IS MISSIONS BIG BUSINESS? by Don W. H iIlis
C h r is t ia n H e r a l d published it . . . June, 1967. Elisabeth Elliott wrote it. The title — “ Go Ye Into All the World and Preach Whose Gospel?” It was a provoking article . . . thought-provok ing. And it deserves careful study by mission execu tives. It also deserves an answer, and here is one. At the outset of the article, Mrs. Elliot quoted an anthropologist to the effect that missions “ are not getting recruits,” and hence stand in danger of being written off within the next ten years, barring a radical change. The writer then ex pressed her awareness of the reaction such a state ment would bring. I am one who has reacted. The fact is, mission are getting recruits. Not as many as they would like, to be sure. But statistics show a steady increase in the number of foreign mis sionaries during the last twenty years. Though there are areas in which missions are “hurting,” for lack of candidates, yet in the over all picture, there are far more American young people volunteering for the service o f Jesus Christ on foreign fields than is generally realized. It must be remembered that there are scores more mission societies appealing for candidates today than twen ty years ago. Furthermore, the largest missionary society in the world, with approximately 2,000 mis sionaries and growing at the rate of more than 100 new missionaries a year, is only about 30 years old. This year in my mission we have more recruits in our annual orientation classes than we have had in any period during the last ten years. It is, of course, true that there are large re-
ligious machines today that lack sufficient person nel. But show me the missionary organization that demands a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and to the proclamation o f His message and I will show you an organization to which dedicated young people are offering their services. Early in Mrs. Elliot’s article, she stated, “Whether we like it or not, whether we were pre pared for it or not, they [missions] have certainly had their day in China. In some countries of Africa, missionaries have been bidden good-bye. God—if we may be permitted to put it this way—is doing without us in China.” Though such a statement should give us cause for serious heart-searching, it should also be challenged by some qualifying questions. Is God really doing without us in China? Or is He accomplishing things through missions in that country today that may be far more impor tant than we realize? Are we to attach no impor tance to the letters received from the China main land by the Far East Broadcasting Company, The Evangelical Alliance Mission, and other radio ministries? Do not these letters, which so often express spiritual hunger or a note of thanksgiving for the radio broadcasts, indicate that God is using the missionary program even apart from the bodily presence of the missionary? Is it true that missions have had their “ day in China” ? The same pessimistic note was sounded when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. Missionaries were driven from the country and Christians were slaughtered. It appeared to be the demise of the missionary effort in that land. But not so—if any thing, missions have had a greater day since Mus solini’s rape o f Ethiopia than before. Though the curtains have been temporarily pulled across the foreign missionary program in
The author of this article is the Associate Di rector of The Evangelical Alliance Mission which has 880 missionaries serving in 20 countries.
9
NOVEMBER, 1967
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