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Foreign Mission Board Rooms
February 12, 1948
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 4:00 p.m. on
Thursday, February 12, 1948.
The meeting was opened with pryer by Rev. Rush Loving.
Present: L. H. Jenkins, Rush V.'. Loving, J. Levering Evans, Rupert T.
Coleman, Mrs. T. J. Moore, Mrs. Simeon Atkinson, C-aris T. Long, J. G.
Loving, i . T. Rankin, Everett Gill, Jr., George L. Sadler, Frank K. Means,
Nan F. Weeks, -ary M. Hunter, Marjorie E. Moore, Edna Frances Dawkins,
E. P. Buxton, Louis P, Seay.
Visitors: Dr. and Mrs. P. S. Evans, emeritus missionaries from China.
Dr. Sadler read the following report on Africa, Europe, and the Near East:
Report on Africa, Euro e, and the Near East
Despite the disturbed condition of the world, heartening reports continue
to come from practically every area with which this secretary is especially
identified.
In a letter written on January 19 Rev. J. B. Adair declares that the year
just ended wa s "without doubt, our most fruitful year of service." He
tells about the acceptance by the Rev. James Tanimola Ayorinde of the call
of the First Baptist Church of Lagos, and the eagerness with which the
people anticipate his pastoraxe. He writes about the dedication of the
new building at the Reagan Memorial Girls School and the plan of one of
the Lagos churches to erect a school building which will cost §7,000, and
finally Mr. Adair says: "We have applications to open five new schools in
the district (Dagos.) V.e also have had calls from two new groups in the
district to be organized into churches."
The overall picture of the Spanish situation is not beautiful. It is good
to know, however, that we have secured a deed to the valuable property we
recently purchased in Madrid. It is also encouraging that Dr. and Mrs.
George Jennings, appointed last April for work in Spain, were recently
issued a visa by the Spanish Consul in Chicago. About general conditions
J. D. Iiughey, Jr., wrote on January 31 as follows:
"The situation here does not improve, and I am convinced that the only
way to cause it to improve is to arouse public opinion abroad. I am wait¬
ing now for photostatic copies of some documents from Valencia and Alicante,
where there seems to be no prospect of an i provement in the situation, and
when I have them I will send you a full report of what has been happening
here. I wish that ihe information might find its way into the daily papers.
Unless the force of public opinion abroad matches the force of Catholic
pressure in Spain, the cause of ^angelical Christianity in Spain is in
great danger.
"I believe that a letter from you and a letter or two from other people
inquiring about the matter of religious freedom in Spain might be useful.
Would it be possible to get a letter from a Congressman or Governor? The
writers of such letters could say that they had heard various reports about
the repression of Evangelical Christianity in Spain and would like to know
the truth. They might ask such questions as the following: Is it true that
government permission must be obtained before religious services can be held
in a particular place? Is any difficulty encountered in obtaining such per¬
mission' Is full protection offered by the Government against attack by
fanatical groups? Are non-Catholics given the right to construct houses of
worship and identify them as such' Do they have the right to hold public
office and teach in the schools? Can they operate schools, orphanages, and
hospitals of their own? Do they have the right to issue their own publica¬
tions? If I have in my possession ore or more such letters, I can present
t em to the proper government ministry in Madrid and ask what reply I should
give."
I suggest that members of the Board write their friends in Congress about
this matter of religious liberty, asking them to use their good offices in
its behalf.
