Original

Original Original

100yixueyuan.sdu.edu.cn
from 100yixueyuan.sdu.edu.cn More from this publisher
30.07.2015 Views

The456 MISCELLANEOUSwe would question whether we have discovered the methodof training men in theological schools so as to render themable to serve the Church as leaders most efficiently. Wehave a. very small handful of workers in Shanghai and thenumber is not increasing as rapidly as the population. Wemust have men of various qualifications but among them wemust have the best that the colleges in China are producingand some of the best that are being trained in universitiesabroad. The Student Volunteer Movement isdoing splendidwork in getting decisions for the ministry. Is there anyway by which we can open up to some of these men thepulpits in .Shanghai Church in the West has foundthat in order to succeed in the cities they must thereconcentrate their strongest men. One element in our problem is that there is very little changing of pulpits in theShanghai churches. Most of the pastors who are here havebeen here for many years. To secure a change is mostdifficult. This continuous pastorate, however desirablewhen a strong man is in charge, is equally undesirablewhen a change is needed.5. Another weakness in the ShanghaiaCT T 5* jDi Church is the lack of plan, the lack of realUnited L lan .. r . . . -i,, 1if1unity. here is no united movement formutual inspiration and help. There is no clear defining ofresponsibility, no delimitation of field. Every church is aunit by itself doing to a large extent an isolated work.There is no united school of methods for the training ofworkers; no method of unitedly sensing the Church s needsso as better to realize them through the Church itself andguide auxiliary organizations so they may better serve theChurch.6. There is little appreciation by thePastorspastors of the part which the foreign misnot.Using i i_ -i iMissionaries sionary teacher, physician and preacher canplay in the organization and work of theChurch. The foreign laymanis left out of considerationaltogether. One of our best pastors said to me recentlyThere is a gulf between the foreign and Chinese workerswhich must be bridged if we are to succeed."

CITY SURVEYS 4577. There is the failure on the part of theChurch to realize that it is but a part,although the most important part to be sure,of a great movement for the evangelization of the city no;appreciation that it lias a vital relationship to maintainwith the school, the hospital, the mission press and otherauxiliaries; that as adjuncts to the Church these should allthebe utilized so as to make their maximum contribution toChurch; that the productutilized.of these institutions should beThe Relation of the Missionary to the Present SituationIs there a place for the foreign missionary in anindependent, self-supporting local Church such as we havein Shanghai? We speak now of the full time of a foreignworker.At present we as missionaries and ourfellow-leaders in the Church are working toomuch in water-tight compartments. Theinfluence of Shanghai over China is all out of proportion toits population or to the number of churches working here.What is done in Shanghai spreads with rapidity to all ofChina. To fix the ideals of the nation as regards theChurch there is no better way than first to incorporate theseideals into the local churches of this city. What we needin China more than anything else is a few models, patternswhich others may come to see or learn about through reading.More than anything else we need today one well-equippedefficient church of each denomination working in Shanghai.For the present this cannot be brought to pass without thehelp of the foreigner. In saying this I am voicing theopinion of our best trained pastors and of practically all ofthe leading laymen with whom I have discussed thematter.I am working in an organization that hasDe^ eve(i in and promoted Chinese initiativeand independence as much as any other theYoung Men s Christian Association. It has been independentand self-supporting from the beginning fifteen years ago,yet we do not believe, nor do the Chinese directors andA 57

CITY SURVEYS 4577. There is the failure on the part of theChurch to realize that it is but a part,although the most important part to be sure,of a great movement for the evangelization of the city no;appreciation that it lias a vital relationship to maintainwith the school, the hospital, the mission press and otherauxiliaries; that as adjuncts to the Church these should allthebe utilized so as to make their maximum contribution toChurch; that the productutilized.of these institutions should beThe Relation of the Missionary to the Present SituationIs there a place for the foreign missionary in anindependent, self-supporting local Church such as we havein Shanghai? We speak now of the full time of a foreignworker.At present we as missionaries and ourfellow-leaders in the Church are working toomuch in water-tight compartments. Theinfluence of Shanghai over China is all out of proportion toits population or to the number of churches working here.What is done in Shanghai spreads with rapidity to all ofChina. To fix the ideals of the nation as regards theChurch there is no better way than first to incorporate theseideals into the local churches of this city. What we needin China more than anything else is a few models, patternswhich others may come to see or learn about through reading.More than anything else we need today one well-equippedefficient church of each denomination working in Shanghai.For the present this cannot be brought to pass without thehelp of the foreigner. In saying this I am voicing theopinion of our best trained pastors and of practically all ofthe leading laymen with whom I have discussed thematter.I am working in an organization that hasDe^ eve(i in and promoted Chinese initiativeand independence as much as any other theYoung Men s Christian Association. It has been independentand self-supporting from the beginning fifteen years ago,yet we do not believe, nor do the Chinese directors andA 57

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!