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“...THE
CHINA CHRISTIAN
YEAR BOOK
1926
(FOURTEENTH ISSUE OF THE CHINA "MISSION"
YEAR BOOK)
Issued under arrangement between the Christian Literature
Society for China and the National Christian Council of
China under the Direction of the following Editorial Board
appointed by the National Christian Council
Rev. K. T. Chung Dr. D. W. Lyon
Rev. E. H. Cressy Dr. D. MacGillivray
Miss Lily Haas Dr. J. L Maxwell
Rev. Carleton Lacy Dr. W. W. Peter
Dr. R. Y. Lo Dr. E. W. Wallace
Rev. E. C. Lobenstine Miss Helen Thoburn
EDITOR
Rev. Frank Rawlinson, D.D.
Editor, Chinese Recorder.
SHANGHAI
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE SOCIETY
J 926...”
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“...PREFACE
rpiiE China "Mission" Year Book appears tliis jrear as the China
JL "Christian" Year Book. This change of titte is indicative
of a change in emphasis. Up till recently., tlie Christian
Movement in China has, of necessity, been mission'-centHg. It is
now becoming China Christian-centric. This process of change
has not proceeded very far nor does it move very'fast when all
phases and types of Christian work in China are considered.
Nevertheless a new fulcrum for Christian work in China is being
placed in position. Adjustment thereto is proceeding as rapidly
as possible.
This year the Editorial Board has attempted to i nclude-more
articles of a general and survey type than formerly. Success in
this regard is not all that was planned or desired. Tile Christian
Movement is somewhat less coherent than it was a few years ago.
To this must be added the influence of the social and political
upheaval apparent everywhere but particularly in those centres
which feel most the impact of the West...”
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“...Principal, Union Middle
School, Ningpo, until July, 1926, now vice-principal with
Chinese principal ...' ...... ...... ... ... 423
Mills, S. J., A.B. (1911) The Present Strength, Distribution,
and Age of the Missionary Body.
American Presbyterian, North. Dean of Department of
Missionary Training, University of Nanking,'Nanking... 151
Rawlmson, Frank, M.A., D.D. (1902) Present Charac-
teristics of the China Christian Movement. Special
Problems in Evangelism. Some Books and Articles on
China (English). .
A.B.C.F.M. Editor, The Chinese Recorder and China
Christian Year Book ............ XIV, 116, 380...”
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“...is not,
however, a question of expediency but of principle, and
where a spiritual principle is concerned, the Church in the
past has never been deterred by considerations of danger.
The fundamental question is as to whether the. surrender
of special privilege is the right and Christian course to
follow. It is in the strong conviction that this is the case
that the missionary organizations, and a vast number
of missionaries who share this view, have now taken
action.
tSee Appendix II, China Christian Year Book, 1926....”
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“...PART II
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND ACTIVITY
CHAPTER VI
TRENDS IN CHINA'S RELIGIOUS LIFE
Gilbert Reid
Timely Book ^ valuable book, dealing not only with the
Christian movement in China but with other
religious movements, and giving information applicable
to present conditions, is "The Quest for God in China "
by Rev. F.W.S.O'Neill of the Irish Presbyterian Mission
in Manchuria. This book is based on lectures delivered
by Mr. O'Neill at the Belfast Theological College in 1925.
Ant. During the last year foreign missionaries,
Movemsnts as distinct from Chinese Christians, have
experienced greater intensity of antagonism
than in any other year for the last few decades of the
missionary cause in China. If the antagonism is not
greater than that of past years, it has at least been more
wide-spread and has presented new aspects of thought
and action difficult of approach on the part of the
missionary body and the home societies. There has
been a mixture of opposition that may be described as
anti-Christian...”
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“... Thus it is that the religious life of the
Chinese cannot be limited to any one of her several
religions. For centuries and still more to-day they have
been eclectic or syncretic, first as to China's three
religions and now, as more commonly called, of five
religions.
As in India there are several reforming
Reli ious movements called Samaj, so in China
Groups Among similar movements are called a Hui, or a
the Chinese Sheh, or a Yuan. There is, however, a
difference. In India these societies deal with
Hindooism; in China, with Confucianism, Buddhism and
Taoism, and to a lesser degree with Islam and Christianity.
In the 4'China Mission Year Book" for 1924 I made
reference to nine of these Societies. Only three of them...”
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“...experience and ideas on mission
work and policy. It is frequently the body responsible ior
weekly or monthly prayer or preaching services in the
English language. A number of associations made pro-
nouncements evoked by the situation which followed the
events of May 30 in Shanghai. In the fall the Peking
Association issued a statement on the present situation in
China, and called for the speedy abolition of the toleration
clauses and for the revision of the unequal treaties. The
Shanghai Missionary Association refused to make any such
pronouncement though asked to do so by a local body of
Chinese Christians and urged to do so by a group of its
own members. In some cities, as in Nanking and
Yunnanfu, missionary associations have chosen to dis-
continue their separate existence, so as to join forces with
a more inclusive church council. A similar course is
being considered in other cities. In Taiyuanfu the
missionaries have organized during the year a book club
for cooperative book buying and reading...”
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“...the
anti-white phosphorus agitation and have brought about
the observance of Labor Sunday in their churches.
Church cannk re&d reports gathered from
Councils different parts of the country without being
impressed with the fact that, however divided
the Christian Church may be in China in matters of
" faith and order," Christian churches and individuals
of almost all denominational affiliations are finding
themselves drawn together in cooperative enterprises of
many different lines. In a number of cities this
cooperation has been placed on a more or less permanent
and comprehensive basis through the organization of
local federations. Dr. Henry T. Hodgkin, in an article
published in last year's China Mission Year Book, reported...”
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“... Missions in China for the year 1918 and 1925.
St In 1918 there was a total of 6,395
ng missionaries. By 1925 this number had
grown to 8,158, an increase of 27-1/2% in seven years.
It is interesting to note that while the World Missionary
Atlas (1925) lists 138 societies working in China, the
Directory of Protestant Missions (1925) lists 200 different
organizations. This would seem to explain in part why
the Atlas gives the total number of missionaries in 1925 as
7,663, the Directory as 8,158. Since 1918, 11 missions
have disappeared, 7 missions have joined with other bodies
and 21 new missions have been listed.
Missions m^ssioris whose names have disappeared
Discontinued from the list in the China Mission Year Book
between 1918 and 1925 are as follows:
(1) Angarrack Christian Mission (Japanese).
(2) Baptist Missionary Association.
(3) Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion.
(This mission has recently resumed work in Shanghai).
(4) Christian Faith Mission.
(5) China New Testament...”
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“...152
the missionary body
(9) Kiel China Mission.
(10) Pittsburg Bible Institute Mission.
(11) Pentecost Church of Nazerene.
New Missions The following are missions that do not
appear in the 1918 China Mission Year Book.
I. Missions with stations dated later than 1918.
Number of
Missionaries
(1) Good News' Mission 3
(2) Baptist China Direct Mission 11
(3) Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society 3
(4) Bible Mission 2
(5) Christian Mission to Buddhists 3
(6) Christian Reformed Mission 12
(7) Hephzibah Faith Mission 8
(8) Krinmen Mennonite Brethren 5
(9) Women's Foreign Missionary Society of the
Methodist Protestant Church 2
(10) Missionary Society of Orebro 10
(11) Pai-Hsiang Mission 2
(12) Pentecostal Holiness Mission 9
(13) South China Peniel Holiness Missionary
Society 7
(14) South Yunnan Mission 6
(15) Tibetan Forward Mission 4
(16) Tibetan Tribes' Mission 2
II. Missions whose names appear in the China Mission
Year Book since 1918, but with some stations given
as having been established...”
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“...27-1/2%. These figures
would show that there is still a tendency towards urban
centralization in the work of the missions. As to the
direction in which the general increase in mission stations
has taken place, it would seem that all sections of the
country have shared in this increase.
A e Of the 8,158 missionaries in the 1925
ge Directory, 4,647, or 56%, came out to China
before or during 1918: 44% of the present missionary
staff, therefore, arrived in China during the last seven
years. It was reported to the National Christian Con-
ference that 50% of the missionaries had arrived.in China
during the previous ten years. The turnover in missionary
personnel appears to be rather large. Of the total force,
1,306 or 16%, are ordained. According to the 1925 book,
1,392 people, or 17%, were absent that year from China.
In 1925, there were 562 single men, or 6-4/5% of the total;
this is only slightly in excess of the percentage reported
to the National Christian Conference. There are 2,548
single...”
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“...propagandist nature are discontinued." Nothing
appears in the mission minutes that we have seen
concerning college registration, but from what we can learn
we hazard the guess that most, if not all, will register
under the government regulations. As to middle and
primary schools, several missions are urging (provincial)
registration if the conditions are advantageous, and there
is no sacrifice of principle." In a number of places such
as Hunan, Nanking, Hangchow, Hainan, etc., diplomas
from mission schools have been stamped by provincial
authorities a form of government recognition. One
mission urges friendly welcome and facilities for all
government inspectors visiting the Christian schools.
Treaty Many missions and Chinese-foreign church
Revision bodies* have expressed themselves openly in
favor of revision, others have reserved their
judgment for the Home Board, and others declined to pass
*£ee Appendix III, China Christian Year Book, 1926,...”
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“...CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN 1925
225
the recognition of schools maintained by foreign con-
tributions," and with the complete failure, in all but a few
places, of promised 44 anti-Christmas demonstrations."*
Forces Back These startling events were the outcome of
of Storm forces that had long been growing throughout
the country. In the China Mission Year Book,
1925, Mr. Sanford Chen outlined these forces, which at the
time that he wrote were already gathering toward the
outbreak of the summer. They may be summed up as
being actively anti-religious, anti-Christian, anti-foreign,
and anti-existing-social-system. In the schools of the
country the restiveness against authority, which had been
so pronounced a feature for the past few years, became still
more marked. Heretofore, Christian schools had suffered
less than the government institutions, but in the wTinter of
1924-1925 a number of schools passed through periods of
extreme difficulty when students revolted entirely against
all control.
This...”
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“...CHAPTER XLI
SOME BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON CHINA
Frank Rawlinson
I. BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS
1924-25
I. Reference
China Year Book, The, 1924-5, 1925-6,Edited by H. G.
Woodhead, C. B.E. The Tientsin Press, Ltd., Tientsin.
Each M. $15.00.
Directory of Protestant Missions in China, 1925Kwang
Hsiieh Publishing House. M. $2.30.
Fukien, A Study of a Province in ChinaPresbyterian
Mission Press, Shanghai.
World Missionary AtlasEdited by Harlan P. Beach,
D.D., F.R.G.S. and Charles H. Fahs, B.A., B.D.
Published by The Institute of Social and Religious
Research, 370 Seventh Avenue, New York City.
II. Biographical
" Andrew Young of Shensi."J. C. Keyte, M.A. Carey
Press. 6/-.
Cornaby of HanyangAn Appreciation by Coulson
Kernahan, with biographical chapter by Mrs. YV. A.
Cornaby, B.A. The Epworth Press, London. 2/6.
General Feng: A Good Soldier of Christ JesusMarshall
Broomhall. China Inland Mission and Religious
Tract Society, London, l/-.
Jackson of MoukdenMrs. Dugald Christie. Hodder and
Stoughton, London...”
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