Foreign Missions
should occupy a prominent, not to say predominant place
in every ministry. In some respects they constitute a test of a clergyman’s own spiritual life, because they show whether or not he has the genuine missionary spirit. It is an almost universal experience that there is no contradiction or incompatibility between interest in Home Missions and interest in Foreign Missions. ‘The distinction thus drawn is merely one of convenience, because in the sight of God there can be no ‘Home’ or ‘Foreign’ work. ‘All souls are mine’ is the Old Testament word, and ‘Go ye into all the world’ is the New Testament counterpart. It has been well and truly said that our great problem is not so much the ‘non-Church-going,’ as the ‘non-going Church,’ and it will probably be found in almost every instance that the extent and power of missionary work in a parish will depend largely on the clergyman’s own attitude to God’s great work of world-wide evangelization. It is unspeakably sad to contemplate the fact that there are still Churches where little or nothing seems to be done for Foreign Missions. It would be interesting, and perhaps spiritually significant, to discover what is collected each year in such churches for ‘Church Expenses, and how these expenses are made up. We happen to know two or three churches where one-tenth of every collection is devoted to the work of Foreign Missions, and we have yet to learn that these churches suffer financially or spiritually by putting God’s greatest enterprise first. Let every minister therefore settle it in his own heart that if missionary work is not of much interest to him he should carefully scrutinize his own spiritual life in the light of God’s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
|: ought to go without saying that Foreign Missions
Foreicn Misstons 219
Assuming that a minister enters upon his work with a keen desire to do all in his power to further the work of world-wide evangelization, the question will often arise as to the best methods of exercising influence and bringing his people to see the claim of the world in the sight of God. What then can such a clergyman do? ‘The following suggestions are made as the result of reading, experience, and consultation with those who are being blessed of God in the furtherance of this work.
1. First and foremost, the clergyman should study the New ‘Testament principles of Missions in order to see what God thinks of them and where He places them. In particular, he will concentrate on our Lord’s teaching during the Great Forty Days, and will find that in the five records in Holy Scripture world-wide missions formed the main theme of our Lord’s conversations with His disciples. As part of this teaching, he will observe that our Lord places three great truths on an absolute level of equality and importance: the absolute necessity of the death of the Messiah; the absolute necessity of His resurrection; and the equally absolute necessity of repentance and remission being preached in His Name among all nations( Luke 24: 46, 47). This passage alone with its solemn threefold emphasis on ‘It is necessary’ ought to be sufficient to show the place that Missions occupied in the mind of the Risen Christ, and therefore the place that they should occupy in the heart and life of all His servants. The more a clergyman ponders the great realities of the New Testament concerning the work of Christ for the whole world, the more he will find his heart, and mind, and conscience stirred to do God’s will.
2. Missionary reading will also prove abundantly fruitful. Missionary magazines often contain material of permanent value, and every minister will wish to have one of the best in circulation among his people. A Magazine Secretary who will undertake to receive subscriptions and push the sale of missionary literature will prove a help to the work. Serious reading is not only available on missionary topics, but is imperatively the duty of all who wish to do the very best for themselves and their people in spreading the Gospel throughout the world. ‘There may have been a time when missionary literature was dry and uninteresting, but if so, that day has gone never to return. Works on Missions in the present day merit the attention of the world’s greatest thinkers, and no clergyman can regard himself as well informed if he does not know something at least of what is being written on this great topic.
3. Definite missionary study as well as general missionary reading should find a place in a clergyman’s life. There are text books now published year by year which will provide a man ample material for a winter’s study of some great Mission Field. Different denominations in their guilds and societies often take up the study of a recent missionary publication by forming groups for reading and comment. An enthusiastic leader, keen for missionary work, can be of tre-° mendous value in introducing such books and in preparation for a group meeting.
It is only in recent years that we have heard of “The Science of Missions,’ for up toa comparatively short time ago no one thought of collecting, combining, and commenting on the data of missionary work. But to-day authorities in various branches of the Christian Church are generalizing on these facts and are producing results which make Christian Missions a much more intellectual reality than ever before. To this survey the Christian minister can contribute much by his interest in and study of missionary principles, missionary facts, and missionary possibilities. And in particular, his personal sympathy with and advocacy of missions will be deepened and strengthened in proportion to the thoroughness he can give to the study of the various missionary fields and problems.
4. Individual private prayer will naturally form an important part of a clergyman’s work for Missions. A prayer cycle of some missionary society will give intelligent guidance day by day, as we endeavour to make our missionary intercession more definite and real. Our reading will influence our prayer, and our prayer will react in turn upon our reading.
ForeIGN Missions 221
5. A Missionary Prayer Meeting will of course be included in the parish organization. It may be monthly, or if convenient, even oftener. The ordinary Church Prayer Meeting might be given a special missionary turn on the first or some other gathering of the month. ‘There may not be many people to attend such a meeting, but of its spiritual fruitfulness there can be no question.
6. Missionary meetings of various kinds will naturally be in a minister’s mind to bring together the keen, earnest missionary workers, and these gatherings can be varied from time to time in quite a number of ways. Sales of Work on behalf of Missions are also useful, and of course they will be entirely free of all the unworthy and impossible methods usually associated with bazaars. A quiet Sale of Work undertaken by those who often have no opportunity of giving money to the cause will do nothing but good. An All-Day Working Party for Medical Missions, when bandages have been rolled and native garments made, has also proved of real service in many parishes.
7. Sermons from time to time by missionaries will also be considered, though it may not always be useless to ask our honoured brethren to give accounts of their work instead of preaching ordinary sermons. ‘There is nothing that a congregation as a rule finds more interesting than a clear account at first-hand from those who have had personal experience of missionary work.
8. From time to time during the year missionary sermons should be preached by the pastor himself, calling attention to the work, and perhaps giving information. It may be found Wise not to announce it beforehand lest people who are not interested in Missions may be conspicuous by their absence, and instead of an ordinary sermon dealing with missionary principles some Mission Field might be taken, and the salient points of the history and methods dealt with in the form of an address, or sermon. Such sermons might well be given at least once a quarter, taking morning and evening in turn. These opportunities would be as useful to the clergyman as to his people in leading him to study afresh the missionary problem, and obtain information of missionary work. No one could ‘get up’ the story of a particular field or an outstanding missionary without becoming interested himself, and passing on the interest to others.
9. Medical Missions should not be overlooked because of God’s wonderful blessing resting upon this twofold effort on behalf of Christ.
10. In several churches Missionary pictures cut out from current magazines are put upon a green baize-covered board, which hangs in the church porch. A notice at the foot of the board would also inform the reader where the magazines could be obtained. ‘The interest in Missions will often be deepened by such a simple effort. ‘This board can be put in charge of either the Magazine Secretary, or other helper. It may be suggested that very often the energies of the young people can be utilised in such small tasks for the Church, thereby engendering a real interest in its work as well as increasing their sense of responsibility.
11. If the parish has sent out any missionaries into the field it would be of great value to have a board in the church or chapel with their names, dates, and location. Nothing could well minister more to real fellowship in work than this constant reminder of those who had been ‘sent forth’ in the Master’s Name.
12. The clergyman must ever be on the lookout for likely candidates for missionary work, young men and young women, and he should help them along after they are found. Many a candidate would be greatly assisted by the loving sympathetic efforts of a clergyman to give some lessons in Scripture, or even a little guidance in the Greek Testament.
13. Work among children must necessarily be given a prominent place in the support of Missions. A Mission Circle or similar organization may be formed for the purpose of interesting children in Missions. ‘Then, with missionary addresses in Sunday School, together with the distribution of a children’s missionary paper, the attention and interest of boys and girls will be awakened and deepened.
14. Last, but not least, let no church forget the Jews. “To the Jew first’ is a great New Testament principle, and it has its modern applications. As a rule, it will be found
Foreicn Missions 223
that the keenest Bible students in a church are those who are interested in Jewish missionary work, and although it may not be a popular form of missionary effort, it will repay the attention that can be given to it. It is a mistake to call the Jews “God’s Ancient People,’ for they are still His people, ‘beloved for the fathers’ sake.’
There are other methods that will doubtless commend themselves to different ministers in different circumstances. But perhaps enough has been said to show how true it is that almost everything in a parish with regard to Missions will depend upon the spiritual keenness of the clergyman himself.