IN HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/inspiringstoryofOObibl ^ ^ _ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ ^ niie INSPIRING STORY GOD’S WORK and WORKERS of UNDER AUSPICES OF THE Bible Institute of Los Angeles IN HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA 1 i; i! i! II I iiiliiiliiiililiiiiliiillllilllliiiillllllliiiliiillllllini i Dr. Frank A. Keller, Superintendent, and Some of His Helpers The Bible Institute in Hunan Province, China Dr. Keller Dragon steps at entrance to main temple of Nan Yoh. Pilgrims are rubbing brass coins on the dragon. They sew these coins on the hats of their children to ward off demons and disease. Our colporteurs are preaching Christ to them, and giving them Scriptures. THE INSPIRING STORY OF GOD’S WORK AND WORKERS UNDER AUSPICES OF BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES IN HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA ^ ^ ^ Tlie Beginning FEW years ago Dr. Frank A. Keller, for many years a member of the China Inland Mission, saw a trim and sprightly launch steam up the Siang River and anchor at Changsha, the capital of Hunan, China. Without delay, a company of foreigners and Chinese came ashore and began distributing in the shops and houses attractive little boxes containing samples of cigarettes. Later in the day, when the farmers and country merchants were returning home, they stood on temporary platforms by the way and gave to each man as he passed, samples of their wares. Dr. Keller says: "As we saw their strenuous work and heard of their far-reaching plans, and thought of the thousands and thousands of towns and villages whose millions of people had never heard of Christ, or even seen a copy of God’s Word, who would soon be smoking cigar- ettes, our hearts were filled with burning shame and at the same time throbbed with a great ambition, to be equally comprehensive in plan, wise in method, and prompt in action for the King. Just at that time there came to his hand a gift from the Bible House of Los Angeles to be used for the distribution of the Scriptures in the Province of Hunan. He proposed to an evangelist and a Christian teacher to furnish a boat, food and books if they would make up a party of evangelists, teachers and Christian business men, and undertake a tour of evangelism in the province. They received the proposition with sym- pathetic enthusiasm, and after a month of blessed free-will service, re- turned with “a thrilling and inspiring ” report of their experiment. Dr. Keller says: "We reported this work to our friends at Los Angeles, and told them, too, of the launch and the work of the cigarette party, and how it had stirred us. We also called their attention to the remarkable opportunity offered by the great waterways of Hunan to reach nearly every part of the province by boat. The heads of the Bible H ouse of Los Angeles saw the vision, they heard the cry of the twenty- two million people of Hunan, and they accepted as a commission from God the task of visiting, so far as possible, every one of Hunan’s 4,268,- 000 homes, to tell the people of Jesus Christ, and to leave with them as a free gift copies of God’s Word, or portions of it.’’ Dr. Keller himself was at once engaged by the Bible House of Los Angeles to inaugurate and superintend a work of evangelization among these millions of Hunanese. The doctor undertook the task and after six years of service, under the auspices of the Bible House, continues it as a department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, which has now assumed the responsibility of its support and development. THE SITUATION IN HUNAN Hunan is one of the fourteen provinces now comprised in the Chi- nese Republic. It embraces about 80,000 square miles of country and contains about 22,000,000 inhabitants. Its people have been among the most proud, arrogant and inhospitable, of the conservative popula- tion of China. It became known as “the sealed province,” “the hostile province,” etc., but is now freely open and willing, if not eager, to hear the message we have to bring them. MR. .M. K.. HSL^O. Assistant Superintendent of the Hunan Bible Institute The opportunity certainly is great, — first, as to the field, second, as to the conditions. We need to remind ourselves that Hunan alone has 22,000,000 people, and that close by is Kiangsi, connected with Hunan by modern railroad, and close business and social relationships, with a population of over 26,000,000; the two provinces together having a population equal to half of the whole United States. What a field ! The people of Hunan are a well educated people, and a people of exceptional energy and character. It is a great delight and satisfaction to work among and for them. Changsha was one of the four cities chosen by the Rockefeller Foundation for carrying on its extensive work along medical lines. This fact is suggestive. ”1 am twenty-one years old, and my home is twenty miles from Changsha. 1 never heard of Jesus until a few months ago, when I came to the city to take a position. Yes, indeed, now that I have heard about Jesus 1 do believe in Him, and 1 pray every morning and evening, and also give thanks before my meals,” — so said a young Hunanese in re- sponse to an inquiry, and he is but one of millions in Hunan, — strong, handsome, attractive young fellows who have never heard of Christ and live in homes with fathers, mothers and sisters who have never heard of Him. Dr. Keller relates the following similiar incident: ‘‘Recently I met a finely dressed and very intelligent young man on the city wall, and as we were walking in the same direction I had a nice talk with him. He lives right here in Changsha, but had never been in a chapel and had never heard the Gospel. Many, many are truly afraid to go to the chapels, but if the Gospel could be explained to them in their own homes, then they might be induced to come to the chapels of the various mis- sions to learn more. ’ These people are living in cities and villages, whole counties of them, like those described in the following extract from a letter recently received by one of our Hunan missionaries: “May I bring to your notice the populous county of Kiyang in the Yungchow prefecture? There is a large hsien city (a county seat) and many large country villages, without any missionary. 1 am responsible for that whole area, together with a large part of two other counties. We should all be glad to give the fullest co-operation to a band of your workers, and I much hope that you can arrange to come to the aid of a district which is ready for the Gospel, but has as yet been very little evangelised. Forward deck of one of the boats, with family of boatman It is to meet these conditions that the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has taken up the unique work thus inaugurated by Dr. Keller, in the hope that, by the grace of God, they may reach in some worthy degree the millions of unevangelized souls for whom the Son of God shed His blood, with the precious Gospel of His salvation. This involves the careful training of a large force of Chinese evan- gelists, a wide-spread preaching of the Gospel, distribution of the Scrip- tures and a careful conservation of results. These buildings are now in process of construction and will cost (to- gether with the ground upon which they are located) approximately $125,- 000.00. The campus contains about five acres of ground and is in what is considered to be the most desirable and advantageous location in Changsha. THREE MAIN FEATURES OF OUR WORK There are three main features of our work, as follows: ( 1 ) The Hunan Bible Institute at Changsha. (2) The Floating Bible Schools. (3) The Hunan Autumn Bible School and Conference at Nan Yoh. The H unan Bible Institute at Changsha THE NEED FOR A GENERAL TRAINING SCHOOL The constant call from Hunan missionaries for trained evangelists, and the urgent need to increase our own force of workers in order to respond to the pressing invitations for the help of our bands of colpor- teurs, have made the establishment of a central training school a neces- sity. Our colportage work has emphasized the fact that many men con- verted in middle life have a real gift for preaching and an intense desire to make known to others the blessed truths of the Gospel. These men realize that they would be far more efficient workers if they could have a thorough course of Bible study and training in methods of Christian work. It is a common thing for new converts to follow our bands of col- porteurs to places ten, fifteen and twenty li (three to seven miles) away from their homes, taking their food with them, and remaining there until the band moves on to a more distant point, in order that they may con- tinue to enjoy the advantages of the morning and evening Bible classes. Many of these men cannot meet the scholarship standards required for admission to theological seminaries, and some have passed the age limit, yet with a good Bible school training they can render many years of fruitful service. It is therefore with hearts full of gratitude and praise to God for answered prayers, and for His guidance and gracious provision, that we announce the opening of the Hunan Bible Institute in Changsha. WHAT WE BELIEVE AND TEACH The Hunan Bible Institute does not antagonize any evangelical de- nomination, but seeks to co-operate with them all. Our faith and teach- ing are “conservative and evangelical” and founded on an absolute be- lief in the Bible as the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from God Himself that is “Able to make wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” We believe and teach the fundamental doctrines as stated by the International Prophetic Conference at their meeting in Chicago in Feb- ruary, 1914. COURSES OF STUDY The courses of study are the outcome of a careful examination of courses offered by Bible schools in China and at home, and more espec- ially of the intimate knowledge of the needs of Chinese Christian workers gained during our years of house-to-house evangelism in Hunan. SPECIAL COURSES In addition to the regular course requiring two years’ work in the school and one year on the house-boats, there will be special courses of shorter duration to meet individual needs. There will also be evening classes for Sunday school teachers and others who have to work during the day, but who long for a fuller knowl- edge of God’s Word, and for a greater proficiency in Christian work. THE REGULAR COURSE OF STUDY Bible Synthesis Bible Doctrine Bible Chapter Summary Bible Analysis Homiletics Pedagogy Church History Music Chinese Special Lectures Practical Work The term “Practical Work ” is used to designate the daily evange- listic work done by the students in homes, jails, hospitals and among the great boating population. The students also hold out-door evangelistic services. In the evenings they preach in the street chapels of the city on invitation of the missionary in charge, and on Sundays teach in the Sun- day Schools of the various churches where their help is desired. LOCATION God has given us a splendid site on the new military road, midway between the Siao-wu and Liu-yang gates. It is almost equally distant from every mission in the city. The site is sufficiently large to ensure good air, give plenty of room for exercise and provide for future growth. Its springs furnish an abundance of wholesome water. ,'1 B/ola Bsnc/ flo.^ Ou Ycin^ Tien tii, ] Leaden Cenfen; Si6W^r>Chen./\ssl’ Leaden. at Mr. Ou Yan<^'s ri^h+- 1 f O '< /V , ^ .j. . 1 , «. L » Bio la Band fja.S' r Chand) Oji~^n, leader Cehhk /|/ 3/o/a Band Ho, 6 An Yun^Lm^ lodden m Confen. Ou YanO Yen. Asti", Leader ?*: ^ fifei ^ :S. ff5 i. -tf /v 4§ sp i. Lithographed Poster 30 x 40 Inches Printed in Brilliant Colors ii ^ pg 1S « iS ^ JL (t^ SiJ m m To a’. m. a :®, IT Ti ^ A i 'If!] m r? fif; m IS life e IT, ;2; ft — W T /.L 5ffl ia itE A, ji E fflj * IF1 — Ti 0 ± W J£l 10 iS 51, - «! U S P A ii -fiki, ai. 7» 10 *1, ?T IT n. At 7^ * m m m m X — A Wt ra (a ar. a m § S i ® m ■ M H, m I@ life V£. m ri. 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The Bible House of Los Angeles has printed over 800,000 copies in Spanish, under the title “Por- ciones Escogidas de la Palabra de Deos" and has circulated them in 24 Spanish-speaking countries. The portions of Scripture are so selected and combined that one passage of Scripture is used to illustrate, explain or emphasize another, no other note or comment being added. For example: The book begins with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John I :l-3, 14. Then follows the story of the crea- tion as given in Genesis 1 :l-5, 24-31, closing with “(Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature; for by him A Country Theater. Affording Another Opportunity for Preaching the Gospel were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Col. 1:15, 16. Then comes a description of Adam in Eden, followed by the first Psalm and the story of the fall. God’s judgment of sin and His plan of mercy for the sinner, are shown by passages from Old and New Testa- ments. The story of the brazen serpent is preceded by Rom. 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord” and is followed by John 3:14, 15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him may have eternal Life.” And so right on through the book of 200 pages, by “comparing Scripture with Scripture” God’s revelation is set forth and explained in its own words. SUPERVISION The method of supervision is one of the most important features of the work. The missionary responsible for the district is cordially in- vited to co-operate with the men, and some missionaries have spent sev- eral weeks with the party, — a fellowship that has been inspiring both to the men and to the missionaries. The superintendent keeps in touch with the parties by personal visits, semi-monthly reports (see page 38) and monthly diaries. Copies of the reports are sent both to the mission- ary of the county and to the superintendent; they give in tabulated form a full record of each day’s work, the number of homes visited, and the titles and number of books distributed. Cases of special interest are de- scribed in detail. Although we keep thus closely in touch with the work. Mr. M. K. Hsiao and Family the actual conduct of each party is entrusted absolutely to its trained Chinese leader, and we cannot emphasize too strongly our convictions as to the value of this detail of the plan. We seek to make the men feel they are serving the Lord Christ and Him only. This develops a spirit of initiative and enthusiasm, and encourages a feeling of happy freedom that is most helpful. PRACTICAL RESULTS As a result of this work, mostly in new fields, many have given up idolatry and have accepted Christ as their Saviour. Bible classes have been formed and new churches have been established, always by the missionary of the county, never by us. Hundreds of thousands who had never heard the Gospel before our men went to them have had their misconceptions cleared away, their prejudices broken down, and many of them are truly interested in the Gospel and are studying it. The following extracts from letters show how the missionaries wel- come our workers, and how truly God is with them and is blessing their service. One missionary wrote: — “When we heard that Mr. Cheng and his party were on the way to work in our district we started with specially earnest intercession for increased blessing upon the testimony and labor of each Chinese brother in connection with the Los Angeles work. When the brethren arrived at Paoking 1 received them with great joy. From the first day when the brethren started their blessed work we had crowds of listeners to hear the Gospel daily. There are many souls in the city and in the country who are deeply influenced by the Holy Spirit through the splendid work of our Chinese brethren. 1 think that Mr. Cheng is the right man to lead this evangelistic work in Hunan, and most of the other brethren are well prepared for the work. ” Another missionary wrote: — “There have been baptized about a dozen persons during the past year whose conversions can be traced directly to the work of your colporteurs . . . We now have seven places where your men have gathered believers.” An evangelist of one of the leading mis- sions in Hunan wrote to Mr. Hsiao: — “Of fourteen men recently bap- tized here, nine were the direct result of the colportage work; again God’s words have been fulfilled: ‘Others have labored, and ye are en- tered into their labor.’ INTERESTING INCIDENTS OF THE WORK Mr. Chao, 93 years of age, but still wonderfully vigorous, an edu- cated man, and even now a great reader, has four sons, several grand- sons, and about twenty great-grandsons. Our colporteurs visited Mr. Chao, had a fine talk with him, gave him a copy of the Scriptures, and as a result of God’s blessing on their work, not only Mr. Chao, but also his eldest son, 73 years, and his third son, 63 years of age, have all ac- cepted Christ as their Saviour. What a wonderful privilege to have been permitted to take the message of salvation to these aged men so evidently prepared to receive it. A very wild young man of about twenty years had been very un- kind to his mother; through our colporteurs he was led to faith in Christ and in a public meeting confessed to his mother his ill treatment of her, asked her forgiveness and promised in the future to be a dutiful son. A Chinese evangelist of one of the missions in whose territory we were at work testified that he had been preaching the Gospel for some years, but had never realized the power of prayer. His association with our colporteurs had led him to see the meaning and power of prayer, and he had determined to make prayer a prominent feature of his life and work in the future. 1 do thank God that He is graciously using our workers both to bring the heathen to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus, and to lead Christians and Christian workers into deeper, truer spiritual lives. Mr. Cheng (Leader of Band No. 1 ) reports as follows: — “Our work is truly one of great joy; large numbers of people are being in- fluenced by the Gospel, and not a few are being saved. In spite of con- tinued wind and rain many come every evening to our special class for inquirers, all classes of people are coming, — literati, merchants, mech- anics and farmers. Satan is very active also; reports were circulated that each of our books has three hairs between the pages, and that when the books are opened the hairs fly up into the nostrils of the readers and poison them. Over thirty people were said to have died from the effects of this poison in our previous field of labor. The result was that the peo- ple feared to let us come into their houses, and those who have already received books were afraid to read them. They did not know what to do with the books, they feared to keep them in their homes, and it was said that the books would not burn, that if they threw them into the fire they would come out unharmed, so they decided to dig very deep holes and bury them. In fear and anger the people slammed the doors in the faces of our colporteurs, cursed them with loud voices, and sent their children out to follow them and cry out. Beat them, beat them. In deep distress our men gave themselves to prayer and fasting, seeking guidance and help from God in this difficult situation. God heard their prayers and seemed to open the very windows of heaven and pour out blessing upon them. . . . This blessing from God is not alone in response to our prayer, for many others have been praying for us. Mr. Lo (an evangelist friend) wrote us that he and some friends were praying for us, with fasting, every Sunday morning, seeking God’s blessing on our work. ” One of the most satisfactory features of Dr. Keller’s work is the hearty endorsement given it by all the evangelical missionaries in China. Space does not permit us to quote all the letters which come to us along this line, but we are giving two, one from the Rev. R. W. Porteous, Mis- sionary of the China Inland Mission in the Province of Kiangsi, and an- other from Rev. James Webster, of the Wesleyan Mission at Pingkieng, Hunan Province. Mr. Porteous says; “The more I see of the work of the Biola Evangelistic Bands the more convinced I am that God guided you to this work. These bands of soul-winners are, I believe, a part of Mr. Hudson Taylor s hitherto unanswered prayer that the Gospel might be carried to every creature. I do thank God that we have been privileged to have Bands 6 and 9 to work in this needy district with about TWO MILLION STILL UNEVAN- GELIZED. “Rev. William Taylor (Superintendent of the C. I. M. in Kiangsi) during his recent visit went with me to see Bands 6 and 9 at work. He was deeply impressed with what he saw, both with regard to the work being done and that which had already been established in the centers previously worked by the Biola Bands. ‘Our Mission,’ he remarked, 'strongly approves of such work.’ “How I wish that both Mr. Taylor and you could have been with me on my more recent visit to Band 6. I went in response to an invita- tion from the leader, Mr. An, who asked me to come if possible to Huang-Mao ere they left that center to take up work in another place hitherto untouched. Now I want to tell you of my visit. “First of all, I got a real hearty welcome which I fully appreciated after my 120 li. 1 was asked to take the evening meeting in the new street chapel opened by the people of the place as a result of the last two months’ work by Band No. 6. Over a hundred hearers packed this place right out to the street, among them was a Chinese scholar with a B. A. degree who gave a good testimony on the following evening to Jesus the Only Saviour. 1 reckon that we had a most representative crowd, including scholars, merchants, artisans, gentry, farmers and laborers. The next day, Sunday, we had splendid meetings both forenoon and afternoon. One item 1 must not leave out was the singing of the children. 1 wish you could have heard them and seen them as 1 did, and the faces of the grown-ups while the children were singing! Real pleasure scarcely de- scribes it, they were simply entranced ! 1 presided at the organ, and Mr. Ou-Yang, assistant leader of Band 6, led the singing. He certainly lays himself out to reach the children and through them the grown-ups. The little chaps sing the choruses along the streets on the way home, and when they get there they keep on singing till their little sisters catch on too. Here is one of the choruses roughly translated; — ‘Older and younger brothers, listen to what 1 say. Serve your fathers and mothers and do less play. Elder and younger sisters, you make up your mind. Father’s and mother’s teaching can’t be thrown behind. The true God is supreme, the idols can be seen. Mud-made, wood-carved and eaten by white ants. Hasten while you’re young, don’t let these deceive, Trust in Jesus, He’ll save you and me.’ “It must be rather humbling for the parents to continue their devo- tions to their gods of mud and wood with these little folks about. Thank God for these little missionaries of the Cross. “1 spent Sunday from house to house with the leader and assistant leader of Band No. 6. We visited a number of the principal homes in and around this market town and were cordially welcomed in each. Some of the venerable old gentlemen who received us were exceedingly kind, escorting us to the seats of honor in their guest halls and giving us the usual tea and sweetmeats. They spoke highly of the work of Band No. 6, and of the truth of the message, one old man said: — ‘What else could we desire?’ 1 don’t know when 1 could have seen the interior of so many homes in Huang-Mao had not Biola Band No. 6 been there open- ing hearts and homes to the Gospel. “A good report comes of Band 9, who have only begun work these last two months. Some forty meet with them for prayer, and these are preparing to rent premises in which to continue the worship of God, the same as at Huang-Mao, after the departure of the Biola Band. "Would that we had such bands of earnest workers all over China to gather in the lost ere the day of grace has for them become the night of despair. It does one’s soul good to visit the homes of those who have been brought in by our Biola Bands. Think of the idols abolished, and the light of God’s love shining in homes which were a year ago in heathen darkness. The habitations of cruelty are being made the dwelling place of the Most High. Surely, ‘The Gospel is the power of God unto salva- tion unto every one that believeth.’ 1 am sorry for those who do not accept the miracles of our Lord, or who believe that the day of miracles is past. It may be for them, but not for the Biola Evangelistic Bands. “Heartily yours in our coming Lord, ROB’T. W. PORTEOUS. “China Inland Mission, Yuanchow, Kiangsi, China.” Mr. Webster’s letter: “As a missionary working in one of the wide country districts of Hunan Province, 1 would like to send a note of appreciation of the work done by the Los Angeles Bible Institute under the very able direction of my old friend. Dr. F. A. Keller, whom I have known since I first entered the field seventeen years ago. *“I worked for five years in connection with the Hunan Union Theological School in Changsha, and there had the opportunity of know- ing something of the admirable practical training capacity of Dr. Keller; and here in Pingkieng have not only had the advantage of seeing that training in active working, but also of enjoying the loyal help and co- operation of the Chinese workers, thus equipped, in and around the vil- lages and towns which comprise the sphere of our Mission work in this centre. “It is a pleasure to have that help, and to see its undoubted success in bringing the Gospel message to the people of hamlets and mountain villages, as well as those in the busy river marts and market towns. “As a Wesleyan preacher, the method appeals to me in a peculiarly attractive way, for it is the way Wesley exhorted his preachers, from the first, to follow: “Go, not only to those who want you, but to those who want you not. Work, not only in the ordinary forms of worship, but from house to house.’ It is a fruitful method still. “ In Dr. Keller and his wife you have ideal workers, and we hope they will long be able to carry on their activities. It will be imperative, at no distant date, to reinforce their strength by additional workers, (for they are working at present at incredible pressure), if they are to be kept with strength to “carry on“ and if their work is to be conserved. “It is a delight to bear this testimony. “ Believe me, yours sincerely, “Wesleyan Mission (Signed) JAMES WEBSTER. Pingkieng, Hunan, China. ’’ A WORD FROM DR. KELLER ABOUT THE LEADERS OF THE BIOLA BANDS “How good God is to let me be engaged in such work as this.” If you could only have seen the face of Mr. F. S. Hwang this after- noon when he came into my office and spoke the words quoted above, you would realize how genuine and deep is the gratitude of his heart. Mr. Hwang is one of our workers in Band No. 5, he is a grand preacher and a most successful personal worker. It always does one good to have him come around. About two years ago Mr. Hwang had a terrible fight with that awful enemy of young men in China, tuberculosis. Mr. Hwang was one of our best workers and we felt that for him to be taken would be a real tragedy. How we did pray for him! His own heart was full of courage and hope, his faith laid hold on God, and God graciously spared him to us and to the work. If you could look at him now you would not think that he had ever been ill, a fine ruddy specimen of vig- orous young manhood. God has given him a bright, well educated wife, an earnest Christian who seems in every way suited to be a real spiritual companion and helper. And yet, Mr. Hwang is willing to leave his wife and home for months at a time in order to go out into the unevangelized places and tell men and women about Jesus, willing and mighty to save. And this is true not only of Mr. Hwang but of the 1 1 7 devoted men now out in the Biola Evangelistic Bands, many of them so far away that they can get home to their families only once in the year for a compara- tively short vacation. And yet they love the work. Like Mr. Hwang their hearts are full of joy as they constantly realize God’s presence and blessing. As you think of these young men and pray for them, please try to really feel the great sacrifices they are making, and ask God to more than make up to them for it all. He will surely answer your prayers as He has done so constantly in the past. A few weeks ago Mr. Hwang wrote me about the blessing God was giving in the district where they were working. Among other cases he mentioned three brothers by the name of Peng, one of them 72 years of age, another 68, and a younger brother. They seemed much inter- ested and so Mr. Hwang repeated his call. He gave a Bible to each of the brothers and they began studying God’s Word. These men had been vegetarians for many years, but as they studied the Bibles they were con- victed of sin, and became convinced that vegetarianism had no cleansing or saving power, but rather deceived and injured those who were de- voted to it; and the three brothers broke away from the vegetarianism, accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and testified to the peace that had come into their hearts. Another case was a Mr. Li (pronounced Lee), one of a band of sixteen pilgrims who had been going to Nanyoh regu- larly for the past six years. They were glad when Mr. Hwang called on them, and Mr. Li said that they had received copies of the Scriptures from our workers at Nanyoh, they had been studying them, and through this study he and one of his brothers had been brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The missionary in charge of the field in which Band No. 5 has been working for the past few months has only recently returned to China from furlough and last Sunday he was in Changsha having come here for the annual meeting of his mission. On meeting me he called out: ’’Keller, I want to have a word with you. The work of your band of evangelists in our district is simply wonderful. I am amazed and de- lighted with the results of God’s blessing on their work. I never had an opportunity to really observe this work before, but now that I have seen what it is and what is accomplished through it I feel that I must have a band in my district next year. ” THE KING’S BUSINESS for February has just come in this evening and reminds me of my promise to tell you something about Mr. Tan, leader of our new Band No. 9. Humanly speaking, everything depends on the Chinese leaders of these bands. They must be men of tact, of patience, of real ability in a business way, men of prayer, and men who really know God and His Word. They must be men, too, who are con- scious of a definite call from God to this work, and who are fully yielded to Him for it. We praise God that He has given us a number of just such men. A missionary wrote me recently: “We are so happy to have one of the Biola Evangelistic Bands in our field, and are so grateful for the leader, Mr. Ih, he is such a man of prayer.” Well, Mr. Tan is just such a man, well educated and trained and yet so humble, and wholly given up to this work. For several years he served as assistant leader in Band No. 3, and when the opportunity came to organize Band No. 9 he was asked to assume the leadership of this band. Two years ago a missionary came to us at Nanyoh and asked if we could supply him with an evangelist. I told him that he might feel free to talk with any of the men and if he found one who suited him he might give him a call. If the man accepted the call and went with him it would be perfectly agree- able to us. After some days of observation and conversation with the men he chose Mr. Tan and gave him a call, but Mr. Tan promptly and positively declined it. He said that God had definitely called him to this work and that he could not leave it voluntarily. About a year later another mission needed a specially able and strong man for an important post and asked if we could supply them with such a man. I gave him photographs of several men, told him all 1 know about them, and told him that if he considered any of them suitable I would put him in touch with the man and try to arrange an interview. This missionary also chose Mr. Tan. It happened that Mr. Tan had just arrived in Changsha for his summer vacation and I gave his ad- dress to the missionary and told him that he might call on Mr. Tan, and that if after a personal interview with him he still felt like extending a call he might do so. The missionary made the visit and gave a call to Mr. Tan, but never reported the result to me. To accept the call would mean a position of no little influence, settled work in a place where he could have his family with him, a larger salary than we could offer him and with it all a work that was just as definitely a work for God as his work in the bands. A couple of weeks later I met Mr. Tan and asked him, “Did Mr. call on you, and did he ask you to serve his mission as evangelist?” When he replied in the affirmative I asked him, “What did you say to him?” Mr. Tan just looked at me and smiled; for some time he did not say a word, but that smile was as good as a long speech; I will not soon forget it. But finally he said to me what he had said to the other missionary a year before: God has called me to the work of the Biola Evangelistic Bands, and just as long as He wants me in this work I am unwilling to consider calls to any other work.” Mr. Tan, with Band No. 9, a band organized after much earnest and united prayer, went into a wholly unevangelized field in Kiangsi on the first of November last. They were in their first district for two months and four days. They went out from their center in every direc- tion for a distance of about five miles, visiting practically every home. Some two hundred and forty people seemed to be really moved by the Gospel, and about half of this number gave evidence of having truly accepted Christ. Two families removed all idols from their homes, some thirty persons attended the evening Bible classes for enquirers, from fifty to sixty students attended the Sunday afternoon Bible classes, and a self- supporting society for Bible study and prayer was organized before the Band left for a new center of work. The rich results of God’s blessing on the work of this new band in its first field have filled our hearts with joy. What joy the report must bring to God’s servant at home whose generous gift has made possible the work of Biola Evangelistic Band No. 9, as well as Bands 3, 4 and 8, from all of whom equally stirring and in- spiring reports have come, both from the leaders of the bands, and from the missionaries in whose fields they have been at work. The Rev. Wil- liam Taylor, Superintendent of the China Inland Mission for the Province of Kiangsi, after a recent visit with Mr. Porteous to Bands 6 and 9, wrote me of the great joy he felt at seeing the methods and results of the work, and added: "I wish that such bands might be doing similar work in every province of China.” Dr. Torrey with Dr. Keller on a Colportage Boat 187,247 HEATHEN HOMES were visited by our evangelists and students during the period from October 1, 1919, to July 15, 1920, the student work continuing to August 1 5. Of these homes, 1 73,532 were visited by the evangelists of the six bands (all we had at that time), 1 0,083 by our students during the school year, and 3632 by our junior students during their summer vacation. Oh! do pray for us, daily if possible, and for the 1 1 7 men, includ- ing the nine leaders, who are out in all kinds of weather, often coming in at night wet from head to foot, telling heathen men and women about Jesus, mighty to save. 1 do wish that you could see the letters that have come in during the past two weeks pleading for evangelistic bands for fields that seem just ripe for the harvest. A few days ago 1 replied to Student Body, Bible Institute at Changsha, 1920 one missionary promising him a band for his very large and important field to begin work, if our Lord tarries so long, on October first, nineteen twenty-two. That is the best we can possibly do. Work is already laid out for all our bands up to that date, and for some of them way beyond that date. Graduating Class, 1920 The Hunan Autumn Bible School South of the center of Hunan is Nan Yoh, one of the so-called “sac- red mountains” of China. Many temples and hundreds of priests are there, one temple being at the very summit of the mountain. Dr. Keller says: “Several years ago the Rev. G. G. Warren, of the English Wes- leyan Mission, visited Nan Yoh, and saw the wonderful opportunity there, a field ‘ripe unto the harvest.’ There he saw thousands, aye, tens of thousands of young, earnest, worshipping pilgrims bowing down to false gods. He came back to Changsha and with heart aflame told a story Hunan Autumn Bible School Building in which the sessions of the school have been held for six years that stirred our souls, and that some of us will never forget. One of the results of that visit and of that address is the Hunan Autumn Bible School. Mr. Warren has been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the School and one of the most acceptable teachers during its entire history. Each autumn since that address was given, we have had the privilege of inviting the Chinese pastors and evangelists of Hunan to come to Nan Yoh as our guests, and join us in three weeks of Bible study, conference and prayer, and in personal work among the pilgrims. We have fitted up a large house in which we can entertain about seventy men, and we secure lodgings in neighboring houses for any others who come, all dining together at the main building. Usually about eighty men from ten or twelve different missions have accepted our invitation and have come to the mountain to enjoy the bracing air, the good food, the happy fellowship and the blessed work. These men have been converted, then trained and finally set at work in one center where they have only met a half dozen missionaries, often less, and no Chinese Christians or workers outside of their own city. Think what it must mean to them to come to a place where they are free from all care, no family or work to look after, and where they can meet, confer and pray with Chinese workers from all over the prov- ince, and be led in the study of God’s Word by missionaries of various churches, and join in three weeks of intense, fruitful, heart to heart labor among thousands of earnest, religiously inclined young men. In the early fall our boat companies adjourn for this month of Bible study, conference and special work among the pilgrims to the famous shrines. Delegates to Nan Yoh Bible Conference, 1920 THE DAILY PROGRAM OF THE AUTUMN BIBLE SCHOOL The program of work is as follows: Forenoon: Three lecture and quiz periods, 45 minutes each. Afternoon: Practical work and Scripture distribution among the pilgrims. Evening: Evangelistic services, writing up lecture notes and study. Rev. R. W. Porteous, a Missionary of the China Inland Mission in the Province of Kiangsi, writing of his visit to Nan Yoh last year, says: “Another delightful thing about the Nan Yoh Conference is the direct evangelistic work carried on daily by the men in addition to all the Bible studies and other meetings. Out With the Gospel at 3 A. M. “I just managed to get up one morning at 3 a. m. to join one of the groups of workers as they started out to waylay the pilgrims on the vari- ous main roads leading to and from Nan Yoh. These groups of which there are four, start out each morning in rotation with lanterns at the above mentioned hour, each party loaded with Gospel ammunition — some thousand booklets for each group. Often these are insufficient for a morning’s distribution, so many pilgrims pass along the roads. “One of the leading Chinese evangelists who greatly blessed the students with his straight talks one year, and who was himself greatly blessed in his communion with the men, said to me. It isn’t the mere fact that they get up so early that impressed me most: it is the way they do it. The Rev. G. G. Warren and a party of colporteurs at Nan Yoh Each man seems to have a conscience as to the man in the next bed whose turn it is to sleep on (they go out twice a week in the afternoons and others twice in the mornings). I am much struck with the quiet way in which they get up and go out.’ “Our stand that morning was on the Paoching road, we followed along in the trail of the lantern light till we came to a little shelter near by a temple. It was still dark when we got there but our lanterns lit up the shelter. While waiting for the pilgrims we talked over how best to present the Gospel message concisely and simply in the briefest possible time. Presently as we were talking we heard through the darkness the voices of approaching pilgrims singing as they tramped along. In an instant every man was at his post with his hands full of Gospel booklets, then as each pilgrim appeared in the light, the message of Life and Light was poured into his ears and placed in his hand. Those who wished to rest were invited to sit down, and as they thus rested, they were told the only way to get true rest and happiness. One thinks of those ‘shelters of light’ along the dark dreary roads of night and what they must mean to these hungry-hearted, footsore pilgrims as they pass on their way, some out into the darkness again and others, thank God ! out into the light of day. As we worked on, gradually the darkness gave way to the glory of dawn suggestive surely of ‘A morning without clouds’ which He shall be to many a Nan Yoh pilgrim because of these ‘Light shelters’ along the road. ” EMPTY BASKETS AND FULL HEART Dr. Keller writes regarding the 1920 Conference: “The enthusiasm with which men come to the Nan Yoh Conference was well illustrated this year by a Mr. Chen, a man of about seventy years of age. Mr. Chen had been led to faith in Christ by some of the Biola workers several years ago, and had longed to attend one of the conferences, but his home was five days’ journey distant and he did not have sufficient money to pay the traveling expenses. This year he deter- mined that he would manage some way to attend the conference. He made up a large quantity of sugared oranges, and with his heavy load he started for Nan Yoh selling the oranges by the way to pay expenses. His load grew lighter as the distance grew shorter, and at last he reached Nan Yoh with empty baskets but with a full heart, and there he made captive of us all by his joyous and triumphant smile. Before the con- ference closed the Chinese delegates made up a little purse for him so that his return trip was not so difficult. “I think I am right in saying that we have never had a year without having evidence borne by some students or other that the work of the previous year (or years) has borne fruit in positive additions by baptism during the past twelve months. “Before closing this letter I want to give you just one incident in connection with this work among these humble mountain folk. At the door of a little thatched cottage sat an elderly woman spinning cotton, as the evangelists were passing she called to them and asked them to come in and tell her their doctrine. She listened with intense earnest- ness, interrupting with questions when she did not fully understand. When they had finished she said: ‘Sirs, my life has been a very bitter one, it must be that I have many sins. I have worshipped the Goddess of Mercy with diligence and faithfulness, but have no peace. Now you tell me that Jesus is able to forgive sin and to give peace, this in truth is good news indeed. From this time I will no longer worship the God- dess of Mercy, but will with all my heart trust in Jesus, and seek from Him forgiveness. But please tell me just how to worship Jesus.’ And then, as they had done many, many times before in similar cases, the evangelists taught the poor old woman a simple prayer, and as they knelt there together this newborn child of God poured out her soul for the first time in prayer to the living and true God. After their united prayer and as the evangelists were leaving her, she thanked them over and over again and said to them: ‘Here 1 am, sixty years old, and have never before heard this Gospel, and if you had not come here I would have gone down to death without having heard.’ “1 fully believe that there are millions more in China whose hearts are ready to believe in Jesus, if only someone would go to them and tell them of Him. But, oh, the laborers are so few! ” Rev. R. W. Porteous and the aged Mr. Chen who walked for five days to get to the Nan Yoh Bible Conference NEW STATIONS One incident from a recent report will demonstrate the far-reach- ing influence of this department of our work. One of our leaders, Mr. Cheng, writes: “Last year the five sons of a prominent resident of Tui- Kuang-Chow, a man 76 years of age, went to the Sacred Mountain to worship and each received a copy of the New Testament. On their re- turn, the father devoted most of his time to reading these new books. Very soon he became convinced of the truth of the gospel and then em- braced every opportunity to talk to his neighbors about it, until they said he had become crazy. He took one of the Testaments and sent it to a very dear friend in Kweiyang, the capital of the province of Kweichow. When we reached the village, and the old man learned that we were preachers of the gospel, he welcomed us to his home as though we were near of kin. He asked many questions about the gospel, to which we replied by showing his passages of Scripture bearing on the points raised. At the close of our conversation the old man said: If only I were younger I would like to go out with you and proclaim this wonderful story of the saving grace of the Lord. As it is, I shall do my best to lead my family and my neighbors to repent and believe.’ One missionary who visited Nan Yoh, after seeing the opportunity and the work, said: — “Would it not be possible to provide quarters for a number of missionaries? I would like to see the rule adopted in our mission that every new missionary should attend one session of the Hunan Autumn Bible School before beginning his active missionary service.” The Pilgrims* Ten Mile Flight The road up the mountain is ten miles long, and about half of it consists of steps The case of a Mr. Liu, a former priest, affords a beautiful example of how God blesses and uses these books. His own precious Word, given out in prayer and faith. Mr. Liu was in a home in the ctiy of Liling per- forming the idolatrous ceremonies connected with his priestly office, when he saw an attractive looking book lying on the idol’s shrine. He asked what it was and his host replied that it had been given to him at Nan Yoh where he had gone on a pilgrimage the previous year. The priest asked the privilege of taking it with him to read. The book was our “Synopsis of the Gospel," a brief story of the life of Christ wholly in the language of Scripture. Mr. Liu took it, read it, and without any Mr. Hsiao telling pilgrim (on his 22nd annual pilgrimage) how the camera worked human help was led by it to give up his priesthood and idolatry and ac- cept Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. He noticed the invitation in the book to attend the Gospel chapel and though he is 64 years of age, and lives ten miles from Liling, every Sunday when the weather is not too severe he walks into the city, bringing his dinner with him, and after the services of the day returns again to his home. Dr. Torrey spent four months in China in 1919 and is most enthus- iastic in his endorsement of Dr. Keller’s work. He says regarding it: “Of all the institutions and various forms of Christian activity, vis- ited by me in China, 1 saw nothing that impressed me quite as much as being exactly fitted to meet the needs of the times in China as the work of Dr. Keller in Changsha, and the other lines of activity connected with it. What is needed in China are institutions for the training of pastors and ministers which shall be conducted more along the line of some of our Bible Institutes in America rather than along the line of a theological seminary. Dr. Keller has built up such an institution in Changsha. At present, this work is housed in rented buildings which are altogether in- adequate for its needs, but suitable buildings are in course of construc- tion in what is regarded by all who know conditions there to be the best Kneeling Pilgrims at Nan Yoh location in Changsha; a location so excellent that the Union Theological Seminary has purchased ground immediately adjacent on which to erect buildings, and another great organization is trying to get property ad- jacent. “Dr. Keller’s work evidently has the confidence of every one whose confidence is worth anything. On the day of my arrival in Shanghai, one of the old and tried missionaries of the C. I. M. urged me to see the work of Dr. Keller, saying that it was one of the greatest and most re- markable in China. The head of the Medical Department of the Uni- versity that is founded and conducted by Yale and located in Changsha, spoke to me in the highest terms of both Dr. Keller and his work, and said every one had confidence in him, for a body of ten Chinese and Americans who should be counsellors of their hospital, chose Dr. Keller as one of the ten. He also spoke in the highest terms of Dr. Keller’s tact, judgment and consecration. The President of the Union Theologi- cal Seminary at Nan Yoh who, if any one, would have occasion to be jealous, talked with me an hour at Kuling, telling me that the bands of workers sent out by Dr. Keller to different communities had revolution- ized the church life of those communities, and said that his work at Nan Yoh was one of the most remarkable in the country. “Dr. Keller has associated with him in the work a Mr. Hsaio, whom I met and with whom I was greatly impressed, and was told by others of his singular fitness for the work. One prominent man told me that Mr. H saio was the ablest Chinese in the Province of Hunan.” HOW THE RECORDS ARE KEPT Party Nb.l-Lcadcr, Cheng Tucn Tao PartT No. 2- " Tien llain Pei Party No.3- " Kang Chlen Heng PartT No.4- " On Yang Tien N1 Party No.5- " Hwang Chieh-'Aan Party No. 6- " .An Yon-Llng m m ^ m m m l^unan (Solportagp ISork BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES Cmanosha. Hunan. China SEMI-MONTHLY REPORT -A 1 JH. 1 m m fl@ m ai R m R m First Half iS irfc E3 » a m a * a $ 4 M.AI,m9 ] m m Wi m Pn iP n :\K 1 # a T % s NtlltS oil HI. SaltctiO HtMlMU 1 Sant tf [DuIrtM riiM SkMl •xtti ittpi Vlutae TiSUBMt 1 Tistamal im. ate. at tnni PtftMtS •1 Ntatf 1 ftrOMttat Titctt Traca Ctacllta 1 801 7 162 360 194 287 99 181 339 18 12 21 68 2 726 26 210 314 188 283 104 198 216 22 22 28 3 356 30 79 166 88 93 68 180 221 10 6 10 41 4 6 3 1 4 10 « 5 2 14 5 799 . 23 211 408 157 303 95 163 256 13 18 31 6 875 . 6 218 401 160 315 97 153 380 7 16 17 7 941 4 259 464 202 331 104 202 377 9 7 13 21 8 980 . 2 245 414 208 305 89 202 319 18 3 16 2 9 814 21 111 424 195 306 . 78 492 307 10 12 28 10 700 1 405 785 131 225 74 412 245 7 14 4 11 2 8 8 8 _ 13 24 15 4 12 nR3 . 4 170 357 81 243 . 64 128 225 8 14 19 13 761 - 8 269 322 132 217 124 225 359 16 31 14 23 14 791 » 23 244 297 150 266 . 112 222 264 3 20 15 42 15 892 - 9 212 422 141 272 90 213 304 . 22 7 8 lbl02 - 166 2809 5140 2036 3450 - 1198 2994 3836 161 101 194 347 THE PRESENT AND PRESSING OPPORTUNITY AEFORDED THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES IN HUNAN ( 1 ) Hunan has a population of 22,000,000. (2) From having been one of the most conservative provinces of the empire, it has recently become one of the most progressive. At once symbolic and indicative of this is the fact that the great wall that for ages has separated it from the surrounding world, is now in process of removal, under the direction of the government, and the massive gates that have for ages shut out that world by night, were recently left open, never to be closed again. (3) A modern railway connects it with the adjacent province of Kiangsi with its 26,000,000 inhabitants, giving us in the two provinces — bound closely by business and social relationships — a population half the size of that of the United States! (4) Changsha, the capital of Hunan, is electric lighted and a tele- phone system has been installed with the lines under ground, after the most approved fashion. (5) A public water plant is projected. (6) Business men (foreigners) are looking about for suitable sites for factories, business houses, etc. The prices of real estate are ris- ing and Chinese who can do so are picking up desirable sites intending to hold them for higher prices. (7) A broad boulevard will supplant the wall, after its de- molition. (8) The population of Hunan is well educated and energetic. (9) Its capital is an educational center, and one of four cities chosen by the Rockefeller Foundation as the seat of its medical work. (10) Fifteen denominations are at work in the province, and are carrying on schools for boys and girls, which will be great feeders for our Bible School work. (11) Many points are now ready for new stations had we trained men to man them. (12) Demands are coming in continually for trained evangelists OUR NEEDS FOR THE HUNAN WORK The Floating Bible Schools We d esire to increase the fleet of boats from nine to twelve. The cost of maintaining one of these boats for one year, including the upkeep of the boat, workers’ salaries and cost of literature, is approxi- mately $5000.00, or $45,000.00 for nine boats. This means an ex- penditure of $3750.00 each month. The cost of supporting a single colporteur for a year is, approxi- mately, $75.00. The Bible Institute of Changsha The approximate cost of supporting a student in the Institute at Changsha, for the school period of nine months, from September to June, is at the present time about $40.00. This amount covers cost of food, lights, books and $1.00 a month for incidental expenses. Tuition and room rent are free. As it is required that students come prepared to take the full course, unless prevented by ill health or some equally good reason, and be pro- vided with clothing and funds sufficient to pay their expenses for two years, a scholarship would cost $80.00. Picture the value of these students, a part of whose practical work will be house-to-house visitation, neighborhood Bible Classes, city mis- sions and personal work! Will they not be a great factor in the evange- lization of this large city, the capital of a great and influential province? This work is FOUNDED upon a WHOLE BIBLE and the OLD BIBLE, with a WHOLE-HEARTED man in charge, and is heartily com- mended and endorsed by all the evangelical missionaries in China. We believe that it is one of the best investments for definite, soul- saving work ever offered, and commend it to the Lord’s people. We will be glad to receive contributions for any amount, in behalf of any portion of it. (See inside back cover for further suggestions along this line). Inspiring accounts of the Hunan work appear each month in THE KING’S BUSINESS (the 100 page monthly magazine of the Bible Insti- tute of Los Angeles), and any further details which may be desired will be gladly furnished upon application to T. C. HORTON, Superintendent, Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Priest and shrine on road half way up the mountain Nan Yoh BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES Under whose auspices the Hunan work is conducted THE CRISIS IN CHINA How to Meet It, Compute the Value ! Dr. A. A. Fulton, the Dean of the Presbyterian missionaries in China (40 years), has said: “One thoroughly trained native missionary is of more value to China than ten missionaries from other countries.” Can you make a better investment of funds for work in China than in this school? These natives will be well and thoroughly trained for service and will be working under various evangelical, denominational auspices. (1) You can support a student for one year in Changsha Bible Institute for $ 40.00 (2) You can supply a scholarship for one student for two years for 80.00 (3) You can support a colporteur for one year on one of the boats for 75.00 (4) You can equip and maintain one of these boats for one year for 5,000.00 MILLIONS ARE DYING IN CHINA WITHOUT EVER HAVING HEARD A GOSPEL MESSAGE! THE CRY GOES TO GOD! Does It Reach Your Ears?