000 - Foreword

The Call of the World

W. E. Doughty

FOREWORD.

CHAPTER I. THE WIDENING SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD CHAPTER II. THE CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK CHAPTER III. AMERICA’S POSITION IN THE WORLD BATTLE CHAPTER IV. A MAN’S RESPONSE TO THE WORLD APPEAL Produced by Larry B. Harrison and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Call of the World OR, EVERY MAN’S SUPREME OPPORTUNITY BY

W. E. DOUGHTY EDUCATIONAL SECRETARY, LAYMEN’S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT

REVISED EDITION

NEW YORK Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada

1913 PUBLISHED JOINTLY BY MISSIONARY EDUCATION MOVEMENT AND LAYMEN’S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER I THE WIDENING SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST WORLD CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY An accessible world, 2—A plastic world, 4—A changing world, 4—Increase in Christian populations, 9—Spread of English language, 9—Geographical control of the world, 11. THE MULTIPLYING AGENCIES OF THE KINGDOM The number and growing efficiency of missionary societies, 13—Resulting in unity and coöperation, 14—A science of missions, 14—The application of the principles of strategy, 15—The number of missionaries, 17—Money, 18—Translation of Scriptures, 19.

SIGNS OF WORLD-WIDE VICTORY Progress by centuries, 20—Recent victories, 21—The native Church, 25—Humanitarian institutions, 27—Social reconstruction, 27—Conclusion, 29.

CHAPTER II THE CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK Unity of the race, 34—Explanation of terms, 34—America’s home problem, 37—Mexico, 43—South America, 44—Africa, 47—Asia, 50—Near East, 50—Central Asia, 52—India, 53—-Bhutan and Nepal, 55—Indo-China, 55—Japan, 55—Korea, 56—China, 56—Summary, 59.

CHAPTER III AMERICA’S POSITION IN THE WORLD BATTLE The United States and Canada, a Common World Task, 66.

AMERICA’S POSITION OF LEADERSHIP SHOWN BY STRATEGIC LOCATION AND OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS America faces the two great oceans, 67—Is near to undeveloped parts of the world, 68—Has many world harbors, 68—Navigable rivers, 69—Is isolated from other commanding powers, 69.

AMERICA HAS QUALITIES OF CHARACTER NEEDED FOR A WORLD TASK The pioneers, 70—Mechanical genius, 71—Public school, 72—The home missionary, 72—Home of world movements, 73.

AMERICA HAS RESOURCES FOR A WORLD TASK Size, 75—Mineral resources, 77—Railroads, 77—Wealth, 78—Agricultural products, 79.

AMERICA MUST HAVE VISION AND CONSECRATION ADEQUATE TO HER TASK A spiritual enterprise, 82—America’s share of the world task, 83—Men and money needed, 84.

CHAPTER IV A MAN’S RESPONSE TO THE WORLD APPEAL Efficiency experts, 87—A fourfold program, 89—WIDENING HORIZON, 90—Studying the Church, 92—The missionary committee, 93—UNWITHHOLDING CONSECRATION, 95—Principles of stewardship, 98—Methods, 101—UNENDING PRAYER, 103—Calls forth and energizes movements, 106—Finds a way out in hours of crisis, 107—Fills gaps in thin line of battle, 107—Togo’s telegram, 109.

FOREWORD. The four questions which the author has most frequently heard in discussing world problems with men are the following:

What progress is the missionary enterprise making?

How much remains to be done?

What is America’s share of world responsibility?

How can men relate themselves in a practical way to the spread of Christianity throughout the world?

It is to give a brief answer to these four fundamental questions that the following pages have been prepared for use in Missionary Discussion Groups, Men’s Bible Classes, Brotherhoods, Missionary Committees, and groups of Sunday School Officers and Teachers. It is also confidently expected that many men who cannot meet to discuss these problems in any of the groups mentioned will read and study the book in private. In preparing the manuscript the author has had in mind a large number of men who are now or should become public advocates of missions. The book presents information which they may use in addresses.

Many of the facts given have been taken from the Report of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference, The World Atlas of Christian Missions, The Statesman’s Year Book, 1912, The Decisive Hour of Christian Missions, by John R. Mott, and The Unoccupied Mission Fields of Africa and Asia, by S. M. Zwemer. The author is indebted to his friend, the Rev. W. R. Dobyns, D.D., of St. Joseph, Missouri, for the design on the cover.

It is the hope of the writer that the reading and discussion of the topics outlined in these pages will inspire many men to undertake to master the world plans of Christ and lead them to enthrone at the center of life the missionary purpose—the one purpose around which a man may build all the facts of his life and to which he may cling and let everything else go when he is hard pressed.

New York, September, 1912. x