=< or = x 3 ? | 3 LUG if ~ * © Inanguration af John MM. G. Barns, B. 0. as Jaresident and Jrofessor of Missions Mission House College and Theulagical Seminary Plomouth, Wisconsin Immanuels Reformed Church Sune 10th, 1923 WHY SHOULD Galo ANG VS SlONS BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRICULUM OF OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ? Inaugural address of JOH NEVE GmDARMS .Dab: Professor of Missions at the Mission House College and Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in the U.S. Plymouth, Wisconsin June 10th, 1923 CENTRAL PUBLISHING HOUSE CLEVELAND, OHIO Copyright 1923 - Published by the Board of the Mission House = ‘aoe ie ‘rats te Ri or JOHN M. G. DARMS, D.D. Bradley Studios New York The Reverend John M. G. Darms, D.D. was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., July 24, 1873. He received his elementary education in the Schools of Phila- delphia. He was graduated from the College of the Mis- sion House in 1892 and from the Theological Seminary in 1895. Having received a call as home missionary in Buf- falo, N. Y., he entered upon his work there July 23 of the Same year and organized the St. Paul’s Reformed Church. The following October he was ordained to the Christian ministry. The mission having become self-supporting in 1904, increased steadily in membership and had grown to be one of the prominent congregations of West New York Clas- sis when Dr. Darms resigned in 1911 to accept a call from Emanuel’s Reformed Church of Rochester, N. Y. While there he was active in the organization of Dewey Ave. Re- formed Church. With the same zeal and devotion as in Buffalo, he ministered to the people of Emanuel, encour- aged by their hearty co-operation and the divine blessing which accompanied his efforts. In the fall of 1914 he ac- cepted a call from Salem Reformed Church, Allentown, Pa. His pastorate there extended from Dec. 10, 1914 to April 30,1923. In May, 1915, the large and beautiful church build- ing was completed, the congregation, so well known in the church, grew in spirit, benevolence, Christian life and activ- ity. Salem now numbers 1725 members. The successful and beloved pastor of Salem not only took an active part in the advancement of Christian citizenship and the elevation of the moral tone of the community, but devoted time and energy to the general work of the Church and the kingdom of God. When the Board had to face the duty and responsibility of selecting candidates for the presidency of the Mission House, it was quite natural that the name of Dr. Darms as that of the man best equipped for the position should be mentioned. But should he be called away from a work in which he was so successfully engaged and from a service so dear to his heart? And would he accept a nomination? We believe that in answer to prayer for divine guidance 3 several members of the Board received the necessary cour- age and assurance for his nomination. And it was in an- swer to prayer for divine direction that Dr. Darms recog- nized in the call to the Mission House a call from the great head of the church. And when the Lord calls, His loyal disciple obeys trustingly, joyously, wholeheartedly, at what- ever cost. It is because of this loyalty to Christ his Lord, that the friends and alumni of the Mission House rejoice in the elec- tion and inauguration of the new President and look trust- ingly and enthusiastically toward a bright future for the institution. But the humble faith and loyalty of the new President should appeal strongly to all friends of the Mis- sion House to co-operate with him whole-heartedly and to support and cheer him with their confidence, their prayers and their means. Dr. Darms was honored with the title Doctor of Divinity by his Alma Mater, 1912. He has been very active in the general work of the Church, and has been entrusted with important positions on the sey- eral boards. He is at present and has been for several terms a mem- ber of 1. The Board of Foreign Missions of the General Synod. 2. The Missionary and Stewardship Committee of General Synod. 3. Member of the Board of Christian Education of General Synod. 4. Vice President of the Federation of Churches of America. 5. Member of the National Service Commission. 6. Member of the Life Service Commission of the Forward Movement. 7. Member of the Committee of 15 of the Forward Move- ment. .Jlrogram.. Iu charge of the Reo. Lruest N. Loans Andianapolis, Ind. Jaresident of the SHid-West Sunod Organ Voluntary : ; é Prof. W. C. Zenk AIutoration Ayn. Come Thou Almighty King Scripture Lesson. |saiah 6 Selectiot | Student Choir of the Mission House Adiress . . Rev. E. H. Wessler Cincinnati, O. President of Central Synod ices) ot) 2) Rev, WG. Weiss Vice President of the Synod of the East Uo of Office of the President and Professor elect Administered in the name of the proprietary synods by the Rev. Pau] Traeger President of the Synod of the Northwest Hymn “Wach auf, du Geist der ersten Zeugen”’ Suaugural : The President and Professor elect, Rev. John M. G. Darms, D.D. oc s0e arr eee wer Rev, B45.Stern, DD, Avmn “Ich habe nun den Grund gefunden”’ enediction Plostlude : : Prof. W. C. Zenk Why should Christian Missions be included in the Dr. DARMS has done Post Graduate work at Columbia University, New York City. Course on Missions at the Union Theological Seminary under Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Fleming. The Boards and the Faculty of the Mission House welcome Dr. Darms most heartily as President and Professor of Missions, pledge him their confidence, co-operation and support in the dis- charge of his duties, and commend him to the whole-hearted con- fidence, prayers and financial and spiritual support of the church in his efforts and enterprises for the advancement of Christian ed- ucation in the Mission House, the furtherance of the Kingdom of God in our beloved church and land, and in all the world, the glory of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation of souls. By order of the Board of Managers, The Acting President, A. E. DAHLMAN, D.D. Curriculum of our Educational Institutions WHY SHOULD “CHRISTIAN MISSIONS” BE IN- CLUDED IN THE CURRICULUM OF OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS? To the Hon. Members of the Board of Visitors, Faculty, Student body, and Friends of Missions. REV. FATHERS, BRETHREN AND CHRISTIAN FRIENDS: G#sHE valedictory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Whom we love with our whole heart “ee and Whom we would serve with our whole life, Whose call we hear and heed today, constitutes the introductory word of our inaugural address: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. St. Matthew 28: 20. Had that dynamic word, which has marshalled the forces of Christian missionaries and workers in all the ages, and inspired and shaped every success- ful program of Christian missionary activity in the world, remained unspoken, we still would have the words of Jesus and his life, which was wholly mis- sionary, to interpret to us the purpose of God con- cerning the human race, we still would feel within us the urge to whole-hearted missionary endeavor. But since that word has been spoken and that com- mand and commission has been given, we would do 3 7 Why should Christian Missions be included in the violence to our best instinct and conception of Chris- tian duty, if we did not take it seriously and give our best thought and effort to actualize it. Our friendship and loyalty to Jesus are proven in our obedience to His command for John 15: 14 he lays down the principle: ‘“‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you.” Missionary thought, missionary effort, missionary work are the test of true discipleship. Every disciple of Jesus must have a missionary mood; a disposition, an in- clination, a liking, a desire, a passion to give to the abundant spiritual life, which the spirit of God has wrought within him, a truly missionary expres- sion. The spiritual life will cease to flow, Chris- tianity will cease to function, and the Christian Church will shrivel and die the day “Missions” is dropped from the program and the Christian people cease to share the Gospel and the abundant life, created through it, with all the world. The day is not yet come, when we can say with any degree of truthfulness, that this is fully accomplished. The evangelization of the world has just begun; the power of the Gospel is just beginning to be under- stood and applied; Christian people are just begin- ning to awake and to appreciate the glorious oppor- tunity that is theirs in making the Gospel effective in every reach and relationship of life and the world is Just beginning to open its mind and heart to the holy Saviour of mankind, the Prophet of Galilee, the Highpriest of Calvary and the King of Love and Truth. And this is the work of Missions, to propa- gate and consummate this. 8 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions Why then should not our educational institu- tions, which are the very source of vocational and professional life, the very moulders of Christian citizenship and character, the very leaders in thought and activities, give to the study and under- standing and knowledge of ‘Missions’? whole-heart- ed attention and through their ever widening influ- ence permeate the philosophy and psychology of the world with intelligent thought and understanding of Missions, as the way through which a loving God is working out his purpose in this world, which is His world, which He has never transferred and from which He has never withdrawn Himself. He loves this old world still for His is an everlasting love. Jena): -3. Our question then is pertinent: If everything else that makes for scholarship and service, for the enlargement and betterment of life, for the application of the forces and faculties of men and for the enlightenment and uplift of the world, is given a place in the curriculum of our edu- cational institutions, is there any valid reason why a prominent place should not be given to the study of Missions 2? There are abundant reasons why this should be done: ib It gives to the curriculum itself an increment of life. The curriculum, when properly constituted, always reflects and begets life. There must be nothing static and dead about it; it is in constant 9 Why should Christian Missions be included in the flux, reflecting the growing mind and growing life of those, who are to have guidance through it. These are great days for educators. They ditfer more widely than do the theologians and politicians in many vital matters but the foremost and progres- sive educators are agreed as to this, that the chief business of the educator at present is the making of a proper curriculum. Some of the old school, who still believe in the eatrinsic method, where every- thing is prepared and poured into from without, a fixed schedule of study, of subjects, of time in which to learn it; everything selected by the experts or committees, who are not in touch with the growing life of the pupil or with his needs in life, determin- ing for the pupil what is best, because it has been thought the best for many decades and because change is always revolutionary and an impious dis- regard of the “proven and tried,” with mind-set merely to cover a certain proscribed course and anx- ious to reach a certain standard, some of these edu- cators may object to the addition of another subject, saying: “Our students are already crowded to the limit, their schedule is full and they have all that they need, and the young minds should not be neec- lessly burdened.” But surely, everyone who has any knowledge of “Missions,” knows that it is not an en- cumbrance, an accumulation of unrelated facts, a dead weight, but that it is the recording of a succes- sive number of present day experiences of men and women at home and in all parts of the world, a verit- able flow of growing life; experiences, which paral- lel the experiences of both teachers and students, as 10 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions they come in personal contact with Christ and with the Gospel; experiences, which will be of immeasur- able help to them in the growth of their own spirit- ual and intellectual life. Instead of dulling the mind of the student and making him less capable of mastering the sciences and philosophy and lan- guages, they will find that Missions thrills the mind of the student, as he lifts his head from the desk and looks out upon the world opening before him and the Christ and the Word of God gripping the peoples’ hearts and transforming their lives, their social and industrial conditions, their home life, their com- munity life, their national life. He can see a new world rising about him out of all the adjustments, which Christian thought and Christian truths in- spire. He sees a new China, a new Japan, a new India, a new Africa with changed racial and moral conditions and he says to himself: “Something like that ought to happen within me; I too should have an awakening, a reconstruction, a re-creation through Christ. If it does that for these people, it can do the same for me.” And immediately Missions becomes a matter of Life to him and fits beautifully into any curriculum from the intrinsic standpoint, for it enlivens the whole process of thinking, gives him new interest and leads him to new effort and en- larges his thought-world, polarizes his energies and connects up his inner world, the microcosm with the outer world, the macrocosm and gives to both the Same vitalizing power, the spiritual power that is generated through personal contact with Jesus Christ. Thus the curriculum is given a new incre- 11 Why should Christian Missions be included in the ment of life and the student is given a new interest in life. ti Missions adds valuable Subject Matter to the course of study and to the thought-world of the student. 1. The Bible is the real text-book of Missions. One can not study Missions without studying the Bible, for Missions is the outflowing love and life of God through Jesus Christ and the living Word, there must be found in the Bible the Plan and Pro- gram of Missions. The Bible itself is a product of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit laid hold upon the lives of the in- spired writers and gave to them an experience of God. These holy men wrote out of that experience of God. They were not thoughtless, lifeless auto- matons, who knew nothing and felt nothing and ex- perienced nothing of what they wrote or said or did. One instinctively feels: Here are men, who knew God, who believed in Him with all their heart, who like Enoch walked with Him and like Moses, talked with Him; who trusted Him, like Daniel; who lived in Christ, like Paul: who loved Him like John. 1 never like to hear anyone refer to the Bible as a pic- ture gallery. Nothing is more like a tomb than a picture gallery, dead men all, with the spirit of life gone out of every one of them. There is indeed something fascinating about tombs and there is a revival of interest in ancient Egyptian history and art through the discovery of the tomb of Tut-tank- amen at Luxor, but would anyone say that from it 12 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions there comes the power of life as from one of our uni- versities, manned by thinking men? Pictures — dead Photographs — is that all the Holy Scriptures present, all that we have of these saints of God and of our holy Christ? Ah, friends, as we study our Bible and see the spirit of God living in these per- sonalities, every one of them steps out of that dead frame and stands before us a living personality and “though he be dead, yet speaketh.” Especially is this true of the everlasting, everliving Christ. 2. And what subject matter does Missions pre- sent? Look where you will in the field of missions at home or abroad, here are live men, the mission- aries talking with live people on live subjects and seeking to transform and enrich their life. Life, Life, Life — everywhere. And when you think of Livingstone in Africa, Carey in India, Taylor in China, Schneder in Japan, Hoy in Hunan — and fol- low them in their work, what kind of subject matter do they represent? Every one of these champions of God present the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of mankind, and would lead the world to the foot of His Cross. Does this not present to the students a subject matter most nearly ideal, because it enriches their humanity by challenging their sympathies and bringing them in living relation with men and minds, who are undergoing the same transformation and having the same experience of God which they have or would like to have? Does the subject. of missions deaden thought or enliven it? Does it lead to the cemetery, where lie buried the immortals of 13 Why should Christian Missions be included in the the race or out into the highway of life, into an as- sociation with the keenest, brightest minds and the most active and productive workers of this day? Surely, the subject-matter, which “Missions” pre- sents, is truly invaluable to any thinking mind. vi B “Missions” fit into the curriculum because the study of Missions has a rich contribution to give to the cause of Education itself. What is education? Is it an accumulation of knowledge, of figures or facts or an aggregate of various skills and accomplishments? Is not educa- tion rather a growing life leading to larger growth? Is not education ‘activity leading to more activity?” Does not education set one’s aims in life by making every effort an aim and through purposeful activity lead up to accomplishments, a series of accomplish- ments, which challenge every talent, every ability a man or a mind may have, testing out one’s powers as in a testing laboratory? And is not the Work of Missions, which is noth- ing else but “Christianity in action,” like a labora- tory, where men and women, in every phase of the work, are applying and trying out in local experi- ments and adjustments the principles of the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus? Is that not the task, the conflict, the criterion of Missions, whether Chris- tianity can meet the needs of the Chinese, the Jap- anese, the Indians, the American communities and 14 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions enlarge and direct the life of the individuals every- where? Are ‘‘Missions” merely an accommodation, an appendix, an addition to what you find on the ground where you are working, whether it is in In- dia among the Hindus or in Africa among the Mos- lems or do they create a new life, a new society from the ground up? And if so, what is needed? Is there anything more we can give to the Chinese, the South Americans, the people of India, of Japan, of Africa, than the Holy Bible, the Bible message and spirit and the Bible life? Do we really need to give them anything more than this? Do we not bring to them the fulness of the Gospel and the fulness of the Christ who lived his holy life an example to and died a holy death, a sacrifice for us all? Do not all of these people need the Christ of the Bible, the Divine Saviour, as their one and only and _ all-sufficient Saviour? And must we not show them the Way of Life, how they may find and follow this Christ as the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world and conform their lives more and more unto His? Do we not need schools and hospitals and social workers and linguists to translate the Bible into the vernacular, literary geniuses to write devo- tional literature for evangelistic work? Do we not need skilled mechanics to teach them to construct houses—foresters like Don Griffith to teach them how to re-forest their denuded lands and thus avoid famines and floods; agriculturists like Higginbottom who can teach the people of India how to raise ten times more wheat on a given plot than the native farmers; skilled engineers and economists and edu- LD Why should Christian Missions be included in the cators to help them work out this great Gospel pro- gram that reforms and forms every phase of their domestic, industrial, social, civic, intellectual and spiritual life? And does not the Study of Missions in an educa- tional institution, by way of the project method of teaching, harness up every branch of study, all the sciences and all the scholarship with the Missionary Work and offer a place of service for every skill and every ability of the students? Is there anything in the educational process of our institutions that can not be used in Missionary work somewhere? Does not the study of Missions stimulate scholarship and study all along the line? Does it not prove that science can serve the spread of the Gospel in many ways? Does it not give to education a broader vista, a nobler aim and lead to purposeful activity? Does it not prove that education is a give-and-take pro- position and organize the whole world of skill and thought and talent around Jesus Christ? Does not “Missions” help the lives of the natives to grow out of superstition into enlightenment, out of hate into love, out of lethargy into activities, out of ignorance into knowledge, out of scepticism imto faith, out of sin into grace, out of Mohammed and Confucius into Christ? And having the study of Missions 1n the curriculum does it not give an incentive to edu- cation in every form and lead the student into growth of mind and spirit and soul? Sureiy, Mis- sions has a contribution to give to education that is truly worthwhile. 16 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions IV. With the study of Missions in the curriculum, what does it do for the Teaching Force? No teacher, who holds membership in a faculty of an institution, in which Christian Missions have a place in the curriculum, could avoid laying greater emphasis upon the spiritual values of life and seek- ing in some way in all of his classes to correlate his work to that of the department of Missions and make his department create a spirit of interest in the Bible and in world problems and world affairs, as they constantly appear on the mission field and form a basis of discussion in the faculty and in the class room. It would give him a desire to know more about these conditions, which the missionary meets and to know more intimately these varied peoples and religions and customs. It might even help his devotional life, the cultivation of the Spirit of Prayer, develop an interest in the missionary work of the world and give him a richer, fuller humanity and sympathy with all the peoples of the world as he learns to know of their handicaps and hindrances and limitations and struggles for freedom and en- lightenment. There may be something in his de- partment which might be usable in a missionary service and he would seek to make a contribution to- ward the same. This is certainly true of the de- partments of science, languages, philosophy, psy- chology, economics, biology and ethnology, anthro- pology, ethics and many others. He would cer- 17 Why should Christian Missions be included in the tainly set a high moral aim for all his work in order to nourish the finest spirit and develop the strongest morality in the lives of his pupils. He would certainly never use his department to break down the faith of any student in Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world and the loving Father of all mankind. Possibly out of his department there will go forth a great missionary worker of the world, who somewhere out in India or China or Japan would put to use and meet the needs of those people with something he has been able to contribute to his edu- cation and his life. Here is a sphere, and these are days, where all things serve the Kingdom. V. With the study of Missions in the curriculum there will come to the student, a Great Incentive and Great Enrichment. A great incentive to know more about the condi- tions of hisown country, the people that live in it, the conditions under which they live, the foreigners, who are coming to our shores and man our industries, our mines, our railroads and thus make a new social problem. He would become interested in new communities where the home missionaries are es- tablishing their work; in the slums where the social workers are active; in the agricultural districts with their countless social and religious problems; in the cities where the cosmopolitan people congre- gate and preserve their unit sectors of a strange na- tionalism; in the immigrant, the mendicant, the pau- 18 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions per; in the Negro, the Indian, the Japanese and Chi- nese on the Coast; in our neighbor, Mexico, South America, Alaska, all belonging to the Home Mission Field. He would study the races of the world, their religions, their philosophies, their psychology, their handicaps, their treasures. He would have a great- er desire to study the languages of other people that he might some day be able to serve them. He would take a greater interest in geography and the geogra- phical influences upon the races; in ethnology and the peculiarities of other people; in sociology and how he might contribute something to social better- ment: in economics and how he might help them to help themselves with the resources God has given them. He would try to relate his studies to some of these possible activities in the world. He would study the life of great missionaries and ask himself what made them so helpful and so serviceable to the world. Their heroism would inspire his, their faith kindle his faith, their rich humanity mould his and their love to Christ inspire a greater love to Christ in his life. Great Personalities are Great Teachers and the missionaries are great personalities in every respect for what makes a personality great is the spirit that lives in him and motivates his actions. The missionaries have this spirit of unselfishness and the compassion of Christ to help lift the world. The study of Missions may help them find their “life service.” It would help them link their lives to a great cause, that of religion, lead them into the Christian ministry, Social work or Missionary serv- ice of some kind. Schools which have Missions on 19 their curriculum would become tributaries to the ranks of Christian workers in the world and add ma- terially to the working forces in the Kingdom. Stu- dents in such educational institutions, where the study of Missions forms a part of the curriculum should lose their racial and denominational. preju- dices, become tolerant, open-minded and cultivate a spirit of good will toward mankind. They would develop a statesmanlike attitude not only toward the work of missions but toward all matters of moment in the world. Their prayer-life and devotional life would become intensified and the students would be- come more earnest in their lives. They would read extensively and acquaint themselves with the on- ward march of Christianity in the world. Surely they would learn to love Christ more dearly as they see the yearning of the world for what Christ and Christianity have to give, they would long to answer the Macedonian ery: ‘Come over and help us.” Thus they would enlarge and enrich their lives and take their place beside those who have gone out into the world to “burn out” for and to glorify the Christ. Vu And where the study of Missions forms a part of the curriculum The Educational Institutions would characterize themselves as Christian schools whose aim it is to develop the spiritual life of its students for Christian citizenship and service. They should develop a fine school spirit on higher levels 20 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions than those who seek only to train the intellect or to develop mechanical skills or those whose chief pur- pose is only to perpetuate their own denomination or constituency. Through the human factor it would link them up with the educational institutions on the field and make them a model for the same, not only in scientific equipment and service, but in spir- itual work and leadership. They would become training stations for Christian workers. They should make an atmosphere of thought in which everything related to the kingdom of God could live and thrive. The denominational spirit in such a school and institution should be of the highest and richest quality and the Bible and Christian litera- ture should have a place of prominence. Mission- aries should be welcome here and find pleasure in spending their furlough in such an _ institution, where they can not only continue their studies but through information and personal contact with the students win some of these as Christian workers. Through the studies of foreign people, their reli- gions and customs they should invite into their fac- ulty scholars of highest repute and aim to develop such scholars for the missionary work of our own country and the world. Then too, they would be- come experimental stations to discuss, try out and work out new phases of missionary work. Through their work missionary pastors can be developed who in turn worked and can inspire and establish mis- sionary work in the churches and keep aglow the missionary spirit in the hearts of the people. Such a school will give to its students an interest in their 21 Why should Christian Missions be included in the denomination, their community, their country and in the world. VII. Where the study of Missions forms a part of the curriculum The Denomination itself, which maintains these schools will grow stronger in spirituality and develop a greater work- ing capacity for all phases of kingdom work. Cer- tainly there is great stimulus in partnership, in shared interests and when a denomination has de- veloped and is putting into actual working form a strong missionary program, that denomination is sharing with other branches of the Christian church a responsibility and a privilege in making the Gospei effective and contributing to the stream of workers, who through their message and their ministry, are earnestly seeking to interpret God’s purposes for the respective countries and races to these people and a privilege in being co-workers with Jesus Christ in bringing light and life to the backward people of the world. Such a denomination will seek more eagerly to learn the will of God and to do it in every other way than missionary duty and come into closer fellowship with Jesus Christ. It will concern itself more with spiritual mat- ters and less with the things that make for popu- larity and ecclesiastical prominence. It will devel- op the principles of Christian Stewardship among its people and seek to have them use their lives and possessions for the growth of the Kingdom. It will 22 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions naturally develop a strong and deep devotional spirit, an appreciation of Jesus Christ and the abun- dant life that flows from Him into the heart and life of the believers. It will exalt the Cross of Christ and seek to make its own life sacrificial and service- able. It will “keep to the Bible” and take from it its authorization and guidance for conduct and life. Faith will be its dynamic and the social and spirit- ual regeneration of the world will be its goal. And with the community of interest in the missionary work of the world, which it has established, it wil! send its own people back into their own world with the heart-searching question: “What must I do to be saved?” And thus God may use it to be a mighty factor in the redemption and regeneration of the world. VET Ts And what a contribution such an educational institution will make to The Spread of Christianity in the world. To Christianity itself, for the study of the mis- sionary purpose of Christ and the Gospel, Chris- tianity itself will strike deeper roots in the hearts of those already Christian and inspire them to seek yet more earnestly the “deep things of God.” If Christianity is to serve the non-Christian people of the world and help them to find and to appropriate the abundant life in Jesus Christ, it will have to be- come more conscious of the presence and leadership of Jesus Christ and find in Him and in His glorious 23 Why should Christian Missions be included in the Gospel all those elements, that make for life and peace. It will have to practice Christianity in the homeland and make it function in government, busi- ness, industry and the home. It will need to deveiop a spirit of good will toward all the nations of the earth, give itself to the making and maintenance of peace. When it is smitten it must not smite again and when it conquers it must not enslave or humili- ate the conquered. Jf Christianity is to save abroad it must work at home. Said a Hindu to me a few weeks ago, when I asked him as to his religion: “T am a Hindu, but my religion does not satisfy me. At present I have nothing to base my religion upon and nothing to draw from.” I said to him: ‘‘Why don’t you give Christianity a chance and if you earn- estly do, you will find what your heart desires and craves for in Jesus Christ.” “Well,” said he, “I have been here in your country for a short while and I have observed you and your people closely. You call yourself a Christian nation but I have not seen Christianity function much. It does not seem to work with you, how can I know that it will work with me?” And was this not a challenge to more whole-hearted endeavor on our part to put Chris- tianity into our daily life and give to it its fullest expression right here at home? Is America Chris- tian? Is the American brand of Christianity the last word, the most ideal and fullest expression of Christianity? None of us would venture to say that it is. Who knows but that we will need to learn much from those who have not as yet accepted Christ but who, when they do, will give to Christianity a 24 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions fuller, richer expression than we have ever given? There are wonderful heroes of the faith in India, in China and Japan. The finest appreciation of Christ as the Saviour and Lord, which we have heard ex- pressed in many a day, we recently heard from the lips of a Chinese Christian, who told us in a notable address how China loves Christ and is ‘accepting Him and His teachings for the basis of spiritual re- construction of the mighty empire.” Musi we learn from a Chinese convert that the world can not be saved by economics, by industry, by moral reform, by a social Gospel only, but by Jesus Christ as a per- sonal Saviour? “God,” said he, “will always find his way into our hearts through Jesus Christ.” May we not become castaways, whilst we are seeking to save others and win them to Christ. God has entrusted Christianity to us. It is our duty to make Chris- tianity available to all the world and every educa- tional institution must have and does have a part in this, in the measure in which it vitalizes its own life and sends out the light and life through Christian men and women, whom it has prepared for mission- ary work in the world and into the denomination which forms its constituency, giving counsel and guidance in all missionary matters. And that is what we all want to do, help IX. Make the World Christian. When the study of Missions forms a part of the curriculum, a world of people, a world of thought, the philosophy and psychology of these several na- 25 Why should Christian Missions be included in the tions, world problems are brought into that institu- tion and form a basis of research and discussion. How real acquaintance with peoples oftimes changes our attitude toward the same and gives us a sense of appreciation not only of the differences which divide us in thought, customs and religion but of the finest effort which many of their leaders are making to find the right relationship to God, the truth and the enlightenment in Him, and to lead their people to the highest mental and spiritual heights and to give the highest expression of morality compatible with their racial characteristics. We need to re-construct our estimate of the Hindus, when we learn that theirs is a religion of self abnegation and self efface- ment. Of course they go to extremes. They vir- tually have no use for life at all, it’s “something to to be gotten through with” until a higher form of being evolves. Karma is full of religious idealism for one whose mind is trained to think its thoughts and hold to its tenets. We need to appreciate what Confucius taught, although his was a negative mo- rality with little of religion in it and he himself failed in exercising it fully. Yet is not China better for the influence of Confucius than if it still only had Animism in its worst form? And did not Brah- manism help India first by ridding it of all other gods and religions, which were held in divisive lines through many centuries and center the mind of India upon one particular form of worship? You say that it bred castes, thousands of them, and yet has Christianity been able to avoid the forming of castes even in a democracy like ours? We have the 26 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions low caste: the poor, the laborer, the “common herd,” the uncultured and ignorant and backwoods- man and mountaineer, etc. and the high caste, the rich, the cultured, intellectuals, society, the big fellows etc. And has not Christianity according to the reports of the best informed missionaries and students in India formed another caste — the “church” caste? That is how Indians view it any- way. And do not our schools and institutions show by study of comparative religions, how many of these religions emphasize treasurable truths and form an approach to God? Must we, when we go to do missionary work among them, utterly destroy all that they have? Would it not be duty for us to trace as far as we can the leading of God even in their religions and then show them the right God in Christ and lead them to the right faith and right way of living in and to the Cross of Jesus Christ? Is it not remarkable that with their limitations they have succeeded so well in forming and framing re- ligious and moral codes and developing a system of ethics that, when applied, will lift the people to higher levels? What if they had knowledge of the Bible, of Jesus Christ and the abundant life in Him these thousands of years as we have had Him? Would they still be so backward in their faith, in their religious and moral life, would they have failed to apply the content of their Christian faith to their social and industrial relations in the measure in which we have done? Somehow we have a conviction that when these people once accept the Gospel and come into posses- a} Why should Christian Missions be included in the sion of the Christ as the Son of God they will appre- ciate his Saviourhood more than we do and instead of passing by his Cross on Calvary with ‘wagging heads” as do many of us with a sense of self-sufii- ciency and self-consciousness, without any feeling of need of Him, as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, they will come and bow down and worship at the foot of the Cross of Christ with a heart longing for the help only He is abie to give and say in a very real sense: ‘““My Lord and my God.” ».© The study of Christian Missions will create A better understanding of the whole world. From our Christian institutions which are studying Missions, the onward march of Christian- ity in the world and the impartation of the abun- dant life in Jesus Christ, there will go out a better understanding of the whole world, a deeper sympa- thy with other nations and put people in the honest effort they are making to solve their problems in an effective way and we will become tolerant and gen- erate a spirit of friendship towards them and thus be able to prove to them that in Christianity they can find the true religion and in Jesus Christ their all-sufficient Redeemer and Saviour. And any help given toward the making of such a spirit and a means of approach will be valuable for the mission- ary workers on the field who are living themselves lovingly into the lives of these people and say with 28 Curriculum of our Educational Institutions the missionary in Constantinople after the Turkish outrages: “And still we must love the Mohamme- dans, they are worth loving, for Christ died for them and they belong to the great family of God.” Let us recapitulate then and say: ‘When the study of Christian Missions is introduced into the curriculum and intelligently presented and earnestly studied the cause of education, the work of the teach- er, the life of the student, the character of the school, the spirit of the Church, the life of Christianity and the advance of the world is materially helped and a contribution is given, which is truly re-creating the world and re-shaping the life and re-inspiring the soul of mankind. Through it all, Christ is made pre-eminent and humanity is truly brought to an ap- preciation of Jesus Christ and a knowledge of the One, true, eternal God. Teach Missions then, not for reasons of piety and self-perpetuation, but teach Missions for the purpose of learning and making known to others the real purpose of God with us all, the real appreciation of Jesus Christ, the son of God as the Divine Saviour of the world and the redemp- tion and uplift of humanity for the sake of the great- er glory of God, the salvation from sin, greater happiness and a richer intellect and an unfolding of all those noble qualities which Christ works in man and the impartation of all wisdom and knowl- edge, which we find in Jesus Christ. Teach Missions for the sake of self-enlargement, for the sake of hu- manity’s salvation and enrichment, for the world’s redemption from sin and real spiritualization, and teach Missions for Jesus’ Sake and in His Name. 29 Why should Christian Missions be included in the The world needs Christ and Christianity today more than ever and it is more true today than ever before: “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,’ Acts 4: 12, “who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made mani- fest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through THE GOSPEL.” 2 Tim. 1: 9—10. The WorRK of Missions is not the work of man, but the work of God, who alone can save a world from sin and lift it to the highest mental and spiritual heights through JESUS CHRIST, yesterday, today and forever the same Lord of Light and Love, and being the work of God, no man can hinder it but all men should prosper it and make it THE real WORLD’S WORK. As Dr. Fleming has so strikingly said: “Do not go out into the work of Missions to do things, but to make lives grow.” Thus will we help the backward people of the world to find themselves and their des- tiny in Christ and “glorify our Father, which is in Heaven.” Matthew 5: 16. And that is the real heart of Christian Missions. Curriculum of our Educational Institutions WHILST LIVES ARE GROWING Whilst lives are growing, thoughts of Christ Should guide their mind and heart; Whilst lives are growing, love of Christ A purpose forms, the art Of knowing those, who know Him not Nor in His riches share: To meet their mind with Christian thought The love of God declare. The growing life, which thus expands Will richer, fuller be, Will consecrate its heart and hands To serve humanity. 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