Reaching Heathen Populations by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 11, 1910

Reaching Heathen Populations

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

How shall we reach the great heathen populations?—Not altogether by the direct contact of American or European, working with the masses. This is evident. Two insurmountable difficulties at once present themselves—languages and overwhelming numbers.

What then? The sooner we realize that the great bulk of the work must be accomplished through the efforts of trained native evangelists working for their own countrymen, the quicker, we believe, will the problem be solved of getting the message into Africa and the great Orient during the limits of “this generation.”

One writer upon this point says: “Experience teaches that natives have been the chief human factor in the evangelization of different countries. No extensive field has ever been thoroughly evangelized but by its own sons. This seems to be God’s method. Eminent and successful missionaries have emphasized by word and by practise the essential character of the native arm. Duff said that ‘when the set time arrives, the real reformers of Hindustan will be qualified Hindus.’ Neesima, speaking after years of observation and experience in Japan, expressed his conviction that the ‘best possible method to evangelize her people is to raise up a native agency; and such an agency can be procured only by imparting the highest Christian culture to the best youths to be found.’ Not long before his death, Mackay said: ‘The agency by which, and probably by which alone, we can Christianize Africa, is the African himself. But he must be trained first for that work, and trained, too, by the European in Africa.’ Dr. Nevius repeatedly expressed his belief that the millions of China must be brought to Christ by Chinamen. Dr. Griffith John wrote that ‘the remarkable ingathering of the past few years in Fukien, Hupeth, Hunan, Manchuria, and other parts of China, is to be attributed, under God, mainly to the efficiency, earnestness, and assiduity of our native brethren.’ Dr. Goodrich, in writing from north China about the important part which native agents must have in spreading a knowledge of Christ, said: ‘Whether considered politically, economically, sociologically, or historically, this is the only sound policy and effective method of evangelizing a great nation.’”

The same principle applies to the finishing of the gospel in all the world for a witness, contained in the third angel’s message. The missionaries sent out from America and Europe with this important message should go principally as trainers of the brightest and best among the nations where they are sent, that these may, in turn, take the truth to their own countrymen. This is the vital thing to do. God can bless the simple message of the devoted Chinese, Japanese, African, or Korean believer to the conversion of souls, the same as that of the messengers of more enlightened lands.

The training of men in the field to work for their own people, we believe, is really the key for the finishing of the third angel’s message in all the world in the limits of this generation.

Takoma Park, D. C.