the Hunan Bible Institute placed great emphasis on the indigenous
principle; Chinese leadership was evident throughout the program
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Though financial difficulties hit the Institute during the (' Depression, · the program continued with even greater impact.
Harrison reported that the river boat bands were extremely
effective and numerous missionary organizations were soliciting
assistance from the Biola bands for their territories well into 60 the 1930s. Ebeling suggested, in retrospect, that the general
calibre of the faculty was enhanced by the addition of visiting
lecturers from numerous missionary institutions and schools in 61 Changsha. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to suggest anything
beyond the Bible Institute type courses were ever taught. Liberal
arts and sciences never made their way into the curriculum, and
in that sense, H.B.I. closely paralleled Biola's ea~ly days.
Keller's conservative evangelical Christianity, and respect
for Chinese competency and leadership, proved an asset from the
·beginning of his ministry. His outlook remained the drawing card
in the late 1920s and early 1930s as highly skilled Chinese were
added to the faculty. Keller was respected and considered as a
first rate individual to work for; his Yale pedigree was certainly . 11 62 an attraction as we . C.K. Cheng joined the Institute no later
than 1931. While his educational background is unknown, he was
considered an extremely capable Biblical scholar and translator.
Harrison called Cheng, "the Scofield of China" in the 1930s.
From Changsha, he translated the three volume Bible Commentary
by C.I. Scofield into Chinese. 63
Cheng maximized his work by
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