The Ohio Independent Baptist, March 1964

VOL. 36, NO. 5 The Ohio Independent Baptist • • • WO one m1ss1onar1es. • • at Ey J ames R. Johnson "My co-worker slipped away to higher planes. My heart is near breaking. The Jeunesse left us a dead, but I am alive. But God" - and these lines were heavily undenlined - "God, come and help us." This was the message frantical ly scribed by Miss Ruth Hege to a fellow missionary in a call for help. One of the most stirring accounts of the life of a missionary, one of terror in the Congo, is told in thi s issue of the Ohio Inde,pendent Bapti t magazine. This article tells about the faith and courage of two missionaries, standing alone amid the terrorism of the Communist inspired youth group in the ongo. Poisoned arrows Ruth Hege of Wellington, Ohio. escaped poi oned arrows and knives of Communist-trained warriors of the Congo. Irene Ferrel, however, was killed at the same time by an arrow that pierced her neck. Both Mid-Mi ssions' missionaries, they stood alone at Mangungu, their foreign mission station, faithfully spreadi ng the Go~pel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They quit only when one pulled an arrow fro111 her neck and cried, ''I'm fin ished;" the other fled by UN hel icopter only after there was no hope. We have in the testimony of Mis~ Ruth Hege, an excellent example of our Baptist missionar 1e~ standing true to tl1e reat ommis ion , never falt ering, always witnessi11g for their l ..ord though their very lives are en– dangered . One of the )'Oung 1ne11 in tl1e UJ)ri ir1g threatened to kill Mi s liege too. But, with cal111ness gi\ 1 en to lier b)' od, sl1e said, .. If you kill n1 , I will join 01}' friend , ar1d my "-J\Jrd, but wl1at \\ 1 ill l1appe11 to you? on't 1 ou nov.' tl1at the 1 ... ord 10, 1 es 1H OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST ang·ungu you and will care for you if you will accept Him?" She, too, could have been killed at that instant, but was determi ned that if she died at least one more African would have heard about the S,aviour! Would you be so true? In Miss Hege's last miss ionary letter before the U·prising she quoted thi s verse: "Be still , and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exhalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10. Perhap this young man, even now, has accepted Christ as 1his Saviour, but nonetheless he wa given a witness by a faithfu l . . m 1ss1onary. Little future Shortly after Miss Hege returned to the United States she was interviewed by Faith Corrigan of the Cleveland Plain Dealer . In this interview Mi s Hege sa id that she sees little future for white missionarie in Africa. "Unles the native Chri tians left behind really know Christ, they will turn. Those who do not turn may pay with their live , ' Mi Hege aid. Is thi an indication that Africa soon will be a closed door to the Go pel? We in the Ohio Association of RcgL1lar Bapti t churche need to pray for these mi ionarie and for the vast mis ion field of Africa. Many changes are taking place and it n1ay well be that mis ionaries, though the)' have a great love for the land and for the people, cannot return to thi land. We n1ay not fully 11nder.. tand wl1)' thi s one was n1artyred . But thi \\'e believe, Irene Ferrel , did 11ot die i11 \' ai11. It could well be that n1a11 ' n1ore 111is ionaries will take the place of "rfwo Ione 111issio11arie., ' ' at l a11 .. gu11gt1. MARCH, 1964 Your State Missionary This is one way churches are started By Earl D. Umbaugh At a called business imeeting, on Jan. 22, ithe following motion wa made : "Mr. Chairman, I wish to make a motion that, The Graham Road Baptist Church take the initia– tive, under the leader 1 hip of our Pastor and our State Missionary, in the planning, canvassing the organiz– ing of a Biblically sound Baptist te ti– mony at Kent, Ohio and that we now commit ourselves to $100 per month upport for the first six months after it i organized." The motion wa sup– ported and after about a half hour of discuss ion and questioning, the mo– tion was carried without a ingle opposing vote. In reporting thi action, the Gra– 'halm ,Road Bapti t Beacon con1- mented, "That i one way to give birth to a church. Another way i, to have a " plit" and a group go out in a huff or be put out and thu tart a church. Some denon1- U1ation feel firee to dictate the pl ace and make all the plan and do the building then a k the people to pay al l the bill and carry on the work they had no voice 1n be- ginning. eedle to "' ay, thi i neither bapti tic nor 1 it biblical. Join tl ' 1n pra} er for the Kent work." everal fan1ilics ha\'C e. pre~ ed a tie ire to bcco111e part of the 11l1~ le– ous of people ' tarting tl1is 11e,v cht1rch. fhe} ha, c bccr1 111ceting regt1- larl)' , plan11ir1g a11 arca-,,,idc: a11vass, • • ....ett ing tlf) a tc111 poi ar)' L)f gan1zat1011 and la)' ing a fot1nJ,1t1on tor tl1eir fir~t t1r1da 1 ser, 1 i t: "' . I entati, 1 e pln11s ar to tak tl1e a11,,ass 011 lar 11 J l and to -tart sl;r, 1 ict: on t111 ia ' , r\ J irl - . --r'he te111,p rar , organization i11 Jude Dr. Rtid)' Bt1tler, te111p r r ' l1air111an, (Continued on page 7) MARCH, 1964 Page 3