Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-21
PIONEER MISSION
WORKER VISITOR
DR.. j. H. Harpster, % Years in
India, Tells People Here of
Christian Progress.
SEES INCREASING INTEREST
TVo-thirdS of Human Race Yet With
out Religion-Duty Enlightened
Towards the Ignorant.

DR.. J H. Harpster for % years mis-
sionary in India at the Rajahmundry
mission of the general council of the
Lutheran church of America, was in
The twin-cities Saturday and Sunday
Saturday evening he gave an interest
ing talk to the students of Augustana
college. Sunday morning he occupied
the pulpit of the Grace Lutheran
church IN the afternoon he delivered
an address at meeting of the Augus-
tana Foreign Mission society, and in
the evening he preached in the Swed-
ish Lutheran church in Moline. DR..
H2rpster is at present on a furlough
in the United States, visiting congre-
cations He expects TO return TO In
dia ii about a month. In the address
delivered at the Augustana Foreign
Mission society, the veteran mission
airy described the Godaveri mission of
the general council and made strong
appeal TO the students to continue
their support OF missionary work and
also to come out themselves and serve
on the mission field.
What is the church for, but to raise
up foreign missions?" said DR.. Harp
ster. What is education for, but to
educate foreign missionaries? What
is commerce for, out to bring mission
aries TO their destination? What is
money for, but to support missions?
What is life for. but to preach the
gospel?
For hundreds of years Indifference
has characterized the missionary work
2 &c on
tary on the Christian church that two
thirds of the human race is still non
Christian But I believe We have
premise of a new era. as is evidenced
by the growing zeal for home and for
eign missions. the laymen's mission
arv movement, and the many conven-
tons that are every year held for the
purpose of increasing interest in mis-
sionary activity.
India's Enormous Population.
It is our stern duty 10 preach the
gospel to all beings upon whom God
has put the stamp of immortality, and
all the countries of the world-as IN
dfa. China. Japan, Persia, Turkey. AT
rica-are in need of missionaries.
There are special reasons, however,
why We should, al all costs. maintain
our mission in India In the first place,
India has such an enormous pOpula-
ton, and work can be carried on upon /
a large scale. In the GOdaveri district, /
IN which our missionaries are working, I
1900, 900 people are crowded into a /
small territory Within an area OF
two square miles Is villages can be .
seen. in each of which a Christian con-
gregation is established.
In the second place, the district is
a healthful one. No lives are wasted /
in the work. as is the case in some /,
parts of India. where, as rule, one
half Of the population is always down
with fever. IN the third place, the peo- /
pie are singularly receptive to the
preaching of Christianity. and a man
with sympathy and tact is certain to
he successful.
The fundamental idea. the very
basis of teaching, both for young and /
old. is the bible. You in America are /
SO afraid of the bible. You do not al
low it 10 be taught in your public /
schools Rut be you sure that there is
something radically wrong in this ex-
clusion of Christian teaching from the
young: and it viii reap It's own reward. /
work of Native Converts.
"An essential element in our mis- I
sionary activity is the work of the ma
tive converts. and there are at present /.
$50 native workers in our field. 1t is |
8 we'll known fact that no nation can I
be converted by foreigners, and l dare
say that 80 per cent of all conversions /
have been by native workers, men of
the soil In the last seven years we |
have averaged more than 1000 open
conversions to Christianity every .
year
Children Taken for Outing.
The teachers and "a pupils of the
West End settlement, through the