The tragic story of Baptist foreign mission decline is told in the "Foreign Missions Number" of the Watchman-Examiner, the "national Baptist paper," dated February 20, 1936. The leading editorial is headed, "The Foreign Missions Crisis," and is followed by several supporting articles, two of which are significantly titled, "Crisis Closes the Century," and, "Shall We Celebrate the Centennials With Slaughter?"
The startling facts and figures disclosed may well be studied. We need a clear and accurate understanding of the situation in the contemporary Protestant world, for this has a definite bearing upon our own responsibilities, and brings before us a sobering lesson as to factors responsible for the Baptist crisis. This will be noted later; but first observe the pitiful story of "disintegration," as it is frankly called. Here follow, without comment, paragraphs from the editorial cited:
"Our foreign mission situation should cause grave concern among our people. For years we have been curtailing our program. Contributions have steadily declined. Receipts from the united budget have grown less and less. .
"From the time of Adoniram Judson to the beginning of the decline, the record of our Northern Baptist foreign missions was one of expansion. We continuously lengthened our cords and strengthened our stakes. . . .
"Modern missions trace back to two great pioneer Baptist missionaries—William Carey and Adoniram Judson. The awakened missionary zeal of those early days spread to other denominations. The stimulus of Baptist example started a crusade of world evangelization. . . .
"We are fast falling from our preeminence in the foreign missions enterprise. That which concerns us is not simply a matter of denominational prestige. We are distressed over the tragic fact that Northern Baptist foreign missions are weakening all along the line. We have two foreign mission agencies . . . The combined missionary personnel of these in 1920-21 numbered 844 ; of these, 603 were supported by the General Society and 241 by our Woman's Society. Today our missionaries number 590; of these, 426 belong to the General Society and 164 to the Woman's society. A decline in personnel of 241 since 1920-21 can signify only one thing,—as a world evangelizing enterprise we are disintegrating.
"The financial facts are doubly alarming. In 1920-21 our people contributed for foreign missions through both societies $1,916,042.37. This figure represents donations from Northern Baptists in the year stated, and does not include receipts from permanent funds, legacies, or annuities. Receipts for 193435 from our people, in the same category, totaled $661.522,70. The normal and peculiar extenuating causes for the decline are not sufficient to explain the situation. It is that alarming fact which troubles us the most.
"To this must be added the consideration of the fact that we have sent out only a few new missionaries in recent years. What is the effect? The frontiersmen of the kingdom who went out in earlier years are, in large numbers, approaching the retiring age. The work of a lifetime must soon be left by men and women who have exhausted themselves in establishing the work of Christ in foreign lands."
Next, from "Crisis Closes the Century," the same general story is told in slightly different form and figures:
"We have closed the tenth decade of the 1835-1935 centenary, marked by the beginning of four great missions. It is well to take stock. This last decade presents a startling picture in the homeland. One wonders what those blackcoated committeemen of one hundred years ago would say of it. The impetus and power of the great movement continue abroad. But at home—there has been no decade like it in the entire century. . . .
"The tenth decade of the century closes in a crisis marked by a devastating decrease in missionary staff, the number falling from 845 in 1923 to 590 in 1935. The drop is due to a decrease in contributions from individuals and churches, amounting to a cut of considerably more than half in donation income. In 1923 the receipts were $1,100,324.94. In 1935, $438,936.47. . . . Missionaries can be kept at work only as the churches provide the funds. Reserves have been exhausted, and increased income alone can save us from a further staff reduction of seventy."
Passing over the third article named, we quote from another entitled, "Open Doors in Telugu Land," under the subhead, "Northern Baptists in Retreat:"
"Now this is the situation out at the front—wideopen doors on every side. But what do we find at home? . . . Northern Baptists today, numbering 1,500,000, are giving to the Unified Budget $2,000,000 less than five years ago. Year by year the contributions of the churches have been falling off until last year they were 47 per cent below the mark of 1930-31. Last year a tremendous effort was made to check the downward move. Many churches responded splendidly, even increasing their offerings ; but in spite of all efforts, the total amount from churches and individuals fell $180,000 below that of the previous year.
"How has this affected our Foreign Mission Boards? Five years ago [1931] our Foreign Mission Boards received through the Northern Baptist Convention in donations from churches and individuals $807,000. Last year they received only 8438,000—a decrease of nearly one half in five years."
And finally, we quote from the pitiful official "Appeal." The repetition of these facts and figures in varying forms for emphasis, indicates the vital character of the crisis, and the recognized urgency of some remedial action, without, alas, sensing the significance of it all, which is of greatest concern to us. The "Appeal" says:
"Your Foreign Mission Board makes this extraordinary statement to you about the gravest crisis in your foreign work for more than half a century. In 1923 we had 603 missionaries. Today, thirteen years later, we have only 426, and we face the seemingly inevitable necessity of cutting off 70 more missionaries and a substantial part of the work in the next three years. How to do it after the successive cuts of the last thirteen years we frankly do not know, but we must begin the process now.
"How comes it, some are saying, that you have suddenly arrived at such a drastic reduction of our missionary force? . . . This has happened because of the yearly steady decline of the donations from living givers from $1,345,597 in 1920-21, the peak of the New Wioria Movement, to $438,936 in 1934-35, the last fiscal year. We cannot support the full force of missionaries and their work when receipts drop like that. . . .
"We have tried, and still shall try, to increase our income. Today we are compelled to decrease further our outgo. We can delay it no longer. We have delayed it too long already. Our considered plans call for both increase of income and decrease of outgo, with a budget lessened by $250,000 and balanced in three years. But this involves the cutting off of
seventy missionaries and a substantial part of the work.
"How can we make such large additional cuts ? We frankly do not know. It is a Gethsemane for the staff and the members of the board and the devoted missionary-minded among our constituency. Much more real and acute will be the suffering of the missionaries who have devoted their lives to this work, and have labored with great self-sacrifice and success."
L. E. F.
(To be continued)
