Walla Walla College
The School of Theology this year has made HE number of important improvements under the capable leadership of its new dean, T. M. French. New courses have been offered, old courses have been altered, and field seminar work has been organized. This year the school is stressing the evangelistic type of field work instead of the pastoral, which has been emphasized in recent years. Five evangelistic efforts are being conducted by seniors of the school, with meetings every Sunday night. Each effort does its own advertising by use of handbills and posters, and the regular evangelistic subjects are presented in their usual order. Help in special music is obtained from the college.
This department of the school has recently purchased two portable projection machines and some color-film strips on prophetic and evangelistic subjects. Effective results have come from the use of these color films. The president of the Upper Columbia Conference has contributed a hundred new copies of "The Gospel in Song" for use in the meetings.
The juniors are doing pastoral work among the near-by churches each Sabbath. The freshman and the sophomore theological students are organized into a lower-division seminar, called the Theological Tyro. It is the purpose of this body to develop technique in public speaking. Elder G. Dalrymple is their supervisor. The upper-division organization includes the juniors and the seniors, and is called the Theological Forum. This forum is under the supervision of Elder French, and is doing research work on different Biblical subjects, passages, and doctrines. Methods of Biblical exegesis and historical research have been discussed and put into practical use.
Stanley Johnson. [Theological Student.]
Pacific Union College
During the first semester of 1938-39 at Pacific Union College, and continuing through the second semester, three of us young men in the field-evangelism class have been carrying this last gospel message to the small town of Monticello. When the weather is fair, we can reach our place of meeting by the shorter road, which is 31 miles each way over the mountains, but when these roads are impassable, we must travel a distance of 58 miles each way, or 116 miles round trip, part of which is over a narrow, winding mountain road.
In meeting the many problems to be encountered, we find the timely suggestions, assistance, and constructive criticism of our instructor, E. H. Ernmerson, very helpful. However, in order to make the course highly practical, we as student evangelists are expected, except in the most difficult cases, to meet and settle our own problems. Some of our problems are the systematic budgeting of all phases of our work in order to keep within our allotted financial resources, making arrangements for meeting places, planning advertisements, obtaining transportation, and of course planning all the services with their various important parts.
We always desire to come in contact with the people or visit them while giving out our advertising, but many times we have to mail it, and thus lose the opportunity of personal contact. Nevertheless, God is blessing. The interest is gradually growing, and the attendance has increased to thirty.
Another group of young men are beginning to hold meetings for the 265 men at the State Relief Administration camp located three miles from the college. Several others are planning to join the field-evangelism class the second semester. They are expecting to hold a series of meetings in another near-by valley. We pray that we may soon see the triumph of this glorious message in all the world.
Francis Ruddle. [Theological Student.]
