Honan, China by F. A. Allum

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Feb 9, 1911

Honan, China

By F. A. Allum

F. A. ALLUM

We take this opportunity of communicating to our brethren in the home land some news of the way the Lord is blessing our work in this province. It is now seven years since the third angel's message was first preached in Honan; and as we see the way the Lord has blessed the efforts that have been put forth in the past, we can not but praise him, and take courage for the future.

BELIEVERS ATTENDING THE HONAN, CHINA, GENERAL MEETING AND BIBLE INSTITUTE

We began our annual Bible institute, Oct. 20, 1910, and it lasted until November 14. November 8-14 we conducted the general meeting for the North Central Mission Field, which was held in Cheo Chia K’o, Honan. The general meeting was indeed a blessed time. The Spirit of the Lord came near, and hearts were touched and sins confessed.

At the general meeting, the program was as follows: From six to seven in the morning, prayer-meeting, with different leaders appointed; from eight to nine, a preaching service; from nine to ten, a series of meetings on methods of labor. The following subjects were presented at these meetings: “How to Preach;” “Our Attitude Toward Believers of Other Missions;” “How to Encourage New Converts;” “How to Canvass for Our Periodicals and Books;” “How to Reach the Heathen;” “Organization and Gospel Order.” Different ones were appointed to lead out in the discussion of these important topics. Twenty minutes was allowed each leader, the rest of the time being taken up with the discussion of the subjects by our Chinese brethren, who discussed the topics presented in an excellent way, manifesting a fine spirit and good common sense. We had another preaching service from eleven to twelve. A meeting for outsiders was held from three to four in the afternoon; also meetings for the women at the same hour, led by Miss Pauline Schilberg.

From four to five we had committee meetings daily, those present being members of the North China Committee and a committee of five Chinese brethren elected by the Chinese believers. Together we discussed everything in connection with the native work. This was a great help to our Chinese brethren, and was a practical training in gospel order and organization, and helped the Chinese brethren to shoulder burdens and understand the work better than they have ever done before.

From seven to eight each evening a consecration meeting was held, at which we endeavored to present such subjects as would lead the believers to seek a closer connection with God. We presented the matter of the canvassing work, and received a hearty response, each of the evangelists promising to sell one hundred copies of our Chinese paper each month. Thus our evangelists alone are planning to sell a thousand copies a month. Then we presented the need of all our church-members taking the monthly paper. In a few minutes over sixty names were handed in for yearly subscriptions. Thus the paper will now go to every home where there is a Sabbath-keeper in Honan. This will certainly be a source of strength to the work there.

At our Bible institute, which was held for three weeks, we had an attendance of over seventy. At the general meetings there was an attendance of over one hundred seventy. On the last Friday of the meeting, eight persons were buried with their Lord in baptism. Only one of these has ever been a baptized member of another mission. All these candidates were carefully examined, and had been keeping the Sabbath for over two years. Including those baptized at this meeting, we now have in Honan fifty-nine baptized Sabbath-keepers. Eighteen of these were added to the church this year. We probably have in Honan, in addition to those baptized, over one hundred fifty who are classed as hsioh iu (inquirers). Some of these will shortly be baptized. Thus we can see that the work is onward. The great difficulty we have to meet is the need of foreign workers. May God send more workers into his harvest-field.

The services of the general meeting were conducted by Dr. H. W. Miller, Brother Esta Miller, and the writer, the women's meetings being conducted by Miss Schilberg. During the meeting, Elder O. A. Hall preached his first sermon in Chinese, exactly one year from the date of his arrival in China. He did splendidly, especially as we consider the heavy burdens that he has been carrying since his arrival, in connection with the treasury work of the Cheo Chia K’o station. Sister Hall also took her first meeting for the women, and she did equally well.

At present the Mandarin Training School is located at Cheo Chia K’o, until permanent quarters can be found for it. Dr. Miller, director of the North China Mission, is temporarily located at Cheo Chia K’o, in charge of this school. Our hearts were made glad to see twenty bright young men in training here. Dr. Miller has done good work, and we all feel of good courage as we see these Chinese in training. It is the first time, in our mission work in Mandarin China, that one man has been chosen to devote all his time to this definite effort, and we are sure it can not but bring grand results. Dr. Miller is assisted by Miss Schilberg, who, in addition to having charge of the women’s work, is also conducting a school for girls. She has an excellent command of the language, and is deeply in love with her work.

In concluding this article we wish to cite two instances which show the wonderful power of the message on the lives of those accepting it. The first case is that of my language teacher, a man of whom I have written before, telling how his wife bore witness to the genuineness of his conversion. Since then he has passed through a season of intense trial, which would certainly shake the faith of any one who was not indeed a true child of God. Not long after he took his stand for Christ, while he was away on Chih Kong Shan Mountain teaching Brother and Sister Hall, he received word of the death of his boy. This was a heavy blow, but still he remained faithful, and hastened home to assist his wife in their time of trouble. He had no sooner arrived than his wife was stricken down with what we suppose to have been cholera, and died within a few days. This was a terrible trial to our brother, but he has remained true to God through all. At the general meeting he was one of the eight whom the writer had the privilege of baptizing. Since returning from the meeting, I have received word from him telling that one side of his face has been stricken with paralysis, so that he can hardly speak. But he is still of good courage, and although he has lost his wife, his child, and now almost lost the power to speak, he is still trusting in the Lord, and is of good courage. This is an example of faith that we may well copy.

The second case is that of a young man named Chang Ia Dong, who held a position in the post-office at Kai Feng Fu, the capital city of Honan. He became interested in the truth through literature which we sent him from Cheo Chia K’o, and for over a year we received letters from him and answered the same, teaching him all the truth that we could in this way. Finally, one day we received all the literature that we had ever sent him, without a note of explanation, and we concluded that he had lost all interest in the message. But in spite of this, and the prejudice which others sought to rouse in his heart against the message, this young man has come into the truth, and there is every prospect of his becoming a substantial worker. He is now attending the Mandarin Training School, and assisting Dr. Miller in the dispensary work. Thus we see that although this man sent back all the literature that we had ever sent him, yet he could not get away from the message itself.

There are many other instances we could relate, but we must conclude for this time. We pray God to stir up the hearts of our brethren and sisters in the home land, that we may have the men and the means necessary to carry this message to China in this generation. The harvest is ripe, but the laborers,—O, how few they are! Many provinces in China could be entered to-day if it were not for the fact that we are hindered by the fewness of the foreign workers. For two years the writer has been under appointment for Szechuen, to open that province to the message, but he is unable to proceed because we are unable properly to man the stations we have already opened. The same is true of the north. Dr. Miller is waiting at Cheo Chia K’o until reinforcements arrive. O, how long must these waiting millions continue to wait before they hear the last warning message!

“If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” Prov. 24: 11, 12.

Cheo Chia K’o.