Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-15
Final Session
OF Maine Student
Conference at Colby

Inc maj session OIL the Maine Oldtc
student missionary conference at Col
by was held Sunday, March IA, in the
college chapel. Delegates returned to
their various schools yesterday. The
four colleges and schools represented
were Bangor Theological Seminary.
Bates College, the University of Maine
and Colby. The conference was very
well attended, about Is students from
Bates, 10 from Maine, eight from Ban
gor and 40 from Colby being present.
Friday afternoon the guests regis
tered and We're assigned rooms. A
banquet at the First Baptist church
took place Friday night.
Saturday was full day. A student
volunteer meeting was held at SIS in
the morning. Roger Cleveland of Ban
gor Theological Seminary presided. Mr..
Cleveland is president of the Maine
State Student Volunteer Union Coun-
Gil. At 8 O'Clock devotional service,
led by Ray Buker of the Bates athlet-
ic department, was held in the First
Baptist church. Following the devo-
tional service four discussion groups
met in various rooms Of the church.
Ray Buker led one group. He empha-
sized the fact that missionaries must
not antagoniZe natives of other coun-
tries by attempting to overthrow all
of their established customs. What
is best in the culture and philosophy
of each nation should be retained, and
Christianity should grow from that
basis of familiar things. Lucien Will
son, secretary of the Maine Y. NJ. G.
A. and missionary to China, discussed
foreign missions and methods of
.Christianizng a college campus in the
group he led. Herbert L. Newman,
professor of biblical literature at
Colby. led a discussion group on the
subject of missions. He said there is
not the proper interest in foreign mis-
sions for the following four reasons:
People have wrong idea of them; this
idea is vague; they have too many
other interests, and they consider mis-
sionary work impractical. Professor
Newman said knowledge of the facts
was the only solution to the lack of
interest in missions. The fourth
group, led by Miss Vera NJ. Rice. di-
rector of religious education at Co.
burn Classical Institute, discussed the
problems in the minds of missionaries.
They are a lack of interest of the
church and of people in general in
missionaries, and a misdirection of fl
nances. The solution to these prob
lens lies in education and thorough
understanding of Christianity.
DIR. Charles A. Cummings, professor
of Old Testament language and liter
ature at Bangor Theological Seminary,
gave an address after the discussion
groups had ended their discussions.
Dr. Cummings has been missionary
to India for five years. He brought
the message of India to America.
He said Americans should be ready
to listen to the ~old civilizations of
the east. India has some literature
we ought to know. DR.. Cummings
eulogized Gande. the great Indian
teacher and leader. A short life of
Gande was given, then the aim of his
/, life work was stated as follows: To
make India a nation worthy of lib
erty, then, to procure liberty from
England and home rule for India.
Candies message to the western
world is: God is real, man is spir-
itual; if one really loves God, he will
fear nothing; the great power Of God
works through love-" India has ex-
perienced three stages in her attitude
toward Christianity: First she said
this message is not true; then it is
not new; and finally 1t is not you.
DIR. Cummings said one of the great
est obstacles to missionary's work
is that the natives in the country
where he is working point to Amer
lea and say, you don't have Chris
tianity in America"
Miss Ruth Seabury, secretary of
the missionary board of the Congre-
gational church. gave an address on
Friendship" Friendship is the thing
most needed by other nations. A
missionary must always manifest a
friendly attitude, she must draw out
of eastern civilizations the best that
is in them and then relate it to our
civilization. Open mindedness is a
necessary quality for a missionary.
Missionaries are not primarily lead
ers Of the groups in which they work
but friends of the people in those
groups.
Saturday afternoon a devotional
service was led by Lucien Wilson.
Lawyer A. r. Rogers of Waterville
delivered an address on christian
Love-" He told of some experiences
with clients who showed hatred
toward their neighbors, clients who
demanded their rights and were in
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