July 1925
THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
308
Our Bible Institute in Hunan Province, China Dr. Frank A. Keller Superintendent
T h e Hu na n B i b l e I n s t i t u t e (th e C h in a D e p a r tm e n t o f th e B ib le I n s titu te o f L o s A n g e le s ) is o rg a n iz e d a lo n g s im ila r lin e s to th e h o m e In s titu te ,-— t r a in in g n a tiv e C h in e se y o u n g m e n a n d w o m e n fo r C h r is tia n w o rk , a n d a t th e s a m e tim e c a r r y in g o n a n a c tiv e e v a n g e lis tic w o rk a m o n g th e u n s a v e d . T h e w o rk (w h ic h is re c o g n iz e d b y th e d iff e r e n t ë v a n g e lic a l m is s io n s a s o n e o f th e b e s t in C h in a ) h a s th r e e d e p a r tm e n ts : ( 1 ) A B i b l e I n s t i t u t e a t C h a n g s h a (th e c a p ita l c ity o f H u n a n P r o v in c e .) (2 ) T w e l v e E va nge li st ic. B a n d s w ith 13 m e n in e a c h B a n d , d e v o tin g th e m o rn in g s to B ib le S tu d y , a n d th e a fte rn o o n s , to g iv in g th e G o sp e l in th e n a tiv e h o m e s. ( 3 ) T h e A u tu m n B i b l e S c h o o l an d C o n f e r e n c e a t N a n y h (o n e o f C h in a ’s th r e e s a c re d m o u n ta in s ) . H u n d re d s o f c o n v e rs io n s h a v e r e s u lte d fro m th e w o rk d o n e a m o n g th e th o u s a n d s o f p ilg r im s . REAL HOLIDAY MAKING Those who are not mathematically inclined should skip this paragraph, but please do not put down your “King’s the incidents which Mr. Porteous relates, and will be glad . Business” until you have read the fascinating incidents JHIS is the verse of Scripture with which the Rev. Robert W. Porteous heads a report about the work of Biola Evangelistic Band No. 9 during the year 1924. We are sure that readers of “The King’s Business” will be intensely interested in some of “ I a m not as h a m e d o f th e G o s p e l o f C hri st : fo r i t is th e p o w e r o f G o d unto S a l v a t io n to ev ery o n e t h a t be l i e v e t h ., > R o m . 1 :16 . joy of the leader more than compensated for the freezing tramp through slushy mud and over slippery hills. Thank God for men who, like Mr. Ch’en, have an enthusiasm for soul-winning. Despite the inclement weather there were 14 worshippers, seven women and seven men. We had a blessed time, I assure you.”
which follow. During the year, Band No. 9 visited 14,943 homes with the Gospel mes sage, posted 1480 Gos pel posters in conspic uous places, and gave 1324 New Testaments to those who manifested a real interest in the Word preached. Besides this they distributed well over 42,000 Gospel portions, t r a c t s , and booklets in the six dif ferent districts in which they worked. Mr. Porteous s a y s
to remember in prayer the work of this group of evangelists as well as the missionary himself and the w i d e China Inland Mission field for which he is responsible in the P r o v i n c e of Kiangsi. A Busy Vacation First, you will want to hear the incident which gives the title to this article. Mr. Por teous had just returned from a visit to “Frag rant Pool,” the home of Mr. Ch’en, one of the workers in Biola Evan gelistic B a n d No. 9. Each yeap during the vacation period he has been .'witnessing to his own people, using a lit tle, room in his home as
that “some of the dis tricts worked were hard and b a r r e n , and the' workers met with little encouragement.” It is characteristic of the praiseful manner of this servant of God, however, that he does not tell us much about theseplaces but ratherabout the places which “have responded to the message of salvation with most blessed results.” The Island Church On an island in this field there is a church which has been planted as a direct result of the work of Band No. 9. During the past year 20 families on this island have destroyed their idols and are now amongst the 85 wor shippers who have arranged a little meeting place for them selves where as many of them as are able to do so meet night after night and each Lord’s day for worship. On his last visit to this church Mr. Porteous had an exciting time. While crossing a river his horse fell on the narrow plank bridge, and it was a wet and belated missionary lead ing a limping steed who reached “Island Church“ over an hour after dusk. Again we will quote directly from Mr. (Continued on page 331)
Biola E v an g elists P u ttin g up Gospel P o sters
a. meeting place. He felt, however, that something more should be done to reach his own people, so he spent all his summer vacation, and surplus salary, to build a little chapel. He worked hard all through the heat, carrying loads of woods, digging and building, in order to have it roofed in for the opening service before he started for the Nanyoh Conference early in September. Perhaps not many Christians would think this an ideal summer vacation, much less so if they realized that Mr. Ch’en, and over 150 other Biola Evangelistic Band workers, are out in all kinds of weather doing their very strenuous evangelistic work. But the results of this enthusiastic holiday making bid fair to last. Mr. Porteous’ visit was made several months after Mr. Ch’en had joined his band for the winter’s work. He writes: “I arrived on Sunday morning, unannounced, having walked fifteen li (5 miles) over the mountains. They were just beginning the service. It was bitterly cold and snowy, but I got the warmest of welcomes, and the
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