prayed, “ Lord, if you want us. . . .” When they learned that they agreed, he made definite inquiries about his use on the mission field, One year after his trip, he sold his business and went to Hong Kong to be business manager for the Oriental Missionary Society which is building a church, seminary, hospital and school in that crowded city. No pastor can limit what God will do through him and his church if he will follow the advice of William Carey, the father of modem missions: “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.”
One •of the encouraging develop ments was the increased consecration of Ron Harrington. He was a business man and friend of Pastor Hemphill. When Dr. Hemphill went to visit some of the world’s mission stations, Harrington went with him. It was in many respects a rushed and highlight ed trip. Harrington, however, returned with the cry of human misery in his ears, the sight of human desperation in- his eyes. But what could he do? He was past school age. He had no theological training. Yet he prayed, “ Lord, if you want me. . . .” Without his knowing it, his wife
money was spent in North America so obviously, by and large, the church in America did not have a world vision. He decided his church should have, and spoke for several Sundays on passages relating to the Great Commission, until it became real in his own heart. He realized that missions was not a program, but a relationship to Christ. He decided to do something to urge his parishioners to enter into this relationship. So he set up a week’s missionary challenge. From there, the program has grown. When discussing the p r o g r a m Hemphill quietly smiles as he says, “ Some people think you’ll starve if you .support missions. But as I heard someone say, ‘The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home.’ In the seven years that we have had a strong missionary empha sis, we have built a $300,000 unit for Sunday school and our Christian day school. Also, we have purchased the properity to the north which doubles the property the church now owns.
Pastor Hemphill (left), talks to a mission ary at annual conference. The apartments bring in income at present, but we plan to enlarge our facilities.” Naturally, every church cannot do all that San Gabriel Union Church does. Its location may limits its num ber of missionary speakers: but every church can have a strong missionary program. They can begin by being more concerned with the missionary their church now partially supports, or even one that some of their mem bers have heard. They can have a “ Faith Promise Sunday” and from that the program will grow. Especially on the human side! As has happened at San Gabriel Union Church. They contribute to the sup port of some seventy missionaries, twenty-one of whom are members. They have five families going out this year- to such widely separated places as Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, In dia and Africa.
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FEBRUARY, 1964
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