The Christian should approach Communists with love and good will . . . humility and confidence . . . [He] should be pro-Christian, not anti-Communist . . . [He] should approach Communists with intelligent understanding . . .
With these words, the missionary representatives of 61 Protestant denominations last week faced up to a tough missionary situation—the Communist conquest in China. Meeting at Buck Hill Falls, Pa. for their annual four-day get-together, 145 delegates of the Foreign Missions Conference of North America found themselves up against the problem of whether to keep missionaries in Communist-dominated areas. The delegates found they were in almost complete agreement. No denomination intended to order its missionaries to evacuate. In all cases the decision was being left to the missionaries themselves. And for the most part, missionaries were electing to stick.
Compromise? In areas already under Red control, the Communists are proving generally to be more lenient than anyone had expected. The Rev. Earl Ballou, acting secretary for China of the American Board (Congregational), reported that he has received encouraging word from several missions in occupied areas . . . From two faculty members of Yenching
University near Peiping, he had heard that in spite of Communist occupation all classes were maintaining their regular schedules. Dr. Lloyd S. Ruland, China secretary for the Northern Presbyterians, reported Communist soldiers not only attending Presbyterian missionaries' lectures, but also expressing surprise that Christianity teaches brotherly love and the brotherhood of man. But missionary leaders are well aware of what is likely to happen to such tolerant policies when the Communists have their military victory behind them. Said Dr. Ballou on the subject last week: "I've got more hope than I've got faith."
Whatever happens, missionary boards will give missionaries every encouragement to stick it out—even if they should be forbidden to preach from their pulpits or teach in their schools. Said Dr. Frank T. Cartwright, China secretary of the Methodist Church's Division of Foreign Missions: "Some of the conservative boards may feel that doing mission work under the Communists is compromising with the Devil, but most of the larger boards feel that if we are allowed to teach Christianity, or even live a life of Christian witness alongside Communism, we would do it. We believe Christianity can stand on its own feet . . . We're willing to do a lot of experimenting. There are enough people who are willing to risk their own welfare to do so, and we boards wouldn't be true to Christ if we didn't stand by them."
Severed Ties. Journalist Robert Root has said that a new type of missionary will have to be developed for China (TIME, Nov. 15). The Rev. Rowland M. Cross, secretary of the Foreign Missions Conference China committee, said last week: "There will certainly be a trend in the direction of specialization. Those who know a trade will be at a great advantage. The boards are even considering the desirability of using celibate missionaries."