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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Postwar Missions By ROBERT H. GLOVER Philadelphia, Pa.
B HE OUTBREAK of the present world war saw the missionary enterprise at the most ad-' goal of the church’s God-given task Of carrying the gospel to the whole world, while still a considerable dis tance off, was nearer and more clear ly in view than-ever before. Among contributory factors to this hopeful situation and outlook may be mentioned: (1) the cumulative effect of past missionary efforts; (2) the vèry vvide expansion of the field and work of missions; (3) the great in crease in the translation and circula tion of the Scriptures; and (4) the steady development of indigenous churches and leadership. Thus when the present war1began, .the mission ary movement had reached its very zenith of opportunity, advance, and achievement for all- time. The present war’s effect upon mis sionary work and interests has been unquestionably far greater than that of any previous war in history. It has meant the cutting off of all Eu ropean missionaries from their home bases; the diversion of men and money to the fighting forces; the dis ruption of transportation to and from Home Director Emeritus of the China In land Mission, Dr. Glover is one of the greatest living missionary statesmen. A Doctor of Med icine, he served as a missionary in China. He has been also a missionary executive, visiting scores > of mission stations and dealing with their problem ». He has taught missionary subjects, in BWle Institutes and written a lexib&vk, Tîi^ Progress of World-Wide Mis- sions. Throughout a lifetime of missionary service, he has. been a far-seeing, wise and warm-hearted exponent of world evangelism.
the fields; the turning of many mis sion areas into battlefields; the enor mous destruction of mission property; the interning of hundreds of mission aries and putting other hundreds to perilous flight; the subjection of workers in still open fields to no little hardship from insufficient food, un controlled banditry, outrageous rise in living costs due to currency inflation, and many other problems. This makes a very dark picture and may seem like the triumph of the enemy. But there is another and a brighter side which quite outbalances it. God has answered the prayers of His people, has made the wrath of man to praise* Him, and has turned weapons formed against His cause into’ means for promoting it. Reports come of a wonderful revival and de velopment of indigenous churches in Ethiopia during the enforced absence of the 1missionaries. The story of God’s mighty working in China dur ing the war years is a thrilling epic. The’ ministry of the missionaries to Chinese war sufferers has newly com mended Christianity to the masses. Similar favorable features in i other mission fields could be cited. Thus the adversary’s greatest efforts to frustrate the work of missions by means of this war have signally failed, and from the highest point of view there has been gain instead of loss. Coming now to the direct consider ation of postwar missions, let us note some of the salient factors to be reck oned with when the long-prayed-for end of the war comes, and the door swings open for resumption of full m's Favoring Factors Better opportunities than ever be fore. of reaching arid influencing the peoples of m o s t mission lands will confront us because of the new favor missionaries have won by their splen did ministry to the temporal and spir itual needs of those ppoples during the war. Moreover, the sufferings and losses of the war period, have had a chastening effect and made hearts more susceptible to the gospel mes sage. A remarkable change in this re spect has come over even the edu cated class in China. Hitherto proud, materialistic, and anti-foreign, they are now seeking friendly relations with the missionaries and showing a genuine spirit of inquiry into Chris tian truth. In Latin America a simi lar increased respect for the evangeli cal missionary and an open-minded ness to his message are in evidence. Of vital significance also is the fact that the supreme rulers and other high officers of State in several mis sion lands are confessed Christians and openly» sympathetic with mis sionary work. The phenomenal advance in means of transportation and increase of ma terial facilities 'of every kind consti-' tute a factor •of tremendous value. N6w railroads and motor highways have been constructed in all parts of the world. God has even used the bitter enemies of His missionary cause to contribute unwittingly to it, as in the case of the building by the Italians of a military road' in Eth iopia which has reduced the journey to a southern section of the field f nv Pnoe 117T. vanced stage it had ever reached. The
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