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September 1943
ness. Some people expect more Chris tianity on a national scale than they are willing to practice on a personal scale. If we want to make Christians of the heathen, then what we need to do is tell them a story—the story of the finished work of Christ—and live before them a life, and let God be the judge. Let us reach as many men as possible with as many missionaries as possible. The Method of Accomplishment One of the best means to this end is a monetary means. We as Christians have only started to give. The day is fast coming, I believe, when every church will divide its budget equally between local expenses and foreign missions. That is as it should be. Every member of every church should contribute, to that budget. Missionary pay itself must be ad justed. What we should do, and I think ultimately will do, is to pay according to living scale in any given locality. In some countries, one hun dred dollars per month is too much for any preacher and his family. On this i s l a n d , according to Professor Ducmunion of the local college, thirty- five dollars in American money is all a family of four needs, for all ex penses including four servants: two house servants and two field boys. This amount pays rent, groceries, doc tor’s bills, clothes, and all. Let us send out good men, as has been our late custom, pay them what they need on that field, wTiether it be $500.00 per month or $10.00 per month, the amount being arrived at -by an in telligent study and daily report on money exchanges of the island, coun try, or state involved. Under this plan, missionaries will never be rich, neither should they be. Pray that our missionary offering here may increase, and that we shall be led of God to open new work in M------ island among the cannibals there, where white man has not gone, neither does he dare go as yet. July King's Business will appreciate the further practical assistance which is given in the chapters of the book entitled, “Organizing the Local Church for Publicity,” “The Technique of Re ligious Journalism,” and “The Pastor as a Christian Publicist.” Any one who is interested in spreading the gospel in his local community will find this book full of helpful suggestions for both the large and small church. It is an ideal gift for the Christian worker and the church library. 226 pages. Zondervan Pub. House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Cloth. Price $2.00.
anything worthy, let the missionary first be able to show his ability to propagate the gospel successfully in America before he is sent out to a distant field. Imour beloved America, we have people of every race and tongue; let the would-be missionary witness to them. If he cannot do this in America, where everything and ev erybody are favorable to the church and its efforts, he will not be worth his salt out here. These islands try men’s souls. It has been my business to listen while some of the greatest soldiers this world ever saw, cry their hearts out. One wonders what some of the pink-tea boys would, do out here. What do we hope to accomplish so far as language is concerned? We shall have to decide whether we mean to teach English to all the natives of the world, or to teach our missionaries the native languages. One is forced to admit that sometimes it seems that the aborigines are the more apt pupils. What are we trying to do: carry American culture or way of life, or make Jesus Christ known to a peo ple? If we are going to Americanize them, then by all means establish schools of English. If we want to Christianize them, we must tell them the story of Christ in their own dia lects. There is nothing that moves the heart of a man so much as to receive, in his own mother tongue, the won derful words of divine revelation. It seems jnow that our missionary effort is about to be placed in grave danger. Let us not make the mistake of attempting to use our missionary effort to establish new relations and stop wars. Surely we should teach the principles of Christ to all. Brotherly love should and must be taught. But because it is, we must not expect ev ery nation to fall into the arms of every other nation and be old pals any more than two deacons of the same church who are business rivals should be expected to share their bank accounts or new customers’ busi
ABOUT M ISS IO N S [Continued, from Page 329] His: first by birth, and then by adop tion. If, however, Christ’s commands of long ago were the only impelling force that could drive us on, one might understand our lethargy. There seems to me to be another force, and it is down deep inside ourselves. If we, by new birth, become children of God as John says, then it is reasonable to suppose that we have an inborn like ness to Him who is our Father. Nor mally, my sons could be expected, in some measure at least, to have my traits of character. If that be true of the earthly family, how much more true is it of the spiritual relationship! The Impulsion of Love To me, the one outstanding picture of Christ is the one in which we see Him overlooking the city and crying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kill- est the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” If He, because of His compassion for men— all men—was forced to cry out when men rebelled, how can we keep our voices quiet and our eyes dry when we witness the same kind of rejection of His grace? Why should we not respond, as Jeremiah did, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for . . ».my people” ? It makes no difference whether, in herently, we like people or not; be cause Christ loved them, so should we. Not only should we be mission ary because He commanded it, but because He loves us and we love Him. Love f o r , a person makes us do extraordinary things. In my absence, now, my wife does things for our boys that she does hot particularly enjoy doing, but because I did those things, and the boys loved me for it, she tries to take my place until I return. One of my boys does not know me personally, but his mother shows him my picture, and tells him about his Daddy on the other side of the world, until now, when he retires, having finished his prayers, he adds, "Daddy done tume home one of dese days." People living today never saw the Lord Jesus Christ, but they will love Him if we show the correct picture. Let us show it, and then let them rest, knowing He is going to come to His own one of these days. Finally, I believe in missions, if for no other reason than that of the re sults. The Real Purpose of Missions \Does it not seem fitting and proper to ask, at this point, what we hope to. accomplish? If he is to accomplish
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Successful Church Publicity By Carl F. H. Henry
From a rich background of ex perience in both the secular and re ligious press, the author presents an inspirational and practical study for pastors, Christian workers, and lay men. He finds impetus for gospel pub licity in the Word of God itself. He gives a brief history of religious journalism in America before describ ing the neglect (by the press) of the field of American missions, Those who read Dr. Henry’s fine article in the
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