Opportunity for a Teacher by M. E. Kern

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 16, 1916

Opportunity for a Teacher

By M. E. Kern

SOME months ago Elder F. A. Detamore, superintendent of our Malaysian Mission, sent me a picture of a private school near Singapore, taught by a Buddhist. I was very much impressed with the intelligent appearance of these children and their apparent thirst for knowledge. It seemed to me a pity that such young people could not have Christian teachers.

I wrote to Elder Detamore, asking if Christian young men could find opportunity for self-supporting work in the East Indies. He has replied as follows:—

“You ask if a young man could make his way teaching. I am very glad to assure you that this can easily be done in

almost any part of our field, and especially in the Dutch Indies. People want to learn English, and they are willing to pay for instruction. I am sending you a picture of our school at Padang, Sumatra. This school is made up entirely of children who are not Seventh-day Adventists. Quite a number take private lessons, also. The income is about eighty dollars a month, and this can be increased. Pastor Yates and his wife are teaching this school, and trying to look after the mission work also, but it is too much for them, and we are anxious to get some one to take the school. We want some one who is spiritual, and willing to cooperate in making the school a factor in bringing people into the truth. One should be able to teach, or at least learn to teach, the doctrines in such a way as to make real Seventh-day Adventists of people. Could we find such a young couple, we are willing to place them on our pay roll, and let them turn in their receipts from tuition, as donations are reported by our ministers. We think this will insure cooperation.

“Other places are waiting for this same work to be started. We have a small school in Borneo, but it is not paying so well. In Battakland a native started to teach English, and he soon had an income of more than eighty dollars a month, but he was unable to teach enough English to hold his pupils, so he lost quite a number of them. Several in that place have begun to keep the Sabbath. Thirteen young Battaks from central Sumatra came to our school here in Singapore. Some of these have been baptized and bid fair to become good workers. If we could get the right kind of young people, we could place a score of them where they could become self-supporting and at the same time hold up the light of truth.

“In Java, at Soekaboemi, Brother Sisley is teaching English, and is making enough to support himself and three or four native missionaries. He is over sixty years of age. Certainly a bright young man and his wife could do as well.”

Brother Sisley has been for several years supporting two native evangelists in China. These men were ordained to the gospel ministry at the time of Elder A. G. Daniells's visit to the Far East. How Brother Sisley's heart must rejoice to see such fruits of his efforts! Surely he is “in the work” just as truly as those who draw a salary from the conference.

It surely seems that here is a wide-open door for self-supporting missionary effort. It may be that the Lord is calling some of our young people to enter this work. Let any who may desire to respond, do so from the standpoint of service to God, and be sure to count the cost. M. E. KERN.