On Wednesday.—Gommission Four, in its report to the Council, emphasised the Inck of trained workers to lead the Church in its activities, Te was noted that the number of Christian students offering, themeelvex for this work decreasing and that some highly trained leaders have sone into indirect forms of Christian service.
The Commission urged that the present leaders of the Church should be better trained and that Christian youth should be recruited and trained for auch service. To offset the lack of interest in service for the Church, it was felt that the training given should be both general and specia', with a view to providing leaders fitted for different (per of work such as that in the cities, the rural districts, secretarial positions and the produetion of literature.
Particular attention was given to the economic needs of this Chinese leadership and the financial aspects of the training involved. This induced earnest discussion of the problem of self-support. Some urged that primary attention should be given to achieving this. It seomed, however, to be the general con—zensuss of opinion shat the Chinese Church cannot finance by itself the leadership required or its training. It was decided, therefore, that a larger proportion of church mission funds should be devoted to the training of leaders.
Money or Missionaries The discussion revealed, moreover, that a process of displace-of Christ. It is sometimes felt as ment is going on. There is a Chinn," said tendency to pass over Western Miss Rayden, "that with certain not- funds to the Chinese Church in lieu able exceptions the Christian religion of missionaries. There is consider-has failed to interest the greatest ble desire for the development of intelligences, the greatest artists, the Chinese Christian leadership not most powerful leaders of contemporsupported by Church funds. ary opinion. The weakness is. not The National Christian Council here alone but everywhere. Great was asked to take steps to study scientists of the West equally are thoroughly the problem of recruit-Jeff outside the Church. If the ing and training church leaders, Choreh rejects the greatest thought sand to ce-operate with the Interna. of its time, it automatically rejects al Missionary Council in a lsd or at least fails to interest, the arearest thinkers. They cannot come {nto the fold and leave the best part of their life outside. Yet how sorely we need their help in the very] interpretation of our faith!
"It fe commonly supposed that Christianity is nat so philosophical a religion as, for example, Buddhism, Hinduism or Confacianiem. 1 have study that might make more clea the basis of self-support, The problem of producing Chris tian literature evoked earnest discussion. It was felt that, while much work has been done, existing literature is inadequate and even when existing is not very successfully distributed. Commission One, in its report; noted that Christian Teeter cha ase place in their budgets to the need for literature. Strong efforts. must bbe made to arouse interest in thiel need. Authors and editors need into closer touch with the needs of those for whom they ain to prepare literature. 2
Officers and Commissions The Nomination Committes rev commended the following for effied in the Couneit for the ensuing yearg Chairman, Dr. 'T. C. Bau; Vicer Chairmen, Mrs. W. 3H, Lingle and Rev. Shen Wen-ching; Treasurer, Mr. H.C. Tsao. They were unane linously elected. A special resolution was adopted as presented by. the Nomination Committee, regretting the necessity of accepting Dr. Yui'a resignation and putting on record its very hearty appreciation of hia services as Chairman through. six successive years of peculiar imports tance and difficulty. "Other elections were. as follows: Dr, LIT. Hodge and Dr. D. 2. Yui were elected ced to represent the National Chriss tian Council on the International Missionary Council, The following comm Christianizing International Relae tions; on the Church in Worship and Religious Education: Antle Narcotic; on Retreats and Evansele ism; on Christinnizing Rural Lifes fon Church and Mission Administra tion. The chairmen of these commissions are in every case two of them being women,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.