Missions
Worldwide Missionary News by Oran H . Smith
I n Japan there is “ grave danger” that the government will stop Christian pastors from visiting prisons. A new ruling restores the pre-war system of full-time chap lains, “ appointed by the warden, who would be mostly Buddhists.” During the past two years about 300 pastors, including many evan gelicals, have been actively engaged in prison evangelism— at one time there were almost 10,000 prisoners actively p r e p a r i ng for baptism. The pastors are now faced with the possibility of being denied admit tance to all jails. Korean Conference At the Korean Pastors’ Confer ence held recently at Seoul, the registrations totalled 3,318—nearly twice as many as last year. The leader was Dr. Bob Pierce, presi dent of World Vision, who has been conducting such conferences for a number of years. Cooperating with Dr. Pierce was a team of preachers and Bible teachers and a Youth for Christ' quartette from Portland, Ore. Sessions began each morning with a daybreak prayer meeting at 5:30. During the forenoon a series of seminar studies was conducted, and an evening meeting concluded the day. On the last day of the conference a mammoth outdoor meeting of all the churches in Seoul was held on South Mountain, the former site of the Shinto Shrine. Some think as many as 80,000 were present. Bob Pierce gave the address, followed by the prayers of three pastors; the first for Korea’s Christians and church; the second for the nation and people; the third for the union of North and South Korea. It was the church’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of Korea’s independ ence from Japan. When it was learned that the team was leaving the next day for Indo-China, offering plates were 40
passed at the exits. Out of their poverty the Christians gave some $600 to be taken to their Indo- China brethren who are now the victims of the Communists. Israel A group of teen-agers in Israel, k n own as the Israeli Christian Youth Group, concerned about their neighbors’ spiritual condition, has initiated an unusual witness for Christ. -Key to their effort is a se ries of advertisements in local news papers, inviting Jewish readers who might be interested in their group to write them. Leaders of the group have been amazed at the success of their ef fort— as many as 240 replies from a single advertisement have been received. The replies are all the more significant since the advertise ments plainly state that a copy of the New Testament will be sent. Schools The new president of the Robin son Bible Institute in Guatemala is a Guatemalan, Jose Chicol, who has been trained in the United States at John Brown University, Columbia Bible College and Bob Jones University. As a boy he worked with Dr. Cameron Town send, who founded the Institute. Robinson Bible Institute is the Central American Mission’s school for the training of native pastors. India Indiagram, issued by the Embas sy of India, Wash., D.C., dated Sept. 12, contained the following article entitled “ Regulations for Ad mission of Missionaries.” “ There has been no change in the policy of the India Government with regard to permission given to foreign missionaries to work in India. Representatives for the mis sionary societies in Great Britain and Ireland are due to arrive in Delhi on or about Sept. 20 to meet
Indian officials and the United Kingdom High Commissioner. “ Unfortunately, a number of messages have been published in the British Press from their corre spondents stationed in India, which have led to an impression that new regulations have been promulgated for admission of Christian mission aries into India. “ The position remains as con tained in the annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the year 1954-55 wherein it was stated that the policy governing admission into and treatment in India of for eign missionaries had been final ised. “ Foreign missionaries, coming as additional members of a mission or in replacement of the existing mis sionaries, will be admitted into In dia provided (1) they possess out standing qualifications of special ized experience and (2) Indians are not available for such posts. “ Missionaries a l r e ad y in the country will not ordinarily be dis turbed unless they have come to adverse notice. Those who are working in India for a period of five years or more will ordinarily be eligible for readmission and to the grant of ‘No objection to return to India’ endorsement if they leave the country with the intention of returning to India. “ The report added that foreign missions or societies working in India would be required to obtain Go v e r nme n t p e rmi s s i on before opening a new branch or institution in India. It has also been decided that Commonwealth missionaries should, like other foreign mission aries, be required to obtain visas for India before proceeding to this country. A necessary amendment to the Indian Passport Rules, 1950 has been made to this effect. “ According to figures available, the number of registered foreign missionaries in India at the end of 1952 was 5,538, and it increased to 5,784 at the end of 1953.” THE KING'S BUSINESS
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