The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foreign Department Principles and Rules (Revised 1917) Headquarter* New York City 690 Eighth Avenue Revised January 1917, as per instructions, by a Committee of the Board of Managers, and awaiting final confirmation by General Council in May 1917 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/foreigndepartmenOOchri The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foreign Department Principles and Rules (Revised 1917) Headquarters 690 Eighth Avenue New York City * i I ■ OFFICERS OF The Christian and Missionary Alliance Headquarters. 690 Eighth Avenue, New York City. Telephone Bryant 1943. Cable Address “Parousia.” List of Officers, January i, 1917. President: Rev. A. B. Simpson, 692 Eighth Ave¬ nue, New York City. Vice-President: Ulysses Lewis. Honorary Vice-Presidents: John Salmon, M. B. Fuller, George S. Montgomery, O. E. Mal¬ lory, A. D. Jackson, John McGahie, J. E. Ram- seyer, W. E. Blackstone, James L. Reber, F. W. Flint, C. A. Blanchard, E. D. Whiteside, Reuben Harvey, Paul Rader. General Secretary: Rev. W. M. Turnbull. Recording Secretary: F. L. Groff. Treasurer: David Crear. Board of Managers. Rev. A. B. Simpson, President; Mr. David Crear, Mrs. A. B. Simpson, Rev. F. H. Senft, Rev. G. Verner Brown, Mr. F. L. Groff, Rev. R. H. Glover, Rev. J. E. Jaderquist, Rev. J. D. Williams, Rev. E. J. Richards, Rev. Wm. T. MacArthur, Mr. Ulysses Lewis, Rev. A. E. Funk, Rev. E. D. White- side, Rev. W. M. Turnbull. Special Departments of Administration. 1. Finance Department: David Crear, Treasurer; F. L. Groff, Secretary. 2. Home Department: Rev. E. J. Richards, Sec¬ retary. 3. Foreign Department: Rev. R. H. Glover, Sec¬ retary. 4. Publication Department; Rev. J. E. Jaderquist, Secretary. 5. Educational Department; Rev. W. xvi. Turnbull, Secretary. The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foreign Department PRINCIPLES AND RULES -- MISSIONARY CANDIDATES. The workers whom the Christian and Missionary Alliance sends forth shall in¬ clude persons of both sexes, without regard to their denominational preferences. I. QUALIFICATIONS. The essential qualifications of applicants for appointment as missionaries include the following: I. Physical Health and Vigor. Only persons with good health and strong constitution can endure the unavoidable hardships of missionary life and withstand the trying climate of most foreign fields. Persons who have been healed, and who claim to be depending on the Lord for phy- 6 sical strength, should manifest a real sound¬ ness of body. Any form of disease latent in the system is very liable to be developed by the trying climatic conditions and the necessary exposures of missionary life. Applicants will be expected, when re¬ quested, to furnish medical certificates of good health. 2. Vital Christian Experience. Applicants should have been genuinely converted, and should possess a vital re¬ ligious experience. They should give clear evidence by their lives of being wholly con¬ secrated to God, and of having definitely re¬ ceived the infilling of the Holy Spirit and His enduenient of power for service. 3. Soundness of Faith. Applicants must be in fullest accord with evangelical truth, and arc expected, with¬ out reservation or equivocation, to be able to subscribe to the following declaration: “I believe in God the Father, Son .and Holy Spirit; in the verbal inspiration of the Holy Scriptures as originally given, and their divine authority; in the deity and vi- 7 carious atonement of Jesus Christ; in the eternal salvation of all who believe in Him, and the everlasting- punishment of all who reject Him.” If conscious that their views materially differ in any important point from those usually held by evangelical Christians, they are expected candidly so to state. Should their views on any of the above- mentioned points become changed at any time after their acceptance as missionaries, they must inform the Executive Committee on the field of the change, and be prepared, if requested, to resign their official connec¬ tion with the Society. 4. Thorough Bible Knowledge. Applicants should have a thorough knowl¬ edge of the Word of God. In addition to being sound in doctrine, they must have such a firm and comprehensive grasp' of divine truths as to be able to impart these to others; for the missionary is essentially a teacher. To this end, as well as for the pur¬ pose of affording opportunity to the Board of becoming better acquainted with candi- 8 dates, and of affording candidates an oppor¬ tunity of coming into closer touch with the work and workers of the Society, and be¬ coming thoroughly familiar with the special lines of‘ truth for which it pre-eminently stands, applicants are usually required to attend the Missionary Institute at Nyack, N. Y., for either a full or partial course, as may be found desirable. 5. Experience in Christian Work. Essential as are vital piety and a thorough knowledge of the Word, these can never supply the lack of practical experience in Christian work. Every missionary should have been a successful j^ersonal worker at home. He should be a master workman in the divine art of soul-winning. While ex¬ perience in individual work for Christ is so necessary, it is also expected that applicants should have been connected with some form of organized effort for the salvation of souls. One of the best equipments for successful missionary labor is leadership of an Alliance Branch, training in rescue work, city missions, tent work, or experience 9 in any other form of evangelistic effort. 6. Heroic Missionary Spirit. Candidates must count the cost of offer¬ ing themselves for missionary service. They must be prepared for a life of priva¬ tion, of toil, of loneliness, of danger, some¬ times far away from the comforts and ad¬ vantages of civilized society and protection. They will at times have to endure being looked down upon by their own country¬ men and being treated with contempt and injustice by native officials and people. They will require to trust God to meet their needs of spirit, soul and body. But if faith¬ ful and trustful, they will find in Christ and His Word a fulness, a sweetness, a pre¬ ciousness, a joy and strength, that will far outweigh all that they may have sacrificed for Him. The question of resorting to medical aid and remedies in sickness is left to the dis¬ cretion of each missionary. 11 . MODE OF APPLICATION. Candidates are expected to satisfy them¬ selves as to the principles and rules of the lO Society by a careful reading of its published Manual, and not to offer themselves unless they cordially approve of these and heartily purpose to carry them out. Applications should be made through the Foreign Secretary upon the printed form provided for this purpose, which will be sent on request, together with a copy of the Manual of Principles and Rules. The Foreign Secretary will duly present the applications to the Board, and arrange for such meetings with candidates as may be deemed necessary for examination and consultation. Applicants on the mission fields will be examined by the Executive Committee in charge, and this Committee will at its dis¬ cretion refer these applications to the Board at home with recommendation. III. FORM OF AGREEMENT. Accepted candidates are required, before leaving for the field, to sign an agreement stating that they cordially approve of the principles and practice of the Society and heartily desire to carry out the same, with II such further stipulations as may be deemed necessary in each particular case. The usual form of agreement to be sub¬ scribed to is as follows; “We, the undersigned accepted mission¬ aries of the Christian and Missionary Al¬ liance, under appointment of the Board, through the solemn call of God and the ac¬ ceptance of our brethren, and about to pro¬ ceed to our respective fields, do hereby ex¬ press our cordial and entire agreement with all the principles of the Christian and Mis¬ sionary Alliance as expressed in its pub¬ lished Constitution and Manual of Prin¬ ciples and Rules, our perfect harmony of spirit with the work and workers, our joy¬ fulness at being permitted to endure hard¬ ship and self-denial, and to engage in lov¬ ing service for our dear Lord and a lost world, our willingness to submit ourselves to the oversight and direction of the authori¬ ties of the Society at home and on the field, our readiness to live lives of dependence upon the Lord, to receive with thankfulness and contentment what He is pleased to send 12 US for our outfits, transportation and sup¬ port, and to trust Him for all our needs, whether they shall be supplied by the Board or otherwise. “We count it so great an honor and priv¬ ilege to be permitted to preach the Gospel ; among the heathen, that all considerations ' of personal convenience and comfort are in¬ significant in comparison. “We leave for our fields in a spirit of true-hearted loyalty to the Master and the j work of the Christian and Missionary Al- j fiance in every particular. We are satisfied with all that has been done for our personal comfort and are content to trust God for all the future. We solemnly purpose and ; promise, God helping us, to work in unity with the Board and all the missionaries, sacredly avoiding and discountenancing all | criticism and evil speaking, mentioning our grievances, if we ever have any, only to the Chairman or Committee on the field or the Board at home, and if we can no longer work in such accord, we shall feel it our honorable course to ask to be released from 13 the work, and to serve the Master in some other connection. We go to our field with one supreme purpose—to glorify Christ, to win souls, to hasten His coming, and to trust the Master, and our friends through Him, for all our personal needs. “We shall unite in praying constantly for the work and the workers, and for the speedy evangelization of the world.” RESOURCES AND MEANS OF SUPPORT. I. The Christian and Missionary Alliance will require in all its laborers a spirit of absolute reliance upon God alone for sup¬ port. No fixed salaries are guaranteed to its missionaries after reaching their fields, but such moderate allowances will be sent them for their actual expenses and needs as the funds provided from the voluntary gifts of God’s people shall enable the Board to supply from time to time. While candidates, therefore, when ap¬ proved, may be assisted in their outfits, may have their passage money paid for them, and may be supported in whole or in 14 j)art by the funds of the Society, their faith must be in God, and their expectation from Him. The funds might fail, or the Society might cease to exist; but if they put their trust in God, He will never fail nor disap¬ point them. 2. In looking for means to prosecute this work, the Alliance will depend entirely upon the promises and faithfulness of God, through the voluntary gifts of His people, as He may dispose them to contribute. In addition to publishing reports of the work and other missionary literature from time to time, well-matured plans for extending the work through the formation of local auxili¬ aries and bands and the conducting of con¬ ventions and deputational tours will be inaugurated, and such other scriptural methods as may be found practicable. 3. In many instances the support of mis¬ sionaries on the field is pledged and under¬ taken by Alliance Branches, groups or indi¬ viduals at home. The amount usually stated for a missionary’s support covers only his or her personal living expenses, and does 15 not include any of the many other expenses involved in carrying on the work of the mis¬ sion stations and fields. Supporters at home must not regard the missionaries whom they support as independent repre¬ sentatives under their control, but as regular Alliance missionaries under the care and au¬ thority of the Board, the supporters thus standing loyally by the Board in con¬ tributing toward the missionaries’ support. Notwithstanding such personal relation¬ ships, our missionaries are expected to keep looking to God, along with the Board and friends at home, for the supply of all needs, in accordance with the principles of the Con¬ stitution. They must realize that special channels and agencies of support have some¬ times failed in the past, and may again fail in the future, in which event the Board and missionaries still stand together in faith to¬ ward God for the supply of all needs from other sources. No missionary is entitled to regard any pledge of support as a stated sal¬ ary guaranteed to him or her. With the prin¬ ciples of support thus clearly laid down and i6 accepted, there can be no question of claims upon the Society for full allowances or the making up of so-called arrearages. Missionary supporters and contributors should unite with the Board in regarding all our missionaries on the field as one family, for whose united needs we stand together in faith and effort, treating all with the same loving and faithful consideration. It has always been considered the fairest and wisest plan to send uniform allowances on a pro rata basis. These allowances are appropriated and sent monthly in accordance with the funds received into the treasury. 4. The problem of consistency in sending out reinforcements, in view of the continual need for the support of the existing work and workers, has engaged the long and prayerful attention of the Board. As a result the general rule has been adopted of conditioning the sending forth of accepted candidates upon the provision of funds for their outfits, transportation, and at least one year’s support, without drawing upon the gen¬ eral treasury. This plan has the added merit 17 that it tends to throw the waiting candidates upon God in prayer and faith, and also con¬ stitutes a test of God’s approval to their call and the time of departure for the field. It is understood that contributions for the sending out of new missionaries shall not draw from the already established channels of support, but shall come from separate sources or be in addition to the usual pledges made for the work. 5. Missionaries on the field are allowed to receive sums of money from private sources not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) an¬ nually without reporting same to the Board, but all amounts exceeding that sum in the ag¬ gregate shall be reported annually to the Board. 6. The matter of the presentation by mis¬ sionaries of particular financial needs in con¬ nection with their field and work engaged the special attention of the Annual Council of 1903, with the result that resolutions were adopted, which in effect read as follows : “While we as a Society standing in faith toward God for the supply of all financial i8 needs do not desire in any way to limit the faith of individual missionaries, we neverthe¬ less feel the danger of missionaries presenting to the Alliance constituency the particular needs of their own work, because of thereby diverting funds from the general treasury, and also the unfairness because of the fact that some missionaries have much greater oppor¬ tunities of appeal than others whose work is quite as needy and worthy. We recommend, therefore, that the Board have a clear under¬ standing with the missionaries, through the Executive Committees on the field, and also with the missionaries at home on furlough, that no special needs shall be presented with¬ out the consent of the Board having been ob¬ tained. We recommend further that it be un¬ derstood that missionaries at home shall not ordinarily receive donations for the work, but shall seek to arrange for the sending of all missionary funds to the Treasurer of the So¬ ciety.” In the subsequent consideration of this sub¬ ject by the Board of Managers, it was further resolved that it is to be understood that the 19 presentation of special needs is not to be al¬ lowed to divert from the general treasury any ordinary funds pledged by friends of the Alli- a'nce; that no special objects shall be presented at conventions or to Alliance companies until after the regular missionary ofiferings have been received; and it is recommended that where pledges for special objects are made or paid at any convention the donors or the mis¬ sionaries receiving them send the money to the Treasurer of the Society, to be placed in a special account and duly appropriated and sent to the field for the object designated. FIELD GOVERNMENT AND METHODS. I. Executive Control. a. The government of each of our foreign mission fields is committed to an Executive Committee. b. The Executive Committee is to be elected each year at the Annual Conference of the missionaries on the respective fields. c. The Chairman of the Executive Com¬ mittee is to be nominated by the Conference and elected by the Home Board. 20 d. The Executive Committee is to be com¬ posed of not more than seven (7) and not less than three (3) members, according to the number of missionaries on each field. * e. The Chairman of each Executive Com¬ mittee is also to act as Treasurer, and is to render a cjuarterly account of all receipts and expenditures to the Executive Committee, and also an annual account to the Conference on the field to be audited and forwarded to the Home Board. f. The Executive Committee is to meet every three months, where the distances are not so great as to make it impracticable; other¬ wise every six months. g. The Executive Committee shall exercise full authority on the field, and be directly re¬ sponsible to the Home Board, under whose au¬ thority and supervision it acts. h. When, at any time, the need arises to divide any of the fields, the Annual Confer¬ ence shall accordingly present a recommenda¬ tion to the Home Board, giving reasons for such proposal. i. New fields shall be held under the care 21 of the Home Board until the Mission becomes established and ready for the usual form of government. 2. Church Government. As the Society is undenominational, when a missionary is located in charge of a station, and by the blessing of God converts are gath¬ ered, he is at liberty to adopt that form of church government which he believes to be the most scriptural. But a church having been organized, the form of church government must not be changed without authorization. Those succeeding to the charge of a station previously occupied must continue that form of organization instituted by their predeces¬ sors, until any proposed change shall have been approved by the Committee on the field and the Board at home. One object of the Society being to estab¬ lish self - supporting and self - extending churches, all missionaries must ever keep this end in view. Converts should be stimulated and encouraged in the study of the Word of God; suitable opportunities should be afforded them for the manifestation of spiritual gifts; 22 and they should be encouraged to help pecuni¬ arily, according to their ability, in the work of God. Native workers, especially, should be afiforded all possible help and encouragement; as they become able they should be allowed to bear responsibility, and the element of foreign teaching, pastoral care and supervision of the local churches gradually withdrawn. 3. Arrangement, Training and Location of Missionaries. Missionaries arriving upon the field shall be received by the Executive Committee, who shall give direction to their work. Candidates who have been accepted and sent out will, during the first two years on the ' field, be considered junior missionaries, and will be expected to pursue a definite course of study and to pass periodical examinations in the language. At the end of the two years, should they have been approved, they will be recognized as senior missionaries. But should they have proved unstable, or unable to cope with the difficulties of the language, to bear the climate, to harmonize with their brethren, to adapt themselves to the natives, or should they 23 otherwise have shown themselves unsuitable, the Executive Committee and Board will either prolong the probation or will make the best arrangements in their power to facilitate their retiring. Junior missionaries, as a rule, will be placed with the senior missionaries in charge of sta¬ tions, with whom they will reside, and under whose direction they will assist in the work as far as they can. Should the views of any junior missionary differ from those of the mis¬ sionary in charge, he is not to attempt to un¬ settle the minds of the converts and native workers. If the difference of view be such as to prevent happy fellowship, the Executive Committee will, when requested, endeavor to arrange for his residence at some other sta¬ tion as soon as circumstances permit. Every missionary joining the Society is ac¬ cepted on the understanding that he will give his whole time and strength touts work. The terms of service on the various fields, betw^een furloughs home, are to be determined by the Board, upon the recommendation of the Ex¬ ecutive Committees. Where climate, sickness 24 or other difficulties demand immediate action to return a missionary, the Executive Com¬ mittee on the field shall decide the time. Missionaries on the field will never be ap¬ pointed to permanent spheres of labor without their cordial concurrence. When such spheres are accepted, the missionaries will be expected to proceed to their destinations without un¬ necessary delay, and to remain at their posts, unless circumstances of great emergency com¬ pel them to leave. Should they not feel happy in their work they must inform the Executive Committee, and even though the cause be ir¬ remediable, they must still be prepared to re¬ main for six months, or even longer, if neces¬ sary, until suitable arrangements can be made for carrying on the work without them. Pa¬ tient perseverance is needed, and it should be borne in mind that difficulties are to be ex¬ pected in every work. The lack of immediately visible results is no ground for abandoning a work begun for God. In- every case, at least six months’ notice must, if required, be given by missionaries be¬ fore leaving their work, except where unex- 25 pected and alarming illness might require im¬ mediate removal. Should illness necessitate leaving the district, the sanction of the Execu¬ tive Committee should be obtained; and if it be needful to leave the country, a medical cer¬ tificate should also be procured. 4. Expenditure and Reports. The Chairman of the Executive Committee on the field is responsible to his Committee and the Home Board for the disbursement of funds remitted to him, or received by the Mis¬ sion, for preparation of the accounts annually for audit, and transmission of the same to the Home Board for inspection and inclusion in the Annual Report of the Society. Missionaries in charge of schools, stations or other branches of work are answerable to the Executive Committee for the disbursement of all moneys entrusted to them for the work, and for the preparation of quarterly accounts to be forwarded to the Executive Committee for approval. 5. Retirement and Dismissal. A missionary desiring to resign his official connection with the Society must give six 26 months’ notice to the Executive Committee, who will take whatever steps may be called for in the case. Any missionary leaving the work of the So¬ ciety before the end of the second year of residence on the field shall be required to re¬ fund in full all sums expended toward his or her outfit and transportation; if during the third year, three-quarters of the total amount; if during the fourth year, one-half; if during the fifth year, one quarter. Any missionary leaving the field during the first five years for the purpose of marriage, trade or salaried employment shall, in addition to the above, be required to refund the amount of money received for support from the time of arrival on the field, in the same ratio as already stated' for outfit and transportation amounts. Any missionary leaving the Mission will be required to transfer all moneys received by him for the work and all properties in his charge into the hands of the person appointed to receive them. Should any occasion of sufficient gravity 27 arise, the Executive Committee shall have the power of suspending or removing any mem¬ ber of the Mission, in which case they would, of course, act with all possible consideration and subject to the ratification of the Board. 6. Mission Premises. The Board cannot be responsible for any expenditure not authorized by it nor for any outlay of personal funds on Mission property. For the effective carrying on of localized missionary work. Mission premises are, of course, recjuired, and these are usually obtained by deeds of rental, mortgage, or pur¬ chase of property or by securing sites and erecting buildings thereon. The funds required for such purposes may be supplied in whole or in part from the special funds of the So¬ ciety. The missionaries may, if they wish, use their own money or contributions from their friends for securing, improving or build¬ ing such premises. It is clearly to be under¬ stood, however, that all such premises, howso¬ ever they may have been provided for, are to be considered to belong to the Society, that is, the Society, and not the individual missionary. 28 is to be regarded as the tenant, mortgagee or owner, as the case may be; and the funds so used are to be regarded as donations to the Society. Where new buildings are to be erected, or extensive alterations made in those already ex¬ isting, whether with private or Mission funds, the plans, character and estimate of cost of the proposed building or alterations are first to be submitted to and approved by the liixecu- tive Committee, before such work may be commenced. 7. Native Workers. The engagement, direction and dismissal of all native workers, even in cases where these are supported by special funds or at the ex¬ pense of the missionaries themselves, must be subject to the approval of the Executive Com¬ mittee. All native workers should be consid- { erately dealt with, and should not be lightly | dismissed or summarily treated. Should any I difficulty which may arise be from want of ; happy relation and co-operation rather than on account of some offense or misdemeanor of intrinsic gravity, the Executive Committee 29 should afford opportunity, if possible, for a change of location, with the hope of thus over¬ coming the difficulty. 8. Betrothal and Marriage. The weighty bearings of these questions on missionary work render special caution neces¬ sary on the part of all concerned. Married candidates will be accepted and sent out only after careful consideration of the suitability of both husband and wife. Candidates if engaged to be married are ex¬ pected candidly to state the fact, and they will be accepted only when both parties have been approved. Owing to climatic difficulties, unmarried candidates of either sex, whether already engaged to be married or otherwise, will be expected to defer marriage until the completion of two years from the date of the arrival of the one who last reaches the field, and the successful passing by both parties of such examinations in the language as are pre¬ scribed for that period by the field concerned. In case of departure from this rule, they will be required to retire and to make the refund required by Section 5 (Retirement and Dis- 30 missal), page 25, unless consent to such earlier marriage has been previously obtained from the Board on recommendation of the Execu¬ tive Committee on the field. Accepted candidates and missionaries not engaged are earnestly recommended to be most tboughtful and careful before committing themselves to an engagement. Inasmuch as the Board sends to the field only such per¬ sons as in its judgment possess the requisite qualifications, it may feel compelled in the event of an unsuitable engagement or marriage to advise retirement from the Society, and in case of non-compliance to exercise its power of dismissal. REGULATIONS CONCERNING DIS¬ ABLED AND RETIRED MISSIONARIES. The following regulations were drawn up by a Special Committee appointed by the An¬ nual Council of 1915, were approved by the Board of Managers, and were finally adopted by the Annual Council of 1916, to go into effect forthwith; I. That missionaries who have served the 31 Society for at least one full term, as ordinarily recognized on the various fields, and who have become disabled for service, shall, upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee on the field ratified by the Home Board, be eligible to the regular allowances for mission¬ aries on furlough so long as they continue dis¬ abled, provided they remain in full fellowship with the Society and have no other reasonable means of support. 2. That missionaries who have served on the field for less than a full term, and who have been disabled for service, shall be dealt with by the Home Board, in consultation with the Executive Committee on the field, on the respective merits of each case. 3. That missionaries who have served the Society for twenty-five (25) years or more, may, upon the recommendation of the Execu¬ tive Committee on the field ratified by the Home Board, retire upon the regular allow¬ ances for missionaries on furlough, provided they remain in full fellowship with the So¬ ciety and have no other reasonable means of support. 32 4- That missionary widows, unable to con¬ tinue in the active service of the Society on account of the care of their children, shall be eligible to the same provision as for retired missionaries, subject to the same conditions as aforementioned. 5. That children of retired missionaries shall be eligible to the same provision as chil¬ dren of missionaries in active service.