University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

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TUHE GLAD EVANGEI, 27 THE NEED FOR EVANGELISTIC WORKERS As to the need for evangelistic workers in China, we want to present the situation as we see it. Medical missions were established for the combined purposes of the alleviation of suffering which is consequent upon the lack of medical care, and of winning the good will of the people. They have accomplished these purposes most gloriously. Now on the one hand medical education is firmly established in China, and sl1e is rapidly producing young doctors, and on the other hand the people are open to all kinds of missionary work and are generally very friendly toward the foreigner. The evangelistic workers should now quickly step into the open door which our medical brethren have provided for us. They have done their work well. VVill the church now send out the thousands 'of capable, trained men needed to teach the millions that can be reached. Educational workers, also, have had two chief aims 5 to introduce Western education as an aid to the spread of the gospel, and to train leaders for the church and for the nation. China has learned the need for modern education and is establishing schools of every grade from kindergarten to university. There is still equally great need for instilling Chinese leaders with the Christian ideal, but these leaders must now be very largely reached during their period of study in government schools. The great need now is for evangelistic workers with preparation in the best methods of religious education, so that the pupils of government schools can be preached. We can let the government schools teach what are usually thought of as the secular subjects while we supply the religious training so greatly needed by China's future leaders. No more opportune moment could be desired than the present offers. Students are interested in everything western, and can be reached thru athletics and games of all kinds, clubs, bible classes, etc. The ancient religions of China are almost utterly discredited among students and something must quickly take their place. Fellow Christian students ot the homeland, it is for yon to say what it shall be. The heart of the Chinese student,like many of his ancient temples from which the images have been cast out is an empty slhrine. Can you say To write the name of Jesus there is my supreme elightf'

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26 THE LINGUIST In Nanking an amusement district exists which has many of the' same forms of amusements that go with street carnivals includingg sideshows, games of chance, street fakirs, and even the Punch and- judy shows. Here the people gather in such crowds that it is with dihiculty that one can make his way. Here it is that the clinches of Nanking have united in holding union evangelistic meetings. The mat shed shown in the above picture was built for the services. The building will seat about three hundred. The services last for several hours and the people come and go much as they do at a cou- tinuous performance moving picture show. A general invitation to become Christians can hardly be given for the polite Chinese would probably accept in a body. The Chinese may give ready assent to what the preacher is saying, for it is obviously good doctrine. His: ready acceptance of the doctrine, however, may carry no determination' to live a changed life nor to relinquish pagan practices. The greatest calamity that could befall a church would be to have a large member- ship of such people. If interested the people are invited to sign cards and they are then followed up by the mission working in their locality.. About 400 people signed cards during the progress of this meeting,. and many of these are now receiving regular instruction in the- Christian message. COME ON IN, THE WATER'S FINE After our first plunge into the depth of work in the Flowery- Land we say to all who stand on the bank anticipating the adventure, Come on in, China's fine. T By the way, that is not a bad illustration of the way one feels when he once gets into missionarygwork. Before going in swimming a boy stands on the bank contemplating the cold water and shivering at the thought of the shock when the plunge shall be taken. After the first plunge, how delightfully refreshing the water is, what ex- hileration as you swing your arm in long vigorous strokes. So people often stand afar off and look upon the mission field as a place of deprivation and a place quite undesirable for real guys like them. lt is somewhat of a surprize to experience an all-round vigor, a physical, mental and spiritual exhileratiou during the first year in' China. The physical vigor is perhaps due to the climate for there's some snap to a Nanking winter, and you'd better prepare for it by bringing a few extra warm clothes along. There is some vigor too, in the eager mind of young China asyou find when you get into a bible class with a few dozen keenly alert individuals. You find when you meet the evangelistic, medical, and educational missionaries on the- field that you come in contact with a group of people with as vigorous mentality and energetic personalities as you have ever met. Still greater, tho, is the spiritual exhileration which comes to the missionary who sees the hungry multitude around him while he knows that he has the bread of life for which those millions wait. We glory in the' inestimable and boundless privilege of being, ambassaeliorsof God to. the largest race in this wide world..

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28 THE LINGUIST EVANGELIZING WITH DR. MACKLIN A morning spent with Dr. Macklin in the Nanking tea houses is anovel fascinating experience. Dr. Macklin is better known to the masses of people in this section of China than any other foreigner. He is not only known but is honored and lovedg honored for risking his life to Isave the city of Nanking from destruction during the revolution, and lovfed for his many years of medical service. During his thirty years in .China he has been one of the most daring and aggressive pioneers. inievangelisni, and .he is still at it. I-Ie attacks the absurd temple practices and yet is respected by the priests. .. . .1 ' On 'Sunday morning before breakfast Dr. Macklin with two or three students starts out on foot. After an hour's walk wc arrive at one of the big tea houses in the centre of Nanking's densest popula- tion. The tea house will seat five hundred people and is visited by more than that number during the course of the morning. The Doctor selectsa table directly in front of the door, gets the tracts ready for distribution, orders the meal, and as the people come in we hand each one some Christian literature. The novel and surprizing experience is not one whit more pleasant to a new-comer than are the delicious new flavors of the Chinese food. To adequately describe that meal alone would take more room than this whole narrative. so eating such a meal may be looked forward to as one of the delightful experiences awaiting the new-comer. Before all the literature is distributed hundreds of people will be seated at the tables reading the bible stories and the Christian messages. Tea and food will get cold on many a table as the readers learn of that bread of life, and of the water of life. perhaps for the first time. Here a silk gownecl business man will stop to talk with the Doctor or a Buddhist priest will sit and- chat. What seed is there sown, much of it in good ground, if fine faces and vigorous personalities are any evidence. One might sit in an American commercial hotel and see no more capable looking men than come to these tea houses to talk business and drink tea. In one day we distributed fifteen hundred pieces of literature. During the past eight years Dr. Macklin has distributed about one quarter of a million pieces of Christian literature. How many church members owe the inception of their interest in Christianity to Dr. Macklin's aggressive evangelism,ronly the judgment day will tell. To recount the fascinating incidents of one such morning would require many pages and to tell of similar trips to the country and to the villages would require a whole book. The mornings with Dr. Macklin are an invaluable part of a new missionaries introduction to China and to his particular type of evangelism. No missionary in China knows better how to talk to the common people than does Doctor Macklin. One of the best tributes to his conversational powers. in meeting with the rnan on the street was given by a Chinese who said, His slang is excellent. ' p D