The General Meeting in China by I. H. EVANS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 11, 1912

The General Meeting in China

By I. H. EVANS

I. H. EVANS

All but two of the foreign workers engaged in our denominational work in China, with their families, were present at the opening service of our general meeting, held in Shanghai from Jan. 25 to Feb. 10, 1912. In addition to the workers for China, there were present from other fields, Elder and Mrs. F. H. De Vinney, from Japan; Elder C. L. Butterfield, Dr. Riley Russell, and Brother H. A. Oberg, from Korea; Elder and Mrs. G. F. Jones, from Singapore; and Elder and Mrs. L. V. Finster, from the Philippines. The total number present, including the families of the workers, was eighty-nine.

From the very first, the workers took a deep interest in both the Bible studies and the devotional exercises. A full program was carried out, with a devotional meeting, two Bible studies, and a sermon each day. The rest of the time was devoted to business.

This has been the best meeting ever held for our workers in the East. All seemed anxious to get right with God and with one another. Often the Spirit of God was very manifest, and courage and renewed consecration came into the hearts of all.

CHAPEL IN SHANGHAI, IN WHICH THE GENERAL MEETING WAS HELD

Most of our men are planning to return to their fields before the country is in a settled condition, trusting the Lord to protect them. It will not be possible, however, for all the women to leave the treaty ports at the present time. We are constantly hoping for peace, and each day's paper holds out promises that the future government in China will soon be settled, the country freed from its numerous bands of robbers, and quiet reign again in the land of Sinim.

It was voted at this gathering to hold a general meeting three years from this winter, 1914-15, which all foreign workers in the Asiatic Division may have the privilege of attending. It is hoped that the president of the General Conference and other laborers can be with us at that time. All feel that it will be a great uplift to the workers in the whole field to have the blessings of such a meeting.

Resolutions were adopted recommending the purchase of a site for our China Union Training School, during this coming year, and the erection of suitable buildings, provided peace is restored and the building operations can be proceeded with. It was further voted that the necessary buildings for the printing-plant for our work in China be erected at once. Several homes are also required to protect the lives of our workers, and it was voted that some of these be built this year.

During the entire meeting the weather in Shanghai was especially pleasant, a fact which contributed much to the comfort of our brethren from other places. The warm, well-lighted meeting-hall which we had been able to secure also added to the enjoyment of the meetings.

The superintendents of the mission fields in China reported concerning their respective fields. Our membership during the past year has increased in China about one hundred per cent. The tithes and offerings from our native brethren have about doubled. Openings were reported which seemed to indicate that the Lord has gone before the workers to prepare the people for the reception of the message. The superintendent of the South Central China Mission read letters received during the meeting from two different places in the province of Hunan where more than two hundred persons have attended our meetings. A very earnest call came from these people that a man might be sent to teach them the third angel's message. In one community, thirty-seven families signed a petition requesting that an evangelist be sent them, and offering to provide a place of worship and bear all the expense of the station, if we would only supply a worker. Surely these wonderful calls from this heathen land must indicate that God is preparing a people to receive this message. We seem paralyzed for the lack of workers. If there were only one hundred men where we now have one, each worker would be supplied with a field so vast that it would then seem overwhelming. In vain we tried to send one worker into a new province. Brother J. J. Westrup had been praying for months that he might be sent to Shan-tung, one of the most healthful and densely populated provinces in China; but when we came to locate our workers, it was impossible to open up a new station, because of lack of help

in fields already entered. It truly seems pitiful that in this last generation, when the King of glory is about to come, these poor heathen can not have the Word of God taught them by a living teacher; that the Macedonian cry is given in vain. One community pleaded earnestly for help, and offered the use of their village temple as a place where the Word of God could be taught. They broke the idols of their former worship, and pleaded that some one might come to them and teach them the Word of God. Trouble is now threatening these poor people because of this action on their part, and we have not a man to step in and instruct them. Is it not time that God's people everywhere earnestly pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth reapers into his harvest?

Several meetings of the Asiatic Division Committee were held, and plans were laid and recommendations adopted for the unifying of our work in this division. Surely, when we think that in this generation more than six hundred million heathen are to be warned of the soon coming of our Lord and the close of probation, the work seems beyond the power of man to accomplish. In many of these great fields, there is not a worker, nor even a single believer in the last message. Some countries have not even been touched; and in many places where there are scores of millions of human beings, there has never been even one believer in the third angel's message. The lands of Siam, Tongking, French Indo-China, Cochin China, and Cambodia have never yet had a worker. Here are more than twenty million human beings perishing for the light and knowledge of the third angel's message. Siam seems especially ready for our work, as the country is very favorable to Christianity. Surely a great work remains to be done in searching out from these millions the honest-hearted. We all consecrated our lives anew at this meeting; and we believe that the future will see many souls brought to Christ.

Shanghai.