Missionary Activity ln Communist China

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1949, Page 6

Missionary Activity ln Communist China

TIMARU, Nov. 14. Widely divergent views on the pros-" peet of missionary work under the Communist regime, were presented at the Generai Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand in Timaru. A missionary f resh from the field in South China, suggested that in good time Christianity would wOrk out satis-. factorily Under the new regime but the seeretary of the Women 's Missiopary Union, in a report, maintaiped that=the church was fettered under Communist or totalitarian governments. When the Communist forces had swept through South China to Canton, the change bf control had beep a peaeeful oue, said the Rev. J. D. Johnston, of the Kong Chuen mission near Canton. There was' no resistance offered by thy Nationalists. The missionaries were able to earry on as usual. In the North China area missionary work was at a stand--still because of the unsettled conditions and tension that existed. "There is no question but that the church in China is facing the greatcst crisis in its existenee," he said. "The church has survived Such crises in' the past such as in 1947 when persecution foreed the withdrawal of 5000 missionaries from China, but they all returned to find the church stronger than before. I think that in God's own 'time, all will work out well for the Kingdom of God in Communist China. In future the church there will have to be selfsupporting but the work wilj go on. ' '

Bishop Hall, of South China, discussing the Communist regime from his pulpit reeently, said that the church was an anvil which had worn out many a hammer, continued Mr Johnston. "I believe that in time the sickle ^wilJ be used to gather in more christians than ever to worship God in South China. ' ' In a report it was stated that the majority of Church of Christ missionaries in the field had resolved to stay at their posts when the Communists assumed control of their particular areas, just so long as they could continue to I give effective service. It would seem that an increasing number of Christians were convinced that as far as possible the way of co-operation was the right I way and it was this conviction tbat inj fluenced the missionaries in their deei- | sion to remain at their posts. "The time is past When Christians can afford, as some of- them have, to carry on clandestine fljrtation- with com niunism," said Mrs P*. G! Hughes in presenting the annual report of the Wo: men 's Missionary Union. "Its advocates proclaim communism in both theory and practice as the way of life, altogether incompatible with the Christian faith. There can be no compromise any more than there can be compromise betweeu a boa constrictor and the victim it seeks to eneoiil," She asked the Asfembly to regard communism as amo h n'Cbm^) r'o m is iti g enemy. Under commuuism- the churcii was fettered and it was made incapable for the church to propagate its faith. Missionary work in many cases was at a standstill and in others it was in a critical position. The report of the Women 's Mission ary Union was received and that of the ' overseas missionaries ap,proved'. Thi continued support of the church 4was promised to the three field councils.