The Ohio Independent Baptist, December 1953

I 11 111·l,,· i0 11~ nrt i l' 1 e"' I 11 cl,· (' \Yl'l11 (' ll t'OllC'Pl'll– j11g· tl1ri tl1i11Q·~ tl1nt l e 1111 , t1~·!.!t\~t i11 ,lllK\,·p r to tll<"' c111cRtio11 ··1,·1,at C<111 I <l<J! ' ' 1 111e11tio11 l t lt(\ fnt·t tl1,1t ,·(111 c,111 (lt) tl1e Q:reat- • <'"' t ~l"\r,·i ee f 01· ,?0111· 111 is io11a1·i e. • ll~· 1'(1111 111l)e1·i11g t l1e111 i11 1 1·a)rer. I 11,1,·l' cll....o 111e11tio11c 1 . 0111 of tl1c 111c1 te1·i,1 l 11 ee<.l. tl1a t ,·011 ca11 111eet • i11 t11e 111 cli ·al ,,·01·lt 011 the n1is:io11 field. Tl1e1·c are 0111e othe1" 111a– teri,1l 11eecls of ,,.hit 11 r \,·ill ,,Trite at a f11t111·e elate b11 I feel that tl1e1·e i~ --0111etl1i110· rl. e that ,·011 • ea11 do tl1at ,,·ill l1e g:1·eatl~· a 1111·e- eiat 1 b,· ,-ot11· 111i.... io11a1·ie.. • • ~t ..\ ... cerl TJ1at i 11ot Jl e11tio,ied Tl1i. l1a to clo ,,-it 11 0111ethi11g· ,,hicl1 cloe 11ot lie i11 t11e 1naterial real1n. Tl1i i. a 11eecl ,,·l1ich n10 t n1i io11arie c1a1·e 11ot me11tio11 eithe1· i11 tl1e plllJ)it or i11 co11,""er·– . atio11 ,,·ith th i1· 1)1·a~'"e1-- }1elpe1", a11cl 111eml)e1· of their . tll)l)Orti11g c hu1·cl1e. . TJ1i. a11 " 1 e1· to the tJt1e.tio11 ·WJ1 <1f can I do?'' i. ·\Plea. e e11dea,,.01· to 1111de1-.. ta11cl , ·0111· n1 i .. io11a1·v. I 1l1l1:t ad1ni t • • that thi. n1a,.. be a cliffir11lt ta. k ,._ at ti111e fo1" 1ni-. io11arie.· a1·e pe– e11lia1· })eople. II0,ve1ter ,,e 11111. t 1 ealize tl1at . 0111eti111e.· the. e pe– c·11lia1·itie are the 1·e. 11lt of . it- 11atio11 · i11 ,,~I1icl1 a mi. io11a1 .. ·v· i. • J)laeecl a11d co11 litio11. 1111 :ler ,,,hich he m11. t Ii,,. . Plea. e 1Jea1~ ,,ith 111 a. I tr}'" to explai11 ,vhat I 1nPa11 b,.. the e tate111ent.. • Tl, e Jlfi.. ·io11ar.z1 .· Re. 0011. ibilifJJ To Goel a 11rl .11 a,, Pir. t of all a mi io11ar,.. 1n11 t lJe <, , ·er,... co11cerned abo11t hi te,,ard- ._ 11ip to the 11e " .,ho ha. called him. , eco ;1dl lf he m11. t lJe concerned alJout hi. c·o11cl11et a11rl l1i. b11 ine.. o that he ,,·ill 11ot offe11d tl1e 011e ... on ,, ..ho1n lie i: clepe11cli11g· for pra~..er a11cl fi11a11cial . llpport. l\fan,- time. the n1i io11arv fi11cl ~ ~ him. elf i11 a dilem1na tr,ri11Q' to clo • that ,,..hich he k110,-v i plea ing to Goel and taking: into con icleration that he ma,~ be mi uncle1· tood hv .. tho e who e e teem he val11e . We, of cour e, 1"ealize that the pa. tor lt,l. tl1i"'1 . a111e J)rol>le111, b11t it i. · 111111ti1>liPtl for tlir 111i. io11,1r}.. he– c:a11se J1e ha co11tact \\rith not 011e, lJl1t n1a11:" congreg:ation . WI-IAT C N I DO? ]> . \ l }; I~'. ~l I~:'l%l1 I~: I~.. \c·ti11 !_! J) P]> ll{,1tic> 11 ~pc•J'<'1H1')' l~H})1 i~t ~I icl-:\I is~i(>lls. 11 2() ( 'hc',t<'l', 1 ]p, Pla11cl, )h ic) ritici.· n, r1.f 171 (' n1is. /()1/((1',lj l3 ei11g· ,1 111i~. io11clr)· a11cl c-111 offiee ~tc-1ff 111r111l1er at tl1e sc1111e ti111e I l1cl'\"e 1·reei,rr,cl erit i ·i. ·111. of 111,111,.. • l,i11c1: co11cr1·11i11g· 111,.. f llo,,· 111i8- • • sio11c11~ie.. I 11111.· t c1c1111it that 111a11,.. • c>f tl1e. ·r ·riti ·i. 111. a1·e j11:tifiec1 l111t 111a11>"" other. a1·e :i11111l~· the 1·e. 111t <>f laelc of i11for111atio11 a11cl 1111- cl e1· ·ta11di11g·. -:\ Ii::·io11a1·ie. are ofte11 rriticizecl fo r lea,,. i11g· their hilclre11 at l10111e '\,l1ile tl1e)"" g·o to tl1e field. P e1·1nit 111e to sa)'" tl1a i of a 11 tl1e tl1ing. <1 11) i. io11a1·~r i.· called 11po11 to c1o il1i: i the 111o~t cl ' f ficl1 l t. °JI i.. io11- a 1~y 1Ja1·e11 t. a 1~e , .. e1·~.. h 11111a11 a11cl the,T lo,Tr tl1ei1~ cl1ilclre11. Beca11. e • t11e·y·· 1{110,v of n1a11,.... acl ea. P, of • • 111i.. io11ar)"" eh ilcl1·e11 a e:e1·ti11g the fait 11 a111 t111·11i11g 011 t ' ' l)ad the3r ha,Te a g·1·eater lJattle a11cl it i. mo. t cliffi c111t fo1· tl1e111 to leave their" e l1ild1·e11 1Jel1i11cl. E'\Te11 after 111a11~.. l1011r.· of prayer a11c1 after '"··i1111i11 g the ,Ticto1·~T tl1 e mi.. ·io11arJ,. lea, '"e: '"·itl1 a heavv l1eart . Re- • me111l)er tl1011gh tl1at t11i. a per. onal 111atte1· anc1 one that 11111. t be . ettlec1 bet,,?ee11 the i11divi l11al a11cl l1i. l.Jo1·d, a11c1 the T1orc1 g·i,.. e. t11e 11ec·e:.· a1·~{ g1·ate whe11 it i. 11eedecl. I, R ec_,e11tl,... c·1·iti('ism l1a. con1e to • 111e be · a 11. e ot1r 111 i: .:io11a1·ie.· a1" l)t1il(li11v: ce111e11 a11cl bl11~11ed l)1·ielc 1Jtlilcli11g·. ·. 11 i11 li, 1 i 111al ha l l)ee11 tolcl tl1at a 11011 e cot1lc1 be b11ilt i11 the trorJic for a. little a ~thirty clolla1-. ·. ,, h>.. ,,Te r·e ,,-e pen di11g- o 111l1ch 111011 ey on pe1·111 ane11 t h11ilcl– j 11~:. ? Thi. pe1·. 011 clid 11ot ){11ow that he 1ni. . ion that ,,Ta, lJl1ilding· t hi1·t~... c1ollar· bl1ildi11g hacl been c1e11ied ft1t111· e 1a11cl co11ee.. io11. bv • the colo11ia1 go,rer11n1e11t a11 l ha 1 lo. t . on1e of the la11d ,,Thicl1 hac1 al read~r bee11 g·ra11tecl to then1. :\Ianv of our· 111i , ion . tatio11. are .. built 011 la11cl whicl1 l1a l)ee11 ~i,Ten h~.. the g·o,·e1·11111e11t ,vit 11 the . tj1)- 111a tion t11at the land in 11. t l1e c1e,re1011ec1 a11cl tl1at l)11ilcli11g-. m11. t lJe erectec1 a cco1~cli11~r .to . ta11cla1·cl . et l)y the go·\''e1·11111 e11 t. If the la11cl i. developec1 a11 l the p1·ope1· l)11ildi11g·. a1"e erected in a . p eci- fied time permane11t title i. gra11ted~ if not the title i ref11 ed. A ide from all that, i11 the long 1·1111 the thirtv dollar~ ho11. e ,,..011 ld "' he the 1110. t ex1)e11. i,Tc fo1· it \\'Ot1 l cl l1a,·r tc) be b11ilt c,·e1·,r , ..ea1· ancl tl1e <c • 11ealtl1 of tl1e occ11pa11t "ro11]d l)e enc1a11ge1·ed beca11. e of tl1e poorl)'" c·c>11:-,t rt1c·t rcl l)1tilcli11p:. 'I'l1 cr arr. 111,lll\"' ,·ra~<>J1s for l>11ilcli110· ,, 11 . '"' <·011 . 11·11c·trcl ,111cl e<>111 fort a 1>1<> J)cr- 11tc111 r 11 t 11011ses. I (1'l, c .11 i. ·. io 11 rr r.lJ 71 ct . c,, ">.T f 1u r1r, r' Reee11t1)· a })a. tor f1.. ir11cl of 111i11c sr,,.cre 1 ,.. critici:ec1 <>11 e of 111v f e 1- • • lo,,~ 1ni ." ionarie. lJe ra11~e a 11e,,T C'a1· 011 e that ,,.,a. i11 a higher.. p1·ice 1·a11g·e tha11 the 011e thi l)a. to1~ ,va clri,.. i11g·. For·t1111atel~y,. the eirc11m- ·ta11ce ,,..ere k110,, ..11 to me .·o that I eol1ld di. c11. the matter· i11telli– g·e11tl)". The pa tor a(l111itted that l1e co,Ter cl le . mileage i11 011e )rear tha11 the 1ni.. io11ar,:r hacl dri,re11 i11 • the tl11 ..ee n1011tl1 he hacl had hi. ca1". The 1ni. io11a1~r had paicl a , .,erJr 11on1inal price for tl1e higher pricecl ca1 .. ' l)eca11, e a deacon i11 011e of hi: 'llpporting ch11rche. hac1 gi,Ten l1i1n ' a real break.' ' Tl1e11 the pa. to1... a,v how llilI'ea on– a l)le l1i. c1·itici 1n ,,;ra. and admitted that it co t n111ch le to operate a 1 Le,,.. car tha11 a11 old jalopy. 11 .·0111e of 0111· fielcl it i po. - . ilJle to tal{e a ca1.. to the field c1ri,"e it for fol11-- yea1 ... , ancl the11 sell it for tl1e pri ·e of a new ca1~ i11 tl1e 1T11ited ~tate . I per~ 011all~T l,110,v of at lea t 011e n1i. ionarv ~ ,,,.ho c·o11l l ha,re l1acl a 11ew ·car a a ,)·ift b11t reft1. cd it becat1 e he I'ealizecl t11at he ,, 1 011ld be mi t1n– c1e1· tood 1),T the 111en1ber of the ,._ C'h11rel1e i11 ,,,.hicb he wol1ld peak. Ren1e1nlJe1~ that the mi. ionar,.. i. • intere. ted i11 havi11~: a n1ea11 , a11d the cheape. t 1nea11. , of t1 .. a11 por– tatio11 . o that he ca11 vi it the C'hl1rehe. to tell then1 what God ha do11e 011 l1i. field. Ile i anx– io11 to do tl1i i11 order to e11li t )TOlll .. i11te1·e t a11d )·0111" p1 ..ayer. in he ,,·01"lt to ,vhi 1 we are all ra lled a. lal>o1·e1 .." tog·ether i11 t11e p1·ead– i11g· of the g:o. pe 1 of 011r J...101'd a.ncl ~ a,,.io11r ~J e. 11. 1 l11·i. t th1·011gho11t the ,vo1·ld. Ct I \'1 W RD .. ~ Y~. . . . ' ' Belo,,.ed if Goel o lo,red t1, we ot1ght al o to lo, 1 e 011e a11other.' I John -1 :11. Let ll the11 in hri - tian lo, 1 e tr,.. to llnder tand Ollr • 111i . io11a1·ie... a11d p1·ay for them that tl1e~r n1ight l) fot1nd al– \\'cl)"8 ' ,,·i t}1 ~·oocl ,,,ill c1oi11g ·er,T - ice a · to the I.101,cl a11(l 11ot to 1ne11. · \ Eph. 6 :7) .