The Educational Missionary Movement by W. E. HANCOCK

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 6, 1907

The Educational Missionary Movement

By W. E. HANCOCK

The Mission Fields and Our Schools

History proves that in the promulgation of any reform measure of a religious nature, the missionary has been closely followed by, or his work has gone hand in hand with, schools. These schools have always given character and permanence to the work of missionaries. When we consider the conditions which call for many reforms in the world, the reason is evident why schools should be established contemporaneous with, or soon after, the missionary work is begun.

During the time Israel and Judah were apostatizing from God, he caused to be established the schools of the prophets, proposing by this means to train men for service in the work of reforming Israel, and through them to carry a knowledge of his law and the messages of his prophets to the world. Previously to the time of Christ, the professed church had again apostatized. He came and chose humble men to whom he could teach the principles of his law and train them for a service of reform.

From these instances we see that a training is necessary for the pioneer work of carrying on new movements. The Church of Rome from her earliest existence has recognized the value of giving a training to her missionaries before sending them out into new fields. Not only has she been thorough in preparing the pioneer missionary for promulgating her doctrines, but she has also been diligent in reaping the fullest results of his efforts by establishing training-schools of various kinds which would train the converts to the new faith as

missionaries in their own country. When that church in the early part of the Christian era was sending missionaries to the barbarian tribes in the north, closely following the missionary's effort was the establishment of these schools. Thus by first sending trained missionaries into unentered fields, and through them training native converts as workers for the extension of her work by establishing schools in that country, she has succeeded in planting the banner of superstition in all parts of the civilized world.

But because Rome recognized the principle and used it for her purpose, we need not discard it in carrying forward the great work committed to us. It is a course which the history of Seventh-day Adventist missionary operations proves to be the right and successful way of bearing to the world the message of Christ's coming.

This message started in poverty and obscurity in the northeastern part of the United States. For years our efforts were confined to the States. But to-day it is no more the States, North and South America, nor Europe, to which our efforts are confined; for it has become a world-wide enterprise. Missionaries are in every country.

But no sooner have these new fields been fairly entered, than it has been necessary to establish a real training-school to equip native workers for the extension of the message to their countrymen. In Australia this has proved true, in Germany it has worked successfully, in England it has given permanency to the work. In fact, in all the countries where the work has become thoroughly organized, the schools have been a very important factor in bringing about this condition.

In countries where the establishment of strong schools, in which a thorough missionary training can be given, has been neglected, the work has moved slowly. In proportion to the energy with which the training of native workers in their own schools has been provided, so has the work been extended. The lesson is a pertinent one. We need to connect with all our missionary efforts such school work as will give permanency and definiteness to our work. We must in every field train native workers for the work of those fields.

W. E. HANCOCK.