April, 1937
THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
124
ShallWeAbandonHunan?
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Frank A. Keller Superintendent ABOU T twenty years ago, there was founded in the teeming Chinese city of Changsha, in Hunan Province, an interdenomina tional Bible school, its leaders having as clear a vision of the duty to evan gelize the heathen world as has ever been translated into definite missionary activity. The work was organized by a de voted medical missionary, who former ly had served under the China Inland Mission, and it was built largely by means of the personal gifts of two consecrated Christian laymen. The plan of operation included the very practical method of house-to- house evangelism by bands of trained native Christians. The center of the work was a perfectly appointed Bible school—said to be one of the best equipped plants on any mission field. Ever since its founding, the school has served, without money or price, many local missions supported by denomina tional boards. It has trained hun dreds of native workers, has published its own magazine, Evangelism, and even has developed an extensive corre spondence department. We are describing, of course, the Hunan Bible Institute, the China de partment of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and are referring to Frank A. Keller, M.D., its faithful superin tendent. With the coming of the great de pression, preceded by the deaths of the school’s two principal benefactors, the Hunan Bible Institute fell upon diffi cult days. The modest needs of the great Chinese work, added to the ex penses of the Los Angeles school, be came harder and harder to finance. The climax is now at hand. A letter from Dr. Keller, dated February 8, 1937, sent by air mail via Shanghai, reads in part as follows:
Administration Building, Hunan Bible Institute
JUST F IV E THOUSAND DOL LARS sen t (o r pledged) NOW will save the work in Hunan . . . Five thousand dollars from rich Am er ica to w ar-to rn China . . . Five g ifts o f a thousand dollars each . . . or fifty of one hundred dol la rs each . . . o r five hundred of ten dollars each . . . or even sm aller g ifts . . . would save a work th a t has cost n early h alf a million dollars to establish. JU ST $5,000! We will write to the members of the Biola Prayer Circle. We will pray also that through this plain statement of fact, published in T he K ing ’ s B usi ness , God will speak to the hearts and consciences of His stewards who will read it this month. Friends, we are dealing with the most precious of commodities—the SOULS OF TH E HEATHEN who know not the Way. WHAT SAY YOU, one and all? SHALL WE CLOSE HUNAN? The "SAVE THE HUNAN BIBLE INSTITUTE" Pledge and Gift Form Date..................... Paul W. Rood, President The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated I want the work of the Hunan Bible Institute to continue as a school teaching the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. I am enclosing the sum of % ..............................and will forward { monthly quarterly semiannually beginning............................... . until I have donated the sum of $.................................. Name .................... .. . .:.. 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California Dear Dr. Rood:
The few teachers who have bravely rem ained and who are looking unto God fo r th eir support have agreed to rem ain fo r one y ear only. Unless something very definite is done soon, th ere will be n eith er teachers nor studen ts a fte r th e middle of June, 1937. We will answer Dr. Keller’s letter in the presence of the 100,000 Chris tians who doubtless will read this is sue of T he K ing ’ s B usiness . SHALL TH IS BE OUR REPLY? Dear Dr. Keller: We have not remitted sufficient funds, for a very sad reason. The great Christian community in America, to whom we minister by sermon, by radio, and through the printed page, seems to have forgotten Changsha. These friends know of the great and needed work of the Hunan Bible In stitute. They know of the millions in heathen darkness, many of whom you are leading to the Light. They have seen pictures of the Hunan Bible In stitute, have heard of its unselfish work, know of its dire need. But like the priest and the Levite in the Bib lical incident, they have passed by on the other side of the road. And no Samaritan has appeared.
Dear Dr. Keller, it may be that you will have to close the Hunan Bible Institute. We are told that there are plans to confiscate the property, if abandoned, and to use it for a bar racks or a non-Christian school. Per haps the Hunan school will be closed. And yet, even as we write this, some one seems to whisper that this sad conclusion is not inevitable. THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
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