Imparting a World Vision

Imparting a World Vision—No. 2

Imparting a world vision means more than stimulating an interest in missions. It means creating in others an unbiased, intelligent, sympathetic fellow feeling with mankind in general.

By L. H. CHRISTIAN, Vice-President of the General Conference

Imparting a world vision means more than stimulating an interest in missions. It means creating in others an unbiased, intelligent, sympathetic fellow feeling with mankind in general. It means imparting a knowledge of world needs, both spiritual and material. It means promoting faith in the un­told possibilities of men and women, even the lowest, through Christ. It means viewing the worth of a soul in the light of eternity. It means also an understanding of humane, hygienic, pleasant living conditions in this world.

It means a true love for the brotherhood of man, with liberty and equality for all. Let me now suggest some principles through which we may aid our students in attaining this broad Bible view of the human family.

First, we should discourage in our students a narrow, bigoted conception of race or nation. Love for country and loyalty to government are to be stressed, but not the false nationalism of pride and hatred which has brought the world to its present perplexity.

Second, we must lead our students away from blind political party slavery, from class or caste distinction, from pride of sex, from everything that restricts and dims their view of the dignity and worth of a soul without respect to race, language, church, or nation. There is need today of remembering Christ's teach­ing, "All ye are brethren ;" and the American ideal as expressed by one of our best poets:

"Before man made us citizens, great nature made us men." Third, there is not a country in Europe where some of the people are not planning to leave their native land. The United States alone has no emigration. We should encourage our students to travel abroad, and in a few cases, to take studies across the seas. The world is full of new ideas, and we all need to keep abreast of real, up-to-date, world-wide thinking. Our students ought to become more humanity-minded.

God's eternal purpose of love in the brother­hood of man should be carefully studied.

Rightly understood, this will make both teachers and students truly mission-minded. Today the entire Adventist Church needs to become mission-minded as never before. Since mis­sions is one of the foundation stones in our Christian educational system, I will mention some things which might help to give our American students an intelligent understand­ing of, and a deeper love for, foreign missions.

1. More books and journals on missions in our libraries, including some from other coun­tries such as Great Britain, Australia, India, and France.-

2. Better-planned foreign mission bands and stronger ministerial-seminar activities.

3. An annual series of well-prepared lecture courses on missions overseas, including three lectures on the true philosophy of missions.

4. Systematic courses of study on the origin, progress, present status, and problems of for­eign missions.

5. Bible teachers and other instructors with a background of foreign mission experience.

6. Whenever advisable, college presidents and even department heads should visit our mission fields. May I suggest that they stay at least two months in actual mission work in fields where malaria, amoebic dysentery, tsetse fly, yaws, leprosy, and a few other realities of actual mission life are found. Just to see a new country or visit museums has little value. We need to get a taste of the real thing.

7. Several of our mature teachers should accept a call as permanent missionaries. I would like to see each college in America give to foreign missions one of its best-trained men, possibly one with a university degree, though that isn't necessarily included in the term, "best trained." In its very beginning, Union College released its Bible teacher, Prof. J. C. Rogers, for mission work in South Af­rica. He is still in Africa. His going out had a profound influence on us students. Two years later, C. H. Parker left for the South Seas. A host have followed, but Professor Rogers set the pace.

Counteract Encroaching Indifference

If we are to send the everlasting gospel to all mankind in this generation, good training schools with a virile mission spirit and pro­gram are urgently needed. Other special rea­sons make this necessary. For example, all about us there is a strong and growing objec­tion to missions. The racialism of our day is a bitter foe of foreign missions. Economic, political, and military forces are arraying themselves against missions. Modernism has no heart for missions overseas. Yet it is not so much this opposition that is to be feared as the great indifference in the popular borne-base churches today which have largely turned their backs on missions. When missions started, the zeal and sacrifice at home and the passion for souls abroad knew no bounds. To­day we observe a great change. Many doubt the need or value of missions. Missions have even been investigated by special committees of worldly, skeptical laymen—and condemned. Americans give less than two thirds of a cent a week per capita to missions.

Adventists need to beware lest this indiffer­ence come into our own ranks. The church at home needs missions abroad. A church that doesn't have an interest in foreign missions is doomed. The future of Seventh-day Ad­ventism rests on foreign missions. There is nothing that will bring blessing and grace and permanence to a church as will an active foreign mission interest. Today we are greatly in need of a revival of mission vision in all our churches and schools. We should pray for such a true understanding of missions born of love for Jesus that we may all become mission-minded. Our teachers of science, his­tory, language, and above all, our Bible teach­ers, need this vision. As students ask them what they should plan to do, our teachers should lead those under their charge to think anew of the mission fields. Spiritual leanness in this respect will bring the world into our schools. Students should be helped to see for­eign missions, not as an adventure or as a career, but as a great open door of sacrificial service.

World conditions at this time are a great challenge to the church—the challenge of open doors about to close. But we cannot realize this fully without a distinct world vision. Said Jesus, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields." When we thus survey mankind, we see millions of youth born since the World War, devoid of religion, but full of false phi­losophy, false thinking, and false objectives. Does not God call our Adventist young people to bring to these youth a living Christ? Fur­ther, we see, multitudes in all lands longing for God. Never was there such a seeking for the gospel of Christ in Moslem, heathen, atheistic, and Catholic lands as there is now. Our re­sponse to the challenge of misguided modern youth, of open doors rapidly closing, and of a world sinking, yet calling for Jesus, should be a mighty, genuine, enduring revival of mis­sion zeal, mission studies, mission planning, mission sacrifice, and mission activity in all our schools and in every church.

And so we bring to this educational council the request that you revive and strengthen the mission spirit and vision of our young people. Make our schools truly mission-minded. We bring this request to the college presidents and the Bible teachers, as well as the teachers of history, science, mathematics, and other sub­jects. We bring it to the deans of women in our schools, for they have a mighty influence for good over the students. Help us get our most talented young women out into foreign work. And, might I say it once again—our great need today is not so much for knowledge as for thinking. And not even so much for thinking as for a real world vision. Or as the divine message says—we need a "spiritual vision touched by the finger of God."


Ministry reserves the right to approve, disapprove, and delete comments at our discretion and will not be able to respond to inquiries about these comments. Please ensure that your words are respectful, courteous, and relevant.

comments powered by Disqus

By L. H. CHRISTIAN, Vice-President of the General Conference

February 1938

Download PDF
Ministry Cover

More Articles In This Issue

What Youth Expects of Our Ministry

"They are searching not for imperfections on which to feed, but for positive realities by which to live."

True Revival and Reformation

Solemn and timely was the devotional hour led by Elder Wilcox at the Battle Creek Autumn Council. It was a message of rebuke and entreaty, a call to repentance, making a deep impression upon all pres­ent. A portion is here reproduced.

Losses in Membership—No. 2

Part two of series continues where we left of.

Debtors to All Mankind

The church of Christ today stands in the same relationship to the great gospel commis­sion as did the apostle to the Gentiles. We also are debtors to every nation which is in need of the gospel.

Capitalize Mohammedan Beliefs

After more than twenty years of labor in Mohammedan fields, I have come to the conclusion that many of us have approached the followers of the green-robed prophet from the wrong angle.

Origin of the Papal Sunday—No. 1

The Ecclesiastico-Historical Phase

Archeology's Contribution to Faith—No. 2

The advisability of using tree rings as found in the charred portions of beams in archeological ruins is at present begin­ning to be discussed; and even beads, which are now being studied at the Field Museum in Chicago, are found to have enough different types, forms, and sizes to play their part in checking other chronological information.

A More Effectual Ministry

Articles on more efficient evangelistic methods and pastoral techniques.

"The Kings of the East"

Is it justifiable to apply "the East" of Rev­elation 16:12 to Japan?

Editorial Keynotes

The Ministry's Solemn Pledge

View All Issue Contents

Digital delivery

If you're a print subscriber, we'll complement your print copy of Ministry with an electronic version.

Sign up

Recent issues

See All
Advertisement - SermonView - WideSkyscraper (160x600)