Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
mo MORE WANTED" SAY
THE JAPANESE.

sions" which has effected several practical
results including the production of a COM
mon hymn book for all the japanese
churches.
The paradoxical statement is true, broad
ly speaking, that while the relations be-
tween the individual missionary and the
individual Japanese Christian have been
cordial. the relations between the missions
and the native churches have been strained.
The crux of the question has been the
control of the forces and the funds. The
missionary and his personal helpers have
worked in and for the local congregations,
but the latter have had no control over
them. The missionary is entirely outside
the jurisdiction of the native church. He
works when and where and how he pleases,
or as his mission directs. So, too, the
evangelists employed by the missionary are
governed in the matter of salary and
labor entirely by the missionary. When
it has CHANGED that one of these evan
gelists has received a larger salary than
the regular pastor of the church itself,
there has naturally been feeling. Indeed,
some japanese have gone SO far as to say
that it is not fair for the foreign mission
airy to receive four times the salary of the
Japanese pastor.
1t must be remembered that the mission
oil III Japan is not a pastor. he mas no
congregational duties and responsibilities,
such as ordinarily are borne by preacher
in America. Every congregation has it's
own native pastor and officers. These may
consult with the missionary, but he can
not boss them. The preaching mission
arys work is evangelistic; he pioneers
Christianity into new places In this he is
assisted by evangelsts. who work under
his personal supervision.
The money, however, is in the mission
arys control. Not all the churches, by any
means. are self supporting. They must
look to America and England for help.
to greater or less degree, a voice in the
direction of the work. Right here comes
the rub. The japanese want to control
the money. and in some cases the mission
airy, too. The talk is all of "co-operation,"
but it is not cooperation in which the mis-
slonary plays almoner. In fact, since the
Japanese churches have their own mission
boards they feel-or. at least, an out
should have the entire administration of
mission methods and money, with, Of
course. the full counsel of the missionaries
X
The Congregationalsts have gone prac-
tically thus far. The ''Kumiai'' are prac-
tically independent. The American board
makes to them an annual grant of money
for specific term of years, at the end
of which time, 1t is presumed. the churches
will have become self-suoporting. The en-
tire independently movement faces toward
the day when the japanese churches will
he Safeguarding, self-supporting md
self-propagating. The missionaries of the
American board very generally yield them
selves to the counsel of their Japanese
associates. One man told me the other
day that, in counsel with the native pas
tors, they had assigned him his work for
the coming year. He says that he finds
this relation perfectly satisfactory, and
that the attitude of the japanese is in
nowise dictatorial, but that all are together
seeking the one end of the works welfare.
The Young Mems Christian Association
in similar manner, fully comedies to the
desire of the Japanese. All the associa-
tons in this country even where main
tanned by American money are entirely
managed. in detail and in general by Japa-
nese officials. The American secretaries
here govern only by advice, and that en-
tirely suggestive and tentative. The mag
naf1cent work Of the Young Mems Christ
Ian Association, which everybody praises
would be impossible were the American
secretaries not the most tactful, far sight
ed and self-effacing of men. None of
them has any actual authority at ALL
All this is no mere raciaf jealousy. It
goes deep. Are the japanese qualified
for ecclesiastical self-government, as they
have proved their fitness for political self
government? Akin to this is the consid-
Grafton whether a mission land is forever
to remain a mission land, nurtured by out
side agencies. The native church in Japan
covers the entire empire. 1t has many self
supporting congregations, and powerful
leaders not a few. 1t is said that in re-
mote government schools where there was
not single Christian the students are
nevertheless divided into Uemura and
Ebana camps-these latter being the names
Of the preachers who are the leaders of
two parties in the churches, whose vigor-
our newspaper controversies are familiar
to a wide constituency. The Japanese
church has an established foreign mission
work of its own In Formosa and Korea.
I have been at pains to inquire as to
the character OF Japanese Christians. On
all sides hear that the intelligent deyo-
ton of Japanese Christians to the cen
trail truths of Christianity is unquestioned.
Whatever the outcome of the present con-
troversy, the native church will remain
loyal to the teachings which 1t has had
from the missionaries. I personally have
seen congregations of Christians here, of
several UNCONVENTIONAL Names whose de-
votion and sincerity was apparent to any
observer. ripper or more sanity charac-
ter it would be hard to find than one old
blind man with whom talked who has
been through long persecution for the sake
of his faith.
Irndo,rhfedIy too Christianitv has Gonna