Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

Editorial NotesBy Walter McCarrollSummer Slump. The stream of letters from thefields has been reduced to a trickle. There was nonefor the September issue, and but one for the Octoberissue. Is this because the letter writers are all homeon furlough? Or was it because there was so littledoing since last spring that there was nothing towrite about? Or is there a feeling that the HomeChurch has let them down because no replacementswere sent out ? Facts are the fuel that keeps the missionary fires burning, and the Lord's intercessorspraying, so the monthly letters should continueregularly.Foreign Missions at Grinnell. As far as the reports in the Witness reveal, and personal reports indicate, our Foreign Missions were relegated to aunimportant place in the Grinnell prorelativelygrams. Even the Board's Report seems to softpedalthe work of our fellow-laborers in fields abroad.One gains the impression from the length of theBoard's Report, and the brief paragraph reported inthe Witness, that foreign missions did not occupymuch of Synod's time. Other matters appeared tobe more important. But of course one's impressions,far removed from the scene, may be quite differentfrom the actual reality.Then the short shrift given the schools in Syriaand Cyprus, in the announcement that no replacements could be sent out, must have acted as a wetblanket on the spirits of the missionaries. We allknow that schools cannot operate successfully without a full staff of teachers. The missionaries are thusconfronted with a serious problem. Our schools in theNear East have to maintain a high degree of excellence or they might as well close their doors. Whatis the answer? Limit the number of students tothose who can pay higher tuition fees, and reducethe teaching staff correspondingly? A multitude oflives and homes are woven into the web of the schoolsand their closing would work hardship on many, anda great disappointment to thousands scatteredthroughout the world.Another Minister for Japan. RecommendationNo. 5 of the Board's Report, which apparently wasadopted by Synod, reads as follows : "That an appealbe made for a replacement worker in Japan ; and thatthis worker be not sent until the extra funds arereceived sufficient to establish this work in Japan."Then in the Covenanter Witness of August 25 appears another Resolution, also adopted bv Synod,which reads as follows : "That the Board of ForeignMissions be authorized to appoint one more ordainedminister to serve in Japan, and that this minister besent out to Japan in September 1955, provided thecurrent year's budget is over-subscribed by $5,000or more by March 31, 1955. No special appeal forgifts outside of the regular budget shall be madepurpose."for thisThe budget adopted by Synod for this currentyear is $110,815. In order to send out another minister to Japan the Church will have to raise approximately $116,000 by March 31. Last year Synod requested $112,000 and got $103,400. The Church willhave to give $12,000 more than last year in order212to send out that minister. Two candidates for Japan,as reported, have offered themselves. If our pasthistory in budget raising is any guide, then thesecandidates may as well resign themselves to theinevitable.Why authorize the appointment of a minister toJapan and then close the door to the only likely wayin which his support can be secured? There are always some in the church who refuse to be regimentedinto channeling all their gifts through the Budget.There are some schemes of the church that theywill not support, so they will give only a stipulatedamount into the budget. The remainder they willgive to special projects that appeal to them eitherwithin or without the church. The support of anothermissionary in Japan, while the door of opportunity isopen, is a project that will appeal to such people, andtheir giving to that project is not likely to affect thebudget for otherwise that money might go outsideof our Church entirely.Missionaries Coming and Going. Late in AugustMiss McCrea returned home from Cyprus on furlough, and the Sandersons too from Syria. Mrs. Chester Hutcheson and Pastor Awad sailed for SyriaSeptember 9, and Miss McClurkin by plane September 20. The Weirs, we believe, have delayed theirreturn to Cyprus till the beginning of the new year,in order to complete the campaign for the schoolbuilding fund. At last word he had raised some tenthousand dollars during his year of furlough. TheFattal sisters, daughters of Sadik Fattal and MayElsey, have booked their return to their home inLatakia. They have had a wonderful time visitingtheir relatives in this country, seeing some of thesights, and spreading happiness as they traveled.They were thrilled with Grinnell. They have alwaysbeen staunch co-workers with and helpers of our missionaries. Pastor Awad made contacts with many ofour congregations and was well received everywhere.He was well liked by all and carries with him thegood will and the prayers of the church for theLord's blessing upon his ministry in Syria. His reportfollows :"The congregation at Latakia has 250 members.with some 85 families, and approximately 50 baptizedchildren who are not communicant members. Thecongregation contributes about $1,000 per year. Thechurch building is well filled at all the services. Inaddition to the Covenanters, those in attendanceinclude Moslems, Alouites, Greek Orthodox, andChristians of other denominations."The Hansens Write. In a circular letter tofriends we find a paragraph or two for the churchat large. Mr. Hansen, after speaking of life in Japanas he sees it, writes as follows :"But though we despair ofhelping them to anacceptance of the kind of life America leads, wenever despair of the work of showing them God's lovein Christ. No matter how strange our customs, howdifferent our backgrounds, how opposite our likesand dislikes, through Christ we may become realbrothers. Through Him we become children of Godand joint-heirs with Christ Himself. In the church.we see that Christian fellowship working out everyday and we find that together we have 'new likesand dislikes,' we have a common faith and a commonCOVENANTER WITNESS