The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-09

/ try. The cost of maintaining missions
/ in the oriental countries was much less
/ than in this country and the results.
! reckoning the actual cost. much great
/ er. But despite all that was being done
] the real work had not vet actually be-
gun and the churches that were con-
tributinE toward the maintenance of
foreign missions should not pat them
/ selves ON the back and say they were
/ doing exceedingly well and more should
7 not be expected. 1t was as much the
j duty Of the Christian church to-day to
spread the gospel as when the COM
mand to do so was first given unto 1t.
The speaker said that ii was pos
sible to evangelze the entire world
within the next - years. BY this he
did not mean. he said, that the entire
world could he converted within that
time. but that the gospel could be pre-
sented to the entire world. be explained
10 all the people. Instead of the 1000
missionaries in India to-day there ought
to be 10000, as the field was great
enough for that number and the work
they could do would more than war
rant the outlay. In the speakers opin-
ion there We're too many churches and
ministers in this country in proportion
to the requirements of religion In
many places in this country there was
church and minister to every 40 or
so people.
In Denver, for instance. there are
over 100 ministers, of which number the
Methodists alone laid claim to 49, Mr.
Fuller said he did not want to be I'M
derstood as being opposed to churches.
nut churches to accomplish the object
Of their institution. should be properly
located Taking Denver as an illustra-
ton, the speaker said people often made
mistakes in locating churches. Denver
could get along with Is Methodist min
listers and the other 20 should be sent to
India or some other like country 10 do
missionary work. The trouble was that
the ministers of the gospel were not
properly distributed over the world
America. Mr.. Fuller said. could send
30, 600 of its ministers into the Orient to
work among the heathens and then
there would be still enough left here TO
do the work of the church 1t should
not be thought, however. that in order
TO be successful missionary IT was
necessary to be a regularly ordained
preacher. What was needed were sim
pie hearted men and women who them
selves had been converted and under
stood the truth as they had found it.
Laymen and women were among the
most successful missionaries because
they reached the masses among whom
they labored Mr.. Fuller urged the ne
cessity of foreign mission. work and
said it was a useless expenditure Of
fields of this country. that no good
could be expected from threshing over
old straw, yet this was being done con-
stantly in this country by the various
societies. There was plenty
Of work in India for every young per-
son anxious to consecrate his or her life !
to the glorious work of saving human
souls. The question of raising money
was then touched upon. The trouble |
was. SO Mr.. Fuller believed. that most |
people considered themselves the abso- |
lutte owners of what through God s !
goodness they possessed instead of mere |
stewards entrusted with the care of |
certain goods and money. Everything !
belonged to God, and he had a right to
demand that a part at least should be |
devoted to his service. and for the fur |
therance of His work. If only a small !
portion of the vast sums of money an |
rually spent by the people of America |
for pleasure was devoted to the cause
of converting heathens the good that
could be accomplished would be mar
Vicious. In this country professional
baseball players received $3.50 and even
more month, While in India some mis-
sionaries were paid only that much a
year.
Mr.. Fuller closed by asking the pray
ers of all Christians for the success of
foreign missions. Such prayers were
answered by God and their fruit was
made manifest by the many CONVEX
sions that followed the efforts of the |
men and women who were engaged in |
the labor of spreading the light of the |
gospel in dark places where the word |
had never been heard before.