Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-09-17

.his of the contention OF the mission
airy, that he came to work for natives
and not for foreigners, cannot be du-
pllcated But 1t is nevertheless sig
nificant
A Missionary Rebellion.
Since this article Is dealing with
missionary shortcomings, 1t is proper
to tell the story Of missionary rebel
lion which has it's focus in Tientsin.
In the southern part of this province
Is an independent undertaking called
the South Chilli mission" begun ten
years ago by Rev. H. w. Houlding, an
American Congregationalist The
mission is not related to any church
or denomination, its support coming
chiefly from Independent city mis-
siOns and from Congregational
churches in the west and middle west
Of the United States. Mr.. Moulding,
it appears, has the gift of glowingly
portraying China's needs and last
year he received more than $4,000
for the work of his mission. During
the past eight years he has brought
out SO adult missionaries, most of
them coming at their own expense
and putting all their worldly posses
sions into common mission fund,
from which they could never withdraw
them.
Troubles in the mission have been
almost constant, and now former
members OF the mission are out in
public circular, which they are send
ing widely to America, making vari-
GUS charges against the mission and
its head 1t is reported that the
American consul general is taking
steps to require Mr.. Moulding to pro-
vide return passage to America for his
missionaries, since number of them
have become charge on the consul
ate. For it appears, according to this
circular, that of the SO missionaries
brought out, three have died and 38
have left the mission in dissatisfac-
ton Most of these have remained in
China, in connection with other mis-
sions; some have gone into business
here, and some have returned to Amer
lea.
The circular charges Mr.. Moulding
with lack of proper qualifications for
leadership, with denying the mission
aries voice in the management of
the mission; with running a sort Of
absolute monarchy, all the property
being in his own name; and with max
ing representations concerning the
work which are not borne out by the
facts. The signers of the circular say
that they have made the mildest posi-
BILE presentation of the real situation,
and they hint at more serious evils.
Some of the many stories current here
are ludicrous. One member of the
mission was British, and liked his cup
of afternoon tea. The mission thought
this wicked and sinful indulgence.
When he persisted in the practice,
they held a mission prayer meeting
over him, to show him the evil of his
course! Another member was SINH
larly disciplined for being too fond Of
peanuts! All this while grave evils
were existing in the conduct of the
mission.
Stranded Missionaries.
One hears many stories in the east
concerning independent missions,
without substantial and responsible
bodies back of them at home. Espe-
cially are tales told of the faith"
missions. Jealous and unqualified en-
thusiasts come out on faith and the
other missionaries and foreigners
have to support them to keep them
from starving, until they can secure
work or provision is made for their
return to America. have repeatedly
been told instances of this sort con-
corning a Scandinavian mission whose
people come chiefly from Minnesota.
Some of the independent missionaries
who do manage to get along, are
obliged to give a large part of their
time to cultivating their American
constituency.
These missionaries who come out
with no other equipment than enthusi
asm make strange blunders. One
party of Swedes, whose advent is
pronounced memory in missionary cir
cles, bore each a musical instrument.
They would play and sing hymns
along the street, to the entertainment
of the Chinese. The young women
wrote home glowing accounts of the
crowds they gathered by their street
meetings, not realizing at all that in
China such performances as theirs are
always attributed only to evil charac-
tiers and the basest of motives. In
stead of doing good, they actually did
only harm.
Akin to these, are the religious fad
dists who enter the foreign fields,
representing some special tenet or
doctrine. These make no special eff
fort to reach the genuine heather, but
confine themselves to PROSECUTING
among the native Christians. Still
easier mission work is that done by a
holiness sect in America which pub
fishes a paper called THE Gospel
Trumpet" 1t appeals for funds to
evangelize the heather, and then
spends the money for sending copies
of the paper to missionaries of the
various denominations, already on the
field! Thus, every missionary in ia
pan receives "The Gospel Trumpet"
and none, so far as | could learn, ever
reads it.
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles)