March, 1938
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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heart of the present writer a great burden for the evangelization of not only the mil lions that dwelt within that great metrop olis, but also of the millions that would visit the Fair. He called together a group of business men for a luncheon, and brought before them the vision and the burden. In this meeting impulses were born that ultimately led to the formation of a committee which is now known as the Christian Business Men’s Committee of Chicago. This group started a noon-hour service in the “Loop” of Chicago, a pro gram of gospel witness which continued throughout the Fair years, 1933 and 1934, and is still being maintained. This service is held in a “Loop” theater and is broad cast throughout the Middle West. Thou sands of souls have been saved in the the ater meetings and in radioland. Formerly the committee held an annual banquet for all interested friends, but :.t became impossible to take care of the crowds that came. In recent years an annual rally has been held instead. This year the rally took place in the Civic Opera House, and more than five thousand people assembled. The two speakers invited for the meeting, were Charles E. Fuller, a Biola graduate, who spoke on “ Gideon, the Model Worker,” and the present writer, who spoke on “ Can the World Be Evan gelized in a Decade?” This laymen’s movement has spread to Seattle and San Francisco here on the Pacific Coast. Preceding the rally referred to above, Christian laymen from various sections of the country held a conference, and as a result, the “ International Chris tian Business Men’s Committee” was formed. This committee includes: C. B. Hedstrom, Chicago, 111., Chairman; R. G. LeTourneau, Peoria, 111., Vice-Chairman; Arnold Grunigen, Jr., San Francisco, Calif., Secretary; N. A. Jepson, Seattle, Wash., Vice-Secretary, and C. E. Grem- mels, New York, N. Y. It would be difficult to conceive of a more representative group of evangelis- tically minded laymen than the men who have formed the international committee. Realizing that there can be no effective or lasting evangelism without an evangelical foundation, the committee has adopted a doctrinal statement covering the major his toric trutlts of evangelical Christianity. May we unitedly pray that this newly formed committee may be used of God to
Laymen and their service were repre sented ably by N. A. Jepson, Chairman of the Christian Business Men’s Committee of Seattle, Wash., and by Arnold Grunigen, Jr., Chairman of the Christian Business Men’s Committee of San Francisco, Calif. Their inspiring addresses caused laymen to recognize their tremendous responsibility for world evangelization and showed what fruit has resulted already where laymen bear witness to Christ’s power to save. The “ Sunshine Hour” on Saturday eve ning of the conference was indeed a unique contribution to the success of the week’s services. The renowned Swedish singer, J. A< Hultman, who has been singing the gospel for sixty-one years, gave the pro gram. He was assisted at the piano by his son, Paul Hultman, who is also a noted musician and is a member of the Institute faculty. Mrs. Edwin B. Young had charge of the Prayer Hour every week-day morning, and the story of her experiences in the realm of faith and prayer made Christ more real and precious to many. She and her hus band, who is an American Sunday School Union missionary and who ably assisted in the prayer sessions, are able to support— through funds given them for distribution — over eighty missionaries in the “ regions beyond.” What a privilege it has been for us here at Biola to have had these humble and prayerful servants of the Lord in our midst! On the anniversary of R. A. Tor- rey’s birth, January 28, a memorial service was held, in which A. B. Prichard, W . R. Hale, and others had part. With such a week as this as a back ground, it is not in the least surprising that many individuals responded to the in vitation to accept Christ at the concluding service and came to the altar where faith ful workers prayed and dealt with these seeking ones. This climax was only to be expected after a week of earnest prayer and intensive Bible study. Who can esti mate the results of the conference in the lives and ministry of the many who have gone back to their respective fields? And who can know the full value of these hours to the hundreds of young people who shortly will be going forth to various parts of the nation and the world? Laymen on the March Some years before the World’s Fair was held in Chicago, the Lord laid upon the
spread around the world the laymen’s re vival that has already begun!
Repentance— A Neglected Truth Except Ye Repent is the title of the most outstanding of the many remarkable books that have come from the mind, heart, and pen of H. A. Ironside, the pastor of the Moody Memorial Church of Chicago, 111, And it treats a subject that greatly needs emphasis in our day. It is not surprising that this volume was the American Tract- Society’s $1,000 prize winner for 1937., Dr. Ironside’s book deals with one o f the most-neglected truths of the Bible. A re- vival comes through the preaching of a forgotten and neglected truth. The' preach ing of the neglected truth of justification by faith brought on the Reformation; the preaching of the righteousness of God brought on the revival in the days of Jona than Edwards; and the preaching o f human responsibility brought on the revival in Finney’s day. In this superficial age in which we live, we need to get back to, a Pauline conception of the exceeding sin fulness of sin and of the necessity of re- pentance, which is “ a change of mind,” or “ a reversal of one’s inward attitude toward’ self, toward sin, toward God, toward Christ,” as Dr. Ironside declares. Has the Lord given this powerful, timely,, and awakening message to arouse ministers* evangelists, missionaries, and other Chris tian leaders to realize their responsibility to preach repentance in this flabby age? Our conviction is in the affirmative. W e urge upon every Christian leader to read and assimilate this tremendous book and to preach with emphasis and zeal the neces sity of repentance. The treatment of the subject is a classic. It is marked by sound exegesis, and it illumines the mind* probes the conscience, stirs the emotions* and moves the will. Stirring News from China From Charles A. Roberts, Treasurer o f the Hunan Bible Institute (the China Department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles), a letter dated January 13, 1938* and sent from Changsha, Hunan, China, was received in Los Angeles just as this issue o f T he K ing ’ s B usiness was going to press. Because the letter treats of vital matters for praise and prayer, excerpts are shared eagerly with K ing ’ s B usiness readers. “ It has been requested,” Mr. Roberts writes, “ by the Governor of Hunan and by American consular authorities that as many as possible of the women and chil dren, both Chinese and foreign, should evacuate . . . Mrs. Roberts and our chil dren left for Hongkong, as it was felt that they should leave with other missionaries on the last international train specially provided by the Chinese Government from Hankow to Hongkong. However, Dr. and Mrs. Keller have remained. On this last train, the two American Schools for mis sionaries’ children, one at Kuling and one [ Continued on page 134]
Photo by Burke & Koretke
Christian Business Men's Committee Fellowship Supper, January 15, 1938, Great Northern Hotel, Chicago, III. ¿f-
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