The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
WORK AMONG THE HEATHER
MIgsIoNhRIEs CAREFULLY CHOSEN
FOR THEIR DUTIES

eign Misunderstanding and Training Cam
didates-Presbyterian Foreign Missions.
Every year some hundreds OF young men and
women go out from this country TO foreign
lands to spend their lives In missionary work.
In taking up this work they practically expa-
triate themselves for they 20 without eXpecta-
tion OF ever coming back except for short
vacation from their toll when they are not
able to stand the strain OF 1t longer. The
financial rewards IRE insignificant - about
the scale - - rnskilled labor in this
country the diff1cut...e Great and
the dangers not inconsderable: comfort u.s."
given up and health Is risked. Notwthstand-
ing all this. the churches which send out
foreign missionaries have twice as many ap-
plicants as they can accept each year. and
already the map Of the uncivillzed world Is
specified with the little colonies. with their
schools and hospitals. founded and managed
by the missionary exies from this country.
There Is a general impression among persons
who do not know much Of the subject that all
that ia required OF man, in order that he
may become a light to the heather. is that he
shall be au earnest Christian belonging to the
sect which he wishes to ropresent IN the fold
and be OF sufficient intelligence TO instruct the
unciviliged natives among whom he ID to live
in the principles Of his religion. This is
great mistake To-day missionary work is
profession in every respect except in Its fnan-
cial returns and they are low because the
men whe undertake the work do not do so
for tho sake Of what they con get out Of it.
To be a missionary representing one Of the
large missionary bodies man must not only
be trained. but must also possess special quail
tiles fitting him for the demands OF the work.
Morally. mentally and physically he must be a
picked man. and to-day the best men from the
theological seminaries are embarking in this
work. The only limit to the extension OF the
field of labor Is the want Of money to support
the missions. As fast as money comes In the
missionaries are sent out. This year the
churches are sending out twice as many teach
ers and preachers to uncivilized peoples as they
sent out twenty years ago. That means that
actual results which satisfy the churches are
attained. and that the movement is on a solid
basis Of growing success.
The two denominations having foreign mis-
eonary headquarters in this city which devote
the most attention to foreign missions are
tho Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian
churches. or these the Presbyterian Board OF
Foreign Missions has Just held its annual con-
ference with It's newly appointed missionaries.
In all sixty missionaries will be sent out this
year. OF whom ffty-two were present at tho
conference. Seven OF these are married men.
ten more have announced their engage
ments within a fortnight and will take
their wives with them to aid In the
proselytins. and 1t Is expected that there
will be other marriages before the time
for departure comes. AS q rule the married
missionary is more effective In the foreign field
than the single man. though there are some
branches Of the work for which bachelors are
better fitted. Tho assignments. as far as
made. are as follows: To Africa. z: to Brazil.
] to Canton. 4 to central China. 6:to Hainan.
n "a t. a. a T
ana, 4: to Laos. 8: to Pekin. /: to eastern
Persia. 1 to Siam. g; to shantung. ! to Syria.
/ to western India, 8: unassigned. 3.
This represents with tolerable accuracy the
general distribution OF the work. Africa and
China have always been favorite fields with all
the missonar ~ scots. Corea is particularly IA
vored by the Presbyterians. as they have
had marked success there. The first mission
airy OF any Christian sect to go to that country
was DR.. II. n. Allen. q Presbyterian. and now
United States Minister to Corea and ever since
his advent the growth of the Church among the
natives has been rapid. In South America the
Roman Catholics have SO firm a hold that the
Protestant Church has little chance for prose-
lytizing. except in Brazil. whore there is
spirit OF broadness and religious tolerance
not common in other South American nations.
Many Methodist, Baptist Presbyterian and
Congreeationalist missions are to be found
there tits only Of late years that there has
been much success in Siam. but Persia. Syria
and Japan have long had opportunities for
learning the Christian religion from the mis-
| sionaries Of many scots.
To support a missionary costs tho Presby-
| terrain Church in the neighborhood OF $500 q
year after he has reached his location. He
goes out for eight years at the end of which
time no Is expected to return for year by way
OF vacation and also to keep him IN touch with
| the Church at home. Then he returns to his
| charge for another eight years. and the chances
| are that by the end OF that time. II he Is still
alive. the rigors OF the work and the climate
| for nearly all the missions are now in TROPICAL
| clmatss-will have pretty we'll worn him out.
| and he will be ready to como home definitely.
| though there are many cases Of mon who have
| served their third eiRht-year term and are still
! sturdily at the work. In speaking OF the men
| who go out for this duty Secretary specr OF tho
Presbyterian Board Of Foreign Missions said:
This last set OF me en- who have just been as
| signed to their missions are tho pick OF our
| seminaries. Every year the class Of men whom
We send Is getting higher. Nearly, all these
men are college srsdnstes representing fifteen
medicine. With U, he medical side q mis-;
| Ignorant and savage peoples best by attending
TO tn6lr DOully wants. 10 DO heHt OUT as u
medical missionary the candidate must have
| diploma from some reGoguized medioa
necessarily DO theoloGue or a doctor though OF
course, most OF orr missionaries are either the
| one or the other last year we sent out man
| who was a carpenter and architect: He was n
college graduate. too. by the way: had been a
carpenter first. then college student. then an
architect. We snapped Mt the chance OF get
ting him for q mission that is spreading. and
where new buildings are needed q practical
worker along those lines is Invaluable.
You might snpp9se that the harhshps to
suade many m en- from It. but the fact is that
We have mora applicants than We, can possibly
| send out. should say that not half Of those
who apply ,nre accepted, Our ,reauirements
| are pretty strict. We have found In three RCu-
erat1ons OF experience that certain qualities
are essential No matter how earnest and high
| minded and spiritual q man may be unless ne
has physique enabling him to Withstand III
| ness, fatigue and constant worry he won't do
as missionary simply because no wont
last. We send out no man who would
| not be accepted as first class risk
BY any insurance company. Mentally we re-
| Qnre a good education. faculty for acquiring
| ianguageb. qualities Of leadership and a nhtu-
raj ability to teach. Bcsldes that the candidate
| tnuat be ~ a bright. cneArful diSDO6itiDn