1 |
|
New Page
“...THE
CHINA MISSION
YEAR BOOK
1918
(NINTH ANNUAL ISSUE)
Issued under arrangement between the Christian Literature
Society for China and the China Continuation Committee
under direction of the following Editorial Committee
appointed by the China Continuation Committee
Rev. C. Y. Cheng, D.D.
Rev. F. D. Gamewclf, LL.D.
D. E. Hoste, Esq,
Rev. E. G. Lobenstine
Rev. J. W. Lowrre, D.D.
Rev. D. MicGilIivray, D.D.
Rev. G. F. Moshcr
Rev. Frank Rawlinson, D.D.
Rev. W. li^^FrT^ReQS, D.D.
TuLt ^
-Rorts^TXD;:,
EDITORS
E* C Lobenstine"
A* L* Warnshtfis
Secretaries, China Cgij+inuation Committee
SHANGHAI
KWANG HSUEH PUBLISHING HOUSE
\ 918...”
|
|
2 |
|
New Page
“...THE YEAR BOOK MAY BE OBTAINED
In Europe from
Rev. W. Nelson Bitton, 16 New Bridge St*, London, Eng.
In America from
Missionary Education Movement, J60 Fifth Ave., New York City...”
|
|
3 |
|
New Page
“...reason for another issue of the China Mission Year
Book.
The Book aims to give some description of the background of the
missionary effort, and therefore the articles on the political and
economical development of the country have a place. Moreover,
the facts described in these articles are also a help or hindrance
to the progress of the missionary work. So also it was necessary that
the Book should this year contain chapters on the great floods in
North China and 011 the plague epidemic.
Each year it is planned that the Book shall contain one section
which will be the distinctive feature of that issue. This year Part II
is noteworthy as describing recent developments in ecclesiastical
organization. Special mention might also be made of Part IV, which
is a summary of the present situation as regards Christian Literature
in China, and an indication of the large development anticipated in
this department.
The arrangement of -the contents of the Book follows the lines
fixed in earlier years. The...”
|
|
4 |
|
New Page
“... Committee is responsible for the China
Mission Year Book only in that it appoints the Editorial Committee
and the Editor. When articles in the boolc arc the expression of the
policies or the views of the China Continuation Committee, this fact is
made clear; in all other cases, the ivriter of the paper is alone respon-
sible for the opinion expressed.
To all the forty-two writers of these chapters, the editors would
express their genuine appreciation of all their work. Many of these
chapters contain the results of much research, and some of them of
years of careful observation. It is the hearty cooperation of many
busy workers that makes possible the publication of the Year Book.
It would be invidious to mention a few where all have given of their
best. Special acknowledgment, however, is due to the Rev. C. L.
Boynton, who, as in previous years, has read all the proofs and is
responsible for the typographical appearance of the book, as well as
for-the statistical tables. The Rev. M. T...”
|
|
5 |
|
New Page
“...PART I
THE GENERAL SITUATION IN CHINA
CHAPTER I
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, J9I7--J9J8
L. R. O. Bevan
The opening months of 1917 saw again the
Preifdcntnt ^ executive ancl the legislature in full conflict,
vs Premier As was recounted in the Year Book for last
year the restored Parliament undertook the
work of formulating the permanent Constitution, taking as
its framework the instrument drafted by the committee
that sat in the Temple of Heaven in 1913. Undeterred by
the fate meted out to 1liat Constitution by Yuan Shili-kai,
the same Parliament with the same spirit again ranged itself
against the executive. The fight, though the same fight that
has been waged since the overthrow of the Manchns in 1912,
set itself forth with an added complication. Li Yuan-hung,
during his office as Vice President, though unable to declare
himself openly opposed to the centralizing and autocratic
policy of Yuan, had sympathized all along with the radical
elements of the parliamentary body. Pie was distinctly...”
|
|
6 |
|
New Page
“...represented
the constitutional government established by.the Treaty of
Nanking after the Revolution of 1911. Military operations
have proceeded during the rest of the year."
Two Extremes I)er^oc^ 1917-1918 has T:hus been
marked by violent action from the one side
and from the other; and though each party in turn claims
to be acting lawfully and within the terms of the Provisional
Constitution, neither the one nor the other is able to present
a case that is without flaw. Writing in last year's Year
Book the author of this article concluded with these sen-
tences : "A lasting settlement will be impossible unless both
parties recognize the fact that there are two parties, the fact
that there are different needs and different aspirations.
Neither one party nor the other can permanently force its
own extreme conception of the government ideal on its
opponents. Neither the one extreme nor the other can
justify itself so long as there exists the opposition that is
strong enough to break down the particular...”
|
|
7 |
|
New Page
“...through this institution there shall be constantly sent forth
a supply of clergy, thoroughly trained and fitted for the
wrork of the ministry '' in their own nation.
Besides this the Synod heard most inter-
Re orts esting and valuable reports for the Committees
s on Christian Unity and on Prayer Book and
Lectionary, on Sunday Schools, and on Church Literature.
The Sunday School Committee was enlarged and in-
structed to continue with wider scope as a Committee on
Religious Education.
A Committee on Christian Social Service was also
formed.
Various questions about the translation of the Prayer
Book and the terms used for tc Catholic," 'Apostolic, and
" Church in the Creed, were referred to the Prayer Book
Committee! and very wisely allowed to wait over till next
Synod.
On Sunday morning, by invitation of the
Service English congregation, the Synod assembled
at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai, and a
great service was held, with beautiful music, the Bishops,
clergy, and delegates all entering...”
|
|
8 |
|
New Page
“...through its early growtlrby the common
action of different missions, with its inherent autonomy
fully recognized and safe-guarded.
But the same spirit has been acting elsewhere with
growing definiteness and persistency.
*For details see History of the Ecclesiastical Relations of the Churches
of the Presbyterian Order at A moy, by the Rev. J. V. N. Talmage; New
York, 1863. This pamphlet of 74 pp. 8vo., is now difficult to procure,
but it is of great value and importance. See also China Mission Year
Book 1914, pp. 272-8, which contains an article based partly upon
Dr. Talmage's pamphlet....”
|
|
9 |
|
New Page
“...ONE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH FOR CHINA
89
a A f witliin the missions representing
European churches which officially accept the Augsburg
Missions Confession, one may also trace some diver-
gencies of faith and polity. Perhaps it
might be said that, as a general rule, the European missions
represent the freer, the American missions the more strict
confessional attitude. As a spokesman of the freer attitude
we may quote a writer in the 1916 Year Book {(page 91)
who, speaking for the Danish mission, says: ''The con-
ference of Danish missionaries has accepted the term, 'The
Christian Church of China,' and the principle of oneness as
the ultimate goal at which we are aiming. The general
tendency does not go in the direction of emphasizing the
special doctrines of the Lutheran Church; at the same time
we believe that as the spiritual life developed in the Church
of our homeland differs in several respects from that
developed in the Protestant churches of Scotland and
Ireland, so will a Lutheran...”
|
|
10 |
|
New Page
“...92
CHURCHES AND MISSIONS
constitute one-third of its membership. The other two-
thirds, of which at least one-half must be Chinese, shall be
elected by the General Assembly.
The conference also took steps to secure
Ltterature more better Lutheran literature in
Chinese. The plan adopted calls for the
ultimate allocation of at least four foreigners and several
Chinese for exclusively literary work. A union hymn book
is under way, and will probably be published in a tentative
edition in the early part of 1919.
Union Colle c Among the recommendations made by the
conference to the missions and home boards,
must be mentioned the plan calling for a union college to
be located at Sinyangchow, Honan. Much interest was also
shown in the matter of industrial education, and a committee
appointed to study the problem and report at the next
general conference.
As to the action of the home boards but
Attitude of little ean be gaid at thig time In these
nome Jpoaras , . . .
precedented times some of the...”
|
|
11 |
|
New Page
“...firms in
the Orient, too, are giving their employees from the West
either much more frequent furloughs, or are building
bungalows for them at these same resting places on the field.
But in addition to this direct benefit, these summer resorts
have produced other indirect results in unifying the life and
activities of the various missions whose members meet
together at these places. This has become increasingly
apparent in recent years, and this justifies the recording of
this fact in this Year Book. No justification of any efforts
to unify plans and work is needed in these days when on
every battle front even pride of nationality and of race have
been sacrificed to obtain that unity of action which is
deemed indispensable. These unifying results in missionary
work are seen along at least six lines as described below.
The Fukien Christian Educational Associa-
GlveTand11 tion wl,ich> through its work of unifying and
Experience standardizing the day schools, influences over
Exchanged twenty...”
|
|
12 |
|
New Page
“...Evangelistic ^ for evangelism, and some of the mission-
aries and the 235 Chinese workers, of whom
seventy-two are voluntary, itinerate over large areas both on
the plain and in the mountainous districts of the South,
*This article, which has-been kindly supplied through the head-
quarters of the China Inland Mission in Shanghai, is supplementary
to the chapter on Shensi in the series of provincial articles "A
Decade of Progress of China," which appeared as Chapter XXIII of
the China Mission Yeak Book 1917.Editor....”
|
|
13 |
|
New Page
“...among the Tai and other aboriginal
tribes in Kwangsi province. The Baptist Mission in Burma
plans very soon to open a station some distance west of the
Mekong in southwestern Yunnan. The North Siam Mission
of the Presbyterian Board has this year opened a station at
Chieng-rung (Chieng-hung), on the Mekong not far above
the southern border of Yunnan. It is because Chieng-hung
is the first station in Yunnan to be opened exclusively for
work among the Tai that space has here been given in this
Year Book for this article. The Baptist and Presbyterian
missions have a peculiar responsibility for the Tai people of
China, first, because their work in Burma and Siam has
always been largely among the Tai people; secondly,
because in this work these missions have always been
singularly blessed. They have gathered between fifteen and
twenty thousand Tai converts into more than forty
churches, have organized these churches into presbyteries
and associations and have in addition provided the members
of...”
|
|
14 |
|
New Page
“...and that He loves the Tai people even as He loves the
Sou.
B. Changes fn Mission Stations, J9J7-I8
C. L. Boynton
Following is a brief summary showing the changes in
the territorial distribution of the foreign staff: so far as may
be shown by an annotated list of new stations opened,
stations previously occupied by some mission now entered
residentially by others, and stations hitherto occupied
which have been vacated, at least temporarily, since the
publication of a similar summary in the Year Book of
1917. The facts are complete so far as data have been
reported by mission and station secretaries, for publication
in connection with the Directory of Protectant Missions in
China, to appear early in 1919.
In this list stations opened or newly entered by the
allocation of missionaries for permanent residence are
printed in Roman type; those vacated in Italic type. In
the few cases where the occupation began before the period
under review this is indicated by the symbol with the
year, where...”
|
|
15 |
|
New Page
“...Foochow Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in 1917, took the following action:
We recommend:
1. That each district superintendent, in cooperation
with the missionary-in-charge, provide a depot for the sale
of Bibles, hymn books and tracts.
2. That preachers urge members to undertake the sale
of single copies of gospels and other single books of the
Bible among their acquaintances.
3. That every candidate for baptism and church
membership should be required to have his own Bible and
hymn book.
4. That preachers urge members to subscribe for
church papers, especially the Chinese Christian Advocate and
the Young People's Friend.
5. That, in each district a person be designated to
manage the circulation of literature.
Phonetic Script Chinese ideograph has been a most
difficult obstacle in the way of teaching every
member of the Chinese Church, particularly women and old
people, to read the Bible. In response to the increasing in-
terest on the part of a considerable number of the Chinese...”
|
|
16 |
|
New Page
“...provinces is
too varied, to make it possible to review the whole evan-
gelistic work that has been done during the past year.
Moreover, no man can record the eager prayers of many
earnest hearts, nor the quiet influence of the lives of devoted
Christians, which are most often the effectual means of
leading men to faith in Christ. This article, therefore,
aims only to describe some of the indications of the direction
of the main drive of evangelism at this time.
Conferences ne^t chapter- in this book makes it
unnecessary to do more than make brief
mention here to suggest the relative place of the conference
method of awakening a more aggressive spirit and of
promoting a more effective method of evangelism. These
conferences are significant of the rapidly developing Chinese
leadership, and also of the willingness of these leaders to
learn.
Illiteracy an0^er later chapter there is described
the efforts that are being made to solve the
problem of illiteracy in the Church. This, too, is of great...”
|
|
17 |
|
New Page
“...Methodist Mission. The constitution
and form of government may be found in Appendix D.
From the first the School has been closely
Theofficar- abated with the Nanking School of The-
Seminary ology, where students of both departments
take work regularly. This new venture in
coeducation, always with proper chaperonage, is proving
mentally stimulating and beneficial on both sides,
g k . The Bible is given first place in the course
mp as b of study, the student being led into a careful
study of the Book itself, rather than what is written about
it. Allied courses, designed to help the student make the
application of what has been learned in the classroom to
the needs of China to-day, are also given. Special emphasis
is placed on practice teaching, and students are frequently
required to demonstrate how they would deal with various
classes whom they might want to help. Among the plans
for future enlargement, when the size of the faculty will
permit, are more adequate provision for normal instruction...”
|
|
18 |
|
New Page
“...satisfactory in the three R's the following:
For the National Readers the new series of Teachers'
Manuals for the Republican Series, called 5fn BJ S: fg.
For aid to the teacher in Arithmetic the Manuals for gfg
% §j, a series that includes a good deal of material similar
to Wentworth and Smith. In writing, the ^ ffr ^ has
several unique features that lend themselves to one-teacher
schools. The pupil not only has auxiliary lines to assist
him in analyzing the proportions of a character, but his
copy book is printed in such a manner, that after he has...”
|
|
19 |
|
New Page
“...it
would have been wiser to spend more time in developing
demonstration schools in strategic centers, spending much
more time with these schools and then using these proofs as
an inspiration to the schools of the surrounding territory.
Inspection takes a good deal of time, but unless teachers are
followed up, their work is likely to suffer. Local inspectors
are of great help, but find it difficult to hold schools up to
the highest standard.
Another method that we are trying out is
BoofcaU use a book. This is placed in
each school and at the end of a week the
teacher records the work he has covered during the past
week, and also the work he hopes to cover during the
coming week. Then every month he is to send in to
headquarters a summary sheet of the work covered, giving
titles of the compositions, etc.
During visits to schools it has proved
Persona? 6* S difficult to secure uninterrupted private talks
Problems with the teacher on deeper topics. Such talks
are necessary, for the religious...”
|
|
20 |
|
New Page
“...for this sort of
service.
EDITOR'S NOTE
A correct understanding of the educational work of the
Christian forces in China is impossible without much ac-
curate knowledge of the educational work carried on by the
Government. The valuable chapter written by Dr. P. W.
Kuo, the President of the Government Teachers' College in
Nanking, was intended to be printed in this place. Un-
avoidable circumstances delayed its preparation until it had
to be displaced in order that the publication of the whole
book might not be overmuch postponed. This chapter will
now be found in Part IX, as Chapter XLIII....”
|
|