January 1932
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
14
A GLIMPSE
ofiL HUNAN BIBLE INSTITUTE .. .By EVERETT F. HARRISON, Changsha, Hunan, China
E fficient and S cholarly F aculty There is a business-like atmosphere about the school which is thoroughly charged with a devotional spirit. In no small measure, this is due to the consecration and enthusiasm of Dr. Frank A. Keller, the superintendent. God has used him to give an impetus to the work which we trust will never be lost. Most of the instruction has been committed to members of the Chinese staff. This is in keeping with the objective of missionary work in general, and here at the Institute, such a policy has been amply vindicated. In addition to his duties in the classroom, Mr. Marcus Ch’eng has the responsibility of editing the magazine, Evangelism, a period ical which is growing in circulation and. is meeting an urgent need throughout the
[Rev. and Mrs. Everett F. Harrison are the newest members o f the staff of. the Hunan Bible Institute, the China Department of the Bible In stitute o f Los Angeles, having gone to the field in the fall of 1930.— E d ito r .] & . ccording to a Chinese proverb, “ one seeing is worth a hundred tell ings.” When Mrs. Harrison and I came into the compound on the afternoon of September 24, we experienced a treat. After a week’s journey from Peking, culminating in a ride by ricksha through the narrow streets of Changsha, we found ourselves in a scene of restful beauty. Passing through the gate house, we came into a spacious quadrangle with a lawn at the center about one hundred yards square. Directly before us, in a com manding position at the opposite end of the
M r . H a r r is o n
church in China. Another valued worker, Mr. Ch’en Chi Kuei, has spent seven years in translating the Scofield Bible Correspondence Course and is now in charge of this de partment of the Institute. In a very short time, several hundred Chinese were enrolled in this comprehensive course. Besides these two teachers, several promising young men have been taken into faculty service, making it possible for the Institute to offer a full three-year course of study. Mrs. Keller, Mrs. Roberts, and Mrs. Ch’en Chi Kuei give their special attention to the women’s depart ment. Mr. Roberts divides his time between teaching and the work of the business department. B ible C onferences One feature of the work which has brought great bless ing to this part of the country is the annual autumn Bible conference. We arrived in Changsha in time to attend the sessions of the last two days. Among those present, were delegates from Christian churches, the student body of the school, members of the Biola Evangelistic Bands, and vis itors from the city. It was a great inspiration to look into their faces and to speak to them, through an interpreter. In normal times, the conference is held at Nanyoh, one hundred miles < or ^more south of Changsha. _The Institute has a fine location there for such a gathering. One day, about the middle of October, Mr. Roberts suggested a trip in that direction, and I was not slow to accept the invitation. We went by motor bus, making good time over roads that would do credit to any community in America. A walk of half an hour from the bus station brought
lawn, stood Milton Stewart Hall, the administration and classroom building. At the right, facing the quad rangle, were the women’s dormitories, and on the left, the Mary W . Stewart Dining Hall and the dormi tories for men. Toward the rear of the compound stood the various faculty residences. The panorama helped us to understand how disastrous the Communist invasion of 1930 might have been, apart from God’s gracious protection. Z ealous S tudents The Institute is centrally located with respect to the whole country. This year, students have come from twelve provinces, indicating that the school has an immense area to serve. Unsettled conditions have prevented many from undertaking the course at the present time, but some are determined to let nothing interfere with the realization of their cherished hopes. Such is the case with a young man whose whole family, so far as he knows, was swept away by flood waters this summer. Special short term courses in the fall and spring are being offered to those who are not in a position to take the regular work. In addition to the classroom sessions, there is a daily devotional service in which faculty, students, and office staff join. Every Saturday night, the students give an account of their practical work at the report meeting. At the most recent of these gatherings, two women reviewed the sum mer work of the student evangelistic bands to which they belonged. These two bands reported nearly forty decisions for Christ during the vacation months. The men students have found this ministry equally blessed of God.
BIBLE IN STITU TE IN C H A N G SH A , C H IN A
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