New Forces in Old China: An Inevitable AwakeningBrown, Arthur Judson
History
New Forces in Old China: An Inevitable Awakening
Brown, Arthur Judson
China -- Commerce; China -- Foreign relations; China -- Politics and government; Missions -- China
Second:--Diminish the number of native pastors, helpers and
teachers and increase their work. In some places, this might
be done by grouping congregations and fields. But the places
where this could be wisely effected are so few that the relief to
the situation as a whole would not be appreciable, especially as
the native Christians would not give so liberally under such an
arrangement. Their sense of responsibility would be weakened
if they had only a half or a quarter of a pastor's time instead
of the whole of it. Besides, the native force is far too
small now. Instead of being diminished it should be largely
increased. The great work of the future must be done by native
ministers. If China is ever to be evangelized, it must
be to a large degree by Chinese evangelists. To adopt deliberately
the policy of restricting the number of such evangelists
and teachers would be suicidal. As a solution, therefore, this
method is quite impracticable, as it would be a relief at the expense
of efficiency.
Third:--Require native leaders to earn their own living either
wholly or in part. There is Pauline example for this method.
Some of the Presbyterian missionaries in Laos have adopted it
by inducing the members of a congregation to secure a ricefield
and a humble house for their minister. The Korea missionaries
have very successfully worked this method by insisting
that the leaders of groups shall continue in their former occupations
and give their services to Christian work without pay,
in some such way as Sunday-school superintendents and other
unpaid workers do in America. This method is deserving of
wider adoption. It would give considerable relief in many
other fields. It was probably the way that the early church
grew.
``Two opinions,'' says Dr. J. J. Lucas, ``have been held in regard to
the basis on which the salaries of native agents should be fixed. One is
that such a salary should be paid as would remove all excuse for engaging
in secular work, demanding all the time of the pastor for spiritual work;
another is, that acknowledging the salary to be insufficient, the pastors be
expected to supplement it by what they can get from field and vineyard.
If self-support is to be aimed at, at all cost, then the latter plan is the only
feasible one, with the dangers of its abuse. There is no doubt, however,
that a man who loves the gospel ministry and is devoted to it can, without
the neglect of spiritual affairs, do enough outside to lessen materially the
burden that would fall on the church in his support.''
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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