How shall we adjust ourselves to the cut in the budget? We appreciate that this is a question that not only confronts each division committee in readjustment to meet the situation, but that must likewise be faced by practically all workers in the field, as they likewise, as they must, readjust the family budget to the 10 percent cut in salary. Can the adjustment to the reduced income be successfully met in the various fields without serious curtailment in soul winning, and without returning missionaries to the homeland? We believe it is possible.
Only a few months ago it was my privilege, while in a foreign mission field, to hear one of the veterans of long experience in foreign service declare to a large group of workers that he believed that the 6 percent cut of last year, and the further cut that was inevitable this past fall, would prove to be a very definite blessing to the work. He gave a ringing exhortation, encouraging those present to see, in this financial situation, a divine providence that will open our eyes to unappropriated divine resources and possibilities which can be made available through living faith and earnest prayer.
In a letter received but a few days ago from the superintendent of one of our union mission fields where a mighty work for God is being accomplished, this leader of pioneer forces stated:
"Our men are all of good courage. You know something of the restricted budget upon which we are operating, but the prospect of another cut is not making any of our men downhearted. . . . Our workers to a man will accept whatever there is for us at the year end, and under God cheerfully do the best they can with it."
As we have considered the situation in some of our mission fields, and have thought of how the problem can be worked out, we have felt, with the veteran leader referred to, that there is indeed in this reduction of American dollars flowing out in appropriations to our various fields the blessing of God in disguise.
During the years of prosperity and plenty, when money has come easy and when appropriations have been increased from year to year, there has grown, almost unconsciously, but I am sure unintentionally, too great a degree of freedom and liberality in the use of funds. In some instances extravagances which may have seemed like necessities have come in. Expenditures have been allowed that have not always contributed directly to our soul-winning program. We believe that the cut in appropriations for 1932 will move the leaders in every division, union, and local field, and in every institution, to a more careful and expert survey of what may be counted as the absolute necessities of the work, and to the elimination of all unnecessary expenditures. Such a survey, we believe, will result in the discovery of new ways to economize—ways unthought of before; to new and simplified methods of operation which will effect very material savings, but which will not in any degree minimize the results in soul winning.
Again, local resources and possibilities have not been fully discovered. In many of our mission fields it is true the tithes have increased and offerings have multiplied. While we praise God for this increase, and appreciate the efforts of our workers in these fields, we believe much more is possible in this direction. The reduction in appropriations will turn the eyes of our leaders in foreign fields to a more careful survey of the financial possibilities within their own borders, thus laying upon the native church and native leadership a greater responsibility for financial support than hitherto.
Sometimes a lack of faith on the part of leaders has stood in the way of the people's doing more in this direction. Sometimes leaders have felt that in their poverty the believers are doing all they should be asked to do to support the cause. Higher goals or greater burdens have in many cases been discouraged, and thus the giving power of the church has been held below its true possibilities. When a change of leadership has come in, bringing a new rally call, a new faith, a new courage, and a new vision, the field has leaped forward in a marvelous way, setting new marks in tithes and offerings, thus demonstrating the ability and willingness to give.
The present crisis will urge our leadership everywhere, we believe, to discover ways and devise plans for soul winning that are not dependent upon the expenditure of money. While in Southern Rhodesia, we were impressed with two plans that have been set in operation in that field. Strong spiritual native laymen are encouraged by the mission committee to move into places where, the truth has never been planted, establish their homes, and carry forward self-supporting village and community work by holding meetings, talking with the people, and distributing literature, thus raising up companies as little lights in these sections. The mission assists to the amount of about E1 in moving these native families into new locations, which is the only investment it makes in the enterprise.
Another plan is proving successful in the same field, where it was found necessary to close some of the out-schools. The outschool teachers were placed on a self-supporting basis, but were put in charge of little companies of believers. The mission committee made them "stewards," authorizing them to gather the tithes and offerings, and to look after the spiritual interests of the company of believers placed in their care, and to engage in self-supporting mission work for the winning of other souls. I was assured that both these plans are working well. Souls are being won, and the brethren feel much encouraged with what is being accomplished.
May it not he possible that God will help us to develop many such methods and plans of work, which will enable us to carry this advent message into unentered sections and into the darkest and most remote regions, with the expenditure of practically no money, and that He has ways and means as yet undiscovered to us, by which, through the endowment of His Holy Spirit, a work can be accomplished even in the hardest and darkest places of earth that, with all our resources and expenditure of funds, we have not hitherto accomplished?
Washington, D. C.