low soul gropes the Low Way, ways and Byways of Japan," cane in the Dominican Republic. That project, also, still lives on And in between on the misty fiats with guides as in all other meet- The rest drift to and fro. But to every man there openeth in service to mission hospitals in A High Way and a Low, ings of the series. And every man decideth the region. Which way his soul shall go. The December meeting was in charge of the World Wide Guild A NEW MISSION STUDY PLAN The poem for the year is, and continued the study of Ja- The First Presbyterian church "When We Walk with the Crowd pan, with "The Dinner Gong," of Berkeley, California, decided in the Road," by Walter J. Gres- a Guide Post of "Safety First"- under the leadership of their ham, and the Travelers' Song, Psalm 119: 117-and "Youth pastor to assign to each organ- "It Is Glory Just to Walk with Glimpsing New Roads" for the ization and Sunday school de- Him." At the head of each de- program, the guide being a partment a given field or coun- partment is also a stanza of an young woman. try in which the denomination appropriate poem, such as this Burma was the theme for the January session. There were a maintains mission work, in or- for the Missionary: Dak Bun g a low Luncheon, der that old study books, letters, Through desert ways, dark fen and "Grades and Curves" for the pictures, etc., may be examined deep morass, for information. Twenty-three Through jungles, desert ways and Guide Post-Luke 3: 4-6-and a mountain pass, program on "Mountain Trails in assignments were made, some- Build ye the road, falter not nor stay; Burma." Prepare across the earth the King's times more than one group co- White Cross (mission hospioperating on a topic. The study Highway. tal) work was under way in Febculminated in early December in a three-days' exposition, turning And for the Worlef Wide Guild ruary. Luncheon was served at the entire church into a "world" (young women's organization) : "The Wayside Inn"; the Guide Post was "The Emergency Staand displaying the returns from And where the vanguard rest today tion," Luke 10: 25-37; with "Sathe study in booths, pictures, The rear shall camp tomorrow. maritans on the Road" as the graphs, talks, pageants, etc., arranged by different units in the This organization has its peri- subject of the missionary seschurch. Research like this will od of industrial work in the fore- sion. often yield more than cut-and- noon, its luncheon, its business In March the topic is "Chris- session with ensuing song serv- tian Education." Luncheon is dried textbook material. ice, its devotional periods, and scheduled to be served at "The A GOOD UNIFIED PROGRAM finally the missionary program. Half-Way House," with school Your Department Editor re- The luncheons are all shaped up seniors as guests. The Guide ceives repeated requests for in motifs, decorations and menus Post is "One Way Road"-John series of programs, all ready to to the theme for the day: the 14: 6. "A Skyline Drive" will use with adaptations. We are song service is called, "Songs be featured in the program. glad to present a fresh series Along the Way," and the devo- Home Missions will be taken from the woman's society in the tional period is designated the up in April, with a "Roadside First Baptist Church of Santa "Guide Post." At the September Cafe" for the meal, a "Winding Ana, California. It evidences meeting, a box luncheon was Road" Guide Post-Isa. 30: 21careful thought, research and a served as the tourists began, and "Easterners on Western mind to give the very best of "One Year's Journey," and the Roads" at the formal service. one's endeavor to definite King- Guide Post was entitled, "Stop! In May "South India" will be dom building. The subject is, Look! Listen!" with Isaiah 55: featured. There is to be "A Pad- "Christ of the Beckoning Road" ; 6-9 as the keynote. Then fol- dyfield Luncheon" at which rice and as an artistic, faintly lowed the program on "Blazing will undoubtedly be the piece de sketched background for every the Trail." Any pioneer mission- resi'stance. The Guide Post printed page there appears a ary work or the early features of reads, "Dangerous But Passbeautiful highway leading up- endeavor at one station would able," 2 Cor. 11: 24-33, and the ward past a wayside cross. The fit in, with the program leader topic is "Jungle Paths." motif on the first inside page is: termed the Guide. An Americanization meeting "And an highway shall be there, In October came a civics pro- comes in June, the luncheon be- and a way, and it shall be called gram, with a picnic dinner hon- ing termed "Curb Service," the
Guide Post, "No Left Turn"- (dramatization of a month's is- This unique correlation be- Josh. 1: 7, 8-and· the program, sue of the denominational maga- tween program and social fea- "Courtesies of the Road." zine, Missions); "A Study in tures is worth trying and lends itself to much ingenuity, espe- The series closes in July with Darkness and Light" (address cially in communities where the the annual meeting, luncheon to by missionary worker); "Keep- church needs to be the social as be served at "An Alpine Tav- well as the religious center. ern," the Guide Post appropri- ing the Home Fires Burningately placed "At the Summit"- The Annual Campfire and Busi- THE DAY OF PRAYER 2' Tim. 4: 7, 8-and the meeting ness Meeting"; "Candles of the termed "The End of the Trail." March 8th marks that impor- Lord-a Memorial Service for tant event. While ready-made The final poem among the Past Leaders"; "The Farther outlines furnished by denominanumber in this beautiful pro- Lights-a Meteor Shower" (re- tional as well as undenominagram booklet is : ception of gifts for some mission tional organizations render de- station according to ascertained tailed plans in this Department I do not know the road o'er which unnecessary, we wish to stress My feet must run the race, needs). Leaders of these several the importance of more than a meetings were designated as Dis- perfunctory observance. Prayer But I do know though rough it be, furnishes not only our guidance Though steep in many a place, tributors of the Light, Lamp but our dynamic. "Only men Lighters, Projectors, Heralds of and women in personal relation- That He has said: "Sufficient the Star, Torch Bearers, Path- ship with the Holy Spirit receive Is my grace" finders, Bonfire Builders, Search His teachings, feel His power As I go on. Lights, Service Lights, Star and become His effective agents …… Neither plans, however Your editor has no intimate Dust, etc. The officers were clever, nor organizations, howdetails of this series, although listed as Headlights and the cir- ever efficient, can accomplish she knows personally the caliber cle leaders as the Cluster Lights. spiritual results unless they are of the activating membership; spiritually conceived, inspired but it is quite possible that the Mrs. Maude Rose Wellman, and supported." corresponding secretary, Mrs. Charles A. Harp, 419 West the social chairman, writes of Prayer is the tide for which the vessels Washington St., Santa Ana, Cal- the correlated meetings: wait ifornia, might be willing to let her light shine a bit farther if an At the opening birthday rally the Ere they can come to port. And if occasional request were made ac- social feature was termed "Following it be companied by a stamped, self- the Gleam to Our Natal Day," each addressed envelope. entrant being given a symbol indica- The tide is low, how then canst th()u tive of the month in which she was expect COORDINATING SOCIAL AND MIS- born (sketches of snow flakes, fire crackers, roses, etc.) which furnished The treasure ship to see? SIONARY a clue to lead her to the table assigned to that month and decorated corre- Thousands of our invalid or In the woman's society of the spondingly. Appropriate songs and elderly folk may carryon their Granville, Ohio, Baptist Church, jingles for these months were inter- former work by way of the a social hour follows the mis- spersed with the luncheon. Throne, by enlisting as "prayer sionary program; and this year partners" of some efficient misthe unique plan of linking up Some of the other coordinated topics sionary worker, interceding conthemes for the two sessions was were: Following the Gleam over Land stantly for work they have devised. The general topic for and Sea (exhibit of curios from a num- adopted as their own. "Shut-in the year is "Light." The suc- ber of mission fields with demonstra- But Not Shut-out" is the unique cessive missionary programs are ti()ns by costumed hostesses); Through title of a leaflet dealing with this entitled "The Lights of Home- the Orchard (guessing games with method of restoring the joy of Autumn Rally and Luncheon"; fruits); To High Lights of History service to earnest souls in life's "The Searchlight of Christian (character guessing game); Into Erin sidelines. Patriotism" (evening meeting (celebrating St. Patrick's Day); Into jus t before November elec- the Mission Fields; Through a Treas- "Money-that is what I want tions) ; "Oriental Lantern Bear- ure Hunt (for hidden parcels brought to learn from Him above allers in America" (dramatiza- for the donation of gifts), etc. money the cause of so much tion); "Rays of Light from the temptation and sin and s9rrow Sunrise Kingdom" (dramatiza- At the meeting where Japan was and eternal loss; money as it is tion of the study book, "Japa- the topic, "Following the Gleam into received and administered and nese Women Speak"); "In the the Garden" was carried out in the distributed at the feet of Jesus, Light of the Christmas Star" following manner: Leaves were cut the Lord of the Treasury, be- (cantata or dramatic sketch, fol- from paper of an appropriate green comes one of God's choicest chanlowed by social for the Sunday and each leaf bore a letter in the name nels of grace to myself and othschool); "T h e Festival of of some Japanese flower or fruit. To ers."-Andrew Murray. Lights" (all-church dinner in group the letters ()f one word, the reevening, with elaborate program verse side of each letter in a given honoring missionaries and their word was inscribed with a number. families); "The Torch of Wis- For instance all the letters in the word dom-a L i v i n g Magazine" "chrysanthemum" bore the number one on its back, and so on. The groups having the same number worked to- gether to guess the word. After these names of flowers were completed, Jap- anese games were provided-Gomoku, a game similar to our logomachy; Jan Kim Po and a Japanese fish game. The rooms were decorated with Jap- anese lanterns and cherry blossoms made from crepe paper and attached to twigs to suggest a Japanese garden.
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BULLETIN OF The Council of Women for Home Missions ANNE SEESHOLTZ, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, 105 EAST TWENTY-SECOND STREET, NEW YORK ~'~I ~~==~========~====~~ " … of Such an Astonishment" viduals, classes, races, and na- ines he is somebody, he is deceiv- tions. ing himself, for he is nobody; let VVhosoever on ye night of ye In the United States of Amer- everyone bring his own wor,k to nativity of ye young Lord Jesus, the test-then he will have somein ye great snows, shall fare ica the VVorld Day of Prayer thing to boast about on his own Offerings will, unless specially account, and not in comparison forth bearing a succulent bone designated, be divided equally with his fellows. FOR EVERYfor ye loste and lamenting among four missionary projects, ONE WILL HAVE TO BEAR hounde, a wisp of hay for ye namely, Christian literature for HIS OWN LOAD OF RESPONshivering horse, a cloak of warm women and children in Mission SIBILITY.
raiment for ye stranded way- lands, VVomen's Union Christian -From Letter to Galatians, farer, a bundle of faggots for ye colleges of other lands, Religious Moffatt Translation. twittering crone, a flagon of red VVork among students of U. S., ". . . of Such Astonishment" wine for him whose marrow Indian day and boarding school~, withers, a garland of bright ber- and Christian service among MI- Except the.Lord build the house, ries for one who had worn grant laborers and their chil- They labour in vain that build chains, gay arias of lute and dren. [The offerings may be sent it: harp for all huddled birds who directly to the editor for distri- Except the Lord keep the city, thought that song was dead, and The watchman waketh but in divers lush sweet meats for such bution.J babes' faces as peer from lonely It is well for us as we enter vain. And it shall come to pass that windows-to him shall be prof- upon this world-wide prayer and fered and returned gifts of such service to read the excerpt from the mountain of the an astonishment as will rival the St. Paul's letter to the church in Lord's house shall be eshues of the peacock and the har- Galatia from which the theme is tablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be monies of Heaven, so that taken- exalted above the hills though he live to ye greate age- Brothers, you were called to and all nations shall flow into it. when man goes stooping and be free; onl11 do not make your Except the Lord build the house querulous-yet shall he walk up- freedom an opening for the flesh, They labour in vain that build it. right and remembering, as one but serve one another in love. For the entire Law is summed whose heart shines like a greate up in one word, in, You must love star in his breast. you r neighbor as yourself -Source Unknown. (whereas, if you snap at each , Bringe ye all the tithes into the other and prey upon each other, World Day of Prayer for take care in case you destroy one storehouse Missions another) ….. . That there may be meat in mine the First Friday in Lent The harvest of the Spirit is house, March 8, 1935 love, joy, peace, good, temper, And prove me now herewith, The theme for the day's medi- kindliness, generosity, fidelity, saith the Lord of Hosts, tation and prayer throughout gentleness, self-control: – there the world is "Bear ye one anoth- is no law against those who prac- And prove me now herewith, if er's burdens." Together the I will not open you the world on this day will be pray- tice such things . …. .As we live windows of heaven and ing for the missionary enter- by the Spirit, let us be guided. by pour out a blessing that prise and for all who share the Spirit; let us have no vamty, therein; for a quickened con- no provoking, no envy of one an- there shall not be room science toward the world's bur- other. Even if anyone is detected enough, that there shall den bearers; for courage to in some trespass, brothers, you stand for the right and willing- not be room enough to reness to accept the sacrifices in- are spiritual, 'you must set the of- ceive it. fender right in a spirit of gentle- .Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse ness; let each look to himself, in And prove me now herewith case he too is tempted. BEAR saith the Lord of hosts.
volved for us all in the building ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS, The above scriptural song, written of a better world; for justice AND SO FULFILL THE LAW by James G. MacDermid, is published and understanding among indi- in two keys by Forster, 218 South OF CHRIST. 1/ anyone imag- Wabash, Chicago. 40 cents. , [143 ]
MIGRANT CENTER BASEBALL TEAM WAITING TO BE FED I found the little fellow in an old dark stall. I could just make out his DEAR FRIENDS: the active cooperation of State form lying in bed. The father brought out an old kerosene lamp which helped. Those of you who are meeting Departments of Education and I could see he was critically ill and on this WorId Day of· Prayer are Health. that if he made the long 35-mile trip among the best friends of the over the mountain to the hospital, it migrant children. Much has At the Christian centers in might be too late, but that was his been accomplished in Migrant many camps, hundreds of chil- only chance. This suggestion terrified Work this last year. Your gifts dren not only were protected the mother. "But he too sick; I'm on the last WorId Day of Prayer afraid he die! Only two months ago, helped tremendously. Cooperat- from exposure in the fields and little Mary die with pneumonia while ing on State Labor Standards the dangers 'of cannery machin- we are 'in cots.' " Committees, and through the ery, but they grew stronger Federal Children's Bureau and physically and spiritually. You Finally she consented. Typhoidsimilar bodies, the Council of cannot imagine how we have pneumonia was the diagnosis. For Women for Home Missions has days the doctors held out no hope for worked on various phases of the struggled to carryon within the his recovery. Then he began to imsituation, such as hours, wages, budget. It has meant volunteer prove slowly and soon was out of danand child labor. Those employed service on the part of many ger. Surely a loving Father watches in agriculture are still unpro- young women and the doing over and cares for these little wandertected by the codes that have be- ers. come effective in so many lines without much needed equipment. of work. Carrying a program for 40 or 50 Faithfully yours, While at work on the problem children, ranging in age from in- COUNCIL OF WOMEN FOR fancy to 9 or 10 years, through- HOME MISSIONS. itself, the Christian social serv- out a 12-hour day, is not easy. Our youngest was 21 days old! *** ice has gone forward with rather remarkable success in 30 fields In the evenings and on Sundays, DEAR FRIENDS: in 11 states, with increasing co- the young people and adults need operation of employers and local leadership. A visitor at a center Please remember me, toogroups in migrant areas. We Indian American Youth. have in mind one field in particu- marveled at the accomplishlar. Three years ago we entered ments and her comment was, REBECCA EVANS the Connecticut Valley tobacco "So much with so little " Miss Winner of the Health and Beauty Contest, situation when many leaders in Barnes, who is known as the that area declared there was no' "angel of the cotton camps," Indian Presbyterian, U. S. A., MisSion, need for work. Last summer writes: Ganado, Arizona these leaders not only recognized the need but provided for a pro- Late one afternoon as I was hurry- We of the Church whO work gram on four plantations instead ing home, some one stopped me. In an with the Indian American are of one. In two states this past old barn a short distance away; a little learning that ours must be a year, for the first time, we had boy was very ill. With a sigh of relief ministry to the whole personal- the mother greeted me for we had met ity. Our pattern is "the beauty the year before "in peas." "My little and grace of the Lord Jesus boy, he have too much fever and talk Christ." too much at night. He been sick ten days. We took him once to doctor but have no money to take him back. The doctor say he too sick, should send for him earlier but we have no money."
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1 OUf W orld~wide Outlook ~1,1, ~-, A Missionary Newspaper of Current Events ~ NORTH AMERICA WJBK-Detroit, Mich. Isaacs, retired clothing manufac- Need for Home Missions WIP-Philadelphia, Pa. turer, left about $875,000 out- Let those who assert there is right to sixteen Catholic, Jewish KQV-Pittsburg, Pa. and Protestant welfare agencies WPRO-Providence, R. I.
WHBF-Rock Island, Ill. WIL-St. Louis, Mo. no need for home missions pon- which is divided between the folder the following: The Home WTNJ-Trenton, N. J. lowing institutions: Federation Missions Council recently re- WOL-Washington, D. C. for the Support of Jewish Philported that there are 10,000 vil- WIXBS-Waterbury, Conn. anthropic Societies; Brooklyn lages in the United States with- These programs will inform Federation of Jewish Charities; out a church of any kind. There and interest people in the world- Catholic Charities of the Archare thirty thousand villages wide program of Christianity. diocese of New York; Federawithout a resident pastor. There Internationally known men and tion of Protestant WeI far e are more than thirteen million women will speak out of their ex- Agencies; New York Guild for North American children, under perience of Christil:m work all the Jewish Blind; Hebrew Natwelve years of age, who are not over the world and outstanding tional Orphan Home; The Cath- missionaries and Christian na- olic Guardian Society; Associain church or Sunday school. tionals of other lands will give tion to Aid Crippled Children; Kentucky Mountaineers vital messages, news events, and New York Institution for the In- answer questions. Comments struction of the Deaf and Dumb; Clear Creek M 0 u n t a i n and suggestions on these pro- Young Men's Hebrew Associa- Springs, Inc., with Dr. L. C. grams will be heartily welcomed. tion of Borough Park; Camp Kelly of Pineville, Ky., as Presi- Inquiries should be addressed to Sussex, Inc.; Harlem Home of dent, is an organization designed your nearest station. the Daughters of Israel; United to help mountain people of Ken- Jewish Aid Society; St. Pattucky. (See page 232 May RE- A Forward Movement rick's Home for the Aged and VIEW.) During the past summer Infirm; Society for the Relief of a school was held which reached Plans for a forward movement Half Orphans and Destitute in 1,200 people. A camp for boys of sweeping proportions, aimed the City of New York. had an attendance of 185, and a to revitalize and invigorate the camp for girls had an attendance missions of the Protestant Epis- A Children's Church of 145. For four weeks a moun- copal Church, were adopted at a tain preachers' school brought meeting of the Joint Commis- An i n t e r den 0 min atogether sixty ministers, from sion. The movement aims to re- tional church, with its memberfifteen district associations. vitalize the spiritual life of the ship made up exclusively of church in every branch of its children, has been organized at -Watchman-Examiner. work. the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio. Missions on the Radio Each church member will be It is believed to be the first of urged to live up to his full re- its kind. Chaplain C. C. Haukins Through the courtesy of the sponsibilities as a Christian dis- has spent ten years of research American Broadcasting System ciple, by regular prayer and in planning its organization. the Foreign Missions Confer- meditation, sincere repentance, ence of North America is spon- unfailing attendance at worship, A committee of chi I d r e n, soring a 15 minute program on outpouring of money and serv- guided by Chaplain Haukins, Friday afternoons at 3 o'clock, ice. No new organization is to wrote the Constitution of this Eastern Standard Time, known be set up; the work will be "Community Church for Chrisas the "World of Missions." This through existing departments. tian Youth," and it will be afprogram is available on the fol- filiated with the Community lowing stations: -The Churchman. Church Workers of the U. S. A.
WMCA-New York City. Unusual Jewish Bequest The executive secretary of that WABY-Albany, N. Y. organization, Richard E. Shields, WCBM-Baltimore, Md. Protestant, Catholic and J ew- has given personal attention to WHDH-Boston, Mass. ish charities r e c e i v e d their the development of the plan and WEHR-Buffalo, N. Y. largest Christmas gift when the was present at the installation WJJD-Chicago, Ill. will of Reuben M. Isaacs was probated December 24. Mr. of officers. More than 100 chil- WFBE-Cincinnati, Ohio. dren are charter members. WDEL-Wilmington, Del.
[145 ]
Medical Missions Conference sider Christian missions as a sep- on the opening Sunday, preached arate project, without any par- by a visiting minister, was on Under the auspices of the For- ticular relationship to the local "How Large Is Your World?" eign Missions Conference sev- parish program but no church this being a background for enty-five doctors and nurses can remain vigorous in a spir- eight nights' study of "Christ in from more than twelve foreign itual sense and surrender its Our Modern World." Ruth T. countries met for their fifth bien- vision of its world-wide mis- Fulton, in a statement sent to nial Medical Missions Confer- sion." the Missionary Education Moveence in New York City, Decem- ment, says: ber 13-15. Papers were pre- Islam' in America sented on tropical and oriental At 4: 30 p. m. the curtains of our diseases, preventive medicine The Moorish Science Temple small world and individual prejudices and the health problem of wom- of America is a national organ- were pushed back to welcome to the en candidates and missionaries. ization, founded by Noble Drew Home a colored girls' quartet (brought The way in which different gov- Ali with religious, social and hu- from a near-by school) who had come ernments view the missionary manitarian purposes; among to give our opening program at night physician ranges from definite other beliefs they maintain that at the School of Missions. Langdon restrictions, as in Turkey, to ap- Noble Drew Ali was a prophet girls for the most part erased lingerproval with financial coopera- descended from Mohammed and ing and long-felt race feelings, evition, as in Congo BeIge. Resolu- guided by his Father God Allah; denced by the desire to meet these tions adopted by the conference that colored people and Moors girls of a duskier skin and eat with called for a concerted effort to descended from ancient Moab- them. There were still, however, bring church members to a ites, who left the North Western those who emphatically said, "My deeper appreciation of the "min- and South Western shores of Af- mother taught me never to associate istry of healing"; of the impor- rica; that the names colored with them," or, "I certainly don't tance of establishing more med- folks, black people or Ethiopians want to eat with them"; and so these ical colleges to train native phy- and Negroes are misnomers, be- looked with rather disapproving wonsicians, because of the decrease ing names applied to slaves by der upon our upper classmen who ate in the numbers of Western doc- slave holders; that Friday is a with the interesting guests. tors entering the service; of the holy day of rest; that love, advisability of having hospital truth, peace, freedom and j us- At the ensuing evening church management trend toward local tice must be proclaimed and service the small town turned control and of the necessity of practiced. out almost en masse to hear the having the Christian Church concert, at least a hundred peomaintain its leadership in for- The organization has more ple standing for an hour and a eign hospital work. than 100,000 members in this half listening to "naIvely worded country who pay 50 cents a and strongly rhythmical spirit- Some Impressions in Mid-West month to local temples, and 25 uals." So warm was the wel- cents a month to the national coming feeling that even the girl Rev. Wilbur S. Derning re- body. Trouble recently arose in who quoted her mother's advice cently paid a visit to the Con- Moorish Science Temple number said, the following morning, "1 gregational Christian Churches 10 in Newark, N. J., over the don't have any race prejudice of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin payment of contributions to the any more." All the girls had and Missouri, speaking in 71 "reincarnated" Noble Drew Ali felt their world enlarge greatly. centers. He enumerates in Ad- when it was asserted the prophvance some of the impressions et "departed from this life in Crowds came so early to the received. The first impression the year 1929 and his return to study classes that a preliminary concerned the effectiveness with this earth is impossible in that song service had to be arranged which state organizations are short space of time, according to to fill the time of waiting. A working. He also found unity recognized conceptions of the grand pageant closed the school in the midst of diversity. Some Moorish Science T e m pie of on the eighth night. The total churches minister to rural, oth- America." -Moslem World. enrolment had been 429 (in a ers to urban and suburban small place) with an average atareas; some struggle with in- Mission Study Downs Race tendance of 308 over 175 the dustrial problems and shifting Prejudice year before. "Denominational populations, yet there was a high walls crumbled at least to common Christian fellowship At Mt. Vernon, Kentucky- the place where we can stand on and Dr. Derning was greatly im- the seat of Langdon Memorial foundations and join hands in a pressed by the sympathetic hear- Home, maintained by the Pres- completely united effort to face ing given to the missionary mes- byterian Board of National Mis- common world problems tosage. "I am fully convinced," sions for girls of the surround- gether and begin our practice of says Dr. Derning, "that the spir- ing region attending school at brotherhood in our own comitual health of a church and its Mt. Vernon-a c omm u n i ty munity." mISSIOnary horizon are closely school of missions was held last connected. Some may still con- year which had most valuable LATIN AMERICA corollaries. The morning sermon Putting Pressure on Mexico Three Protestant denomina- tional papers recently made
OUR WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
stern protest against persecu- they could not read. Occasionally an ligious and social field; and (c) tion in Mexico. The Christian enemy was found. Anything which the Council of Religious Educa- Advocate, of the Met hod is t took the mind away from work did not tion, whose end is to promote co- Church, South: "The govern- meet with the supervisor's approval. operation, especially in the ment has struck hard at the One of our converts, a tall Guaiqueri sphere of religious education. Church, with the result that re- Indian, told me of his experience in ligious freedom and education Maracaibo. He was almost over- Leper Colony in Paraguay are imperiled. . . . Any nation whelmed one morning as he saw the which limits the freedom of reli- sin and vice on every hand, following Paraguay has set aside 2,500 gion and of education to teach in the wake of the oil boom. Later he acres of land about 75 miles the truth, and establish moral noticed one of his countrymen pass by from Asuncion to be used as a principles in the minds of the with a Bible and hymnal in his hand leper colony. Initial plans call people turns back the clock of and saw him enter the Evangelical for the construction of 36 cottime, and invites the return of Church. He thought of the times tages. For this work and for the Dark Ages." when he had buried his arms in de- the cleaning up of the land the cayed oysters in an old hull and government is at present using The Lutheran: "Lutherans of brought up shining pearls; so these Bolivian prisoners. Plans pro- America will not approve the en- human gems, he thought, are reached vide also for the construction of forced displacement of the Chris- by Christ's arms and are brought up a general hospital, a laboratory tian religion by atheism. . . . out of the corruption of sin. and other necessary buildings. We have sympathy for the vic- This will furnish refuge not only tims of Mexican politicians and Federation in Brazil to the lepers in Paraguay, of we believe a godless government which perhaps there are more a dangerous neighbor of our own Progressive efforts tow a r d than 5,000, but also to the many nation." Protestant cooperation have been others on the continent who may made in Brazil during the last 30 be able to go there. The New Outlook, Un i ted years. In 1903 the Brazilian Church of Canada: "A fanatic Evangelical Alliance was organ- Dr. Webster E. Browning, strain marks the group now in ized; in 1910 the Evangelical after a careful survey, estimates power at the Mexican capital, Council of Religious Education that there are more than 75,000 and it is doubtful whether the was formed. As a result of the lepers in South America, not protest of the outside Churches Panama Congress in 1916, the more than 5,000 of whom are will have any salutary effect at Brazilian Committee on Coop- cared for in any institution. the moment. . . . The ineradi- eration in Christian Work was The new colony is under the gencable religious impulses of the formed, one of the most effective eral direction of the council of human heart will ultimately pieces of constructive work yet the medical faculty of the Namean the restoration to the done in Brazil. The Federation tional university, and Dr. John Catholic Church of the free of Evangelical Churches was or- Hay has been named director. exercise of its rights and teach- ganized in 1931. Almost the last ings." work of Rev. Erasmo Braga who -The Christian Century. died in 1932 was to outline in Other periodicals – Rom a n clear terms the sphere of serv- Birth of an Indian Church Catholic, Hebrew and Protestant ice for each of these organiza- -have also voiced vigorous pro- tions. A plan was submitted in The Inland South America tests. December, 1933, to all cooper- Missionary Union reports prog- ating societies, embodying a con- ress in evangelizing the Forest Pearl Fishers of Venezuela stitution for "The Evangelical Indians of South America. Bur- Confederation of BraziL" Five ity is a colony of 400 Terena In- Rev. Donald Turner, of the of these denominational bodies dians, and two years ago Mr. and Orinoco River Mission, has been met in 1934 and approved the Mrs. William Hunrichs spent working among the pearl fishers plan. The two Bible Societies, seven months among them. of Venezuela, with the help of the British and Foreign and the Later, a school was organized. the National Bible Society of American, and several cooper- Except for occasional visits, the Scotland. In the Quarterly Rec- ating societies and foreign mis- work is now in the care of naord of that Society he gives a sion boards likewise gave their tive pastors from Bananal, 100 glimpse of this work. approval. On June 19, the body miles away. was definitely organized. The In the Dio8 Te Salve we sailed for constitution provides that "the This embryonic church is a the pearl fishers' huts along the coast three departments of the Con- missionary force and the memof the Carribean. We had not been federation are as follows: (a) bers have been preaching among out long before we appreciated the The C 0 u n c i I of Evangelical the scattered white farmers, meaning of the boat's name, "May God Churches of Brazil, for the pur- many of whom have accepted the save you." The sailors sighted several pose of publicly representing Gospel. One man, a leader of sharks, one almost as long as our boat. Protestantism and treating of evident strength of character, Soon we landed at Las Maritas. As matters pertaining to inter-ec- tells an amazing story of sufferwe went from one palm hut to another clesiastical relations; (b) the ing from witchcraft and demon offering Scriptures we were given va- Council of Cooperation, whose possession from which he has rious receptions. Some took the litera- object is to attend to general in- been entirely liberated since acture eagerly, saying that they had terests of cooperation in the reread such before and liked the Gospel. Others were indifferent, and said that
cepting the Gospel, brought by ders have been busy planting preserved and continue to funcone of the Indians from the col- tion. ony of Burity. Oriental branches of their or- Because of the difficulty of get- -Amazon Valley Indian. ders. These have adopted the ting money out of Germany to the foreign mission fields, the EUROPE eastern ritual, a thing which is Executive Committee was re- quested to notify the Church German Missions in Difficulty unique in the history of the through the press not to send any gifts for foreign missions to The annual report of the Leip- Catholic Church. Novitiates on Germany. American contribuzig Mission: tors may send gifts to Dr. Ralph the Russian border of Poland H. Long, Director of the Na- "The great changes in State tional Lutheran Council, 39 East and Church in Germany cannot are holding themselves in readi- 35th Street, New York City, and for long leave the missionary so- friends in non-German countries cieties untouched. They too will ness for the coming work in of Europe may send to Dr. Alhave to undergo changes in cer- fred T. Jorgensen, Vendergades tain aspects. With this in mind, Russia. Table lessons are read 28, Copenhagen, Denmark. the leaders of the German missionary societies are endeavor- in four Slav languages by turns The third Lutheran WorId ing to prepare the way for great- Convention will be held in Paris, er unification of the missionary and in the chapel the mass is in October 13-20, 1935. life, but this will not be possible until the Church itself has found Russian, as well as the calenda"r. Protestants in Italy a fixed form. In 1930 the conversions had Protestants, who are also "In a quiet way the Leipzig called Evangelicals, in Italy are and the Neuendettelsau Missions mounted to 300. C. T. B. not so weak numerically as many have taken an important step to- may believe. The government ward closer cooperation at the Lutheran World Convention census of 1911 estimated their home base and to divide all gifts number as 123,000. Since that received for both corporations The annual meeting of the time no religious census has been on the basis of a fixed ratio so as Executive Committee of the taken, but at present one may to prevent rivalry. It is hoped Lutheran World Convention for safely estimate the number of that by means of this collabora- 1934 was held November 12-20 Protestants as 200,000 communition the love of the Bavarian at Munich, Germany. Luther- cants. If we include catechumens, congregations for missions may ans of Munich declared that the sympathizers and other friends, be strengthened. mere appearance of the Execu- this number would be much tive Committee at this time for larger. "The missions are grievously a meeting in Germany was a affected by the contests now tak- source of helpful moral support Mussolini has written to all ing place in the Church and educators in Italy, according to there is danger that the missions to them in view of the issues the Watchman-Examiner, recomwill be ground between the exist- they have to meet. Enthusiasm mending the use of the New ing antitheses." shown by students and profes- Testament as follows: sors at a meeting of the Commit- Roman Catholic Methods tee at the University of Munich All professors and teachers shall attested the support of academic read the New Testament, shall ex- The Evanglisiches Missions- circles; while the farmers of plain this divine book to the children, magazin (Basel) reports on new Bavaria showed where they and see to it that they memorize the missionary methods employed stand when they sent a delega- best passages. This wok shall not be by the Roman Catholic Church. tion to Berlin to confer with Hit- missing in any school library, for it is F. X. Schrenck discusses the ler about pending issues, to ever new throughout the centuries. It question of a coming union be- whom unafraid, they said: "If is the greatest of all books, the most tween the Roman Catholic ''and the choice is between party and necessary of all books, because it is the Greek Orthodox Churches. ' church, although we have hither- divine. The national government de- to been loyal members of your sires by it tQ capture the children, and Pope Benedict XV founded a party, we choose the Church, for through them the soul of the Italian -p a par congregation separate we must obey God rather than people, for the discovery of the sure from the Propaganda, for the man." way which will lead the Fatherland Oriental churches. Next, Pius to the worthiest and truest greatness. XI founded the "Oriental Insti- The physical and spiritual distute" for the cultivation of ori- tress of Russian Lutherans, and Peasant Youth Movement ental sciences. In 1928 occurred the crisis upon Austrian Protesthe founding of the Russian Col- tants were considered. Other Last summer, in a small Eslege in Rome, the school for fu- vital problems were the plight of thonian village, the first conferture missionaries. minority Christian churches in ence of the Student Christian Rumania, and of most churches Movement in Esthonia was or- The most striking recent de- in the smaller countries border- ganized for the Russian peasant velopment is that occidental or- ing on Soviet Russia, from Fin- youth of that country. land on the North to the Black The response was extraor- Sea and Rumania on the South. The success of the Protestant movement in Ukrainia, already mentioned in the REVIEW, was ground for real encouragement.
Important missions i'n India, China and Africa, f 0 u n d e d through Lutheran Missionary Societies in Germany, have been
OUR WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
dinary. There were about 70 Symbolic Substitution year before. So it proved, when members present, of whom If present plans mature, by all the gifts came in. more than 50 were Russian -Woman's Missionary peasants, boys and girls, who 1937 ltussia will have a colossal Magazine. came from various parts of Es- symbol of the substitution of the thonia. Subjects discussed in- religion of communism for the Missionary Becomes an cluded: the Soul of the Russian religion of Christ, and of the Ethiopian Nation; Religion and Culture; the Life and Beliefs of Youth in deification of Lenin for the wor- Dr. Tom Lambie, well-known Soviet Russia, and Science and ship of God. Ground was broken medical missionary of the Sudan Religion. Daily church services last summer and construction Interior Mission, who worked were attended by large numbers was begun for the "Palace of the among Ethiopians for 30 years of peasants. Soviets," in Moscow, to occupy under the United Presbyterian Church, has decided that he can As a result of this conference the site where formerly stood the best present the Christian mesa Russian Christian Peasant world famous Cathedral of the sage by becoming an Ethiopian Youth M 0 vern e n t has been Saviour. It was demolished by citizen. Accordingly he has created, which has as its object: dynamite by government decree taken the oath of allegiance to shortly before Christmas three years ago. The structure will 1. To help its members to build their house the Soviet Congress, vari- His Majesty, Heila Selassie. private lives and the life of the Community on the foundation of Christian ous departments of government "Because of my love for Ethitruths. and two immense amphitheatres. opia," says Dr. Lambie, "because The building is planned to rise to 2. To organize missionary w 0 r k of my sincere desire to help her, among the unbelieving peasant youth. a height of 1,100 feet, 112 feet and because I believe that ac- 3. To assist one another in spiritual higher than the Empire State quiring Ethiopian citizenship is and cultural development. Building, so as to form a mighty the best thing I can do to further pedestal for a statue of Lenin the ends for which I have On the Polish-Russian Frontier that will rise 260 feet higher. worked for nearly 30 years, I do -Missions. now voluntarily become an Ethi- Rev. K. J. Jaroszewicz, as a opian citizen. representative of the Union of AFRICA Churches of Christ, spent the "I realize that there is an elepast summer in Poland and on Blind Evangelis,t's Faith ment of risk; that no matter what happens to me, I cannot apthe Russian border. The 40 con- Maallim Aziz, a blind evan- peal for American protection or ferences held were great evan- gelist in Assiut, Egypt, who died assistance, even in a matter of gelistic gatherings at which 100,- last year, was a man of unusual life or death, but I am prepared 000 heard the Gospel. Hunger character and influence. His work was akin to that of a Bible- to take that risk if it might be for the Word is best described woman; being blind, he could true, that to the Ethiopians I by the following incident which visit in the homes, and visit he might become as an Ethiopian, was a typical experience. that I might win the Ethiopians Arriving at Pinsk very late Satur- did with great faithfulness. He to Christ. day night, the local preacher tried to had a singular disregard for "To our friends in America hide us from the crowd which was al- money. One family was so apready on hand for the meetings of the preciative of his work that they and elsewhere, I need hardly add next day. He told the people that insisted he should make them a that I venture the hope that rethey could remain in the chapel over weekly visit for which they lationships •with them will be night, to sing, pray, talk and read the would pay him a dollar a month. even closer than ever. It will Bible, and that the first meeting would After a while he felt he was not not prevent visiting America start early in the morning. free to follow God's leading in whenever we wi.sh. As Paul the use of his time owing to this writes to the Philippians, our We went into the barn on the hay engagement. "I am a poor citizenship in in heaven from to try to get some sleep, but by the man," he said. My communion whence also we look for a Savtime we had nicely fixed ourselves the with God is the only treasure I iour." visitors discovered where we were. have. I cannot afford to give it These exclamations followed: "We up for a dollar." -United Presbyterian. have been waiting so long for you. It is not right that you should lie down In 1932 it seemed impossible A Missionary's Interruptions in sleep .while we have been waiting that the 'Assiut Thank-Offering three years for you!" There was noth- could equal that of the previous Those who offer prayers for ing to do but to climb out of the hay year in view of the financial de- missionaries should petition that and go to the chapel and preach to they may keep their poise in the them. When our host came in the midst of interruptions. A mismorning to call us we were in the chapel still. He took us home and gave us a little breakfast and about two hours of rest. The first service pression, and plans were made sionary in West Africa who sat started at 8 a. m. and closed at 1 p. m., for curtailing the work. Then with a full hundred converts. Aziz asked that such plans be down on a "normal" morning to type a letter home mentions the Everywhere one plea stood held in abeyance, saying he had following interruptions which out above the rest. It was for long been praying that the of- occurred before the letter was Bibles and missionaries. fering would not be less than the finished:
(1) An old faithful Christian comes out assistance from the Church WESTERN ASIA to discuss the boundary of his farm; Missionary Society. the local king is not settling the ques- The New Palestine tion as he should. (2) Two sawyers New Church in Tanganyika who have supplied timber for the While ancient Palestine may crafts come for payment and haggle The town which is, or will soon still be seen, a new Palestine for half an hour. (3) A deputation become the most important town with modern roads, farms and comes twelve miles to discuss the sit- on the east coast of Africa is factories is gradually emerging, uation caused by the death of the late Dar-es-Salaam, seat of govern- a transformation due to the comchief, and the difficulties arising from ment of Tanganyika Territory. ing of Jewish immigrants from the three claimants to the office. (4) The Episcopal Mission forces Europe and America. The J ew- A smaller deputation wants to know have just com pIe ted a new ish popUlation of Palestine has why their pupil teacher has been taken church there, for which the doubled in ten years. There are away, and requires proof that one can- Bishop of Zanzibar has been col- today more than 150 Jewish setnot have what one does not pay for. lecting funds for many years, tlements. Agriculture is being (5) I am called to the District Officer's from both Europeans and Afri- modernized, commerce stimucourt, where a young teacher is be- cans. The new church will be lated, and factories are built. ing prosecuted for libeling another used by both groups, in separate The country now claims fourth teacher. (6) The head master of the services, English and Swahili. place in the world market for lower middle school comes in with a The opening service was at- oranges. The Jordan's rapid question. (7) A youth who complains tended by the Governor and waters supply the country with that he is ill has to have his tempera- many other dignitaries, English electric energy, and even the ture taken and a dose administered. and African, and the form of Dead Sea yields through a scien- (8) Two ladies come to stay the week- service was printed in two lan- tific exploitation of its chemicals end, and to hold meetings. guages. Zanzibar is one of four a yearly income of millions of dioceses making up the field of dollars. The great majority of -C. M. S. Outlook. the Universities Mission to Cen- these Jews have little or no in- tral Africa. terest in religion; many openly African Enterprise declare their radical atheism. "Dorkasy" Society The story of two instances of – Watchman-Examiner. initiative comes from Kabete dis- The woman of Madagascar trict in Kenya. A school was has attained wide freedom; she In the Land of Bashan burned by a man who had op- reigns in her home, equally with posed the teaching of the Gospel. her husband, who often seeks her Mr. Arthur T. Upson who has Work was suspended for only advice. She also holds the fam- had a long experience in distribone day; on the second day it re- ily purse. uting Christian literature, espeopened under the trees where cially among Moslems, is now livfor some weeks school and serv- Attached to a I m 0 s t every ing in Nazareth. He recently ices were held. Meanwhile re- church is a Dorkasy, which is made a trip to the territory of building started almost at once. what the name suggests-a sew- Og, king of Bashan, lying in The Christian elders of the ing society. M e e tin g s are eastern Syria. In his account of church each offered what he usually held once a week to sew the trip he says: could towards the rebuilding- and work for the poor, and to one offered to give wattle trees, prepare for an annual sale of I preached in Arabic ten times in another stone, another nails, work, quite an elaborate affair. all, and in the various villages made others free labor. They then At these weekly meetings a short careful distribution of portions to sent a letter to all the other service is frequently held. These selected persons. On arriving at the churches in the Kab.ete district, societies each have their own house in a Druze village where the asking for help by work and by president, secretary and treas- meeting was to be held we found a gifts. In six weeks they had urer. Besides the weekly pay- very large room which easily accomraised a fund of over £15, suffi- ment which each member is sup- modated our audience of 60 or 70 percient to guarantee a better build- posed to pay, there are many sons. In the old Syrian style, a whole ing than the original. items of expense to be entered house consists of one such large room. week by week. Each Dorkasy No chairs, bedsteads, etc., are to be In another district there was is responsible for the expendi- found in these villages. Preacher and no church or school nearer than ture of its own money, and many hearers alike recline on rugs, some about six miles. A Christian causes receive assistance_ from supporting themselves on the right elder gave a plot of land and all them. The native missionary so- arm which rests on a pile of cushions. the wattle trees necessary for a ciety is helped twice a year; The audience formed three sides of a school-church, and undertook there are twenty-two native mis- square, facing us on the fourth side. full responsibility for the Sun- sionaries in the heathen parts of day services as soon as the the island, and the native church In one town, where three services church should be built. Every has supported this work for were held, a descendant of one of the school in the district gave its many years. -The Chronicle. old high Syrian families-now a fairly services and helped to build, and poor man-was given a copy of the when it was ready to be opened "Way of Salvation." Next night he there were sufficient funds in came again and told us he was sick of hand to equip it with a teacher a sinful life and wished to find the for one year. Both these proj- way of salvation. After the service ects were carried through with- we talked and prayed with him and his wife. At our third visit–a few days later-he told of his new joy in
OUR WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
finding Christ and that he now offers Great Britain's Inter – Varsity menial tasks, such as tending to a little family prayer with his wife. Fellowship, with two Indian the cattle, pounding the grain graduates, is m a kin g a six and sweeping the house. But -Scripture Gift Mission months' tour of the colleges, not she was a real Christian, and News. to start branches of the Fellow- these high caste people watching ship in India, but to share with her, were won by her faithful- Armenian Bible Centenary the students the experience of ness. The young woman who students in other parts of the led them to Christ and the girl A unique celebration among world who, having come into of the caste family have just enanniversaries and centennials vital touch with the Living tered the Bible Training School was held in New York City, De- Christ, are putting their shoul- in Nellore to train for definite cember 9. The year 1934 is re- ders to the missionary task. service. The caste girl is about garded as the 1500th anniver- twenty years old. She was marsary of the translation of the Proportion of Missionaries ried at the age of seven, and her whole Bible into Armenian. In husband died when she was nine. 434 A. D., two vigorous Arme- The United Church Record She is in the school, eating, sleepnians, Mesrop, tea c her and gives the percentage of mission- ing and living with those of the priest; and Sahak, a Patriarch, aries to the population of India. depressed classes." with the help of others, completed this first translation. BOMBAY PRESIDENCY: – Watchman-Examiner. They also inspired the translation of other works, stimulated One missionary to every 37,575 In- Pasumalai's Growth education, and brought about a dian population. renaissance of national religious Lloyd Lorbeer, manager of the and intellectual life that has in- UNITED PROVINCES: Congregational Training School fluenced all the varied history of at Pasumalai, writes that enrol- Armenia and the Armenians. One missionary to every 66,956 In- ment increased to 912 last year, The recent celebration was spon- dian population. and the increase was largely sored by the American Bible So- Hindu and Moslem. Parents ciety. -The Living Church. CENTRAL PROVINCES: appreciate more and more the home for their children where INDIA One missionary to every 42,639 In- they are surrounded twenty-four dian population. hours a day with a wholesome re- Need for Forward Movement ligious environment; there is no PUNJAB: caste or communal distinction. Red terror which oppresses Girls are increasing in numbers China is not lacking in India. One missionary to every 60,690 In- and in participation in school af- The Central Government has dian population. fairs, and eight of the forty-five warned provincial authorities to teachers are women. More boys take swift and stern action, and BURMA: are working to earn part of their Calcutta leads with mass demon- expenses, and work is being strations to strengthen the hands One missionary to ev~ry 37,700 In- looked upon more as a privilege. of authority. A more urgent, dian population. An ever larger portion of the evangelistic presentation of financial support is coming from Christianity to meet India's pres- MADRAS: Indian sources and the school ent need is the subject of impor- has become thoroughly indigetant articles in the Indian press. One missionary to every 41,124 In- nous. -Missionary Herald. Mass movements also are crit- dian population. ically surveyed, and the conclu- Roadside Dispensaries sion is reached that unless the CEYLON: converts receive systematic in- In a radio address, Dr. Ida struction and Church care after One missionary to every 32,973 In- Scudder told of the roadside disbaptism their value to the dian population. pensary work undertaken by the Church is largely negatived. At medical force in Vellore to meet Landour, the United Church of RAJPUTANA: the great need of neighboring Canada, American Presbyterian villages. This was begun in Mission, and the Methodist Epis- One missionary to every 14,363 In- 1909. copal Mission have been in con- dian population. ference, discussing the principles The people had been informed that of the indigenous expansion of CENTRAL INDIA: at an appointed time the following the Church. Practically all In- week medicines would be dispensed dian missions are grappling with One missionary to every 75,171 In- and anyone needing medical help the problem of bringing Indian dian population. would receive it-but the person must Christians to a realization of be along the roadside and hold up a their responsibility for evangel- However, these figures do not bottle if help were desired. The folizing their own people. tell the whole story, since half of lowing week we started forth in a the missionaries are engaged in one cylinder motor car-the only one Dr. Howard Guinness, of medical, educational and indus- at that time in our vicinity. The road trial work, thus giving to each was lined for its twenty-eight miles evangelistic missionary twice the number of population above specified.
Servant Wins Caste Family "On the Vinukonda fie I d, South India, there is a Kamma family which became Christian about two years ago, and are proof of the power of God," writes Florence Rowland, Bap- tist missionary of Ramapatnam. "They had had in their home an outcaste Christian, who did the
with the sick stretching forth their They readily grasped the essen- tion of a more Christian organbottles. In one way it was amusing, at the same time very pathetic. It tials of orderly debate. ization of the Chinese economic The chief problems w h i c h system, missionaries in Nanking showed the distress and the necessity for such help. After that trip, nine faced the conference were (1) are undertaking a new experi- stopping places were planned under the supply of the Tibetan min- ment. Silk weavers, thrown out great over-spreading trees where the sick could gather and wait for the istry, (2) the augmentation of of work by changing conditions, medical motor car. Now each week the staff of evangelists, (3) the are being taught to weave wool; the blind, the lame, the diseased of all reestablishing of the West Hima- and in addition to the technical kinds and the lepers are waiting for laya Local Board, (4) the revi- training a cooperative society of us. They come in hundreds, and the sion of rules and regulations the workers is being formed to days are filled with extreme activity. which grew out of past experi- share the profits. A further de- ence gathered since the last field velopment of the cooperative We meet diseases, the description of which do not seem to appear in our medical books of the West. Often conference of 192'0. idea was the organization of slight operations are done along the roadside-even to the extent of giving The growth of the church ih ricksha men, resulting in a chloroform for the worst cases. The the direction of a keener sense greatly improved e con 0 m i c very sick are treated and told to wait of responsibility, the desire for status for these lowly workers.
until evening when the ambulance will a workable machinery of church When the kind of organization return and take them to the hospital. So urgent has been the demand for government, and the urge for best suited to each situation has greater unity in church life off- been worked out on a small scale, this medical aid that at present we are covering four roads instead of set the meager numerical results it can be duplicated all over one. of long years of strenuous work China. It will be an effective Aged Convert in Mysore among these people. The keen challenge to Communism. The interest, and intelligent partici- program is to get college grad- Mr. Neilson, of Mysore City, pation in the debates, and the uates, men and women, to give unity of purpose among Tibetan tells of an Indian Christian from Christians presented a hopeful two years or more of their lives Dehra Dun, United Provinces, outlook for the future. eighty years old, who testifies to to going into these areas and livhaving been a convert from Is- -Moravian Missions. lam for the past fifty years. He ing very close to the people to Malayan Mission Jubilee was formerly a cloth merchant, find out their needs and then reand gave up his business in order Methodists in Malaya cele- brated the Jubilee of Methodist port higher up. From this exto travel through India preach- periment it is hoped a more ef- fective Christian civilization will emerge. -World Call.
ing and singing the Gospel in work in Singapore, Straits Set- Communists Active Urdu. Several opportunities of tlement in January. This miswitnessing for Christ were afforded him in Mysore. His re- sion was founded by Bishop A recrudescence of commumarkable memory, so abundantly James M. Thoburn. Bishop W. nist trouble is reported from the F. Oldham, the first Anglo-Chistored with Scripture verses (in nese School in Singapore, the diocese of Kwangsi-Hunan. The fact he claims to have memo- pioneer of a group of schools situation became so threatening that the Chinese clergy of the rized the entire Bible in Urdu) which now enroll 15,000 pupils has earned for him the title of C. M. S. asked all missionaries "Hafiz-i-Bible," w hi c h means was founded by Bishop W. F. (to leave for a time. Similar "One who has the whole Bible by Oldham who was pastor of the heart." His preaching, inter- first Methodist Church in Ma- troubles in Fukien prevented spersed by snatches of song, was laya, which now numbers 132 some missionaries from returnenjoyed by s eve r a I indoor churches. A forthcoming his- ing after their holidays. At groups; and it is hoped that this, Loyuan the hospital was looted, and his street message will find tory of Methodism's development and in the country districts a place in Moslem hearts. in Singapore will cover various phases of the work, including the around Lienkong the bishop -Fellowship of Faith for generous cooperation of the Chi- says, "A regular Soviet govern- nese; the devoted labors of In- ment has been set UP, with Sov- iet stamps, etc., and the redivi- Moslems. dian and Chinese pastors and sion of the land has actually been laymen; the missionaries who carried out. It may be some West Himalaya Field have carried the Good News to time before normal conditions laborers on distant rubber es- are restored."-The Christian. The future of the Moravian tates, to the Sakai aborigines, Mission in Western Tibet was and to thousands of Asiatic Eng- The General Tours the discussed at a field conference at lish-speaking people. Provinces . Leh last August. In recent years -The Christian Advocate. Tibetan Christians have devel- General Chiang Kai-shek and oped a keener sense of constitu- CHINA Madame Chiang have recently tional church government, so that they are in a better position New Task for Missions made an extensive itinerary, fly- ing to the widely scattered prothan formerly to legislate for the Feeling that the cooperative vincial cap ita I s throughout future church of Christ in Tibet. principle is one step in the direc- China, and other cities of com-
OUR WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
mercial and strategic impor- ological Seminary. It has grown a victrola with both Western and tance, in order to form closer under his leadership until there Chinese records is very popular contacts with the people. Five is now a congregation of 1,000 and the game of skittles is their years ago this would not have who meet every Sunday morning great delight. Reclining wicker been possible; the fact that the for an hour of reverential wor- chairs furnish a place to relax or general can now travel all over ship. All are earnest, eager stu- sleep, and a Chinese nurse looks China, without a bodyguard to dents from as many as six of the after the simpler medical needs. defend him against assassination schools in Swatow. Not only are In addition, "Thousand Characby rival war lords, is evidence of they deeply interested in this ter" lessons are provided, enprogress. They were enthusias- hour of worship, but they gear abling the coolie to lift himself tically received wherever they their religious enthusiasm to va- to the possibility of a better powent, and showed a deep interest rious projects to help Christian- sition. in the Christian movement. ize the community life. They explicitly sought to enlist -The Presbyterian Banner. An unforeseen development Christians in the "New Life has been the influx of children Movement" which is seeking to National Churches who come to listen to the music. enlist China's 400,000,000 people To keep the Shelter freed for the in a program which is in har- The National Christian Coun- men, the workers have contrived mony with Christian ideals, al- cil of China issues a Bulletin a Children's Hour with Bible though it makes no definite men- which gives some up-to-date fig- stories, music and games. tion of Christianity. ures in regard to Chinese Chris- tians. There are four national -The Living Church. -The Presbyterian Banner. churches: Anglican with 32,390 communicants; Lutheran with Women's Practical Service The Christian Drive in 1934 23,930; Presbyterian with 22,- 701 and Church of Christ (Un- The Women and Girls' Mis- The Chinese Recorder sums up ion) 119,746. In addition there sionary Service League has the achievements on evangelistic are numerous mission stations branches in the eleven dioceses lines during 1934. In general, maintained by missionary soci- of China. It was started about there have been many cam- eties whose headquarters are in thirteen years ago and is similar paigns of evangelism throughout Australia, England, America, to the Mothers' Union, with parthe churches. There has been an Canada, Germany, Nor way, ticular emphasis on the winning indigenous revival movement in Sweden, Denmark and Finland. o f non-Christians. Eve r y Shantung,-a movement within The China Inland Mission has Wednesday afternoon the M. S. Christian circles in China. The 77,277 baptized Christians; in L. members meet for Bible read- Bethel Band, a group of Chinese the missions of the British, Ca- ing and prayer, with a social evangelists, visited between Au- nadian, American and European hour. Requests for prayer and gust, 1930 and January, 1934, 91 Societies there are almost 400,- praise are given out and encourlarge cities, including the largest 000. The Lutheran Church in age many to pray and to witness. in population. In the same peri- China, known as "Sin I Hui," These meetings are attended by od they organized a total of 777 has 63 stations maintained by church workers, Bible women, Gospel teams throughout the ten churches and societies in oth- and volunteers; they are open country. Though linked with a er lands. In these missions there to any church member, whether foreign mission group the work are 326 missionaries, 58 Chinese rich or poor, educated or not edis thoroughly indigenous; its clergymen and 23,390 communi- ucated. leaders are all educated, its in-' cants. fluence is growing. The Oxford Each member is invited to Group Movement in China has Adventure in Brotherhood contribute at least one article to registered large growth in 1934. the annual sale usually held a Its main promotors have been The j inricksha coolie has a month before Christmas. This missionaries, although Chinese bitter lot. Underfed, exposed to sale realizes from $1,000 to $2,- are responding in many places. extremes of weather, exploited 000, and the proceeds are divided The Five Year Movement, clos- and despised, it is small wonder among the most pressing needs ing in 1934, has helped deepen his average life of service is only of the diocese, such as rent of the con sci 0 usn e s s of the 15 years. Unable to remain in- mission hall, training and supchurches as to their mission. different to the hard lot of these port of Bible women, and care of Lastly, In 1934 a Christian cam- men and boys-some begin at the sick. . paign for spiritual and moral the age of 10-the Protestant upbuilding among the youth of Episcopal Mission in Auking One League member holds a China was launched. opened a Ricksha Shelter a year children's service in her home ago to provide recreation, shel- once a week; others go into Chinese Youth Church ter, and rest to many tired men. heathen homes and teach the In winter a coal fire is provided Gospel. -C. M. S. Gleaner. S w a tow has a "Youth where the men can dry their wet Church," built up by Dr. D. H. garments and warm themselves; Suppom for Christian Colleges Zi, a graduate of Hartford The- hot tea is theirs for the asking; The China Colleges is the name of a new pUblication put out by the Associated Boards for
Christians Colleges in China. In ship and all the neighbors, in- ,JAPAN-CHOSEN its second issue it describes the vited and uninvited, drop in, too, way in which the Chinese are be- to see the excitement. By this A Positive Attitude ginning to share in the support system the family and friends at of Christian colleges. least discover what "family wor- Rev. L. C. M. Smythe was ship" is like. From this the cus- deeply impressed by two special For some time the national govern- tom has grown up during the meetings which he attended in ment has been quietly making a study last two years that any special Tokyo, and records the impresof all the universities and colleges in occasion be celebrated with a sion in the Christian Observer. China, apart from the government in- special meal and a family worstitutions, to determine which of them, ship service. It has increased These meetings were not nearly as in this time of economic stress, are very much the interchange of in- large as many I have seen here, one most worthy of public endorsement vitations among the church being of about 600 people and the othand support. A few weeks ago it an- women, and drawn them closer er perhaps half as many. But they nounced that it would this year grant to one another in the common were one hundred per cent; Japanese, $720,000, silver, to a selected list of purpose of penetrating more ef- and local. No missionary had anythirty-two institutions. All the uni- fectively their own homes and thing to do with getting them up, nor versities and colleges in the Associ- neighborhoods with the Good was any outside financial help or outated Boards are included in the list, News. side speaker obtained; the local and together will receive $232,000. churches and local pastors did the The National Government has recent- Children's Day in Soochow whole thing. Each meeting was adly turned over to the University of dressed by five men, pastors or lay- Nanking the first half of its gift of China has a National Chil- men, each speaking twenty minutes. $200,000, silver, for a new library dren's Day, and last year schools, Every man had something to say and building, and will soon be paying the churches, cit y organizations, said it. These were all Christian remainder. Nanking also receives shops, theaters, banks, news- speeches, from a Japanese viewpoint, from Chinese sources about $80,000 a papers, orphanages and factories without any compromise, declaring year for the support of its work in in Soochow-all did their best to that Christianity was Christianity and agriculture. make "Happiness for Children." not to be changed and accommodated to prevailing national needs; one man Revival in Shensi The program emphasized two declaring that Japan's mission to the phases of child life, public enter- world was to let Christianity work in The general secretary of the tainment and home life. In con- Japan, leaven the Japanese spirit, and Church of Christ in China, Dr. sidering the former, the question then give that to the world. One man C. Y. Cheng, with a team of as- of movies was the first to come brought out the fact that the Kingdom sociates recently concluded a re- up; a committee called on the of God is international and universal, treat in the far interior province manager of the Soochow Theater that no one nation can be saved withof Shensi among the churches of and was able to get the promise out all the others being saved, and the synod in that province. In of three performances for a very that when the Kingdom comes the one of the centers, 700 have been small cover charge. There were world becomes a great family of God.' baptized during the last 12 twelve hundred children packed months and 600 enquirers are at in for each performance on each Campaign for Aoyama Gakuin present in the course of training, of the three days. The Bureau preparatory to baptism. The of Public Safety sent six extra A year ago Aoyama Gakuin in membership has increased in policemen to protect the children Tokyo set out to raise 500,000 that one place 1000/0. During the from the traffic jam. yen, of which America was to three days conference, everyone supply 200,000. The Japanese of these 700 new communicants For the other phase of the soon found that in addition to and 500 old timers, 1,200 in all, program, "The Child in the their own three-fifths, they must were in attendance. Home," there was a complete ex- raise the American quota as well hibit at the Kong Hong Church -and they resolved to do it. The -The Presbyterian Banner. open each afternoon from two manager of the campaign was a to six o'clock, with lectures from Y. M. C. A. secretary, who gave Lunch and Family Prayers three to four. The child's desk, 'up a better salary to do the job. bookcase, magazine rack, books, He was a skillful organizer, but The typical Chinese woman of pictures, curtains, the well-se- the secret of his success was his the lower middle class has her lected toys and a place to put unceasing and importunate social contacts, except those in them, the games, a blackbeard prayer. The Christian Advocate the family, entirely with wom- to catch the marks that often reports that four-fifths of the en, as the man has his with men, mar the walls, blocks, tables, total has been pledged, mostly in the tea shops and in the rear and chairs – all gave valuable by Japanese, and there was a of small stores. The "Five-Year suggestions to the hundreds of fair prospect that the campaign Movement" has emphasized the parents seeking helps in develop- would go over the top with nuimportance of "family worship" ing their children into the best merous SUbscriptions, large and in the home. Many women can- of citizens. -World Outlook. small, from Japanese business not bring their families to see men who attended the school; a the value of this, so they begin fact which reveals the lasting inby inviting in a few Christian fluence of the school upon the friends for lunch, after which lives of its students. everyone gathers for family wor- Morale Must Be Maintained The usual amount for repairs allowed by business firms in J a-
OUR WORLD-WIDE OUTLOOK
pan is three per cent of the prop- two or three children's relief in- resenting many local societies in erty value. The Episcopal Mis- stitutions in the famine district, the churches of the Province, sion in Kyoto tries to get along and in addition to find as many adopted a constitution and with six-tenths of one per cent Christian families as possible agree to work for an extension for repairs, because of reduced who will take in girls in danger of information and interest in appropriation. But the moral of being sold into a life of vice. every church. Seventeen of the effect of neglect and delay is fifty places of worship reported. serious. "You know the spirit of -The Christian Century. Many important plans were the people here," one missionary made, looking toward deeper wrote after the last typhoon. Survey of Korea's Christian spirituality and larger service. "Repairs begin the moment the Population earthquake stops and the wind – Watchman-Examiner. falls. There is no despair. Anti- Korean Christians reported Christian papers are telling of the following figures at the jubi- Revising the Register America going communist and lee of the Presbyterian Mission churches going out of business in Korea: A recent checking was made and foreign missions b e i n g of the parish register for St. stopped; so we must show that Korean m e m b e r s of all Anne's Mission, Besao, and its we mean to go on." churches outstations, in the Philippine Islands. The staff devoted the Church for Deaf and Dumb Oriental Missionary Society. . 2,332 school vacation period to going Seventh Day Adventists …. 3,084 over everyone of the 2,027 Mr. K. Takahashi, graduate of English Church Mission …. 6,548 names on the register and ended North Japan College, has taught Salvation Army ………… 6,927 with but fifteen unidentified aftfor 20 years in an Osaka school Methodist Church ………. 19,555 er combing twenty or more surfor the blind, deaf and dumb. Presbyterian Church ……. 103,302 rounding villages for informa- Ten years ago the school was di- tion. Native names are readily vided, and Mr. Takahashi was (73,657 connected with N. P. Missions) changed, and the same child may made principal of the school for sometimes, innocently appear the deaf and dumb. About 300 Non-Roman Total …… 141,748 twice for baptism. Deaths were children are enrolled. A church Roman Catholic ………… 127,643 not always reported. Parents has been erected adjoining the were usually not Christian, godcampus, where preaching is done (Including Baptized Children) parents were sometimes inacby signs, and singing by posture. tive, and the numbers were too It is the first and only deaf and Total …………….. 269,391 many for the few pastors to care dumb church in Japan. for In addition to this communi- Mr. Takahashi is one of the cant membership there is the Besao church people are now most prominent Christians in great body called "Other Adher- being card-indexed as well as Osaka and is in demand as a lec- ents" which includes catechu- registered, and as the staff of naturer before teachers' and par- mens, who are enrQlled and re- tive catechists slowly increases, ents' meetings. He keeps in close ceive regular instruction; bap- the work will become more satistouch with the parents, as well tized children, also enrolled and factory. as with the children after their under instruction; also those graduation from the school. He who, while not on the roll, are They Use Their Heads often arranges marriages for known as Christians-most of them. -Outlook of Missions. them members of the families of Enrolment at Damaguete Bi- those already enrolled. In 1932- ble School is larger than ever, Christian Work for Children 33 (the 1933-34 figures are not and scholarship standards stead- yet finished) they numbered, in ily rise. From the mountain One of the most outstanding the Methodist and Presbyterian tribes of Luzon, once head-hunpieces of public service yet Churches, 218,565. While there ters, have come two students to undertaken by organized Chris- are not so many in the other the Dumaguete Bible School, tianity was that decided upon by bodies, their total must be well Philippine Islands. Both were the National Christian Council over 230,000. We therefore have high s c h 0 0 I valedictorians. on behalf of destitute children in Korea today, in a population When they finish they will rein the famine area of Northeast of roughly 20 millions, not less turn as the first Christian pas- Japan. This was at the sug- than half a million known Chris- tors to their people. Seven jungestion of Mr. Kagawa, whose tians. There are thousands iors in this school are doing trial original pro p 0 s a I was that more, once identified with the work out in the country. They united Protestantism place a Church, who have moved to vil- are meeting all sorts of opposithousand children in Christian lages where there is no church tion, says Miss M. Alice Towne. homes throughout the empire organization, and yet they are One lad after working hard to and support them for a period faithful. -Stanley Soltau. get a chapel had it broken into of from six months to one year. and desecrated. Two girls are in It was later decided to establish ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC the mountains living on $1 a month, plus a little food. Often Philippine W. C. U.
During the summer of 1934, the Women's Christian Union of Iloilo Province, P. I., was organ- ized. More than 250 women, rep-
they have only rice and corn to Java. After allowing for Chris- sionaries of the Am e ric an eat. One teaches first grade with tians in Java who have come Board. About 1,000 people as- a single book. They fill every from outside, such as Chinese sembled about the monument minute of the day and evening Christians and those of animis- which marks the spot where with activities in the village. tic origin from Celebes or other these men laid down their lives -American Board News. islands, there remain in Java for the Master. 60,000 Christian church mem- A representative of the Dutch Practical Peace Proposal bers who are all of Islamic ori- Government, expressed fine ap- gin. Either they or their fathers preciation of the influence of From the Philippines comes a or grandfathers were converts Christian missions. single peace proposal. The suggestion is that nations pair off from Islam. Of these, rather Seven men who are descendtheir citizens and exempt them ants of the village group refrom fighting in any war which more than two-thirds are con- sponsible for the tragedy a hunmay be declared between two nected with the Dutch Protes- dred years ago are leaders in the nations, as legislators on oppos- tant and Calvinistic Missions, Batak Christian church. ing sides of a bill pair off when they prefer not to vote. and the remainder with the Ro- -Missionary Herald.
The idea was born on Armis- man Catholics. MISCELLANEOUS tice Day, 1933, at a meeting of A new venture, the result of Moslems and Christians held to Dr. Grenfell Meets Dr. pray for peace. Among the sign- a carefully thought out policy, Schweitzer ers are twelve Sultans, and nearly two hundred Sheiks, Hadjis, was tried at Malang, where ten In Edinburgh last November, Imams, Panditas and guros as years ago there were no Chris- Sir Wilfred Grenfell of Labrawell as over a thousand other dor and Dr. Albert Schweitzer Moslems. There also appear the tians. A hospital, schools and a of Equatorial Africa met at a names of 200 Christian Filipi- theological school were built. A luncheon arranged by Dr. G. F. nos, 20 Americans, 18 Chinese, Barbour Simpson. Everyone and four Japanese. This propo- considerable number of Chris- present felt the dramatic elesal has been sent to kings and tians migrated there, especially ment in the meeting of these two presidents of forty-five nations, as workers in the hospital. The Christian pioneers. Dr. Simpson and to Pope Pius XI. afterward remarked: "I could number of Christians in Malang only compare the occasion with -Missionary Herald. and the neighborhood has now that famous meeting between Livingstone and Stanley." Dr. Sturdy Christians in Samoa reached 500, and there are about Schweitzer and Sir Wilfred fifty adult baptisms every year. talked together for two hours, Evangelistic work is carried on, under the direction of the mis- sionaries, by Javanese pastors and by students of the theologi- cal school. -Nation Christian Council Review.
The Church in Samoa, insti- The Dyaks of Borneo each growing enthusiastic about tuted by the London Missionary the other's work in such differ- Society, is a great missionary C. R. Deibler of the Alliance ent climatic conditions.
organization. Two hundred Mission writes in The Pioneer: Samoans are ordained ministers During the last four months I have "I Want a Christian Injection" in charge of churches in which there are 8,000 members and had the joy of baptizing 628 Dyaks, At. the annual meeting of the 30,000 other adherents. Samoan the privilege of establishing three new Mission to Lepers a missionary people are habitually lavish in churches, the opportunity of preach- told of a woman who was willing sharing their possessions. They ing to hundreds of Dyaks who heard are exceeded by none in sponta- the Gospel for the first time, and the to walk twenty miles to a misneous generosity, contributing realization of a cherished desire to sion station and twenty miles not only to the support of the witness to the Dyak of the heart of back to get her injection when home church, but to other mis- Borneo. Besides these, I have had a she could have had it near where sions also. regular ministry among the Dyak she lived. "I want a Christian Christians, and now the joy of begin- injection," was her remark, and A· joyous celebration of the ning construction on the first Dyak Centenary in 1930 included the church building. However, what has you know there is a difference dedication, free of debt, of a new already been accomplished is as noth- between an injection adminischurch costing £7,000. ing compared with what is yet to be tered by a Christian and that done. Dyaks come in canoes to convey done by someone who is merely -The Chronicle. me to their villages to teach them of paid for it; a difference in the Christ, and often I must send them back with a promise to come as soon touch and the hand that is be- as possible.
Christianity in Java Honoring Christian Martyrs hind it, animated by a heart that is radiating the love of Christ.
J ava's population is over 40,- The Rhenish missionaries in That woman had come twenty 000,000 and with a few excep- Sumatra held an impressive me- miles and was willing to walk tions all are Moslems. Until the morial service on the centenary twenty miles back in order to get last few years, a third of all the of the martyrdom of Samuel a "Christian injection."
pilgrims to Mecca came from Munson and Henry Lyman, mis- -Conquest by Healing.
'~II====~========================~I'~
Our Missionary Bookshelf Books Briefly Reviewed for the Readers' Information Recent Developments in German through the deviations from Lu- Japanese freely opened their Protestantism. By Otto Piper. 48. hearts to him, and officials and Student Christian Movement Press. ther's theology, through the war- people respected and honored London. 1934. him. After forty years of serv- time experience of Germany and ice he and his equally devoted The Church Controversy in Germany. wife returned to America in By Andera Nygren. 28. 6d. Stu- the post-war reaction. He then 1928 as honorably retired mis- dent Christian Movement Press. sionaries of the Presbyterian London. 1934. interprets the theological cur- Church in the U. S. A. In this small but important book, which The courageous struggle of rents in contemporary Germany, he says is "no disguised attempt at biography," Dr. Pie r son German pastors against coercion emphasizing the new under- vividly describes the experiences by the State has won the admira- of an evangelistic missionary in tion of thoughtful people around standing of Luther and the new Japan. The principal character, the world, but the deeper mean- "Andrew Strong," is "an ideal, ing and import of the conflict are interest in the social outreach of a composite of several rural misgenerally not clearly understood. sionaries"; but this reviewer, For those who desire to get be- the Christian Gospel. The in- who knows Dr. Pierson's life and work in Japan, has no hesineath the surface of the German fluence of Karl Barth is a part tation in terming the author scene, these two little books are himself a fine example of the invaluable. The first, written by of the picture, as is also that of "ideal" which he modestly disa young German theologian who claims. Those who do not know was removed from his chair at Paul Tillich, whose "critical the need of rural evangelism in the University of Munster by the Japan, and how richly fruitful it Nazi authorities, gives a thor- realism" is regarded as of great is, should read this book. ough analysis of the theological significance for the thinking of ARTHUR J. BROWN. and historical background of the German Protestantism of today. the younger generation. India's Social Heritage. By L. S. S. The second, written by a profes- O'Malley. 194 pp. $2. Oxford sor in the University of Sund, The rise of the so-called "Ger- University Press, New York. 1934. Sweden, is a narrative of what has happened during the present man Faith Movement," which The author, a retired member struggle. of the Indian Civil Service, gives has gained force as a rival of a simple statement of the prin- As analyzed by Dr. Piper the cipal features of the social sysmaj or issue in the German strug- Christianity by magnifying the tem of India. Successive chap- ters deal with caste, the degle is not one that concerns Ger- old Teutonic myths and the pressed classes, the frontier many alone but is of significance tribes, tribes of the interior, the for the whole world. It is this: spirit of racialism, is also por- village community, the family, To what extent can Christianity marriage, the purdah system, attain a national form without trayed. It is conceived, in part, and social changes in modern losing its universality and ab- times. He makes very little mensoluteness? This, it will be read- as a protest against a theology tion of the work of Christian ily seen, is a question of vital im- missions, but the book could be portance, especially for the for- that was too detached from the used as supplementary reading eign missionary movement. Dr. on the topics discussed. The active life of the Church and the treatment is factual, with refer- Piper shows that theological ac- ences to older authorities. tivity in Germany has, from the experience of the people. In the D. J. FLEMING. outset, been animated by a desire present situation in Germany the to give to Christian truth an expression adapted to the charac- chief aspect-as Dr. Piper sees teristics peculiar to the Germans. He traces this development it-is that the true meaning of through the medireval mystics of Germany, through L u the r, the Gospel is so obscured that "nationality has been placed above evangelical values."
Prof. Nygren's little book tells the story of the struggle of the protesting pastors, now organ- ized in the "Confessional Synod,"
down to September of last year.
It is a vivid and an inspiring story. S. M. CAVERT.
Let Us Go Into the Next Town. By George P. Pierson. 93 pp: $1. Revell. New York. 1934.
Dr. George Pierson is the type of missionary that one loves to know and read about. As a mis- sionary in Japan for forty years he presented a sound evangelical message, tirelessly, faithfully, tactfully and persuasively. The Any of the books noted in these columns will be sent by the REVIEW publishers on receipt of price.
[157 ]
Financial Recovery for the Local Ploughed Under. The Story of a to an African to live on a white Little Lover, told by Amy Car- man's plantation and reports Church. By Julius Earle Crawford. michael. A Dohnavur Book. 12 mo. some of the injustices suffered 204 pp. $1. Cokesbury Press, Nash- 155 pp. 68. 6d. S. P. K. London. under British laws, which may ville. 1934. (Obtainable in America from Hope have been imposed with the best Church Sunday School, Semple and of intentions. The chapters on This book, by one who is ex- Cote Brilliante Aves., St. Louis, Life in Kenya and on Education ceptionally.qualified to deal with Mo.) are e s p e cia 11 y illuminating. Africans of the Kikuyu tribe so complex and so vitally impor- Few books are so fascinating who have not changed their retant a theme, is the outgrowth of as this rarely beautiful story- ligion believe that God has two extended practical experience. true and told in a charming forms, white and black, and they In constant contact with the style. A little Indian child began pray to both. They have great churches throughout the South to ask questions that his Hindu faith in charms, incantations for years past, Dr. Crawford father could not answer: "Who and witch doctors to cure dis- is the greatest god; the god who ease, break drought, and to undo brings clarity of vision and san- made things; the god who can the evil wrought by sorcery. ity of judgment into well bal- change people's hearts? Where They have definite moral codes anced treatment of this problem do dear little children go when and customs which should not be they die?" None of the child's discarded unless replaced by betwhich just now affects prac- relatives could answer her desire ter. The period of change from tically every church. for knowledge. The story de- old to new is especially difficult scribes her search, her struggles, and calls for wisdom. Dancing, Starting with a comprehensive her finding, her sufferings and drinking, marriage, slavery and her joyful experiences in the methods of tribal government all view of the church's chief pur- Dohnavur Fellowship of service. require careful study in order to "Star of Grace" (Arulgi Tara), do away with the evil elements pose, her message, program and as she was called, gives us an in- and to preserve the good. timate view of Hindu life, beachievements, the author leads liefs and customs as met in One of the greatest obstacles South India. We see the thorny in the way of the educated on directly to a swift survey of road that those must travel African accepting the Christian there who would follow Christ. religion is due to the humiliating several typical plans of support The story also reveals the work- un-Christian race and class dis- ing of a prayer hearing and tinctions – especially as shown as followed first in Jerusalem, prayer answering God. We by British and Americans – in- come into deeper understanding cluding missionaries. Antioch and Corinth. The au- of the Dohnavur Fellowship in the work of rescuing and train- Mr. Mockerie's book offers a thor finds their common denom- ing for Christ Hindu boys and good tonic to anyone planning to girls. Here we see depicted the work among Africans. inator in the application of the great need of India and the only Power that can and does meet The Ideals of the East and W'est. By fundamental principles of Chris- that need. Kenneth Saunders. pp. 248. $2.50. tian stewardship, which he pro- Macmillan. New York. 1934. ceeds to set forth succinctly An African Speaks for His People. and interprets compellingly. By Parmenas Githendu Mockerie. The author dedicates his book Then he presents the premier Foreword by Julian Huxley. 8 vo. to the Gaekwar of Baroda, at leadership required from the 95 pp. 38. 6d. Hogarth Press. whose suggestion it was written. pastor, indispensably sup p 1e- London. 1934. It is a study of the ethical ideals mented by the enlistment of the of various peoples which the auentire body of laity, men and Here is a clear and striking thor says "does not aim at comwomen. In such a combination, picture of how the educated pleteness or claim originality." ample support of the Church, African black man looks on the The ethical ideals which are conand of her far-reaching enter- white man and his civilization. sidered are those of India, the prise throughout the world, fol- Mr. Mockerie a young Kikuyu, Chi n e s e, the Japanese, the lows inevitably. Her building trained in Kenya, British East Greeks, the Hebrews and Chrisrequirements are also met with- Africa, was sent to England to tianity. It is interesting to note out resort to questionable meth- represent his people and lived that the ethics of India are dealt ods. Then there looms up clearly, two years in Europe. He de- with under that title but the and in due proportion the King- scribes his visit to the strange ethics of the Chinese, the J ~pa dom of God, the great objective white man's country and tells nese, the Greeks and the Hetoward which all lines of ac- frankly what he thought of brews under the name, not of the tivity should converge. European ways of life. He also land but of the people. In the pictures life in Kenya, interprets case of Christianity it is not the The remaining chapters, VIII the tribal customs and shows the land or the people that is dis- faults and advantages of foreign cussed so much as the system as to XII, deal with detailed plans rule and education. For in- construed and interpreted by Dr. stance, he shows what it means for raising the local Church budget and the enlisting of the membership as a whole in the entire program of the Church, the author gives some inspiring concrete illStances drawn from the actual experience of the Church. The general reader's in- terest may lag, when it comes to the minutia necessary to work out successful plans, but church officers will find here what con- stitutes a compendium of real value. DAVID MCCONAUGHY.
OUR MISSIONARY BOOKSHELF
Saunders. Each chapter is fol- baptized Prote,stant Christians which knowledge is superseded, number 243,077 and the total but rather a discipline akin to lowed by brief excerpts from the Christian community at least meditative prayer by which all 600,000 or about one per cent of the powers of our being are conreligious literature of the people. the population. Miss Koto Ya- trolled and concentrated for the mamoto tells of the "Forward vision of the highest." The Christology of the chapter Movement A m 0 n g Japanese Women"-political and social, R.E. S. on Christian ethics is not the educational and international, industrial and rural. She deals Das Buch der Deutschen Weltmis- Christology of the Christian with movements rather than sion. In Verbindung mit den Evan- with leaders and the record is gel i s c hen Missionsgesellschaf- Church, and one may be sure one which girls have reason for ten. Herausgegeben von D. Julius encouragement. Unfortunately Richter, D.D. 331 pp. 138 illus. that the last critical judgment the chapter on activities of wom- Gotha: Leopold Klotz Verlag. en in the church was not rethat will be formed with regard ceived in time for publication. This is an extraordinarily in- teresting contribution to the litto the New Testament will not In Formosa only two societies erature of missions, due to the are at work, with a foreign staff indefatigable industry of the be the judgment assumed in this of 49 and a native staff of 290. compiler with the cooperation of book. The Aborigines who number fifty-three others who represent 200,000 are almost wholly neg- the leadership in German mis- As the title indicates, the book sions at home and abroad. As lected. an encyclopedia of German misdeals with ideals rather than sions, an art gallery of mission- The Katha Upanishad. By J. N. Raw- ary history, and a tribute to the with practices and does not at- son. pp. 242. $5.00. Oxford Uni- heroes and martyrs of the Ger- versity Press. New York. 1934. man church in many lands, the tempt to appraise the extent to book will appeal to a large pub- This "An Introductory Study lic. But it is more than popular. which the ideals of Asia have in the Hindu Doctrine of God There are a dozen papers of a and of Human Destiny," by the scholarly character on the presbeen already profoundly modi- Professor of the History and entation of the Christian mes- Philosophy of Religion in Ser- sage to primitives, Hindus, Mosfied by their contact with Chris- ampore College, India, is a book lems, etc. There is also an equal for the scholar rather than for number ()n the missionary printianity. There is no chapter on popular reading. Principal Das- ciples that should control evan- gupta of the Calcutta Sanskrit gelical education, the problem of Mohammedanism or the ideals College writes of it: "This is race, and our attitude toward something quite new in the way politics and foreign cultures. of Islam, although a Mohamme- of Upanisad Commentaries and should meet a real need. It gives These introductory chapters dan trader appears in the Epi- a clear, readable exposition, bring us to a series of historical which should be intelligible even sketches regarding each of the logue. R. E. S. to those who know no Sanskrit, German missions, and finally we and should be of interest to all have biographical sketches of The Japanese Christian Yearbook. students of the history and phi- outstanding missionaries, such Edited by Roy Smith. 8 vo. 401 losophy of religion. At the same as Nommensen of Sumatra, Kag- ;pp. Yen. 2.50. Kyo Bun Kwan. time it impartially supplies the awa of Japan, Aggrey of Af- Ginsza, TokIo. 1934. Sanskrit student with all the ma- rica, and others. Dr. Martin terial needed for forming an in- Schlunk contributes a carefully No one who wishes to keep in- dependent judgment on the in- prepared and annotated bibliogformed on the progress of Chris- terpretation proposed." raphy, while Dr. Richter gives tianity and of missions in Japan the latest statistics of German can afford to ignore this annual. There is a general introduc- missions. Fifteen Japanese Christians and tion discussing the Upanishads and the beginnings of India phi- Altogether this is a book alive twenty missionaries contribute losophy in the Rigveda. Then with the missionary passion, the thirty-eight chapters,. re- follows a special introduction to true to the great fundamentals ports and other features. The this theistic Katha Upanishad, of our faith, and opening a door first fifty pages are devoted to and then the text, the transla- to portions of the world field tion and the commentary, with with which American Christians describing "Japan Today"-its a number of appendices, closing are often unacquainted. In a international relations, its eco- with some discussion of the na- day when German Christianity nomic condition and intellectual ture of Yoga, setting forth that is passing through a crisis, when progress. Then 150 pages are the Katha Upanishad means by their souls are in the furnace of Yoga not "the production of an affliction, it is good to have such used to describe the Christian hypnotic trance or ecstasy in testimony of missionary faith activities and outlook-in Sunday schools, rural areas, the unevangelized districts, the social welfare work and religious education. Formosa is given two chapters; there are reports from various communities, statistics and a missionary directory. Here is a rich feast and a storehouse of information.
Dr. Kagawa writing on "Unevangelized Fields" says that 11,123 cities, towns and villages are still untouched by the Gospel. Of these places over 600 have each a population of from 10,000 to 30,000 people. Evidently Japan is not yet evangel- ized, although 58 mission boards and societies are working there, with 1124 foreign workers and 5000 on the native staff. The
and ardor, with such an outlook stormy night, and at the gay known mISSIOn authority, Dr. on the future as displays an in- fiesta. The story makes an atdiscourageable hope. tractive gift for junior boys and Julius Richter, who reviews the girls and the author writes from S. M. ZWEMER. first-hand knowledge. present conditions in foreign The Cambridge Shorter History of The Translated Bible. 1534-1934. mission lands. There are other India. By J. Allan, Sir T. Wolseley Edited by O. M. Norlie. 8 Vo. 222 Haig, and H. H. Dodwell. Edited pp. $1.00. United Lutheran Pub. timely articles by leading Ger- by H. H. Dodwell. Pp. 970. $4.00. House. Philadelphia. 1934. Macmillan. New York. 1934. man missionary authorities, a One of the most important Four of the six volumes of the events in history, since the first summary of German missions in great Cambridge History of century of the Christian era, was India were edited by two of the the translation of the Bible by the world, together with other authors of this Shorter History Martin Luther into the language which is in three parts: First, of the German people. This tabulations and a fine missionary Ancient India; second, Moslem event, four hundred years ago, India; and third, British India. which gave them the open Bible bibliography edited by Dr. Mar- It is a political history, very dif- is fittingly celebrated this year, ferent, for example, from particularly by the Lutherans of tin Schlunk. The pamphlet is Green's "Short History of the the world. They now number English People," it being a his- 20,000,000 members. Recently filled with useful information on tory, not of the people of India, 100,000 of the 1534 Martin but of the political rulers of the Luther Bibles have been circu- the subject of German world country. It does not deal with the lated. Dr. Norlie includes in this social, or the intellectual, or the anniversary volume twenty-two missions. C. T. BENZE. religious history, although there chapters by twenty authors. They is one chapter on education as deal with the life of Luther, an An African Prophet. W. J. Platt. related to political development account of his Bible work, the Illus. 12 Mo. 157 pp. 28. 6d. Pain the years 1858 to 1892. There story of different versions, the per cover. Student Christian Moveare more references to Curzon in work of Bible societies and the ment Press. London. 1934. the index than there are to relation of the Bible to missions. Buddha, and Sir Philip Francis This volume will be of interest William Harris was a remarkfills a far greater place than not only to Lutherans but to all able, unlettered African evangel- Gandhi. As a political history, who realize something of the ist of the Ivory Coast about ten however, the story seems to be great part the Bible has played years ago. Thousands of people accurate and as complete as pos- in human history. left their primitive way of life sible in the space available. and began to worship God. To God's Unspeakable Gift. By H. A. many Harris himself was almost There are specially interesting Ironsides, Litt. D., 12 Vo. 192 pp. worshiped and many were the chapters on Alexander, Asoka, 28. 6d. Pickering & Inglis. Glas- stories of his wonderful faith- Akbar, and his successors until gow. 1934. healing and casting out of dethe end of the Mogul dynasty. mons. It is an impressive story The chapters on Warren Hast- The well-known pastor of the as told by a missionary. Harris ings and the India Mutiny are large Moody Church in Chicago built up churches but the movealso interesting, although John gives here twelve addresses on ment was largely emotional and Lawrence and the men who evangelical themes. These in- has died down. But it has left broke the Mutiny would have clude simple practical, and its impress on the people and written a somewhat differently powerful messages on the Gos- prepared the way for more inbalanced account of its causes. pel, the Son of Man, salvation, telligent Christian teaching. The love, the cross, the resurrection prophet lived to be over three ROBERT E. SPEER. and the second coming. Those score years and ten, an impres- who are seeking light on the sive, dignified, white-bearded old Pablo and Petra-A Boy and Girl of Gospel, or looking for sugges- man who went about preaching Mexico. By Millicent H. Lee. Illus. tions on how to present it effec- and doing good. The story is by Leslie W. Lee. 8 vo. 152 pp. tively to others, will find help impressive and worth reading. $1.50. Crowell, New York. 1934. here. Yasu-Bo and Ishi-Ko-A Boy and The Crowell friendship series Jahrbuch 1935. Die deutsche evan- Girl of Japan. By Phyllis Ayers of books deal with boys and girls gelische Heidenmission. Herausge- Sower. Illus. 8 vo. 143 pp. $1.50. of Japan, China, Siam and geben von Professor D. Julius Rich- Crowell. New York. 1934. American Indians. Pablo and ter. 120 pp. Publication House of Petra are just a boy and a girl the German Evangelical Mission- Boys and girls of America in a strange land, wearing dif" shilfe, Hamburg. will like this story of boys and ferent clothes, with some strange girls of Japan with their kimocustoms and ways of speaking, This Annual is published by nos, obis, sandals, rice cakes, but American boys and girls will the United German Mission Con- lanterns, flowers, inc ens e, understand them. They have ferences and edited by the well- temples, rickshas, banners, and adventures in market places, on many strange sights and curious the road, at the mill, in the customs. It is not a missionary story but will make for under- standing and friendship with our neighbors across the seas. Mrs. Sowers is already well known for her stories of chil- dren in China and Siam. She has lived in the Orient and can therefore be trusted for her facts. Her sister, the artist, has illustrated the book attractively.
Books was traveling secretary of the Student School for Creek Indians at
Volunteer Movement and was married Church Growth in Korea. Alfred W. in 1915. Three years later they went Indian Territory, superintendent of Wassan. 175 pp. $1.75 cloth, $1.40 to China as missionaries of the Amer- paper. I. M. C. New York. 1934. ican Board but ill health compelled Oak Hill Industrial School and later, her to return in 1922. She was a di- Chant of the Night. C. Kuipers. 213 rector of the China Colleges and a Sunday School missionary among the pp. $1.25 cloth, $1.00 paper. Zon- member of the Ginling College com- dervan Pub. House. Grand Rapids, mittee. Dr. Smith is Executive Sec- Indians in Oklahoma. Mich. retary of the American Section of the Universal Christian Council and of *** Church and State in Latin America. the European Churches Committee of J. Lloyd Mecham. 550 pp. $4.50. the Federal Council of Churches. Robert Fletcher Moorshead, first University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, N. C. *** medical secretary of the Baptist Mis- sionary Society, died December 4, Desires of the Heart. Joan Geisel Rev. Edward G. Haymaker, mis- Gardner. 218 pp. $1.50 cloth, $1.00 sionary among Indians, died Decem- 1934, in England, at age of 60. When paper. Zondervan Pub. House. ber 1, at Winona Lake, Ind., in his Grand Rapids, Mich. 76th year. He had been assistant su- the Auxiliary celebrated its semi-jubi- perintendent of a Home Missions Divine White Right. Trevor Bowen. lee 60 doctors and 56 nurses had been 309 pp. $1.75. Harpers. New York. sent to the field and an annual income of £24,000 had been reached.
Dr. K. G. ** *Scottish medical Fraser, missionary in the Southern Sudan for the past 14 years, under the Church Missionary Society, died recently.
Obituary Notes How We Assist The Rev. Dr. Lapsley Armstrong Denominational Work McAfee of Berkeley, Calif., former Moderator of the New Mexico and vVe are sometimes asked as to whether or not our work conflicts with the California Synods of the Presbyterian work of denominational churches. Our reply is that our Sunday-schools Church, died after a heart attack on in the rural areas of the land arc confined to sections and communities that January 18th, while visiting missionR are unreached by the programs of regular church organizations. in Dumaguete, Philippine Islands. Dr. McAfee was seventy years of age Ve welcome changes in social and economic conditions which may make and had been a delegate from America lJossible the establishment of a congregation and regular services of wor"hip to the fiftieth anniversary of the in any of our Sunday-school constituencies. '1'housands of denominational founding of the Presbyterian Mission churches owe their origin to our work. The majority of the"e cases were in Korea. related to the work of the Society during the first century of its work. The record for the first twenty-five years of what may be, if God wilis, another Dr. McAfee in 1925 and 1926 was a century of labor for the American Sunday-School Union, indlcates that candidate of the conservatives for the 1,045 churches were organized from Union Sunday-schools under the direcoffice of Moderator of the General Assembly. tion of our missionanes, divided among the denominations and in the number listed below. A native of Ashley, Mo., Dr. Mc- Afee was a son of the founder of Park }Iethodist …..••…… 338 Lutheran ……………….. . 23 College, Missouri. He was graduated Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2~7 Peutecostal ………..•……. 3 in 1885 from what is now the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Chicago, Presbyterian . • • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 ~'ederaLed …..•…•….•.•••• 7 and held pastorates in Parkville, Chl"lstlan ••••……………. 53 Mellnonites ……………… . Ariz., 1888-98; Phoenix, Ariz., 1898- 3 1905, and Berkeley, Calif., from 1905 until his retirement in 1931. He was Brethren •……………….. 29 Commulllty ……………… . 1:< a brother of Dr. Cleland B. McAfee, 4 secretary of the Presbyterian Board Evangelical …..••••……… 22 Disciples ……………….. . of Foreign MissionR. Nazarene. ..••…•.••…….. 20 .l;;piscopal ………………. . 1 Albert Alexander Hyde, .founder Church of God •..•..•……… 15 Christian and Missionary Alliance 3 and chairman of the board of the Congregational ..•..••.•…… 37 Friends ………………… . 5 Mentholatum Company, and a very generous supporter of mission work in Holiness ………..•…•….. 14 Reformed ………………. . 4 many lands, died of heart disease at linion (Interdenominational) …. 72 Free en urch …………….. . his home in Wichita, Kansas, on Janu- 2 ary 10th. He was eighty-six years old. CllUrch of Christ …….••….. 11 Moravian •………………. 1 Mr. Hyde was born in Lee, Mass., These and all other churchcs organized following the work of our missionon March 2, 1848, the son of Alexan- aries were turned over to the church leaders of the various denominations der Hyde. indicated.
Mr. Hyde was widely known as a These figures indicate only a small measure of the direct assistance renphilanthropist, giving liberally to the um'ed to denominational churches. Each year, many of those who confess American Missions in China, and the Christ in our Sunday Schools, Daily Vacation Bible Schools, Evangelistic Omi Mission at Omi-Hachiman, Japan. }leetings and Young People's Bible Conferences, are led to active memuer- He was a member of the International ship in churches in ncar-by towns and cities. Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association, a trustee of Fair- '1'he most significant fact relative to the assistance we are rendering to the mount College, Wichita, and a warm regular denominations of the land is that we are performing a task in the friend and supporter of the REVIEW. otherwise unreached sections of America for which organized Christianity is responsible. In a very real sense, we are the representatives of the church at * * ;.i: large in our particular field of effort.
Mrs. Eleanor L. Cory Leiper, the 'vY0 are seeking in every ,Yay possible to administer this work in a manner wife of the Rev. Dr. Henry Smith tha t will meet with the approval of every well informed churchman. Our Leiper, died at her home in Leonia, chief concern is that we may have the "well done" of Him in whose Name N. J. on January 30th.. Mrs. Leiper and for whose glory we labor. was born in Englewood, N. J., fortyfour years ago. After having been The Department of Missions graduated from Smith College she AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION 1816 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Gospel For Moslems JAPAN—A
The walls of opposition are tumbling down OR A CHALLENGE in many Moslem centers, as the walls of Jericho fell in days of old before the ad- Dr. Charles W. Iglehart, who has been a missionary in Japan for twenty-five years, sees vance of God's army. Today the Gospel the problem presented to Asia and to Amer- ica. He also sees the challenge and the in Print is being used to break down preju- present opportunity. dice and to win Moslems to Christ. Will you accept the challenge and mdke You can help by sending a contribution use of the opportunity? to supply this Christian literature to som~ Send for copies of Dr. Iglehart's leaflet and of the millions of Moslems yet unreached. distribute them in your church, your club, your social circle. Dr. Iglehart draws a stir- Will you do it? Send your gift to ring picture—one to hold the attention dnd stir to Christian action. The American Christian Literature Society for Moslems An American layman was so stirred by this message that he provided for the publication 156 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK of a limited number of these leaflets—with WILLIAM I. CHAMBERLAIN, Ph.D., President the confident hope that you will help distrib- ROBERT E. SPEER, D.D., Vice-President ute them. (Special price, 50 cents a hundred.) SAMUEL M. ZWEMER, DD.D.D., .,5ls ecre t' JAMES M. CANTINE, (Send t() dries The Missionary Review of the World DELAVAN L. PIERSON, Acting Tred5urer Third and Reily Sts., Harrisburg, Pa .
_- …. . . . . ~.. – – – – . . "-~'~-~" -~ -.-.-~~ AGENTS WANTED CUTS FOR SA~ !
THE MISSIONARY REVIEW Excellent halftone plates and line cuts (undam- can be sold in quantities to aged) used in THE MISSIONARY REVIEW every Missionary Society. It fur- during the past two years. nishes information in brief, in- teresting form for leaders and For sale at one-third the cost. These are val· discussion groups. Why not act udble for local or denominational papers. Vivid as our Agent in your church or pictures of life allover the world. community? You can advance the cause of Foreign Missions, American Highlands and at the same time can earn American Indians Africans···Heathen and Christian A Liberal Commission China···Old and New Japan and Korea • India's Idols and Christians Results in Moslem Lands Address···Circulation Manager Savages and Saints The Missionary Review of the World ., The Pacific Islanders Third and Reily Streets cf)end to Harrisburg, Pa. The Missionary Review of the World .__ . ____._ _.._.._ ……. __~_..____.. ___.J Third and Reily Streets Harrisburg, Pa .