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The General Meeting for China

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 30, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 22.

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The General Meeting for China

By J. N. Anderson

J. N. ANDERSON
The long-hoped-for meeting of our mission workers in the Chinese field was held in the city of Shanghai, February 10-20. From almost every consideration, this great commercial center, the New York of the Orient, was the natural place for such a meeting, since it was the most accessible to our workers from the different mission groups, and at the same time it afforded the best possible point from which to study the entire China field. Through this port nearly all the great currents of Chinese life flow.
In addition to Prof. W. W. Prescott, we were privileged to have with us Elder E. H. Gates, secretary of the Mission Department of the Australasian Union Conference, whose long experience in mission work enabled him to contribute very largely to the interest and success of the meeting. Elder Prescott’s Bible studies and counsel in the organization of our work in this field were very helpful, and were appreciated by all. This kind of help was greatly needed at this particular time, and we all feel confident that our work now is on a basis that will insure permanent success.
Beyond our most sanguine hopes it was possible for nearly all our workers to come together at this meeting. All our regularly employed foreign workers in the provinces of Honan and Fukien were present. Of those stationed at Canton all but four were present. It was most unfortunate that Brother and Sister Laird, who are located at Changsha, Hunan, were not able to be with us on this important occasion, for the reason that steamboat communication between that place and Hankow is interrupted during that part of the year when the water is low. The whole delegation present at the meeting, including the ten children, was thirty-two.
As we have not yet opened work in Shanghai, we were under the necessity of renting a house, which answered the double purpose of home and place of meeting. The matter of renting the house and the little furnishing that was absolutely necessary was attended to by Brother R. A. Caldwell, from Australia, who has been in these parts for some time canvassing for our books, and chanced to be in Shanghai at the time of our meeting. In this way we all were made comfortable notwithstanding the fact that we had some heavy rains and a snow-storm during the time of the gathering. In many ways the occasion reminded us of the camp-meetings we all used to attend before coming to China. Many of our workers were strangers to one another until this meeting called us together as one band of workers to pray and plan for the work in this empire. It afforded us the much-needed opportunity of viewing this great field as a unit, and to effect such an organization and recommend such measures as we hope will contribute to the upbuilding of the message in this land. Many of the perplexing and difficult problems peculiar to this field are quite clearly illustrated by the recommendations passed at this meeting, which follow:—
We recommend,—
1. That the general headquarters for all China be located at Shanghai.
2. That each local committee give special attention to the subject of language study, and arrange a course of study to be followed by workers coming into the field, and, further, that this committee provide suitable language teachers for all workers during the first two years (in consultation with workers themselves), and give special aid and encouragement by way of suggestion and examinations.
3. That all arrangements for new workers to enter the field be made through the regular organized committees; and that all donations to the work, made either through the regular channels or directly to the individual, be reported to the China Mission Treasurer and used in the regular approved lines of mission work, and, in case of special interest, all such funds be expended under the advice of the regular committees.
4. That all our gospel workers, native and foreign, be urged to teach carefully all inquirers repentance toward God and faith in and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour from sin; and, further, that all candidates for church fellowship give evidence of a new life and a sincere love of God’s Word; and, in particular, that they abstain from idolatry in any of its many forms, including ancestral worship, also from polygamy, gambling, opium, tobacco, and wine.
5. That as foreign workers engaged in missionary work under special treaty rights, we scrupulously abstain from interference in disputes and litigations among Chinese subjects, and that we do our utmost to prevent our Chinese helpers and church-members from giving encouragement to, or having any connection with, this evil.
6. That each local committee arrange for the training of evangelists, Bible women, and teachers; and that all Chinese gospel helpers be employed subject to the approval of the local committee.
7. That no new enterprise involving the expenditure of over one hundred dollars, Mexican, be entered upon by any local committee without the consent of the general committee; and, further, that the total of such expenditure in any local field without the consent of the general committee shall not exceed three hundred dollars, Mexican, within the calendar year.
8. That all local work not specifically placed under the direction of a local committee be considered as reserved to the direction of the general committee.
9. That the following-named persons constitute the China Mission Committee: J. N. Anderson (Chairman), W. C. Hankins, H. W. Miller, A. C. Selmon, E. H. Wilbur.
10. That the Home Mission Board be requested to send out as soon as possible, a suitable man to act as secretary and treasurer of the China Mission to locate at Shanghai.
11. That the following-named persons constitute a publishing committee to act for this field: H. W. Miller (Chairman), F. A. Allum, J. N. Anderson, W. C. Hankins, A. C. Selmon.
12. Owing to the lack of sufficient funds to complete the erection and equipment of the printing house in Honan, we, therefore, recommend,— (1) That the Home Board be requested to assist in funds to the amount of one thousand dollars gold for the completion of the new building. (2) That we present an urgent request to said Board for funds to equip the new building with machinery, type, and supplies to the amount of one thousand dollars gold.
WORKERS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE SHANGHAI GENERAL MEETING
WORKERS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE SHANGHAI GENERAL MEETING
13. We recommend that the publishing committee as part of its duty examine and pass upon all manuscripts that are to be published in this field. This shall not be so construed as to delay new editions of previously published tracts, nor the publication of manuscripts that have been satisfactorily examined.
14. That in preparing literature in the Chinese language an effort be made to so present every phase of the third angel’s message that it will be a development and application of the principles of righteousness by faith, the central principle of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
15. That the Mission Board be requested to take into consideration the question of providing funds for the publication and circulation of literature in China, either by making an appropriation or by inviting special donation for the purpose.
16. That a depository for Chinese and foreign publications be established at Shanghai in connection with the headquarters of the general mission committee.
17. That urgent appeal be made to the Mission Board to fill the several openings in this field, as follows:— (1) For a man and his wife to connect as soon as possible with the work at Changsha, Hunan. (2) For two men and their wives to connect with the work in Fukien, in the Amoy dialect.(3) For a married man to take up educational work at Canton. (4) For two men and their wives to connect with a worker of experience already in the field, to be located at some important center in the north of China. (5) For a family to locate at Shanghai and open up the work in that city, the commercial center of the Orient. (6) For a family to connect with Elder J. J. Westrup at Shang-tsai, Honan. (7) For a man of large experience and ability to locate at Shanghai and have general oversight of this field without attempting to learn the language, with the understanding that if it be agreeable to the Japan Mission, he might take a similar oversight of that field. (8) For a married man to take up work in the Hakka dialect, in South China.
18. That a permanent series of Sabbath-school lessons covering one year’s study on the book of Genesis be prepared in English and translated into Chinese in the different languages, and, further, that the following-named persons be invited to write these lessons: Mrs. J. N. Anderson, B. L. Anderson, J. J. Westrup, F. A. Allum.
19. That Ida Thompson, Mrs. A. C. Selmon, W. C. Hankins, and Mrs. J. N. Anderson constitute a Sabbath-school committee to develop and carry forward this branch of the work in China, the first-named to act as the department secretary.