THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNING BUILDINGS.
THIS subject is considered in a recent number of World-wide Missions, a Methodist journal. It is said to be the experience of Methodist missionaries everywhere that permanent success is largely due to an appearance of permanent settlement on the part of missionaries. And nothing is so much regarded as evidence of stability as the ownership of the buildings in which the work is conducted, of some kind of headquarters. The reasons for such ownership are summed up in the following points: They give us a foothold in the enemy's country.
They create confidence in the permanency of the work.
They become centers of evangelistic work.
They prove that we have come to stay.
They advertise themselves as definite headquarters.
The people always know where to come for worship or to see the pastor.
They give converts confidence in the future.
They encourage our people to develop local resources in self-support.
They secure the respect of the local authorities and give the mission a standing in the community.
An enterprise that can be driven from one rented house to another can not command popular respect.
Capricious or unfriendly landlords can not drive us from our own property.
In — (China), we have been working twenty years and have achieved no success, because we have been forced to change so many times.
West China will come to full self-support as soon as the stations are supplied with church buildings.