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202 EVANGELISMgrew to any size, and wished to secure for itself a buildingto be used as a chapel, the group was required to proveitself, to do something first. In every case where mission aidwas granted, an equivalent of some sort was required on thepart of the local group. Initiative and responsibility werepressed upon the members and officers of the local group.At the end of the year the missionary came, not to say:*"Nextyear you will do so and so," but to ask: What areyour plans for the next year? Show us and we will seehow the mission may supplement your effort."From the above, it will readily be seenhow from the be inii mg there was self-CcToperatJon government on the part of the ChineseChristians. There is another aspect of selfgovernmentwhich more intimately touches our foreignshare. One of the most important problems of missionpolicy at the present time in China is to find a satisfactoryform of co-operation between the Chinese Church as suchand the missionary body as such. This does not mean thatindividual missionaries have not at all times freely conferredwith individual Chinese as to the disposition and use offoreign funds; but the time has now come in Kwan gtungprovince particularly, and in a measure elsewhere, when itis a real problem how and to what extent the Chinese maybe entrusted with the disposition of foreign contributions.SomeElders Makingthree years ago, we were led to ana Budget experiment. Five representative elders wereinvited to spend three days at the centralstation. To them was given the budget of the current year.They were told that there was Mex. $3,000 availablefor the field work of the ensuing year. They were asked tocompletely reorganize the budget within the limits of thatsum. They were given power to increase or decreasesalaries, even to recommend the dismissal of workers. Tomake their task a more real one they had to make provisionfor fourteen new theological students, whom they as eldershad already approved, who were to be sent to Canton toenter upon theological studies. That is to say from Mex.$8,000 they were to take Mex. $1,400 and yet have Mex.