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EVANGELISM IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS 193early years of the work to put our houses in a suburb ofCanton. We now have three country stations and one inthe city.PI f W ^^ work is superintended by missionaries,rfcwho hold meetings for examination of candidates and communion services at each chapel once in eachquarter. Candidates are required to appear before thachurch session three times before baptism. At communionseasons, the missionary usually spends the week-end at thechapel. He also makes occasional visits, preferably onmarket days, to see that preaching is carried on regularly,and to assist in the same. Each chapel is in charge of aresident evangelist.Each quarter at a different centre, unitedconferences are held, lasting four days. Theseare attended by all the foreign and Chineseevangelistic workers, and by as many of the teachers andoffice bearers as can come. The local church-members areinvited to these conferences and usually a series of evangelistic meetings is held in tlia evenings. The Bible study is atthe request of the Chinese workers, directed by the missionaries but carried out on the co-operative plan. Topics relatingto Christian life and work are chosen at one conference fordiscussion the following quarter, and leaders are appointedto introduce these. These gatherings have greatly helpedto keep the workers both Chinese and foreign in touch witheach other and continually remind us that we are partnersin a common enterprise. Plans for the work are discussedand in this way the missionaries are enabled to get theChinese point of view.We have a library and encourage preachers to readsome standard periodical. Certain of our teachers are sentto a normal training school, which meets in Canton for afortnight during the summer and all of our preachersattend an annual conference of workers from variousmissions held in the city. The Bible women attend asimilar conference.We feel that the spiritual and intellectual life of theChurch will be very much what the Chinese preachers andteachers make it and so we do all we can to strengthen them,A 24

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