The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 12, December, 1882 — John Shaqi
The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 12, December, 1882Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 12, December, 1882
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
The desire of earnest Christian Chinamen in California that a
mission be started in Southern China, which might be a “rallying
centre” of Christian influence for converted men on their return
home, and from which they could “go forth to carry the gospel
to their countrymen,” is a desire which must commend itself to
reason; and the readiness of these Christian Chinamen to aid
such a movement with contributions of their own is worthy of
the highest commendation. Moreover, that Hong Kong, that great
gateway of Chinese emigration, that district wrenched away from
the Chinese by English selfishness and rapacity forty years ago,
in the ignominious struggle of the opium war, should be the place
agreed upon for that mission, seemed peculiarly fitting. But that
this Association should be the body to establish the mission
there, thus distracting attention from its great peculiar work at
home, and dividing the contributions of American Congregational
churches between two foreign Congregational boards in China, could
hardly seem wise to any. How gratifying then to learn that this
Association, holding to the purpose of no more missions abroad, has
successfully arranged with the American Board to accept and carry
forward this movement at Hong Kong. The principle of simplicity
of arrangement and economical division of labor among our great
benevolent societies is thus endorsed once for all.
Second. The second point calling for thanksgiving is the marked
success of the work among the Chinese on the Pacific coast. There
is no more promising work for China, as a whole, in all the world,
than that now being done by the California Chinese Mission. Its
fifteen schools, with thirty-one teachers, eleven of whom are
converted Chinamen, twenty-five hundred scholars—an increase of
almost a thousand over last year, and a hundred and six conversions
to Christ, all show that it is no longer a mere experiment. The
efficient Christian organization known as the Congregational
Association of Christian Chinese, with its missionary spirit and
liberal contributions, demonstrate the fact on our own soil that
the Chinamen, like others, when touched by the spirit of Christ,
are a power for righteousness.
Third. The recent influx of 25,000 Chinamen, hastening to reach our
shores before the pagan bill of Congress should go into effect, has
suddenly increased the demand for laborers and money.
The work on the Pacific coast ought not to receive less than
$13,000 the coming year, that the 125,000 Chinese already in the
country may, during the ten years of national disgrace, be quietly
fitted to become a great Christian power for the elevation of their
countrymen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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