University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

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THE GLAD EVANGEL 21 TI-IE GLAD EVANGEL What is Evangelistic Work in China? NVhat does the evangelistic missionary do? Does he hold big evangelistic campaigns? Does he have charge of a church and preach regularly? VVhat are the needs and opportunities in the evangelistic iieltl in China just now P . Is the greatest need for evangelistic workers or for educational workers in China just now? These questions and many others crowd upon young people at home when their thoughts turn toward missionary work as a career, If we may judge by memories of our own days of preparation. An attempt will be made to answer these and various other queries from the point of view of a group of students who have spent one brief, crowded and happy year in China. Only a year ago we were college and university students at home, so we look at our Iield of service- from the'point-of view of the present generation of students and young people. It is a proud day for a man when he gets a call to a larger field of service. The first thing we realized when we found ourselves deposited in the midst of about 400 million souls was that we have been called to a larger ileld of service with a vengeance. If there are too many struggling churches in your town we would like to give You a call to this larger field. You may have the care of a hundred thousand souls not one of whom has ever heard an adequate presenta- tion of the gospel. They have never seen one of Christ's 'living Epistles and they never will see and never will hear these things unless you come. , Just how does the evangelistic missionary set about his work? His methods are varied. I-Ie rarely holds big evangelistic campaigns and if he does hold them, he usually has Chinese to do the reaching, In fact he is not primarily a preacher at all. He may inrequently preach on Sundays but the Chinese preachers are of course much more effective for regular preaching t an a foreigner can hope to be. The foreign evangelist does, however, have a vast number of duties which are most essential to successful missionary work. He may oversee the work of from one to fifty native helpers. These will be- preachers, evangelists, teachers, bible women, carpenters, gardeners, etc. Usually a man takes charge of the men's work and a woman missionary oversees that for the women. The evangelistic missionary must aid in and organize the work of preaching, singing, social service, visiting the sick, famine relief, advising and guiding new Converts, see to the payment of native helpers, teach his preachers- and helpers, ,direct the construction and repair of buildings and furniture, carry on boys clubs and reading rooms organize numerous bible classes and inquirers classes, distribute portions of scripture and other literature. He may have anything up to thirty outstations which he must visit once or twice or even more times a year. He

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20 THE LINGUISTH THE CALL OF THE SERVICE. The call of the service extends into many fields. To those who are interested in preventitive medicine and public health with their problems of sanitation and popular education, China otiers the greatest field in the world today. To those who are interested in fighting those great scourges of mankind such as tuberculosis and leprosy, there are millions waiting with their faces turned toward the wall for one who can give them hope. To those with the blood of pioneers in their veins, the call comes to enter the new fields out on the far frontiers where the great adventure of bringing a gospel of love and service and healing has a virgin field. The call comes to each one so equipped that they can help bring this service to its fullness. Doctor, nurse. pharmacist, dentist, technican, all are needed to complete the work. And in all and through all this service as a golden thread runs ,the fact that many of thosewho are reached by the ministry of healing are brought into contact with the Great' Physician and, through him, receive the gift of life eternal. Acknowledgment is made to Drs. King, Voss and Vtfoodbridge whose invaluable assistance made this paper possible. R. A. Psrizxsou. M. D. References. 1. MacGowan: A History of China. 2. Wong: Chinese Hospitals in Ancient Times. C.M.M. jour., Vol. XXXVII, QNO. 1. 3. Cadbury: Medicine as Practised by the Chinese, C. M. M. jour., Vol. XXXVII, No. 6. 4. Balme: Modern Medicine in China. A Tea House

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,22 THE LINGUIST' will find every imaginable kind of complication in the work, all of which he is expected to straighten out. ln short, he is responsible for guiding the education in Christian ideals of all his constituency from kindergarten to native pastors. ln the Language School are new missionaries connected with many denominations. They represent every shade of theological belief, yet to the best of our knowledge there has not been a shade of dissensionor unpleasant controversy during the whole year. This is because we are faced with a gigantic taskg the winning of China for Christ. When our many denominations realize the world's sad and bitter need they can and will unite, not on statement of doctrine, but on something far more important, i.e.g the winning of the world to its Savior. Don't interfere with them, their religion is all right for them and they get alongall right. it hardly seems necessary to answer that objection to mission work, but perhaps a 'few illustrations will show the reasons for evangelistic work in China as we see it. A few brief word pictures will perhaps enable you to judge for yourself whether or not we should give them a knowledge of Christ. Outside our gate the women are washing their food in a filthy pool witha green scum on it. In the same pool they wash their clothes and let the ducks and geese paddle. Filthy sewerage empties into it and a vile stench arises, but every day they sit on the bank and wash their rice and vegetables there. Of course disease sweeps off multitudes. The 'Village Washtub A