FOREIGN MISSIONS CONFERENCE '"of NORTH AMERICA » » » » 1936 REPORT OF TH E Forty-Third Annual Meeting OF TH E CONFERENCE OF FOREIGN MISSION BOARDS IN CANADA AND IN THE UNITED STATES Berkeley-C arteret H otel, A sbury Park, N ew Jersey January 8-10, 1936 Edited by LESLIE B. MOSS AND MABEL H. BROWN F oreign M is sio n s C onference of N orth A m erica Vorary o f 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City & ^ l*Q Office: 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City Telephone: Chelsea 3-1897 Cable Address: “Formiscon New York” Codes: Missions, Western Union rtc* F l t o l V.43 (Printed in the United States of America) FOREWORD It is with a deepening sense of gratitude to God that we recall the recent Annual Conference of the Mission Boards of North America. The truly memorable sessions and the like fruitful intervening spaces were characterized by intimate and rewarding fellowship, by mutual sharing, by triumphant unity, by prophetic outlook, and by responsiveness to new visions and plans. Meeting on the threshold of the new year, and attended by an unusually large and rep­ resentative body of the responsible leaders of the American and Canadian mis­ sionary forces, this creative gathering should exercise a wide and profound influence on programs and policies. It may be questioned whether the missionary forces have ever been con­ fronted with a greater concentration of major unsolved problems than at the present time. It was gratifying to note that from the beginning to the end of the recent Conference there was evident openness of mind to welcome and receive new light. Under the wise guidance of such leaders as Dr. Goodsell and Dr. Schell the open forums yielded a great fund of fresh experience and constructive suggestion. There was much honest and fearless self examina­ tion and self criticism. Such an attitude of humility has ever been a precursor of the genuinely creative and of notable advance. The presence and participation of youth constituted a distinctive contribu­ tion to the Conference. The Christian Student Movements of the United States and Canada sent a splendid company of young men and young women to share with us some of the burdens, hopes and purposes of the new genera­ tion. Coming as they did direct from the Quadrennial Convention of the Student Volunteer Movement at Indianapolis, they communicated vision and impulse, and raised thought-provocative questions which must command in­ creasingly the attention of our boards and churches if we are to carry with us the youth of the coming day. The presence of this group was a reminder of one of the greatest weaknesses in the missionary enterprise, and that is the almost negligible number of men and women under thirty-five years of age on our various boards and important committees. The situation is almost as alarming with reference to the composition of our executive staffs. We heard prophetic voices at Asbury Park. It has been my privilege to attend the entire series of our Annual Conferences, except in years when on missionary errands abroad, and I do not recall a day when we had come before us such a group as on the first day of our recent meeting—Francis B. Sayre, Assistant Secretary of State, and a young prophet if there ever was one; Rufus Jones an old prophet but one whose messages are ever new and ever piercing the coming day; and Kagawa not only Asia’s chief Christian social reformer but also a recognized prophet of Christendom. And when have we had more penetrating and dynamic spiritual messages than were brought to us by such proved friends as Dr. Pidgeon of Canada and Dr. Decker recently of China? God grant that those who heard these and the other vital messages while at Asbury Park, and those who read them in this record, may recognize in them His authentic word and as such give them conscientious and purposeful heed. Jo h n R . M ott, Chairman. [3] CHAIRMEN OF THE FOREIGN MISSIONS CONFERENCE 1893— R ev. A. Sutherland, D.D. 1907— Rev. M. G. Kyle, D.D. 1894— Rev. F. F. Ellinwood, D.D. R ev. M . H . H u tto n , D .D . R ev. A llen R . B a rth o lo m e w , 1895— Dr. Augustus C. T h o m p s o n D.D. 1896— D r. W . W . B a r r R ev. H . E . J acobs, D .D . D r. S a m u e l W . D u n c a n 1908—Rev. Henry N. Cobb, D.D. 1897—Rev. R. M. Sommervtlle, D.D. M r. J o h n R . M ott Rev. George Scholl, D.D. Rev. Charles R. W atson, D.D. Rev. Wm. S. Langford, D.D. Rev. James I. G ood, D.D. Rev. M ancius H. H utton, D.D. Rev. Ernest M. Stires, D.D. 1898—Rev. Arthur Given, D.D. 1909—Rev. J. H. Prugh, D.D. R ev. S. F. U p h a m , D.D. R ev. G eorge D r a c h Rev. R. J. W illingham, D.D. R ev. P rofessor E dw ard C. Rev. C. M. L a m so n , D.D. M oore, D .D . Rev. R. P. M a c k a y , D.D. R ev. S. O . B e n t o n , D .D . 1899—Rev. Charles H. Daniels, D.D. R ev. M a n c iu s H . H u t t o n , D .D . M r. J o h n H. C o n v e rse 1910— Rev. F. P. Haggard, D.D. B ish o p E. G. A n d r e w s 1911— Samuel B. Capen, LL.D. R ev. H. N. Cobb, D.D. 1912—Mr. Mornay W illiams B is h o p O z i W . W h it a k e r 1913—Rev. R. P. Mackay, D.D. 1901— Rev. James I. G ood, D.D. 1914— Rev. Charles R. W atson, D.D. Rev. George Scholl, D.D. 1915— Rev. George Drach R ev. D avtd J. Burrell, D.D. 1916—Rev. Frank Mason North, Rev. A. S. Lloyd, D.D. D.D. M r. J a m e s W ood 1917—Bishop W alter R. Lambuth, Rev. W m . I. H a v e n , D.D. D.D. 1902— R ev. F. H. DuVernet, B.D. 1918—Rev. P aul de Schweinitz, D.D. R ev. A. Sutherland, D.D. 1919—Rev. Canon S. Gould, M.D. R ev. F. J. G o u c h e r , D.D. 1920—Mr. James M. Speers Rev. Paul de Schweinitz 1921— Rev. Stephen J. Corey, LL.D. Rev. Henry N. Cobb, D.D. 1922— Rev. Ezra K. B e l l , D.D. 1923— Rev. James Endicott, D.D. 1903—Rev. John Fox, D.D. 1924—Rev. A llen R. Bartholomew, R ev. R . P. M a c k a y , D.D. D.D. R ev. H a r l a n P . B e a c h 1925—Rev. Frank Mason North, Rev. M ancius H. Hutton, D.D. D .D . 1904— R ev. H. C. M abie, D.D. 1926—Dr. Robert E. Speer Mr. F . M. R a in s 1927—Dr. John W. Wood Rev. W alter R. Lambuth, 1928—Rev. F. W . Burnham, D.D. D.D., M.D. 1929—Rev. James I. Vance, D.D. S a m u e l B. C ap en , LL.D. 1930— M iss H elen B . C alder 1905— Mr. Robert E. Speer 1931—Rev. A. T. Howard, D.D. R ev. W il l ia m M . B ell, D .D . 1932—Rev. A. E. Armstrong, D.D. R ev. M ar io n J. K l in e , D .D . 1933— Rev. P. H. J. Lerrigo, M.D. M r. J a m e s W ood 1934— Rev. W . I. Chamberlain, 1906—R ev. J. O. R e a v is, D.D. Ph .D. Rev. James Atkins, D.D. 1935—Mrs. Thomas Nicholson Rev. R. J. W illingham , D.D. 1936— J o h n R. M o tt , LL.D. R ev. B. F. Fullerton, D.D. 1937—Dr. Robert E. Speer [4] CONTENTS PAGE Foreword .......................................................................................... 3 Chairmen of the Foreign Missions Conference.......................... 4 RECORDS OF THE MEETING Organization of the Forty-third Annual Meeting........................ 7 Program of the Conference............................................................ 8 Minutes of the Forty-third Foreign Missions Conference 9 Officers for the Forty-fourth Conference .................................... 20 Subcommittees of the Committee of Reference and Counsel.. 21 REPORTS FOR THE YEAR 1935 Committee of Reference and Counsel .......................................... 24 Committee on Anglo-American Churches .................................. 56 International Missionary Council .................................................. 62 Committee on Cooperation in Latin A m erica.............................. 68 ADDRESSES The Task of Christian Missions Today— Francis B. Sayre.. 74 New Evangelistic Strategy in Japan— Toyohiko Kagawa 81 The New Secularism— Rufus M. Jon es...................................... 88 Upbuilding of the Church in Mexico— Gonzalo Baez Camargo.. 92 Our Spiritual Limitations and Resources—John A. Mackay.. 95 APPENDICES Income and Expenditures of Foreign Mission Boards................ 104 Boards and Societies of the Foreign Missions Conference 106 Personnel of Forty-second Annual Foreign Missions Conference 112 In Memoriam................................................................................... 116 Constitution of the Foreign Missions Conference...................... 118 By-Laws of the Committee of Reference and Counsel.............. 122 Act of Incorporation ...................................................................... 124 Constitution of the International Missionary C ouncil................ 125 ORGANIZATION OF FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL MEETING 1936 OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES O ffic er s John R.