171
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
February 9, 1956
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 3:30 P.m. on
Thursday, February 9, 1956, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, W. Rush Loving, Garis T. Long, J. Hundley Wiley,
Perry Mitchell, Neal llis, Mrs. Kenneth Burke, Howard L. Arthur, P. Earle Wood,
Oscar L. Hite, J. E. Boyles. C. Bailey Jones, H.
Б.
Tillman, E. P. Buxton, Mrs.
Earl Brown, Baker J. Cauthen, Eugene L. Hill, Fon H. Scofield, Rogers M. Smith,
Elmer S. West, Bill Cody, E. L. Deane.
Dr. Jones led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Reports from Ur. Sadler and Dr. Means indicate that they are having good trips
in their areas. Dr. Sadler has visited the Gold Coast and now is in Nigeria.
His schedule will call for him to go to Southern Rhodesia and to the Near East
before returning to this country by way of Europe. Dr. Means has been in
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Colombia. He is now in Venezuela
and his schedule will call for him to proceed to Rio where an important con¬
ference of representatives of all the missions in Latin America will be held.
Encouraging word comes from Dr. Crawley of his rapid recuperation following
surgery. He expects to begin his travel schedule before the end of this month.
His Plans call for visits throughout Japan and trips to all the missions of the
Orient before his r-turn to this country to take up location at the Foreign
Mission Board in the simmer.
Ve are grateful that the development of worldwide air transportation has made
possible a strategy of mission administration previously unknown in the history
of foreign missions. In earlier days of the missionary enterprise the visit of
the mission secretary to the field was a rare occurrence. Such a visit had to
be made over a prolonged period of time by surface transportation with inevitable
slowing down of responsibilities at the central place of administrative work.
With the development of air transportation, it becomes possible for the secre¬
taries of the Foreign Mission Board to isit the fields of work and deal with
matters of major importance with the full benefit of accurate knowledge obtained
on the scene.
With the great expanse of our mission work throughout the world and in view of
the com lexities of the international scene, it seems to be most providential
that this development has come to be a reality in our day. A much closer con¬
tact can be maintained between the fields and the Foreign Mission Board than
otherwise could be done. The value of this in administration of work can
hardly he overstated.
Since the last meeting of the Board a serious crisis occurred in the Jordan
Mission when rioting occurred at Ajloun with damage to the Mission property.
The rioting was occasioned by the political tension in the Near East growing
out of the Bagdad Pact which took an anti-American slant in Jordan. The
rioters were from about eight villages. Their greatest damage was done to the
school building, the home of the business manager of the hospital, and the
building which houses the clinic, pharmacy and laboratory. Some damage was
done to the boys' dormitory, the home of the mission school teachers, and a new
residence under construction. The rioters did not enter the hospital, and
there was no damage done to its build' ng or equipment.
Damage is estimated to be somewhere between
$25,ОПо
$50,<X>!). The work of
the hosri’al is going on, and the missionaries remained at their post of service.
There was no injury to any of the missionaries or national personnel. During
the time of the rioting the missionary doctor was busy attending his patients
as usual in the hospital. Reports indicate that conditions have improved some¬
what since the rioting occurred and there has been no further disturbance. The
work is going along and the missionaries have met this situation in the same
spirit which characterizes God's servants ministering in His name in many parts
of a troubled world.
