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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.

""EVANGELISM IN THE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 203$3,000 left, a !genuine problem After considerable wrestling, late the evening of the second day they came with avery satisfactory budget.NoI Employen this experiment we observed severalof Mission very interesting things; one of which wascan be a this. One of the five elders was at the time alfficercolporteur in the employ of the Mission.In their effort to provide for the theological students theelders were compelled to close a number of schools anddismiss several colporteurs, reducing the salaries of others.Much to our disappointment we noticed that the salary andposition of this elder-colporteur were left untouched. Wefelt our scheme therefore was in danger of collapse, ourexperiment a failure. The second day after however theelder-colporteur came to us "saying This thing does not:look right. It is not a square deal. "What is that,"weasked? The fact that we have dismissed other colporteursand allowed my position to stand. To sit in judgement onmy own work does not seem right." "Granted," wereplied, what "but do you propose to do about it?" "Imean to resign as colporteur." he said, I would rather bean elder anyhow than a colporteur." And resign he did.From that day to this it has been an unwritten law in ourfield that no church officer shall at the same time be anemploye of the Mission, or receive any compensation whatever from mission funds. Out of this experiment hasgrown a simple but apparently satisfactory form ofco-operation, under which the Chinese Church has a largevoice in the disposition of foreign funds, as well as of theirown contributions.Loan FundHow to begin self-support was another ofour problems. Ten years ago in the adjacentfield, together with the field we are discussing, there werenine chapels. The total contributions of three chapelsamounted to Mex. $96. The rent and most of thecurrent expenses were paid by mission funds. How totransfer this burden to the Chinese was our problem.After some study we secured from a friend in Baltimore alimited sum to be used as a loan fund for the purchase ofchapels. With this fund we went to each chapel group

""EVANGELISM IN THE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 203$3,000 left, a !genuine problem After considerable wrestling, late the evening of the second day they came with avery satisfactory budget.NoI Employen this experiment we observed severalof Mission very interesting things; one of which wascan be a this. One of the five elders was at the time alfficercolporteur in the employ of the Mission.In their effort to provide for the theological students theelders were compelled to close a number of schools anddismiss several colporteurs, reducing the salaries of others.Much to our disappointment we noticed that the salary andposition of this elder-colporteur were left untouched. Wefelt our scheme therefore was in danger of collapse, ourexperiment a failure. The second day after however theelder-colporteur came to us "saying This thing does not:look right. It is not a square deal. "What is that,"weasked? The fact that we have dismissed other colporteursand allowed my position to stand. To sit in judgement onmy own work does not seem right." "Granted," wereplied, what "but do you propose to do about it?" "Imean to resign as colporteur." he said, I would rather bean elder anyhow than a colporteur." And resign he did.From that day to this it has been an unwritten law in ourfield that no church officer shall at the same time be anemploye of the Mission, or receive any compensation whatever from mission funds. Out of this experiment hasgrown a simple but apparently satisfactory form ofco-operation, under which the Chinese Church has a largevoice in the disposition of foreign funds, as well as of theirown contributions.Loan FundHow to begin self-support was another ofour problems. Ten years ago in the adjacentfield, together with the field we are discussing, there werenine chapels. The total contributions of three chapelsamounted to Mex. $96. The rent and most of thecurrent expenses were paid by mission funds. How totransfer this burden to the Chinese was our problem.After some study we secured from a friend in Baltimore alimited sum to be used as a loan fund for the purchase ofchapels. With this fund we went to each chapel group

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