Excerpt from Some Phases of Mission Policy, a Study of Problems: With Messages From the Field, and Letters to the Churches

The evangelistic and educational departments of foreign missionary service are so interlaced and mutually helpful that only in theory can they be entirely separated. If both are Chris tian in spirit they must continually reinforce each other. The only reason for raising the question above stated is the necessity for re trenchment which the Prudential Committee has had to meet. In time past the educational work Of the Board had less money and attention given to it than the evangelistic work. If either must be given a less adequate support, it would appear that the more expensive work should be the first to suffer retrenchment. This is the more evi dent from the fact that a temporary abridgment of evangelistic work does not involve permanent loss, as Such work may easily be expanded when increasing revenues permit its enlargement; while, on the other hand, a temporary retrench ment in educational work might involve a per manent loss, - a loss not easily to be repaired when increased revenues might permit it. More over, as the work of the Board becomes perma nent, it would seem that the proportion of ex pense between these two departments might naturally be reversed, naturally the educational work requiring increasing service. At first the preaching of the gospel claims chief place; then from among converts choice spirits are selected to put in training as native helpers. They in turn become evangelists, and those won by their preaching enter the schools and colleges, and so the work increases and multiplies. In our judg ment, the Christian college and divinity school, with the literature which they naturally produce, are the last forms of helpfulness to be with drawn. These the native converts cannot pro vide or continue unaided. Without these the piety of any people will soon become superficial, emotional, and tainted with fanaticism. Contact with the Christian world at large and the church of all ages must be maintained by our scholars and authors, and is indispensable to the highest efficiency of our missionary service.

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