CHRISTIANITY IN PRACTICE A SERIES OF SKETCHES DESCRIBING INSTITUTIONS AND TYPES OF SERVICE ON BAPTIST MISSION FIELDS ABROAD Published as occasion may require Number Three JAPAN The Little White Ship of the Inland Sea AMERICAN BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY Ford Building Ashburton Place Boston, Mass. The Time Twenty years ago. The Tlace The Inland Sea of Japan, dotted with hundreds of islands separ- ated from one another and cut off from the mainland. The Opportunity To reach more than one million lonely and isolated people for the first time with news of the world’s Christ. The Method The “Fukuin Maru”, more fa- miliarly known as the Gospel Ship or the Little White Ship of the Inland Sea. The Results Five evangelists in active service. Sixty-two regular preaching places. Three hundred and sixty church members. Fifty-two Sunday schools. Thirty-five hundred pupils. The Gospel preached to thou- sands of Japanese. THE LITTLE WHITE SHIP OF THE INLAND SEA »T was Rev. R. A. Thomson, D.D., a mis- sionary on the border of the Inland Sea of Japan, who dreamed the dream of getting in touch with these lonely, unvisited island- ers. Millions of people had lived and died on these islands without hearing the story of Jesus. It was Mr. Robert Allan of the Allan Steam- ship Line of Scotland who made this dream a reality by giving 315,000 to the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society for a Gospel Ship. It was Captain Luke W. Bickel, peculiarly fitted for this unique missionary task by his training in the British Merchant Marine and later in the London City Alission, who was made captain of the new vessel. In 1899 the little white ship started on her maiden voyage. First months were anxious ones. The crew, by necessity a group of picked-up rather than picked men, were rough Japanese sailors who drank and gambled. They were not long in daily contact with a man of Captain Bickel’s character before a change was noticeable. One after another the entire crew was converted and the men became an aid rather than a hindrance to the work which their captain was trying to do. At first the strange ship met with opposition from the islanders who were rather proud of their independence and isolation. But the coldness soon thawed before the geniality of the captain and his wife and the insistent friendliness of their little son and daughter. Before long, doors that had opened only a crack at first were flung wide when the ship’s flag appeared in port. Hundreds of miles of intricate channels, the only access to many villages, had been traveled; towns were systematically and regularly 1 visited; Christian libraries opened; and Cliristian litera- ture scattered freely. Today 50,000 people a're preached to regularly and 3,500 have been enrolled in the fifty- two Sunday schools. The whole territory is divided into five districts with a Japanese evangelist in charge of each. A small boat, called the Fukuin Maru No. 2, sails up the creeks and bays inaccessible to the larger vessel. Afore than sixty centers are visited regularly and others are touched occasionally. Church members are found in sixty-five towns, and Christianity is recognized in 400 and more settlements. In 1913 the original vessel was replaced by a larger, faster ship which was necessitated by the remarkable growth of the work. The second Fukuin Alaru contains apartments for the missionaries, an assembly room, and several special rooms for the evangelists. Its powerful engines enable it to develop twice the speed of the first ship. Late in the spring of the year 1917, the little white ship became a ship of mourning. The pioneer captain, the friend of the islanders, had been guided by the great Pilot into another wider sea without horizon. Since this bereavement the little white ship has passed through stormy days. Rev. Frank C. Briggs took up the work courageously and enthusiastically, only to be called away all too soon to the captain’s side. But the work must live on. So it was decided that on January 30, 1918, the little ship should fare forth again, sailed by the cap- tain’s son, Philip Bickel, and manned by Doctors Chiba and Axling, as missionaries, aided by Dr. Thomson of Kobe, and various native evangelists whom the captain had trained. The work of the mission on the Inland Sea, like the gospel work in all lands, extends beyond the lives of its servants in the endless chain of lives they bring to Christ. 2 Captain Luke W. Bickel INCIDENTS OF THE INLAND SEA A n ignorant jinrikisha coolie named Ode San became converted at the age of 67 and returned from the mainland to his native village to preach, as he said. Since he could not write, could read the Bible only by spelling out each word and spoke most crudely. Captain Bickel was somewhat dismayed at having him the first representative of Christianity in his town. Three months after his conver- sion, the captain received a card, saying “Come preach.” He went, and found an audience of 400 waiting for him. 3 How had Ode aroused this interest? He had gone to a house where a sick man lay and offered to help the wife in any way he could. He had drawn water and carried wood until the man was well. He had visited all the sick of the town and offered help in the same way, preaching by his kindly acts and simple words. When he announced a meeting, 400 of his townsmen responded. He has spoken personally to 58,000 people and has opened up four islands since his conversion. HEN the second evangelistic center was opened on ’ ^ the islands, opposition from the four Buddhist priests arose immediately. A meeting of denunciation was announced and the people crowded to it to enjoy the evangelist’s discomfiture. But the outcome was a surprise. The priest, when cross-questioned by the evangelist, answered: “You and I are like fire and water. We hate each other, so let us leave each other alone.” The Christian said, “That is your view. My master tells me that you and I are brothers and bids me love you. This I do.” This reply ended the bickering and sent the people home wondering and pondering. Before many months the community and even the priests were friendly to him and his efforts. The four year old daughter of one of the island evan- gelists died. It was rumored in the town that the Chris- tians would mutilate her body before burying it. To prove the rumors false all the people were asked to attend the funeral. When they saw the little girl lying on soft white cushions with a rose in her hand and heard the father’s hopeful, almost happy words, they were noticeably im- pressed. After a baptismal ceremony which followed the funeral, a man was heard to say, “These Christian ordi- 4 nances and services have a depth and beauty that is en- tirely new to us.” All this occurred at the opening of this center where the usual opposition was met. Before three years had passed the mayor’s son was baptized and the children of the Buddhist priest were receiving instruction from the Christian evangelist. * * C APTAIN BICKEL once went to an official in a large city far from his field. The official said, “The Fukuin Alaru.^ Oh, yes, we have heard of her. You go to strange places to do good. We will grant your request.” In such esteem is the Gospel Ship held by Japanese men of authority. “A strangely persistent, energetic religion is that of yours,” remarked another official. * * A JAPANESE school principal was baptized and imme- diately lost his position. All work was refused him and his relatives and friends waited for him to reject his new belief in the face of poverty. They were dumbfounded when he returned to town after a short absence and began selling pencils and paper. Their jeering ceased immedi- ately. He is now an honored and successful evangelist among his own people. * * T he first evidence of his crew’s desire to help in the evangelistic work came to Captain Bickel most unexpectedly. Since their conversion the men had ceased hindering his work by thoughtless acts and words but they had shown no Inclination to aid him. One night while the Gospel Ship was in port the captain returned unexpectedly from an Inland trip and found placards posted all over the town, announcing a Christian meeting. 5 Much surprised, for he knew that the evangelist was away, he went to the meeting place and there found that two of his sailors had hired a house on their own initiative and were conducting services; * * * TT \ ER'^' day for ten months two little tots, the one three the other four, toddled down to the sandy beach at Tononiu, and kneeling lifted their faces to the blue sky above, clasped their hands together and prayed that the ‘dub-dub’ ship might come. Then scrambling to their feet they gazed longingly out over the wavelets to see their prayer answered. But no ‘dub-dub’ ship came. How could they know that the good captain would sail his ship no more.^ Their Scotch mother and Japanese father, who stand alone in a persecuting community that hates the yaso, were sick at heart. They knew that the captain had gone, and Air. Briggs to join him. The little white ship came no more. The villagers said that Christianity was beaten. How those two Christians longed for some comfort, for the shake of a friendly hand! On Easter morn, behold, — the Fukuin Alaru rounded the point, sped up the bay, and came to anchorage. That night a dele- gation of the headmen of the village came off to the ship and asked that meetings should be held regularly in that place as they wanted to hear more of a religion whose believers were so faithful and persistent. . . . Truly Easter had come to Tononiu. 51: * W HEN the people on the islands heard that Captain Bickel had died, they were overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. The village of Setoda, being the center from wdiich the Fukuin Alaru Church began its work, decided to hold a memorial service. It was first thought to have the service in the church building, but it was found to be too small, and so the leading theater was rented for the occasion. Flowers were sent by the village people, Christians as well as non-Christians sending these tokens of their love and affection for Captain Bickel. A large audience attended the memorial service including many sailor boys from the Mercantile Marine School, because they knew the captain and loved him as their friend. This service was a wonderful indication of the influence of Captain Bickel’s work. When he first came to Setoda nineteen years ago, the people declined to receive him. They signed a document to the effect that no one would rent their house for a meeting to this “Jesus Man” as they called him, and the captain had to face a serious opposition before he could begin his work. And now all is changed. Many active Christians live in the village; a fine kindergarten is conducted there, and it is hoped that soon a handsome church building will be erected for these village Christians. At the time of the memorial service, the people made special efforts to clean the streets for the sake of the visitors. When the death of Captain Bickel was announced one of the Japanese papers said: “In the death of Captain Bickel the Baptists have lost an ideal missionary, the Christian body has lost a member of apostolic character, and the Japanese nation has lost one who loved its people with a truer love than that of those born Japanese.” 7 FACTS ABOUT THE JAPAN MISSION Missionaries 56 Japanese Workers 233 Stations 10 Organized Churches 33 Church AIembers 3670 Sunday Schools 202 Sunday School Pupils 14,046 'I’heological Seminaries and Training Schools 3 Students 65 High Schools 5 Students 464 Secondary Schools 4 Pupils 658 Primary Schools 17 Pupils 1008 Appropriations $137,614.21 S CHRISTIANITY IN PRACTICE A series of sketches describing institutions and types of service on Baptist mission fields abroad Published as occasion may require THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED 1— A DAY IN THE TOKYO TABERNACLE 2— THE JORHAT CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS OF ASSAM 3— THE LITTLE WHITE SHIP OF THE INLAND SEA Others to follow IF YOU ENJOYED READING THIS NUMBER SEND FOR OTHERS IN THE SERIES Sample Copies Tree Quantity Orders — 25 cents per Dozen 130-6M-9-1-1918 F or additional literature or other information re- garding the work of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, write to any of the following : 1. The District Secretary of your district. 2. Department of Missionary Educa- tion. 23 East 26th Street, New York City. 3. Literature Department, Box 41, Boston. Mass. For information regarding any form of gift write to J. Y. Aitchison. Home Secretary, Box 41. Boston, Mass.