ships have been wrecked along its rocky shore. He was told that it was impossible to reach these loggers. That report only slowed him up long enough to pray. Then he started out in a canoe, with an Indian guide. In rain, in cold, in sunshine, he made his way from camp to camp. His venturesome step proved that the loggers could be reached and so the Shantymen outfitted their first boat, a cruiser, called Otter Point. This boat was placed in charge of Dr. J. W. Hewitt. For 38 years he had been a missionary in China, un der the China Inland Mission. When he retired, he became a Shantyman, often facing worse weather conditions than he had during his years in China. His first summer on the boat, 50 services were held with an aver age attendance of 32, and 73 patients who otherwise would never have seen a doctor, received medical attention. This encouraged the Shantymen to build the Messenger II. When build ing, the first problem they faced was if they should buy a new or second hand engine. An afternoon and eve ning of prayer was called with the emphasis, “We are not praying for money. We are praying for the Lord’s guidance, so that we may know what kind of an engine should be installed in the Messenger II.” The following day a gift was given the Shantymen for a new engine on condition that they never make an effort to find out who gave them the money. When the Messenger II was com pleted, it was placed in charge of Dr. H. A. McLean and served in the Pacific for 14 years. During the winter of 1948, the boat was caught in a storm off Point Esperanza. Aboard were Dr. McLean and his 15-year-old son, Bruce. Only the night before Bruce had made public con fession of his belief in Christ as Saviour. Bruce was with his father in the pilot house as the boat tossed to and fro in the heavy seas, helpless among the reefs. When it became apparent that death was near, without fear, Bruce committed him self to the Lord. The fury of the wind cracked the cabin open. Dr. McLean and Bruce, in each other’s arms, were hurled into the raging, foaming ocean. In a way which God alone understands, the father and son were torn apart. Bruce was never seen again but the doctor was tossed onto the pinnacle of the only rock in the vicinity on which he could have survived. Beaten by the storm, he clung to the rough rock until he was rescued 36 hours later. In 1946, the Shantymen had begun
SHANTYMEN continued Cecil Carter, a Shantyman, held a meeting. Afterwards, while Carter answered the questions of the differ ent men, Johns half listened. He had a few questions of his own that he wanted to ask, but instead, he gave Carter a cup of coffee and went back to his own shanty. When Johns was on Queen Char lotte Island, the Shantymen were there. There was no escaping them. This time it was the same Cecil Car ter, and a man called Jack Spratt. And this time Johns asked questions of Carter until three o’clock in the morning. Johns had to consider what Carter said because he was so completely in earnest and Johns had seen holes in Communism. In theory it sound ed marvelous but, in practice, it didn’t work. However, he felt he couldn’t be a Christian by himself. He wrote Jack Spratt that he would believe in Christ if his wife would. Three weeks later, he wrote that both of them were united in Christ! This is typical of the persistent witness of the members of The Shan- tymen’s Christian A s s o c ia tio n of North America. There are 28 full time Shantymen and a host of part time workers. Their work extends as far north as the frozen territories of Fort Churchill on Hudson Bay, as far south as the mountains of Kentucky and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The organization is strictly one of evangelism. The Shantymen do not seek to establish churches but in every case where a larger work grows out of their witness, it becomes a separate, indigenous organization. Rather, they seek to preach to the men who live in the shanties, who work in the logging camps. Through out the years some of these logging camps have become lush places with modern conveniences, but the heart- need of the men is still the same. There is much drinking, gambling, swearing and rank unbelief. Often a year will pass with no religious serv ice held for the men — unless a Shantyman comes along. Each Shantyman is responsible for a large number of camps. He makes his way in the backwoods as best he can, often hiking with a pack on his back. When he reaches a camp, he contacts the boss, asking permission to hold a service. When the men re turn from their work, the service is
held and the Shantyman speaks per sonally to whomever is interested, giving each a scripture portion. He seldom stays longer than one night at a camp but the next time he makes his rounds, he checks on the spiritual progress of those with whom he has dealt. Most of the Shantymen are mar ried and away from their families 75 to 90 per cent of the time. They live strictly by faith. Each man and his family is dependent upon the Lord for his expenses and the out reach of his work. The work was founded in 1905 by William Henderson of Toronto, Can. He was editor of a small religious paper, which has since grown into the Evangelical Christian, the widest read religious magazine published in Canada. Henderson became concerned over the spiritual need of the men in the backwoods. On his vacation, he travelled through the dense forests and was appalled at the loggers’ apathy in spiritual matters. The next year he paid the expenses of two men to go and preach in the backwoods. In 1908 the Shantymen was organ ized. At first the/Work was only on the east coast of Canada but Hender son realized that the loggers on the west coast must be as needy. In 1912, he, Ralph Hooper, M.D. of the Lon don Bible Institute of Toronto, Os wald J. Smith, now pastor of the well-known missionary-minded Peo ples Church of Toronto and William Fuller of the Railroad Mission of the British Empire, travelled through the vast forests of Canada to the West coast. They were convinced that the work of the Shantymen must be ex tended. And since then, prayer and perseverance has pushed the Shanty men deeper and deeper into the ne glected camps of the backwoods. A typical Shantyman is Percy Wills. He has been in the organiza tion for 2 2 years and is one of the best-known men on Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s west coast. On his honeymoon, he preached in the backwoods and baptized 67 con verts. He became pastor of a small church but felt called to home mis sions, so he joined the Shantymen. He became aware of the spiritual need of the men located in what is known as “ the graveyard of the Pa cific.” It is so called because so many
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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