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August 1943
"There is no record anywhere of the Holy Spirit’s power remaining with any church« which did not use it in witnessing for Christ”
that a missonary conference was held, participated in by 107 mis sionaries, representing 26 soci eties, and 100 students from a number of seminaries, colleges, and Bible Institutes. Five mis sionary leaders, together repre senting the world field, spoke on the topic, “What Preparation Should Christian Missions Make Now for World Evangelism Fol lowing the War?" .It was the unanimous decision of the conference that the sub stance of these addresses should be published and other meas ures taken with a view to in spiring new concern and effort to prepare for, and promptly seize, the opportunity for a for ward movement on all mission fronts of the world at the close of the present war. To this end a committee w a s appointed, of which Robert Hall Glover, M. D., served as chairman. nesses. World vision, with burdened hearts, is the need of the hour. Missionary Education There must be a campaign of fresh and intensive missionary education in the church. It can be said truthfully that the church is not only the home base, but also the channel through which Christian missions function. The Pen tecostal Power and the Apostolic Plan for present and f u t u r e missionary work will be determined by the spir itual state of the church. There are three outstanding statements con cerning the missionary program of the first Christian church o f Antioch, Syria, namely, “There were in the church . . .” ; “The Holy Spirit said” to the church; “They [the church] sent them [the missionaries] away” (Acts 13:1-3). The church today must al ways be prepared to take inventory of its relation- to these statements. The church that is not a missionary church will soon become itself a mis sion field; i t . is therefore essential that the church, as well as the mis sionary, know God’s missionary pro gram.
Preparation NOW For Post-War Missionary Work
ance of the morrow, and though we hold with gladness the hope of the imminent coming of our Lord, yet we must plan carefully and well for the furtherance of the gospel while it is day, and until the night'cometh. when no man can work. It is assumed that there will be an Allied victory; for this we most heartily beseech our God. A new world order is anticipated. There will be a redistribution of territory and political / control, n ew government regulations, and changed living and economic standards. Our concept, of missionary methods may require dras tic change. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ —who, by His death, burial and resur rection, dealt finally and eternally with siri, -and who made full provision for the salvation of every believing sinner—must be preached; and what ever the demand, whatever the cost, we must say with Paul, “Woe is me, if I preach not the gospel.”
"W ■'JT XH ILE SEIZING every oppor- ■ \ l \ / tunity to carry the gospel of Y Y Jesus Christ into lands now open to evangelism, there is the ever growing need of immediate prepa ration for world-wide evangelistic ef fort following the war. The statesman, the manufacturer, and the educator all are thinking of the post-war reconstruction in. terms of preparation now for advantageous positions then. Our concern should certainly be abreast with that of other fields of enterprise. The church musj: not allow this global conflict to ob scure the fact that Christ’s commis sion should be carried out' at all .times. There are those whose eyes can see no farther than closed doors. These individuals are pessimistic concerning future missionary plans. But God’s work is still continuing, even in this very day. Though we have no assur- [Probably there is on this continent no greater missionary statesman than he who, in collaboration with other_ members of the appointed committee, has set forth the facts of this important- article. Dr. Glover himself has been a missionary. He has been a mis sionary executive, visiting scores of niission stations and dealing with their problems. He has taught missionary subjects in Bible Insti tutes and has written a valuable textbook. The Progress of W orld-W ide Missions. For the past fourteen years he has been Home Director for North America of the China Inland Mission. Throughout a lifetime of missionary service he has[ been a far-seeing, wise, and' warm-hearted exponent of the cause by world evangelism. This Article, therefore, should stir the people of God to prayerful action.- ■Editor.}
Our Lord said, “There shall be wars and rumors of wars,” therefore we know that whatever peace shall ensue will be short-lived. No time must be lost when peace comes. We dare not wait until it comes to start consider ations as fo what to do. May it never be said of Christian missions that they arrived at these momentous oppor tunities with “Too little, too late” ! Our task in this dispensation of grace is to “ visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” Yes, we must flood all fields with wit• It was early in this year 1943, This necessity throws tremendous responsibility u p o n the pastor. He must make a new and earnest effort to set forth clearly and forcefully the New Testament goal and program of world evangelizatiop. Since the ma jority of churches are cold and for mal, at a low spiritual level, self- satisfied, and wishing not to be dis turbed by preaching of a vital and convicting s o r t , preparation irr the [ Continued on Page 296]
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