Part 4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

4. Missionary Enterprise

HE early Christian church seemed to grasp the import and obligation of the Great Commission. At any rate, while the apostles were still alive the gospel was being preached all about the Mediterranean, even as far west as Spain, and the ambassadors of the Cross were going north, south and east. The whole civilized world heard, if not the story still rumors of it, and the message, according to some traditions, went very early as far east as India and China.

     But later for centuries there was no missionary enterprise. The modern interest in foreign missions goes back hardly a century and a half. And the great impetus to the movement has come during the last fifty years.

     The Free Methodist Church, organized in 1860, had its hands very full building churches and parsonages, extending the work into new regions and building schools. There was hardly energy, time or money for anything else. Also the greatest interest in missions had not yet come to Christendom.

     However, in 1874 the General Conference appointed a Missionary Board which was authorized to receive money and use it for home or foreign missions as they should deem best. In 1882 Rev. C. B. Ebey was elected missionary secretary, which office he held until he was succeeded in 1890 by Rev. W. W. Kelley. In 1893 Mr. Kelley resigned because of failing health. J. G. Terrill then held the office until his death two years later. Rev. B. Winget was elected in 1895 to this office, which he held until 1915. Rev. J. S. MacGeary, 1915-1919; Rev. W. B. Olmstead, 1919-1932; Rev. H. F. Johnson, 1932-. 

     The above-mentioned secretaries, with the Missionary Board, the personnel of which has continually changed, of course, have had the general responsibility for directing the missionary program of the church. They have raised funds, formulated the policies for the fields, passed on candidates and sent accepted candidates to the fields.

     However, the lifespring of the missionary work in the Free Methodist Church has been the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, now succeeded by the Woman’s Missionary Society. This body has furnished the larger part of the enthusiasm and raised the larger part of the money ever since its organization. The first Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society was organized in Verona, Pennsylvania, in 1889 by Mrs. Ella S. MacGeary. The General Conference of 1890 authorized a general Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society to be auxiliary to the Missionary Board. Besides the constant promotional and money-raising activities of this society there have been in late years its representatives sitting on the Missionary Board or Commission on Missions. Also the Executive Committee of the Woman’s Missionary Society has passed upon women candidates for the mission fields.

     The Young People’s Missionary Society, organized in 1919, during its short history has been strong in its support of missions, has raised much money for the fields, and has furnished many well-qualified candidates for mission lands.

     To speak of the missionary enterprise without the mention of the part our schools have taken would be a glaring omission. Beginning with .the organization of the Mary E. Carpenter Missionary Society in the Chili Seminary (afterward A. M. Chesbrough Junior College) in 1886, and running through the years at that school and in all the other schools, there has been a strong missionary interest. The visits of missionaries have intensified this. To these schools young people have gone to prepare for their life work in mission fields. Others in these schools have received their call and their direction from God to mission fields.

     Here is possible only the briefest summary of the work done by the Free Methodist Church in home and foreign lands.
 

     Our missionary work began in Portuguese East Africa in 1895 with G. Harry Agnew as the first missionary. Fourteen missionaries now labor here. The work in South Africa began in i885. The present number of missionaries is thirteen. In these two African fields there are approximately 220 stations and outstations, 100 organized churches, 3,400 members in full and on probation, and about 5,000 enrolled in the Sunday schools. The value of the property is about $178,000.

     In November, 1934, Rev. J. W. Haley opened mission work in Urundi, The Congo, many hundreds of miles north of our other two African fields. This is a territory of vast need. Twenty-five thousand people visited the mission in a single six months. The Sunday school numbers 750.

     The first Free Methodist missionary to go to India was Ernest F. Ward, in 1885. Many missionaries going to this field stayed only a short time because of the hard climate. At present there are fourteen missionaries. Stations and outstations, 6; organized churches, 5; members in full and on probation, 350. The value of the property is about $78,000. It is needless to add that India, which is universally acknowledged to have been the hardest of all mission fields, is now showing many open doors to the gospel. We are apparently on the verge of a great harvest.

     Free Methodist missionary work in Japan was begun by a Japanese who had lived in America. It was in 1895 that Masazi Kakihara (Paul) was first on the field. There remain in Japan only three Free Methodist missionaries. One reason for the small number of foreign workers is that two great native Japanese, Teikich Kawabe and Tetsuji Tsuchiyama, have shown themselves strong and successful in leadership. In Japan are 25 organized churches, about 2,163 members in full and on probation, 37 Sunday schools with 2,300 scholars, and property valued at $176,000.

     In 1895 Clara Leffingwell began missionary work in China, but under the China Inland Mission. She came under the Free Methodist board in 1905. At present the missionaries number twenty-three. There are 27 stations and outstations, 20 organized churches, and 850 members in full connection and on probation. The property is valued at $63,600.

     Samuel E. Mills, with wife and family, went to the Dominican Republic in 1889, where they opened a mission field. Ten missionaries now labor in this territory. There are 139 stations and outstations and 15 organized churches. The members in full and on probation are 965. There are 73 Sunday schools, with an enrollment of 2,832.
 

     In Panama the Free Methodist Church began missionary work in 1910. This work is still maintained, but has not known the prosperity that has attended our work in other countries.

     In Oakdale, Kentucky, is a mission field of excellent accomplishment and fine prospects. Miss Elizabeth O’Connor has been in general charge for years. Here is a growing work, with several outstations and a mission school of over a hundred pupils. Nowhere in the denomination can there be found a finer group of consecrated workers.

     The Free Methodist work among the Mexicans of California was born in prayer and continued under the blessing of God. Mrs. Elizabeth Wyatt and Mrs. Clara R. Freeland were the pioneers. B. H. Pearson has been the mainspring for nearly twenty years. There has been prosperity. From nothing the work has grown into a Mexican Conference with ten ordained Mexican men and nine unordained evangelists. There are 15 organized churches, with 749 members. The value of the property is about $6o,ooo. A splendid mission property is maintained at 1510 North Main Street, Los Angeles.

     Miss Lillian Pool (now Mrs. C. J. Burnett) began missionary work among the Japanese for the Nazarenes. That denomination wishing to give up the work, Miss Pool came to the Free Methodist Church where she has continued to work most effectively in Japanese missions. Rev. A. Youngren has done excellent service among the Japanese of northern California. The present superintendent is Rev. C. J. Burnett, who, with his wife, leads the work. A Japanese Conference has been formed. The church membership is 282. There are eleven Sunday schools.

     Also the church is doing missionary work among the Italians at Melrose Park, Chicago; among the Pueblo Indians in New Mexico and the Seneca Indians of New York; among the Greeks in Chicago; and there is a mission conducted especially for foreign-speaking peoples at Mason City, Iowa.