14 1
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
March 10, 19U9
•The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session on Thursday,
March 10, 19U9 with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. H. Jenkins, Hill Montague, Reuben E. Alley, Oscar Hite, T. F.
Adams, T. Rupert Coleman, Clyde V. Hickerson, Mrs. Simeon Atkinson, J. G.
Loving, J. Levering Evans, M. T. Rankin, George W. Sadler, Everett Gill,
Jr., -. P. Buxton, Josef Nordenhaug, Louis P. Seay, Mary M. Hunter, Nan F.
Weeks, Gene Greer, and Edna Frances Dawkins.
Visitor: Miss Margaret Bruce.
On motion of Dr. J. G. Loving it was voted to appoint in absentia Rev.
and Mrs. Cecil Roberson regular missionaries to Nigeria. Mr. and Mrs.
Roberson spent about three years in Nigeria as contract workers. They
have rendered such acceptable service that the African mission requested
them to return as full-fledged missionaries.
On motion of Dr. Loving it was voted to appoint Miss Mary Hester Powell
as a contract nurse to Nigeria and the following candidates as regular
missionaries:
Mr. Charles Whaley, Japan
Miss Lucy Belle Stokes, Japan
Rev. and Mrs. Robert Bratcher, Brazil
Miss Margaret McGavock, Mexico
Dr. Rankin delivered the charge to the new missionaries and Dr. Norden¬
haug gave the prayer of dedication.
Dr. Rankin gave a brief report on his trip to South America and stated
that Dr. Gill would give the detailed report at the April Board meeting.
Dr. Sadler gave the following report:
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY FOR AFRICA, EUROPE, AND THE NEAR EAST
As radio listeners and newspaper readers know, the situation in Commun¬
ist dominated areas, so far as Christians are concerned, is deplorable.
For months it has not been possible for us to communicate with our
friends in Romania. We hear indirectly that there are eighty or more
students in our seminary in Bucharest.
Conditions in Hungary have grown steadily worse since I was there last
August. It is not now possible for us to reach our brethren in that
country with funds. Indeed we refrain from sending even letters or
parcels to the Baptist leaders lest we endanger their lives.
No change has taken place in Spain in the matter of religious liberty.
Some of our churches which were closed by official edict have been re¬
opened without permission. Writing in the New fork Herald Tribune on
February 23, Homer Bigart declared: "As in Hungary, where the Catholic
Church is regarded as the most dangerous enemy of the Red dictatorship,
so in Spain are the Protestants looked upon as an evil force bent on
disrupting the existing order - ''The Spanish way of life'."
Our position in Italy was never more favorable. Indeed we are enjoying
unprecedented success in that country. The Christian Democratic, and
Communist parties are arrayed against each other, while Baptists and
other evangelicals get in between the two lines of battle. Concerning
current conditions Dr. Dewey Moore says: "Sometimes we feel almost
overwhelmed with the open opportunities for evangelism in definite
localities and wish we could be six men in one."
In a recent communication from Dr. Franks, he tells us that Dr. Norgaard
of Denmark is desirous of sending promising students from his country
to our Zurich institution. Dr. Franks continues to say: "As of today/
February
17/
a total of twenty-one students have indicated their desire
to enroll with us next September. These twenty-one represent eight
different countries and eleven nationalities. I believe it would be a
very simple matter to double that number before our first session begins."
