The Student Volunteer Convention in Toronto
By Estella Houser
THE Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions has just closed its quadrennial convention in Toronto, Ontario. The movement dates back to 1886, when a few students of the Seminary of Princeton, New Jersey, aroused by the great needs of the unevangelized world, were the means of awakening a summer school at Mt. Hermon, Mass. Here, one hundred of the two hundred and fifty young men assembled for Bible study, after much prayer, expressed their willingness to go as foreign missionaries. From this the movement took shape, and rapidly grew. Scores of American colleges and universities were visited, and in 1891 the first convention was called. It was attended by six hundred and eighty-eight delegates, representing one hundred and fifty-one institutions. The work has grown continuously since that time. The convention which was in session during the last days of February in Toronto was the largest student convention, in point of numbers, ever held. Delegates were present from twenty different countries. Four hundred and sixty-five higher institutions of learning were represented by two thousand two hundred and ninety-six students and more than two hundred professors. The entire registered delegation reached an aggregate of more than twenty-nine hundred. From the very first meeting a deep spiritual atmosphere prevailed. The young people who had gathered from the colleges and seminaries represented the most spiritual and devoted from these schools. All seemed bent on one thing—to learn more perfectly how the work represented by their motto, “The evangelization of the world in this generation” (which, indeed, was most inspiring and prophetic to those who are expecting the return of their Lord), might be speedily realized. No applauding nor other noisy demonstrations were engaged in, but instead the speakers were greeted, and their messages received in silent prayer. The first session was a solemn one. It was emphasized that the blessings received at the convention would be in proportion to the measure of the giving up of self and selfish plans. Every higher hold on Christ was shown to mean a letting-go of the earthly. A spirit of deep consecration seemed to pervade the meeting, as we were brought face to face with the privilege of living in His presence, and of making our prayer life such a real thing that sweet communion with our Lord Jesus would be more desired than anything else in the world. One speaker after another urged the importance of the work that is to be crowded into the closing days of this generation. Over one hundred returned missionaries were present, and many of these spoke of the great awakening in the fields from which they came, and the need of entering these now while they are ripe to the harvest. The very fact that India, China, Africa, and the islands of the sea, as well as South America, are to-day open to the gospel, while many of these one hundred years ago were very little more than a geographical name, or at least closed to Christians, was looked upon as an evidence that the fulfillment of the promise, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come,” is about to be realized. There seemed to be no question in the minds of the leaders of this movement that this work could be accomplished in this generation. To bring this about, it was emphasized that every Christian must bear some part; that the last commission, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” is as world-wide as is the promise which accompanies it, “Lo, I am with you alway.” The church which disregards this command is sure to wither and decay. The leaders of this movement who were present seemed to look upon this large convention as prophetic. One inspiring feature in the movement was the determination, vigor, and earnestness manifested among the young people present. The Volunteer Movement claims two reasons for its existence,—to gather out from among the students of the world a sufficient number of devoted young people to meet the requirements of the various missionary societies and boards; and at the same time to develop among those who will spend their lives in Christian lands, as either pastors or laymen, a sense of their responsibility to sustain and reinforce the foreign missionary enterprise by intelligent sympathy, by the giving of money, by prayer, and by aggressive effort in behalf of the world’s evangelization. The report for the last four years showed that the educational work already had become far-reaching. Three hundred and twenty-five study classes had been organized, with an enrollment of almost five thousand students—these under the direction of the educational department of the movement. During this time the sales of the text-books and other missionary publications have reached one hundred thousand copies, an evidence that there has been a large increase in the study of missions, and this quite generally among students. With this mission study is urged careful, personal Bible study and prayer, which will manifest itself in a deep religious experience. Besides two thousand volunteers who have sailed since the organization of the movement, a large number who had been in the mission study classes have become pastors of churches, and have been able to bring the needs of the world before a great many people. Besides the importance of studying the fields, the habit of systematic and proportionate giving was emphasized. One point that was especially impressive was the fact that those who are the leaders, and especially those who are in school and are preparing for this work, with little means, are encouraged to take the lead in giving regularly and systematically to the support of the work to which they are planning to devote their lives, thus setting a commendable example to others. The Volunteer Movement claims to have exerted a powerful reflex influence on the religious life of colleges and theological seminaries. No greater proof can be given of the hold that Christianity has upon an individual than his willingness to go to the ends of the world to propagate it, and this has had its influence on other students in the schools. Besides the organization in America, similar organizations have not only been effected in every civilized country, but also in the college centers of India, China, and Japan. Of the volunteers in England, over sixty per cent have sailed to the field. These different organizations are brought in touch with one another through a general secretary, and thus, regardless of denominational differences, all are making the one aim in their life the evangelization of the world in this generation. True, very few of them look upon this as the last generation in this world’s history, their version of their motto being that if the gospel is to be preached to all men, it obviously must be done while all men are living. The evangelization of the world in this generation, therefore, means the preaching of the gospel to those who are now living—“the unevangelized, for whom we as Christians are responsible, live in this generation, and the Christians, whose duty it is to present Christ to them, live also in this generation.” The movement has presented the claims of the world-wide message in nearly nine hundred educational institutions. And who can estimate the effect of their work upon the Christian world to-day? They are fortunate in having as leaders young men of consecrated, energetic enthusiasm, who have but one aim in view,—the realization of their motto,—and who will not be swerved from it by the highest worldly gain. The closing session was marked by a spirit of warning lest the aroused emotions, without any fixed determination to seek higher attainments in the Christian life, might lead to greater defeat. Not fewer than three hundred of these young people signified their expectation to go out into the foreign field before the close of this year. More than a score were under appointment for China, to fill up the gap made by the recent Boxer uprising. To those who are looking for the coming of the Lord, this movement means far more than simply the preaching of the gospel to the people living at this time. It means the awakening of the Christian world to the possibility of the great work which has been committed to it, and the preparation of the people in every heathen country for the closing message, which is to usher in the coming of our Lord. ESTELLA HOUSER.