To the Editor of the "NontH-CittNa Dany News.
Sin,—The suggestive letter of "Layman" on August 29 in which. he 'Now is the time for giving the Chinese the chance to run their own churches and missions, and that the number of foreign' mis sionaries should be greatly reduced, and the flow of foreign money for missi work in China!
should, to a great extent, be topped."—draws a reply from Mr. G. Sheppard, Secretary of the British'
Foreign Bible Society, whose trend of observation of China may be gauged by quoting his own' economic or pol The future ground of appeal for missionary work in China will continue it hitherto _been—Chin:
illumination, her need of know.
Tedge of the right object of!
reverence, 'Layman' quotes me as saying that because the Chinese have now the Bible in their own language, Christianity this country cannot be killed.
That I verily believe. But the presence of the Book does not make unnecessary the ambassador.
1 Although not a member of the: Holy Roman Church, one cannot
ciplined, homager and self-fet high reaper' for the di "enerificingg efforts of her devoted Sons and daughters who ave living witnesses of their Christ-like gnission amongst the Chinese: but Jin regard to that edifice which, for: want of a better term, one ventures to describe as the Protestant MIN sions in China it would be unfair to one's own reason to express any; such all-embracing sentiment.
"One regrets that, Mr. Sheppard while claiming attention for hia] Re Views as one of those directing "mission" policy in China, does not seem to find it convenient to admit an equal attention to the views of what he calls "the more vocal Chinese leaders,'"" proceeding with recklessness that is almost un~ Charitable-—"they are no more representative of the rank and file of Chinese Christians than are the leaders of this country.
Doubtless she apparently ex-Koustless varieties of Protestant SMuminants which are offered to Tighten the path of the Chinese are apt to bewilder them, but it would decem that light of some description $s beginning. to dawn in the minds} of Chinese Protestant leaders and their rank and file, With a. view to testing the reinability of Mr, G. W. Sheppard as guide in this matter, let us apply f few actual festo?
At the end of December, 1926, there was the "Wohan Christians! Manifesto" which declared:
The only thing we can do is to work hard for the independence of the Christian Church so that may be free from the control of foreigners and may rid itself for ever of all relationship imperialism."
And Lo, we find Mr, Sheppard) writing t0 this paper, (January 21), as the actual chairman of a meeting of representative missionaries at which that very Wuhan Manifesto was distributed, ingenouspleading:—"It should not, think, be assumed that those who were responsible for the-translation and reproduction of this document for information to representative missionaries intended in any way to endorse it."
Then in February there was reply. to that manifesto from about 1,000 Chinese Christ met at the Alien Memorial Church, Quinsan Road, which they " definitely fon boards send sto China to work out with Christian leaders in this country definite measures for the placing of all branches of Christian work under the administrative charge Chinese. Christian bodies, and that responsible missionary and church' leaders in China, in the meanwhile, get together to work out ways' and means toward this transfer of responsibility."
Again, during February, there came the Rev... Z Koo's pro-Paganda for the Kuomintang at the Shanghai Missionary Association meeting over which we once more find this very Mr, Sheppard presiding! The Rey. Mr. Koo expatiate ed on the "Divine Purpose" as Mr. Sheppard will doubtless remember, which, according to the editor opinion of this newspaper—(February 12, 1927)—had the Upnevolent intention "of driving all foreigners into the sea!
On February 15 Mfr. Sheppard wrote to this paper strongly objecting to the publication of the Rev. Mr. Inspired _observations, Koo's tion are not public meetings. He animadverted:—"As chairman of the meeting it is my judgment] that the great majority of those] present did not regard the address 'a3 political propaganda and were not other than grateful for it. It] would be matter of great surprise to me if the Executive Committee which invited Mr. Koo to speak had now any regrets in the matter."
Tt is curious to note in relation to those human beings who claim the perspicacity of unfolding the Divine purpose, that when their] observations on that absorbing topic are set down in cold print, the unanimity with which their support ters blame'the humble reporters for mis-interpreting the self-appointed purveyors of omniscience?
In the month of May a leading Chinese Christian, Dr. David Z. T.
General Secretary, I believe, CA. for China, wrote should rejoice over the fact that: the time hay come when Chinese Christians are capable of assum ing the leadership of the Christian movement in China and of earrying. the responsibilities thereof. We are thankful that this lender-ship has been steadily growing in numbers and in strength."
Counting noses, the casual reader will observe that the Wuhan and Shanghai Christians, plus the the!
Mr, Koo and Dr. Yui, tot up to well over four figures including! leaders and rank and file, Whither, then, does the marshalling of these facts and figures taken from the columns of this newspaper} and from Mr, Sheppard's previous letters, lead us? 'The minor question as to the reliability of Mr. Sheppard's dictum as to "the more voenl Chinese leaders' are no more representative of the rank and. file of Chinese Christians, ete, ete," and of his usefulness as a' leader of the flock need not detain us, for! each will form his own private opinion, but whither does it lead us?
A few more figures may assist 'Turning up old files, I find 1 had: occasion to write about Protestant missionary accomplishment in this] paper during July, 1911, Using the annual reports' of the largest evangelizing society for Protestant] Christian beliefs then functioning China, (the C.LM.), one found that for the whole five year period, 1908 to 1908, there were 13,285 "workers" who harvested a crop of 13,219 converts, This works out as an average of, 0.99 convert per "worker" per annum.
The actual cost in terms of mere! money came to about £56. 2. 78 per, convert.
regret that my figures of one convert per worker per year are not more up to date, and must ask] British readers to excuse such] laxity. We are often invited to marvel at the efficiency of our] American cousins in the doing of izood works as in all other things, and to gaze upon the wideflung' "plants" costing millions of dollars for the spreading of the true Gospel and the transmutation of heathen souls into the best brand of [articles approved by the Mission Boards of Chicago and New York.
With a view, therefore, to not be-jing too much' behindhand I invite! the attention of any American renders of these lines to turn to the! issue of this paper for August 231 in which they will find it stated, on the authority of Dr. Robert E, Speer, when addressing the Foreign Missions Conference of North America this year, that their rate of evangelization - is as Mows:—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.