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September III, l!)11 j
Ing by home churches would pay every
obligation and provide for all possible
advance on the Geld.
japan is the country assigned to
September. It is an excellent opportunity
to interest people in an interesting
country. In The Missionary for September
there is an able article by Rev.
t'has. A. Ix)gan, of Tokushima, Japan,
?his last message before sailing on his
return voyage after his furlough; was a
call to college men and women to consider
Japan as a place for Investment of
life, and other articles oh our work in
that Mission,
"?EN LETTER FROM MISSIONARIES.
Deacons and
-ian Church
DbaC mdries at
home on furloug.. good tidings.
We report you victi/t. .t the front;
triumphs in Africa, conquests in Korea,
advances in China, progress in Brazil,
Cuba and Mexico.
IjNtcn to Voices from the Field.
Africth
Last year 7,000 on church roll, over
1)000 baptisms, a scattered host of in(jtiirfcrS.
WOrk extending rapidly, outstations
spHhginfc iip frortl 100 to 600
tliiles awfty. Missionaries are Overworked
and sick, yet they hold on. Mrs. Morrison
died; others will die unless relieved.
The bniy doctor at home on
iunougn; twelve days' jburney to get
any other. Nativfe evangelists give up
trading post positions to preach the
gospel at a fraction of wages. Multitudes
eager for Bible teaching.
"The King's business requireth
haste."
Brazil.
komaniBm as developed here is a rotten
tree-trunk dropping decayed moral
fruit, Young souls, like living shoots
hre rising up; new lives awakening.
Shall they be Christians or Christless?
tibdiy of gtidiesS? Along the iine of
lertst resistence we caii cafry Christian
education, tedch tbe tedebers. train tile
preachers, help the helpers. Half truth,
iriiih fierverted, truth distorted is near
to truth destroyed. Stones for bread
and scorpions for fish may be rilOnfeyprofit
to Rome but souls are not fed?
the nation not quickened.
"Give ye them to eat."
Cuba.
There has been encouraging progress
in this young mission. At Cardenas, a
gospel meeting moved the city. Sermon
subjects were much discussed and
many jdinfed the Presbyterian church.
The same reports are received from
other stations. The people free from
Spain are struggling to be free from
Rome. As a nation, we risked thousands
of lives and spent millions for
Cuba. As a church shall we fail and
fall?
"Let Thy Word Run Swiftly."
Mexico.
A spirit of prayer prevails as fiever
before. Christians manifest a zeal fof
souls. The great campaign during the
centennial year was fruitful. Moi^>
personal work done and more believers
baptized than in any previous year. A
special opening for educational work,
and more permanent equipment required.
The new order in Mexico is an invitation
to help a suspicious neighbor
nation become a closer, friendly people.
The gospel can gain what a war cannot
win.
"The entrance of Thy Word giveth
Light."
China.
Hearts of multitudes opened to the
gospel by effective famine relief, skilful
medical aid, efficient education and
American friendliness. Note the
steadv increase in ehnreh memhershin.
a young army of volunteer workers enlisted
from the Chinese student body,
such keen desire for Christian education
THE PRESBVTERI
for women. Watch opium out, queues off
feet unbound, slaves freed, ballot promised,
patriotism stirring, the old order
down and out, the new order up and active.
Observe phenomenal progress in
church union, the remarkable mental
capacity of Chinese Christian leaders,
the wide scope of personal influence.
Non-political Protestant Christianity is
winning the confidence and co-operation
of the highest Chinese officials. The
gospel is irresistible n detaching individuals,
fixing responsibility and disclosing
destiny. Competent missionaries
are forceful in contact, in association,
in inspiration. China iR the widest field
on this planet for constructive Christian
statesmanship. Sec four business nations
caper to invest fifty million dollars
as a loan at five per cent. Already
4M Chinese Christians to each foreign
Worker.
"These from the land of Sinlm."
.t a pflri;
Already a Presbyterian church as
large as the Synod of Ceorgia. independent
and assertive, sound in "the faith
once delivered to the saints." contending
triumphantly for the divinity of
Christ and his sacrificial atonement.
Forty students apply to our Theological
leal Seminary at Kobe. Here eight
years ago only one weak church?now
fOtif self-supporting Japanese churches.
Every field encouraging; results rapid
and real. Japan Is not and never has
been a "lost opportunity."
"From the rising of the sun. . .my
name snail be . . . glorious"
KorCn
Hast year 2,010 Bible-taught, pray,
give and go Christians baptized, A
gain of 33 per cent in membership. Tn
one church 126 baptized at one time. In
one circuit 560 added on profession. The
campaign for one million souls is sweeping
the country. Clinics are crowded,
schools overflowing. All missionaries
overworked; desperate need of re-inforcetnents.
The Japanese occupation
of the country means security to life
and property, a fair field and no favor
to all religions. The story of the work
in iCdtea read like a new version of the
Book of Acts.
"A nation in a day."
The Demand to Retrench.
With such voices sounding from each
field and every Inducement to go forward,
comes the demand, "Retrench!"
The work has grown year by year; so
lifts the debt. Due banks, missions, missionaries
and others $130,000. Dest
credit be overstrained, the order goes
out "Retrench!" As the General Assembly
disallows "unreasonable debt," the
question is, "Where and how is the cut
to come?
First, Would yon cut on field equipment
1
(a) Houses comfortable and sanitary
cost far less than rented quarters
with sick and broken down missionary
fnmllips To cut thpsp i<i nrneroactvp
manslaughter.
(b) Christian schools furnish competent
helpers to do from ten to a hundred
times as much as foreign workers. To
subtract schools adds jails.
(c) Hospitals and medical work are
almost self-supporting. It is bad business
to cut off the best paying department.
Mutilation is not amputation.
Second, Would you discharge the na
five assistants?
Earnest men and women; now ours
onily after days and nights of prayer,
months of patient teaching and years of
faithful service. The right eye, the
right hand, the right foot may go, but
not the native helper. Every missionary
in charge of such would rather renounce
his own support than to have
his helpers cut off.
Third, Would you refuse reinforcements?
What! not relieve those men and women
on the far-flung battle line?leave
them there to die of overwork? Is not
AD OF THE SOUTH
that akin to homicide? What! not send
eager qualified volunteers now ready?
Suppress the missionary spirit at home?
That is suicide.
Fourth, Would you drop the missionaries
now on furlough J
Indeed! discharge all those now at
home trying to rest and get refreshed
for further fighting? Invite dissaster?
What matters it that they have learned
the languages, know the peoples and
have helped to win your battles and
planted your banners far-afield! Retrenchment
must begin somewhere; let
it begin here. They can endure hardness;
let them be wounded in the
house of their friends; their scars will
heal. Real martyrs are scarce?let us
have a home exhibit! But how can
you recall those who have never yet
learned to retreat? We can die; we
won't Rive up.
Fifth, Would you close a mission?
Which one?
Cofisider it. Stop the expense, cut off,
shut down, quit- Can a mother strangle
her own infant! Then let the mother
church close the Cuba Mission, the
youngest, the tenderest of all. But that
would not save enough to pay the interest
on the debt. Another idea!
Twins are expensive; smother the
twins: cut off both of the China missions?the
two cost in one year almost
the exact amount of the debt. When
mothers become monsters then can this
mother church disown the mid-China
and the North Kiangsu Missions. She
knows too well that With n Uttln lnnffar
nurture they will care for themselves.
A true mother will provide until all
of her daughters grow up into homes
of their own. This is the ony way.
The Tall of The Church.
We do not ask for one more spasm
of sentimental giving to be followed by
reactionary paralysis.
Conditions past and present are such,
that, the next three or four years will
demand a specially strenuous and
strained effort on the part of God's people.
Quit you like men.
"The silver and the gold is mine,
saith the TvOrd," but the bank deposits
are in the names of his servants.
How much of his have you?
"The earth is the Tx>rd's," but real
estate, deeds mortgages, stocks and
bonds are held by his stewards.
Does He hold you?
"Every man shall give an account."
Are you ready with yours?
Brethren, we must go forward on our
knees?you must come up with the the
funds.
Since October is the regular time for
the cause of Foreign Missions, will you
not join us in prayer on October 6 for
debt-raising and work-pushing power?
On October 7 will you not study to see
where we are, the newest maps, the
latest news? On October 8 will you
pastors tell your people, and all the
congregations hear from your pastors,
the reasons for thanksgiving, for consecration,
for self-denial?
"There is a time to every purpose
under the heavens."
This is the time to give.
He gives twice who gives quickly.
He helps most who helps first.
He gains there who gives here.
Yours for service,
L. J. Coppedge, Africa:
J. R. Smith, Brazil;
W. H. Hudson, China;
Tj. S. Morgan, China;
F. H. Wardlaw, Cuba;
R. F. McAlpine, Japan;;
C. A. Ijogan, Japan;
J. F. Preston, Korea;
A. M. Rarle, Korea;
W. IT. Forsythe, Korea;
W. A. Ross, Mexico;
and all the others.
Montreat, N. C., Aug. 14, 1911.
(879) 15
HOLLAND MISSIONARY CONFERENCE.
During the Edinburgh conference in*
June of 1910, a few men from several
different countries met and discussed
the needs for advanced work in missionary
education. As a result, the first
International Mission Study Conference
has been called to meet at Luntcren,
Holland, September 5th to 10th, to study
the questions relative to the larger
development of the missionary educational
work of the home churches. The
conference will discuss such topics as
the following: "The Aims of Mission
Study." "The preparation of Text-Books*
and Helps for leaders." "The Religious
Opportunity of Childhood." "Mission
Study Among Children." "Missionary
Indifference." "The Training of Traders."
"Mission Study and the Life of
Prayer."
A few delegates, less than seventyfive
in all, from each of the principal
countries in Europe, together with a
few from the United States and Canada,
and a few from several Asiatic conntries,
one or two from South Africa
and Australia, will comprise the delegation.
The delegates from the United
States comprise Mr. H. W. Hicks, the
General Secretary of the Missionary
Education Movement of the United
States and Canada (formerly the Young
People's Missionary Movement), Mr. R.
E. Diffendorfer, the Sunday-school Secretary
of this Movement, Mr. S. Earl
Taylor, the General Secretary of the
Methodist Episcopal Toymen's Missionary
Movement and the chairman of
the foreign committee of the Missionary
Education Movement, and John F.
Goucher, D. D., President Semeritus of
the Goucher College of Baltimore, and
a member of the advisory committee
of the Movement. Mr. Hicks is chairman
of the conference. Dr. Callenbaeh,
of Holland, is the vice-chairman, Mr.
J. W. Gunning, of Holland, is the
chairman of the Continental section,
and Mr. G. T. Manley, of Txmdon, is
the chairman of the British and Amor
ican sections. This is a significant
gathering, and meets at a providential
time, and its results are apparently to
be world-wide.
Suffering, it was said by Aristotle,
becomes beautiful when any one bears
great calamities with cheerfulness; not
through insensibility, but through
greatness of mind.
Wanted?A Christian woman of refinement,
capable of doing whatever is
required in a home and the care and
training of two little boys (3 years
and 18 months respectively) for the
father who is a farmer and widower
Address with reference, Box 55, Williamsburg,
Va.
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