Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-07-16
nv other industrial school

school is Rev. Graham Lee, who seems
to be a practical mechanic. In add
ton to running the industrial school
he is the pastor of the largest church
in Korea, and has charge of 40 country
churches besides.
Like Story-Book Missions.
This suggests the country work that
centers in Pyeng Yang, and one pecu-
liar phase of Korean missions. The
church here is self-supporting New
churches spring up almost in a night,
The Korean Christians are trained to
do personal work Everyone is ex-
pected to be an evangelist. Thus ii
comes to pass, that, by the telling of
the news from mouth to mouth, the
number of believers spreads with
greater rapidity than the missionary
can follow. 1t seems literally true
here that the missionary cannot keep
up with the work, much less lead it.
A few days ago Dr. Wells and DR.
Sharrocks went to VIII, a city north
of here, which figured often in the war
dispatches. En- route they looked in
upon some country congregations. The
first night in little village of about
1920 inhabitants, they found a prayer
meeting under way-the regular mid
week service, with no less than 700
persons present. This, be it remem-
bered, was in a village where no mis-
sionary resides, and where no white
man visits oftener than once a quarter.
The next night they came, as unex-
pectedly as before, upon another vii
lage prayer meeting. with 600 persons
in attendance. In these villages, as in
many others round about, the viii
layers, Christian and non-Christian,
are in the habit of gathering in the
church for morning prayers, before
going out to the fields for work.
1t seems as if religion has become
the very life of these people. 1t is
certainly their supreme interest and
pleasure. They build their own
churches, with their own hands In
deed the Christian communities
throughout Korea probably come as
near communism, in their simplicity
and fraternity and cooperation, as any
thing known in this present day.
One Man Baptizes More Than Thou
sand.
From Win l hear a story that
matches the famous incident of the
delegation of Indians to ST. Louis,
years ago, to seek somebody to go
back with them to teach them the
white mans book. The Win Chris
tians have built themselves a commo-
dious church and have now established
an academy or higher school. Among
them, however, was nobody qualified
to conduct the latter. So at the an
nual meeting of the Presbyterian mis-
sion a delegation was sent down from
Win to Seoul to plead for a mission
airy. The people agreed not only to
give him the heartiest of welcomes,
to provide his salary as we'll Yet they
were sent back with their request de-
MED. There are not enough mission
aries to go around.
Here in Korea there is no hunting
up of people for the church; the peo-
pie are clamoring to come in. During
the mission year just ended, one man
in this region, Rev. c. E. Kearns, bap-
tised LOO Koreans. Yet it is not made
easy for a Korean to become a Chris
tan. Careful always lest men and
women should desire to enter the
church from unworthy motives, every
applicant is obliged to become a cate
chumen for at least one year. Then
he must pass rigid examination as
to his character and his knowledge of
Christian truth. The missionaries i'm
pose what they say is the New Tesla
ment standard of conduct upon the
people, Every Christian is required
to be a total abstainer, to refrain from
all forms of gambling, to observe Sun
day strictly, and to have a clean char
acter morally. An offending member
is promptly disciplined
The Magistrates Concubine.
When it is considered that these
people are just emerging from the
raw heathenism and devil worship
which prevails around them, these
standards seem the more remarkable.
The Korean Christians here go far
Their than their fellows in America.
In the "big church" of Pyeng Yang
some of the members have formed an
anti-tobacco society, for the Koreans.
men and women, are confirmed smok-
ers. These people give the money
they thus save to the church, and two
colporteurs are so supported.
No distinction is made among
classes. In a village near here the
magistrate, who is the chief resident
official, desires to become Christian.
The local church leaders came to the
missionary to ask what they should
do, since this great man keeps con-
cubine The decision was immediate
and decisive that he could not be &C
cepted as a catechumen until he had
conformed to the church's standard
in all respects, no matter how high
his Office or how great his wealth.
1t is said that, with respect to the
percentage of gifts and with respect
to the activity of the ordinary mem
bers of the churches, Christianity in
Korea is far ahead of Christianity in
America. Certainly for ingenious,
open-hearted, child-like Christianity.
I have never seen anything to equal
these Koreans. Their manner, their
words and their work irresistably sug-
gest the church of the apostolic age.
(Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Bunyan's Primitive Flute.