nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

FOREIGN MISSION BOARD 229
MISSIONARY PERSONNEL ON THE PATHWAY TO PEACE
I. W. MARSHALL. Secretary V
DEPARTMENT OF MISSIONARY PERSONNEL
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us? Then I said, Here am I, Send me.—Isaiah 6:8
On April 10, 1945, the Foreign Mission Board commissioned thirty-eight
new missionaries; eight to Nigeria, West Africa; one to Palestine; four to
Japan; three to China; three to Hawaii; seven to Brazil; four to Colombia;
two to Argentina; two to Chile; two to Uruguay, and two to Mexico. Because
of personnel needs in so many stations, the Department of Personnel tried to
find at least fifty qualified candidates for appointment in 1945, but only thirtysight
could be found.
The Foreign Mission Board has committed itself to the appointment of
fifty or sixty missionaries during the year 1946 but, according to records available
in the personnel office, the Board will be unable to find more than forty
yc forty-five who are ready for appointment.
This condition must be changed. Recruits for undermanned mission stations
around the world must be found. On the basis of our present financial
status, the Foreign Mission Board must commission a minimum of fifty new
missionaries each year up to 1952. If the foreign-mission budget is increased,
the missionary personnel can be increased.
"Foreign missionaries have done more for world peace than any other
group." So said President Harry Truman to a group of Southern Baptist
missionaries who were his guests in the White House a few weeks ago. Christ
has. commissioned us to preach the gospel to all nations. He offered no other
remedy for war. The way of foreign missions is "the pathway to peace" in
this, the darkest period of the world. We must endeavor to help people in all
countries to become really Christian immediately. Certainly the missionary
movement can play a major role in preventing a third world war. Surely
Southern Baptists will give with abandon to support a plan for preventing
another war. Until we really believe that Christ is the only remedy for war,
and until we give our money, our possessions in a worthy way to the evangelization
of the world, we are not going to have many of our young people consecrating
their all to the task of world missions.
Southern Baptists face the most titantic job ever placed before them. It is
a judgment day for us. If we fail to offer the world the only hope, we shall
be traitors to our age, our Christ, our country, and to our children. For the
Foreign Mission Board representing a constituency of five and a half million
Southern Baptists to have only 550 missionaries under appointment at present
is unthinkable.
Pastors and other leaders throughout the South are urged to co-operate
with the Department of Missionary Personnel in finding qualified missionary
volunteers and candidates.
STRONG GOSPEL PREACHERS NEEDED
Mature preachers of the gospel are in great demand for every field. A
minimum of three ordained men with wives is needed for evangelistic-educational
work in Nigeria; twenty-one for evangelistic work in China's churches; four for
student evangelism in China; fifteen for evangelism in Japan; two for Rumania;
one for Spain; one for Moslems in Yugoslavia; three for Mexico.
A minimum of nine ordained men with wives should be found for city
evangelism in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela; six for Chile; three for
Argentina; two for Uruguay; ten for Brazil; one for student evangelism in
Brazil; five for evangelism in Hawaii; one ordained man and wife for pioneer
work in Transjordania; one couple for supervision of orphanage in Palestine.
Other successful young pastors are needed for work abroad.
TEACHERS—MEN AND WOMEN
Twenty-one teachers are needed at once for Nigeria where several faithful
missionaries have collapsed recently because of overwork. Ten teachers are
needed for secondary schools for girls; four teachers for secondary schools for
boys; four theological teachers; manual arts teacher and wife; and two teachers
for normal schools are urgently needed.