Missionary alliance 1888.pdf - DSpace

18 INTER~8EMINARY )IISSIONARY AI~L1ANCE.your organization, or in any discussion of its possible influence .. Thepoint to which I refer Is the probable IOOuence of the Inter-SemlOaryAlliance upon the policy of tbe Americau cburches in respect to thetheory and practice of training tbe missionaries of tbe future. InEurope, as you may know, there are two theories upon this subject:the one tbat missionaries should be trained in tbe same institutionsIn which ordinary ministers are trained; the other that they sbould beeducated In institutions apart from the home ministers;- seminariesfounded and maintained for such work exclusively. The fi rst of thesetheories is exemplified In the provisions-such as they are- of mostEuropean churches for theological and missionary education. Thesecond has given rise to such institutions as tbe Basler Mission HouseIn Basel, Switzerland, and tbe Augustine College at Canterbury, E ngland.The question as to which of these is the preferable plan is onethat should be carefully weighed by every Christian communion. Formyself, after tbirtv years of observation and study, I feel no hesitancywhatever in pronouncing the attempt to train the missionaries of achurcb in iRolation from those who are to be tbe home ministry of thatchorch, an exceedingly grave mi take. I will not now take the time togive you the reasons which have led me to this conviction; but two orthree suggestions may belp your thought.First, a weigbty reason in ravor of the co-education of the twobra.nches of the ministry is found in the superior economy of such apohcy. Botb classes need substantially tbe same instruction. Infounding. a "~[~ssio~ary College " it would be necessary to duplicateevery chair eXI8tmg m our theological seminaries. It would be n eces~aary to have profes.'ors of Oriental and Sacred P hilology, of Hermeneu~c.and HO~llletICs, of Sacred History and Cburch IIi story ofDidactICS and Etblcs, of Etbnic Religions and Confessional Theologiesof Sacred Rbetorlc and Church Polity. On tbe other hand all speciaifeatures of tbe "Missionary College " such as '[" ' IMl '. t il ISSlOnary ..iectures8BlOnary Cabinets, AsSOCiations, Correspondence etc are needed i~Our schools for the training of the home ministry, \0 ~ ~d er to rive thefut,;;e tas~rsof tbe Churcb an intelligent interest in her gforeign::~Id be:: es.ly to duplicate tbis immense apparatus of instructionenormou~ waste of both men and means.Second, an even more importa tministerial candidateB in tb . n r~ ason for not Beparating ourfmutual need which tbe two c~~:s~roeSSlOnal studies is fouud in theand Inflnence. If trained in a c s bave of e~c h .other's acquaintancemissionaries will understand h o~mon instItutIOn, a churCh's futuremiuionaries. If educated apa~r tb uture ?astors, and the pastors, thejealousy and misunderstandin ' N: e WIll al.ways be a liability toporter of misslooa as the one gh b pastor WIll be so earnest a sup­~ry and history of tbe w;k o as had Bystematic instruction in the, and who bas sat for montbs or years••ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 17upon the same seat with the very men for whose support he pleads. Itis one thing to plead for a "cause" in tbe abstract, or for the unknownwork of unknown men, but altogether another tbing to plead for anintegral part of our own church work, and for the support and encouragementof beloved classmates with whom we have taken sweetcounsel in happy school days, and with whom we stili stand in activecorrespondence.Third, the co-instruction aud inter-association here advocated areneeded in order to ascertain and test in the best mauner the aptitudesof students for home or foreign work. Nany a zealous young brother,who under the advice of injudicious friends or the promptings of a warmheart, ofIers himself for tbe fo reign service, will gradun\ly discover, inthe prosecution of llhilological and other studies, his lack of adaptationto work in a foreign tongue and, under arrangements like those we areadvocating, will naturally find his proper place iu the home field,- andthis without that embarrassment to the Church, or sense of failure tohimself, which would result, were he an accepted missionary candidateiu a separate missionary co\lege. Many another, of admirable fitnessfo r the foreign work, but witb convicti'lns too immature to j ustify hisoffering himself for mission service, will comE', under the influence ofmissionary instruction and association with t h o ~ e devoted prospectivelyto that work, to recognize his call and to accept his true destiny. Thuswill both classes be benefited, and every man more readily find hisappropriate field .Cherishing such a view as to the true policy of the Americanchurches in the training of their missionaries, I have felt a profoundinterest in the organization and in the history of the American Inter­Seminary Missionary Alliance. 1t-Iore than once, in recent yeare, havemen with zeal in excess of discretion propoBed the founding in Americaof distinct Bnd separate colleges or seminaries for the education offoreign missionaries. F requently they have spoken slightingly of theRpirit and instruction found in the ordinary theological seminary,urging their deficiency as a cogent reason for the adoption of theirproposal. As soon as I heard of the organization of this Alliance, Irejoiced in spirit. I said in my beart: Tbis is t be needed thing. It isdestined powerfu\ly to contribute to tbe development of the narrowand provincial American theological seminary to its normal breadth.By the belp of God, it is going to make the theological seminary assigmficant and powerful for the mission work, BS it now is for thepastoral. Sucb I still believe is your mission. You have a far grauderwork than merely to recruit the ever thinniog missionary ranks of yourrespective churches. You are to create 8 demand for an ampler, 8more cosmopolitan instruction and training ; you are to emphasize theinseparable uuity of home work and foreign; you are to guard yourrespective churches from the constant peril of making the missionary