The African Work

The African Work The African Work
J. Dow Merriti

Suppose we draw an outline map of Africa, the length and breadth of it five feet each and place in it the thirty or more states into which that continent is divided, Egypt, The Congo, The Union of South Africa, etc. Africa is five thousand miles long and as wide. A line one foot in length represents one thousand miles on this map. Its population is about one hundred and thirteen million. To represent our missionary activities in Africa, let us draw a line an eighth of an inch wide and an inch long. Now let us cut this line in eight parts, one part for each of the missionaries gone to that field, and after taking away one part, for Brother l awyer is dead and his wife and children have returned to the United States, let us put these square in that space called Rhodesia on our map. Near Kalomo in Northern Rhodesia let us place Scott, Brown and Merritt. At Sinde Mission, near Iivinstone is Reese’s location. Forest Vale Mission at Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, is where Brother Sherriff is buried and where his wife carries on the work they started years ago. Brother Garrett is at Salisbury and Brother Short at Macheke in Southern Rhodesia.

What a sight! Fourteen square feet of darkness, seven dots of light! But we have been twenty years getting those dots there. No new worker has been sent out to reenforce the field staff since 1929. Does it seem likely that we are. going to do a great work there at the .rate we have been going? Are we going to convert Africa merely by sending 'white Christians to preach to the native people? Certamly not! What can we. do about it?

If we turn our map and dots into living things and see rhe condb tions of the country, how the natives live and think, the way rhe mis' sionaries undertake their work, what their hopes are and what their problems are, it may be that we can find a way to help. The people of the villages of Rhodesia cannot read or write. Half the children born never reach the age of one year. A quarter of the women die prematurely. Many folk die or are crippled for the lack of aid m sickness or injury which might be successfully treated by one of little knowledge. They worship their ancestors, and appease evil spirits; recognising a Great Spirit they pray for rain and blessings. They are a very superstitious people.
The missionary located in the midst of a dosen or more of these villages, visiting them and preaching to them day by day soon learned that he must teach these people to read the Bible for themselves so that they could help him in carrying the Gospel to the community. So he built a school huuse near to teach the native boys who came to read and write their own language, giving them Bible lessons every day. They could soon read the English Bible. The villages then be`gan to call for these boys to come and teach the children. To get boys fitted for teaching he had to send them away to a government normal school where education and financial success is stressed and not Chris`tianity. These boys returned home and married girls who taught their children the heathen ways. If there were only a Christian normal school for boys and a school where girls could be taught useful arts while they learned to read the Bible! After school days then they could marry Christian boys and teach their children in the right way. The missionary in his rounds amongst the villages saw that those who could read hoarded the printed matter that fell into their hands and read it over and over to himself and all who would listen. Why not give him something to read that would tell him and others of God? But let us go back to our map. At the southern point and on the western coast is Cape Town, a city of three hundred thousand souls. It is the Legislative Capitol of The Union of South Africa and is a university city. In the middle of the Transvaal is Johannesburg, a city whose suburbs and other environs have a population of about 500,000, the business center of Africa. Then there is Port Eliza`beth, East London, Durban, and Pretoria, all cities of over 75,000 people. For many years there have been several churches of Christ in Cape Town. Due to silly quarrels these churches became inactive. One of the brethren wrote to the editor of one of our American church papers asking that a capable American preacher be sent over to help them. Nothing practical was done about it. But Dr. Kellems of the Christian Church did go and now, with the exception of two or three congregations, all of the churches of Christ have gone over to the Christian Church. Why not send young men to South Africa to convert the white people there and teach them to take the responsibility of carrying the gospel to the heathen of their own country? The minimum need at present on the Rhodesian field appears to be:
A Normal School. Two qualified young men to teach graduates from our mission schools so that as they learn to teach they may be kept under Bible teachers and out of schools that tend to break down all that we have been building up for years. A Girl’s School. Two young women, one a trained teacher and the other a nurse, to teach the girls how to live better in their villages and to get them away from the heathen teachings which regard per`sonal habits and children, and to make them fit wives for Christian men. A Printing Press. A press to have readable tracts on hand to distribute to the book'reading native in the village so that ne may know the truth and may be used to get the truth to others. A Preacher to the Whites. Paul went to the trade centers of Europe and Asia and preached to the better classes of people who in turn took the Gospel throughout their countries so that within thirty years the whole world had heard the Word. We need at least one young man to go to one of the cities of South Africa and spy out the ground. A Suggestion. There are bright young people who want to serve their Lord and humanity. Study medicine, surgery, dentistry, etc., with the idea of going to some out-obthe way place as a mission' ary of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a great encouragement to the workers in Africa to have $428.21 for the printing press which wasgiven by Abilene Christian College and the Christian people who attended the Lectureship.

Also it is a great pleasure to state here that J. D. Bales, a graduate of Harding College and a young preacher of excellent qualifications, has volunteered for work in the cities of South Africa. Myrtle Rowe, who has been a teacher in Harding College for several years, goes next year to Africa in connection with the girl’s school. Alvin Hobby and Carroll Cannon mean to take over the normal school work. For all of which “we thank God and take courage.”

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. How large is Africa? Compare it with the United States in size, population, education, and living conditions.
2. Who are the workers there of the churches of Christ? When did the last new missionary go to Rhodesia?
When are more expected? How many more are needed?
3. What can be done to use the converted “boys” there, the white population, and the opportunities already
at hand?
4. What are the immediate needs of the present field in Africa?
5. What can our church and our elders do about it? What can our young people do to train for such service?