The Appeal From Our Brethren in the East
SHANGHAI, CHINA, May 11, 1915... DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN AMERICA: For three millenniums the people of eastern Asia held little intercourse with the nations of the West. They were outside the great routes of commerce, and for many centuries they made little or no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. As there was but faint knowledge of the true God, spiritual darkness seemed to reign supreme. But in the providence of God this condition was not to continue forever. When the hour struck, God’s Spirit energized the hearts and intellects of explorers, scientists, and inventors, and the world witnessed an unparalleled century of progress and development. The world’s business and trade routes were revolutionized, and the Orient suddenly found itself situated on some of the great international highways. Commodore Perry with his battleship fleet visited Japan, and that nation, as if by magic, threw her doors open to Western influence and civilization. A little later, following the opium war between Great Britain and China, came the treaty of peace, which provided for the opening of various ports to commerce, and the entire empire to the Christian missionary. In 1898 the Philippine Islands fell into the hands of America, and here the doors of opportunity were at once thrown wide open for a new order of things, including Protestant missionary endeavor. Commercial interests have not been slow in entering and exploiting these fields of the Orient. They have established mammoth business concerns; modern steamships connect all important coast ports and plow the waters of every navigable river. Thousands of miles of railway are already in operation, and many other lines are either projected or are in process of construction. Here again is seen the guiding hand of God in providing rapid and comfortable traveling facilities for his messengers of peace and good will to men. But we cannot deal further with individual nations or special providences. That which stands out so prominently is the mighty fact that prophecy is being marvelously fulfilled in the awakening of the heathen nations, and that practically all Asia, with more than half of the world’s population,—Asia that slumbered in darkness for so many centuries,—now permits the ambassador of Christ to travel freely throughout her borders, and without molestation to preach the gospel that saves men from their sins. During the past century there has been an ever-increasing interest in Christian missions. A few noble pioneers led the way, and others followed, until now the foreigners comprising the Protestant missionary body, including India, are not less than twelve thousand strong, with double that number of native assistants, and a native constituency of a million members. This is a splendid record, and we should also bear in mind that statistics do not begin to reveal the vast influence exerted by these Christian communities scattered here and there throughout the continent of Asia. The Work of Seventh-Day Adventists
Twenty-one years have now elapsed since Seventh-day Adventists established their first mission in a non-Christian land, and nineteen years since work was commenced in Asia. Field after field has been occupied, until in India and eastern Asia our present staff of foreign workers, including wives of missionaries, numbers 228. In every country we have entered, the third angel’s message has won its way into the hearts of faithful men and women, and the total church membership in these countries is now nearly 4,000. Irrespective of race or color, present truth has the same influence on the heart and life of those who accept it. The converted Oriental willingly suffers persecution for Christ’s sake; is loyal to God and the truth; out of his extreme poverty he donates liberally for the support of the message, and looks forward with glad anticipation to the fruition of the blessed hope, even as do his brethren and sisters in other lands. As we consider the results already achieved in proportion to the labor expended, our hearts are filled with deepest gratitude to God, and thanksgiving to our loyal people in the homelands. Truly, “this is marvelous in our eyes.” When we remember that we have but one ministerial worker to every ten million persons, and when we contemplate the stupendous task set before us as outlined in the great commission and the three angels’ messages, there is but one inevitable conclusion, and this should be written large across the missionary horizon—WE HAVE BUT TOUCHED THE FINGER OF THE UNDERTAKING. As we find ourselves confronted with a problem of such overwhelming magnitude, the feelings of weakness and insufficiency that come upon us are beyond the power of pen or tongue to describe. We, therefore, delegates of the Asiatic Division Mission, in conference assembled, solemnly appeal to our dear brethren and sisters in America to give earnest and prayerful consideration to the conditions and needs of these Oriental mission fields. The demands press themselves upon us from two directions. In the first place, we need a large increase in our staff of foreign laborers. In a number of our fields from five to ten years have passed without bringing any addition to the band of workers. During this same time there has been growth in our native constituency and corps of native laborers of several hundred per cent. New calls are coming to us from all sides, and we tremble to push out into these providential openings, because with so meager a force we are unable even properly to foster and supervise the work already undertaken. We do not call for workers to form the rank and file of our mission forces. These are, under the blessing of God, being trained and developed from among our native brethren and sisters. Our great appeal is for loyal, consecrated young men and women who have the qualification of leadership. It is for those who have executive ability, that they may direct the work in our local missions, and stand at the head of our various mission departments and institutions. Our sense of responsibility to God and humanity will not permit of our remaining silent. Practically all the Asiatic Division missions are distressingly undermanned, and we plead with you to at once set on foot and press forward such a missionary crusade as shall quickly terminate this condition, and bring relief to the work in Asia. It should be clear to all that this request provides only for the minimum of our immediate needs; and, it is our conviction that it represents but the minimum obligation of this denomination to this great field. Even when the requests we are now sending to the Mission Board have all been met, there will remain vast stretches of territory, whose teeming millions await the proclamation of the third angel’s message. The second need is for funds. With the coming of new recruits, we require additional homes for workers. Publishing plants must be established to supply the printed page to the many nations and tongues in the Asiatic Division. It is imperative that educational institutions be established to give the children and youth a Christian education; and in various places treatment rooms and dispensaries should be opened. This means that in numerous centers, land must be purchased and suitable buildings erected. For the accomplishment of this we must have a large increase of funds. Earnest effort is being put forth in the mission fields to raise the native tithes and offerings, and to practice careful economy in all our missions departments and operations. We are sending to the Mission Board a request for a large increase in the appropriations11to the Asiatic Division for 1916. Our calls are for thirty-six more missionaries and $150,000. Does this seem thoughtless and rash to you who are to do the giving? You would not have felt that we were thoughtless had you been in our midst when the needs were being considered, and witnessed our earnest efforts to cut these requests to the lowest points consistent with our duty to the field. After eliminating every item that did not seem absolutely necessary, we separated our requests into three classes, placing all that we felt could not be delayed in class one, and the rest in the other two classes according to their urgency. The items in class one total twenty-seven missionaries, and $100,000. This is what we most solemnly believe the Lord would have his people add to what has already been provided for this field for 1916. We believe that what our loyal people in the homeland desire is an actual knowledge of mission facts and conditions, and that when these are supplied, bank accounts will be cut down, houses and lands will be sold, and old and young with enthusiasm will devise ways and means for bringing a large offering to the cause of God. We assuredly believe that the Holy Spirit will move upon the hearts of a great many consecrated young people to volunteer for service in the mission field; and we are equally confident that our brethren and sisters in more favored lands will, under the influence of the same Spirit, rise to the call of the hour, and covenant with God to count no sacrifice too great, or treasure too dear, to lay upon the altar for Christ, and thus bring adequate relief, reinforcements, and equipment to our mission fields. Faith assures us that this appeal will be met with a loyal, whole-hearted response. The words of Bishop Berkeley are regarded by many as almost prophetic:—
> “Westward the course of empire takes its way;
> The first four acts already passed;
> A fifth shall close the drama with the day—
> Time’s noblest offspring is the last.” As touching the progress of the third angel’s message, the order is reversed. Establishing itself first in America, “time’s noblest offspring,” the message wings its flight eastward. Europe and then Africa are stirred by the solemn announcement, and, last of all, the message is sounded in the great continent of the East, the cradle of the human race. Dear brethren and sisters, it is in behalf of Asia that we come to you with this appeal. We are not only persuaded that this is God’s set time to favor Asia, but we also believe that many of the mightiest struggles in the closing hours of this message will be waged in the lands of the East. The problems here are greater than are those faced by missionaries in any other part of the world; and to meet these we appeal to you to assist us in providing for, and carrying on, a larger, more comprehensive program, and also for a stronger and more efficient administrative organization. In conclusion, the words of the Saviour come to us with special emphasis: “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35. Today the fields are “white,” they are “already to harvest.” God grant that no one shall counsel a delay of “four months.” While today the fields are open to the reapers, there are in many parts ominous signs which point to a reactionary movement toward Christianity and a restriction of missionary effort. We know not when or how the clouds may burst, but we do know that the present opportunities are boundless. Does it not seem that the conditions and calls of this hour should arouse and electrify every member of our denomination, and lead us, to the utmost of our strength and ability, to exert ourselves for a united, triumphant effort to quickly finish the work? May our God, who is the Lord of the harvest, bring this to pass, is the earnest desire and prayer of your sons and daughters, relatives, classmates, old-time friends, and collaborers in the Asiatic mission field. ASIATIC DIVISION OFFICERS CHINA MISSION TRAINING SCHOOL PHILIPPINE ISLAND MISSION12