The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
NORTHERN KOREA
AN ideal {. / FIELD.
Romantic Chapter Of Christian
Missions Being Written About
City Of Pyeng Yang.
A MOST REMARKAB LIE CHURCH
IS Made Up Of and Supported
BY White-Robed
Koreans.
A MOST RENAL KABLE CHURCH
By w. T. Ellis.

/
PYENG YANG, KOREA, November
the traveller in Korea, Pyeng,
the second city in the empire. Is nota-
BILE as a boat-shaped city where the
people are afraid to dig wells lest they
should sink the city: and as the an
Gent capital of the nation where Kejn
who was Korea's Peter the Great,
ruled about the time King David was
on the throne of Israel and Keja's
grave and Keja's we'll are still pre-
served. TO the religious world, Pyeng
Yang is known as the centre Of the
most remarkable missionary work now
under way anywhere on the earth.
Within sixteen years a Christian
constituency Of 5000 persons, that Is
doubling itself annually, has been built
up and in the surrounding country
the number amounts to more than
$4,000 AS an instance OF the way
in which the church grows may be
mentioned the fact that the mother
church Of Pyeng Yang has swarned
three times within four years and
yet retains membership Of 914 COM
municants and 334 catechumens. The
church, which seats 200 persons on
its hoor-of course there are no pews
or chairs-ls crowded every Sunday.
Tho attendance at the mid-week pray
er meeting ranges from more than
700 to 1900 or 1900 The smallest Of
the congregations which have gone
out from Central church numbe moro
than $50 memb ers; the largest twice
/ that many.
Where Religion Has introduced
Baths.
All Of these congregations are en-
tirely self supporting , and they main
| tain several religious enterprises. such
as day schools, colporteurs and book
| store and library. They have estab-
| lished school for the blind and have
made the beginnings OF an insane asy,
| lum, both the first of their kind in
| Korea.
More significant than any OF these
| offshoots of the church, the public
bathhouse run by the Christians for
| badly as 1t needs religion. Korea needs
soap and water ask no further
| proof Of the genulneness OF the con-
| version of these people than the fact
Of this bathhouse. with its four bath
! tubs and two shower baths-the latter
! made by uptilted and perforated
/ Standard oil cans. The full meaning
OF this institution can be appreciated
only by one who has Travelled In Ko-
1 rea
!. The three pioneers OF this Pyeng
Yang work are still here, and still
young mon They arrived sixteen
Wears ago-Rev. Dr. S. A. Moffet Rev
Graham Leo, and Or. J. Hunter Wells
of the Northern Presbyterian Board
They CHANGED to be men Of .arge Wis.
Ion and statesmanlike mold, and SC
they laid broad foundations upor
! which the present phenomenal enter.
prise has been rising.
Following them at intervals came
seventeen other missionaries OF tht
Same denomination. Prior to -no Pres
byteran settlemen., Dr and Mrs. w
j. Hall, medical missionaries of thu
4, Northern Methodist Church, We're al
ready In Pyeng Yang, but at the dealt
OF DR. Hall In 1894 the Methodist
Withdrew for a time, but later thei
re-cstabllshed and now have mission
aries in the field, and two THRIVING
churches In the city proper. as we'll n
their country work, found Mrs. No
bile, wife OF u Methodist visionary
teaching the Bible ono week-da!
morning to Il class Of more than
hundred women and girls, who hn'
como in from the country for TIM
purpose. Mrs. Hall, who is n physi
clan, has since returned and conduct
u hospital for women, which, however
burned down Il few weeks ago.
An Extraordinary Pray -Meetin
!. What may safely be called the mos
remarkable midweek prayer meetin
in tho world is that which ] attende
in the big church In Pyeng Yang, Tn
building Is L-shaped and divided int
halves by wooden partitions at tn
angle of the l., One side Is reserve
for women and the other for mel
The church Is utterly devoid OF furnl
ture except rough straw mats on tn
, floor,
!, Into it were gathered on this Wed
! nesdny evening no less than 100
persons, mon and boys, women an
!, Children all seated upon the tlool
J And n picturesque scene they pre-
. sented, the men wearing the grea
i variety OF queer Korean hats, tn
) boys dressed in gay Oriental color
: and the women all In white. with tul
}. bans on their heads. On the street Il