Shan-Tung, China by C. P. LILLIE

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 30, 1915

Shan-Tung, China

By C. P. LILLIE

C. P. LILLIE

SHAN-TUNG Province is one of those great divisions of the Chinese Empire which, as regards extent, resources, and population, are almost empires in themselves. One of the most healthful provinces in all China, populated with a sober, intelligent, industrious people, Shan-tung is naturally an attractive field to the foreign missionary.

Since early in the sixties, when Protestant missionaries commenced labor in the province, a splendid work has been done here for God. Noble-hearted men and women have been working tirelessly and unselfishly for the uplifting of the Shan-tungese. Some sleep in martyrs’ graves. The writer recently had the pleasure of meeting one of the pioneer missionaries of Shan-tung, Mr. Hunter Corbett, of the American Presbyterian Mission, for over fifty years a missionary in Chifu. At present, although nearly eighty years of age, he is still quite actively engaged in street preaching and itinerating.

All these years the gospel seed has been freely sown. As a result, twenty thousand persons have been gathered into church membership. But better than this, from the standpoint of the speedy finishing of the work, prejudice against Christianity has been broken down, and now millions are not unfriendly to the gospel. As one evidence of this we can say that of the many subscribers to the Chinese monthly Signs which we are now securing in Chifu, practically all are heathen, who know that the Signs is a church paper.

In May we were asked by the Asiatic Division to commence work in this great field, and so we have located temporarily in Chifu, a treaty port.

As a result of the visit of Brother F. E. Stafford to Shan-tung two years ago, and the work of some student colporteurs here last summer, an interest has been aroused in two centers, Tsi-nan, the capital, and Chifu. Shan-tung is now ready for the message, “white already to harvest.”

Do not the eternal interests of Shan-tung’s forty million precious souls appeal to you? When you are planning your offerings from now on, will you not remember the needs of this field? And who will volunteer for service? Will not some loyal young hearts quickly respond, “Here am I; send me”?