The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-04
Million Souls For Christ
Korea;s Great Campaign for Converts in Year, How
to Help in Prayer
to Help in Prayer
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS

Korea is in the midst of an evan
gelistic campaign which is stirring the
country to its center, and which may
OF October, 1909, the general council
OF Korean missionaries, assembled in
Seoul, decided to pray and work for a
million converts in Korea in years
time
This without doubt constitutes the
most daring and courageous forward
movement undertaken by any country
| in the history of the Christian church.
And it is strangely significant that
such II conquest should be attempted
| in a nation where the first mission
was opened only a quarter of cen
tnry ago; and where the people have
had the New Testament in their own
language for less than score of
years. The splendid faith of the Kor-
can missionaries is seen even more
the number of church members aud
catechumens in the country is only
about 10000. and the total adherents
about 100000.
| The great movement for million
souls originated in prayer and the
study of Gods word. About six months
ago a little group of missionaries in
Songdo felt keenly the need of more
power in their own lives and in the
lives of the Koreans around them.
| Thay na1 lnl fop >vaal- nf MI
each day they studied Gods word to
find out how to pray. On the even
ing of the fourth day the meeting
was prolonged until midnight, but three
of the missionaries remained in prayer
until / a. m. At that time Gods
Spirit descended upon them in power
and they were filled with great peace
and love, and an intense desire To pray
through to victory
A few days later these same three
missionaries, DR.. w. T. Reid, NJ. j.
Stokes and Rev. F. X. Gamble,-met
together for an entire day of prayer
Suddenly, as they prayed, the Holy
Spirit seemed to fill the room, while
Mr. Gamble seemed to see Christ stand
ing over Korea with hands outstretched
i'm blessing. Following this these three
young men and two other SOngdo mis-
lsionaries spent several days in prayer
in 4 temple on a nearby mountain
and then went forth filled with a con
Stunning passion for souls.
AS Mr.. Stokes went through the
} country villages he asked the Koreans
in a certain district whether they wouE
work and pray for $4,000 souls in q
, year. They went to work so willing
ly, that the matter of asking God fol-
a great multitude of converts wa.
! brought up at the annual conferenc,
of the Methodist church, south, helt
in Seoul. They adopted as thei
watch-word for the ensuing year: "Twt
. Hundred Thousand Souls for Christ
Dr. Reid reported to the general coun
ell of evangelical missions the action
of the Methodist body, and COMMIT
tee was appointed to consider whethe
all the missions working in Kore;
ought not to unite in similar plan
AiIcI PioioHSed prayer ana careIl
consideration the committee recommend
ed that all the missionary bodies shoul'
unite in asking God for million
souls the following year. The council
| after earnest prayer for guidance, a
length adopted the plan, and thus wa
, inaugurated the most remarkable gos
! pei campaign in history; the attemp
to Christianize in years time on
/. million of the thirteen million inhabi
tants of heather land,