mission of west china 193710.pdf.pdf

THE WEST CHINA MISSIONARY NEWS Vol. XXXIX 1937 OCTOBER No. 10 THE CANADIAN MISSION OF WEST CHINA Missions have personality. They inherit it from the churches from which they come; they develop it in the lands to which they go. Thinking of one function of plex thing., person- ality, namely, the setting of valuestupon the various experi- ences and activities of life, what can we say of the-Canadian Mission? What emphasis does it put upon the different forms of Christian activity? Without doubt, in the minds of all, the central place is held by evangelism. This, of course, is not meant simply in a departmental or professional sense. We believe in the “ priesthood of all believers”, and all are evangelists in their own particular way. But in a professional sense, it is pro- bable that there is greater satisfaction in the hearts of all oui Missionaries over evidences of evangelical power on the part of our Chinese fellow-workers than over any other. The reason is not far to seek. Our fathers were in many cases lonely settlers in a new country, and were grateful beyond words for the ministrations of the ‘ saddle-back” preachers, men who were afire with the love of Christ. Such men braved the hardships of pioneer life with joy in their hearts, and with a warm interest in the eternal welfare of each individual in their extensive parishes. No erstwhile Canadian Methodist can think lightly of the work of evangelism. But in Canada, evangelism led directly to education.. As a result of the new life, the holy optimism, the-joy of the Lord, the natural development was a desire to study. The restricted lives of ^people who lived in the woods gave them a keen appetite for learning. Their religion and their circum- sta