p. 19 | Foreign Mission Seminary

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 24, 1909

Foreign Mission Seminary

A legal meeting of the Washington Training College was called Thursday, June 3, 1909, at 9:15 A. M., A. G. Daniells, president of the board, in the chair. A quorum was present.

The president of the school, Prof. H. R. Salisbury, rendered the following report of the work of the Seminary:—

The Seminary

Two years ago at the biennial session of the General Conference Council at Gland, Switzerland, the first plans were laid for the establishment of the Foreign Mission Seminary. The reasons given were these:—

When our delegates assembled there from the different parts of the world, each brought with him from his field an earnest request for more laborers. The two years which had succeeded the General Conference of 1905 in Washington, D. C., had been a time of spiritual and numerical growth in our mission fields, so that our brethren in charge of those fields, and our leading brethren who returned to the Council after visiting foreign fields, brought so many definite requests that the Council found itself veritably besieged by the demands for more help. Many of these requests seemed imperative and undeniable, and when all were placed before our brethren, they found themselves face to face with a situation whose necessities rivaled anything that had been before demanded of them. In addition to the situation created by this great number of requests there arose also a second and a third condition to be met which, while not entirely new, were at least greatly emphasized by the then existing conditions. The second was revealed in a plea that the workers hereafter to be sent out should, if possible, have a better general education. Thirdly, it was found that in nearly all instances the fields yet to be entered would be far more difficult than those that had heretofore been entered, so that it was manifest that it was not only, first a lack of workers, and second, too plainly a lack of sufficient training on the part of those whose names were under consideration, but it was found that as the calls which now come are from lands where new languages must be learned and greater privations endured, it became incumbent upon the mission board to plan for special training to meet these conditions. The following recommendation was therefore drawn up:—

“That in order to accomplish these ends, we request the trustees of the Washington Training College to so change their course of study and plans of operation as to make that institution a distinctively foreign mission training-school.”

This recommendation was further agreed to by a meeting of the constituency held in Philadelphia, Nov. 15-20, 1907. This Foreign Mission Seminary has, therefore, been in operation for two years. The first year,—that is, last year,—the attendance was 86, and this year, which closed just before the opening of this Conference, the attendance was 102.

Students in the Field

Although we have been in operation less than two years, and this year’s students have, with few exceptions, not yet received their appointments to foreign fields, students from this Seminary are already in the following countries: 2 in Norway, 2 in China, 2 in Bengal, 2 in North India, 1 in South India, 1 in Burma, 1 in Australasia, 2 in British Guiana, 2 in Peru, 2 in Ecuador, 1 in Argentina, 2 in Guatemala, and 2 in Jamaica. It should be borne in mind, as I have already said, that this year’s appointments have not yet been made, and will probably include almost as many more as have already been mentioned, with quite as wide a distribution; for we have them here under tentative appointment for every continent as well as the islands of the sea. There have been also a few who have gone out from the Seminary into ministerial work in this country, and others will go out at the close of this Conference. Several have been attracted by the strong course which we give in Bible and history and the work in pastoral training, and have been here taking special work in ministerial lines.

Courses of Study

During the past two years we have endeavored to give strong groups of studies, in order that the student might gain that necessary fitting which will enable him to meet the many difficulties and perplexities which come to one as a missionary in the regions beyond. We have given thorough work in Bible, adapting it to the needs of those who must enter into public work as evangelists or Bible workers, supplemented by that history which would make them intelligent interpreters of the prophecies, also special work in pastoral training to enable the student to express himself with that clearness and naturalness which would command the respect of his hearers. We have also taught to the advanced students the Hebrew and Greek, that they might get a better grasp of the inspired Word in its original form. In the modern languages, we have taught in the past two years French, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi. In the medical department, we have had classes in tropical medicine, general diseases, tropical hygiene, sanitation, dietetics, massage, hydrotherapy, bandaging, as well as advanced physiology. It is this department that we wish especially to strengthen the coming year; for it is being brought to us more and more that the greater number of our foreign missionaries must be given a practical course in nursing while with us. We may not be able to give the technical and professional course outlined in medical institutions, but we must have continually in operation in this Foreign Mission Seminary a nurses’ training course, which will make it possible for every student going out from this Seminary to foreign fields who is not already a trained nurse to have sufficient knowledge of that most necessary subject to be able not only to care for himself, but also his fellow workers or the people for whom he is laboring. We have done something toward this work in the past, but will not be satisfied until we have in operation and preparation a course which, while for the present to some extent limited, shall nevertheless be practical. Our foreign missionary workers are by actual experience having it most forcibly brought home to them that by this kind of work can they best obtain a hold among heathen nations, and those hearts which have thus far failed to respond to the gospel message.

Aside from the general course which I have outlined, we have also made progress in the industries. We have connected with the Seminary three industries,—farming, tent-making, and printing. Our printing establishment has been especially blessed both financially and in the work it has been able to give to the students in the eighteen months it has been in operation. We hope that our plans for that industry may be enlarged so that a considerable number of our young men may have a working knowledge of that important industry before leaving for foreign fields. With the well-equipped plant we already have through the generosity of the Board, it would need but little more enlarging to enable a large proportion of our students to gain while here a fairly good idea of the printing trade, and the printing-office would be as large as any they would be likely to enter in foreign fields, so that they would be able to work here in an office of about the same equipment that they would have in other lands. Our tent factory, although in operation but a few months, has made a good beginning and several presidents in the surrounding conferences have given us their orders for tents for this summer’s meetings. If we still show ourselves worthy of consideration, we shall be able the coming year to give a larger number of students work and to send into the fields beyond students proficient in that excellent trade.

Scholarships

We wish we might express in a suitable way our appreciation to the young people of the United States for the help they have rendered us through scholarships. Some of our conferences have not understood this matter, but there have been a sufficient number who have interested themselves in this up to the present so that the past year we were able to bring in several students of promise who could never have been with us had it not been for the scholarship.

It has been of great help to the Mission Board to be able to come in close touch with the students we have had here, and to be able to visit our Seminary from time to time, and select and send away, almost on a moment’s notice, students in attendance. These calls were urgent and yet of such importance as made it desirable for the Board to meet, and become personally acquainted with, those whom they were sending away.

May I point out, as I close, that I trust we may duly appreciate what it means from this time on to send of our best by scores into fields in which the languages are difficult; the customs strange; the manners hostile; the religions hoary with tradition, full of deception, delighting in works and mocking at faith; and, above all, to the loneliness of isolation, the constant danger from a multitude of diseases none too kind to the native, and all too often fatal to the missionary. We must not ask our sons and daughters to face the loneliness, and expose themselves to the dangers, at the risk of their lives, until we have done all we

can in the home land to give them, as far as lies in our power, that necessary and intelligent training which will enable them to meet and grapple with these obstacles in a way to bring success to the missionary, and ultimate victory to the cause of present truth.

The chairman again called on H. R. Salisbury, the treasurer, to present the treasurer’s report; which he did.

We are unable to set up the tabular report in these columns. It showed the following facts:—

RESOURCES Real estate $79,813.42 Inventories 7,872.29 Accounts receivable 5,076.58 Total resources $92,762.29

LIABILITIES Annuities $15,400.00 Accounts payable 26,453.89     including notes Total liabilities $41,853.89

Present worth, June 30, 1908, $50,908.40

The committee on nominations for trustees rendered the following report, through its secretary, W. J. Fitzgerald: A. G. Daniells, H. R. Salisbury, W. W. Prescott, I. H. Evans, W. A. Ruble, G. B. Thompson, G. A. Irwin, F. Griggs, F. M. Wilcox.

The report was adopted unanimously. W. J. Fitzgerald also presented the following report from the committee on recommendations:—

1. Resolved, That we approve the action of the General Conference Committee Council, held at Gland, Switzerland, in May, 1907, providing that the Washington Training College henceforth be conducted as the Washington Foreign Mission Seminary. Whereas, The Washington Foreign Mission Seminary has been established to give special preparation to volunteers for the foreign mission fields of the world; and,— Whereas, It has no definite territory from which to draw students and funds; therefore,— 2. Resolved, That we request the General Conference to take the ownership and management of this institution, and to assume its obligations.

On motion to adopt the report, Resolution 1 was read and adopted by vote without discussion.

Resolution 2 was read.

A. G. Daniells made a few remarks in regard to the resolution. He stated that the trustees and members of the General Conference Committee had considered the question very carefully during the past year, and had felt that this action ought to be taken. He showed how the training-school was different from ordinary colleges or academies, in the respect that it does not attempt so much to take students through the regular courses, as to take volunteers for mission fields, and prepare them by special work for the fields to which they are going. Some of these might have been graduated from academies and colleges, and others had perhaps limited educational requirements, but were possessed of good missionary timber, willing to go out to some hard, difficult field, and do successful work, with a year or two special work at this school.

He stated further that the institution has no definite territory. The students come from all over the United States. The board of management has always been made up of General Conference men. There are no others here to take the management of the institution. It therefore seems more consistent for the General Conference itself to own the plant, to take its management, and to secure the students as a part of its work of securing and sending missionaries to the field.

In reply to question, it was stated that the property would likely be held by the General Conference Corporation, which is the legal arm of the General Conference unincorporated.

A. T. Robinson: Would there still be a necessity for the Washington Training College to exist?

A. G. Daniells: This question as to whether the present association should be dissolved, would have to be taken up for careful study. Are you ready for the question?

Upon call of question, the recommendation was put to vote and carried, with one dissenting vote.

The Washington Training College Association meeting was then adjourned, by vote of the constituency.