The Call for Preaching Evangelists by W. A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 23, 1914

The Call for Preaching Evangelists

By W. A. Spicer

At the great World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh serious attention was given to the tendency in all mission field work toward the tying up of missionaries in institutional work. At that time it was stated that "less than one half of the whole missionary staff in China is now engaged in direct evangelistic work." This had reference, of course, to the great body of missionary activity in China, where perhaps four thousand foreign missionaries were engaged in the service.

There is significance for us in this movement that is under way throughout the societies to turn the missionary forces to the preaching of the word. We know that the time has come for a quick work. The great missionary movement by all the societies is a work of preparation for the final advent message proclaiming the coming of the Lord. We see this everywhere. And we may well rejoice that the great missionary societies are endeavoring to turn more of their force to the preaching and spreading of the word among the people.

While this is being done, we ourselves must indeed appreciate as never before that it is the call of the hour to throw our own forces more and more generally into the preaching of the message among the masses of the people.

This is the call of our own mission committees in the fields. Our needy mission fields still repeat to us that they want preachers,—preachers with the conviction of the coming of the Lord and the love of souls in their hearts, who can learn languages and lead native associates, and push the preaching of this message among the unwarned millions. It is the call of the hour.

This call means that we must urge the young people in our schools—the strongest of them—to give more and more attention to preparation for the work of the ministry. It is the chief and most fruitful line of service. It is the work that is needed first of all, and most of all, in the great mission fields.

The pioneer of Manchuria, Dr. John Ross, now one of the aged veterans of the missionary army, not long since wrote to the Missionary Record of the United Free Church of Scotland an appeal to the Scottish societies to send out preachers. He says:—

The history of Christian missions from the beginning to the present day proves that not the toilsome methods of human wisdom, whether educational or medical, have produced the great Christian movements among non-Christian peoples. These were the outcome of the simple, clear, convincing, earnest, and sympathetic preaching of the gospel. Not by the wisdom of the world, but by what the world has always called "the foolishness of preaching," have souls of men been attracted out of godless hopelessness into the light and life and joy of a God-filled existence.

Let the young men in our schools take to heart the call of our own leaders in the mission fields for preachers, and the strong note that is being sounded in the same key throughout all the missionary ranks. W. A. S.