MISSIONS IN CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 17647, 28 April 1921, Page 7

MISSIONS IN CHINA

The Rov. J. Bell, of the English Baptist Missionary Society, delivered a lecture on ‘ China ’ in the Hanover Street Baptist Hall last night before a good audience. The Rev. R, H. Knowles Kcmpton presided, and introduced' the lecturer as a devoted missionary, who bad served for ten years on the Congo, and for sixteen in Shensi, in Northern China. Mr Bell's lecture was illustrated by a number of excellent lantern slides, which conveyed a clear impression of the stylo of buildings which the ChincKO ot'setod and the nature of ihc work which tiro missionaries carried on among them. Ea declared that China, was destined to be the country of the future. She had boundless undeveloped resources, la Shensi were coalfields sufficient lo supply the world for a thousand years, hut they had not yet been opened up. The country was at present divided by hostile parties, who were encouraged to revolt by the Japanese, who sought to gain supremacy in the country of their greatest rival. Tho history of China readied bad: io a very remote period. Tombs of emperors who reigned two thousand years before Christ were shown. Ono interesting relic was a slab erected l in memory of tho Ncstoriau missionary effort raadciu tho sixth century. Tho difficulties of travel in China, wilh its sad lack of roads and ito uncomfortable vehicles, were vividly stated. Ml Bell said that tho outlook for Christian missions was very bright, but that vigorous; efforts were bring made to circulate rationalistic literature throughout the country, To counteract this the Chinese Christians had adopted a great policy, which was entitled ‘China for Christ,’ and were distributing Christian tracts ami books far and wide. It would bo a bad prospect for the world if this great empire came under materialistic and. military influences, trad tho groat hope was that it might ho Christianised. At tho close of tho lecture a collection wus made on belialt of tho China famine fund, and realised £6.