History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.Anderson, Rufus
Religion
History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.
Anderson, Rufus
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; Missions -- Eastern churches
Experience has also developed the great law here, as well as
elsewhere, that the main work of winning races to Christianity must
be performed by men of the same race. A Moslem will listen more
patiently to a Christian Turk ("renegade" though he be), than he
will to an Armenian; nor has it been found easy to enlist the
Protestant Armenians effectively in labors for the Turks. It may be
otherwise when the work is more advanced, and the Armenians are
elevated to a higher social level. But a ministry raised from among
themselves, is indispensable to the most efficient evangelization of
the Turks.
It would seem, therefore, that, up to the present time, the original
plan of the mission to Turkey has been more promising of good, than
any other; namely, that of operating upon the Mohammedans through
regenerated churches planted in the communities where they dwell;
and the greatest usefulness of these churches, for obvious reasons,
must be expected in the interior, rather than in the capital. Thus
far, there has been no material or very obvious change in the
missionary policy; and the risk of such a change, and its probable
advantages on the whole, should be carefully estimated. The
Protestant nations of Europe are substantially with us in our
evangelical labors among the Oriental Churches; and the churches we
gather are "our epistle," "known and read" by the Mohammedans.
Gradually, it may be, some of the missionaries now in the field, who
are familiar with the Turkish language, and have their Armenian
churches supplied with pastors, will turn their attention mainly to
the Moslems, in the exercise of a sound discretion, both as regards
the Turks and the Christians. It may be found that both classes may
be happily inclosed in the same fold. The missionary now occupies a
higher and more influential position with both, than he did years
ago. The Turk, too, is better appreciated as he becomes known. He
has more of manliness, self-respect, and religious feeling, than
some races for whose salvation our labors have been blest. The
masses are by no means hopeless, and the middle class is full of
promise.
The future is in the hands of the great Head of the Church; who has
so crowned with success the past labors of his servants in Turkey,
as to warrant the expectation, that whatever is needful to the
effectual republication of the Gospel in those Bible lands, may be
attempted with the glad assurance of success.
MISSIONARIES
MISSIONARIES.
When no date occurs in the right hand column, it is because the
missionary is still in the field.
In several instances, the date of the wife's arrival in the field
precedes the arrival of the husband. The explanation is that the
wife, previous to marriage, had been connected with the mission as a
teacher.
Dr. Eli Smith's Exploring Tour is included in his thirty years'
missionary service. So in the case of Dr. H. G. O. Dwight, and some
others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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