Foreign Mission Board Rooms
March 13, 1952
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 300 p.m.
on Thursday, March 13, 1952, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Dr. Long led in prayer.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, Garis T. Long, J. G. Loving, W. Rush
Loving, Elmer S. toest, E. P. Buxton, '-•lyde V. Hickerson, J. Hundley
Wiley, Herman P. 1'homas, Emmett *. Robertson, Oscar L. Hite, R. C.
McDanel, T. Shad Medlin, M. Theron Rankin, George W. Sadler, Everett
Gill, Jr., Frank K. Means, S. E. Maddox, E. L. Deane, Fon H. Scofield.
On the motion of Dr. Loving the following candidates were appointed
as regular missionaries of the Board:
Rev. and Mrs. Alex Franklin Garner, Latin America
Rev. and Mrs. Harold Edward Hurst, Honduras
Dr. and Mrs. William 'Wayne Logan, Nigeria
Miss Monda Vesta Marlar, Southern Rhodesia
Dr. Rankin gave the charge to the new missionaries and Rev. Elmer West
led in a prayer of dedication.
Dr. Rankin gave the following report:
I quote the following statement taken from a letter written on March 5
by Rev. w. B. Johnson and Rev. Stockwell B. Sears from Bandung, Java,
Indonesia: "A week ago today Southern Baptist missionaries received
the approval of the Indonesian Ministry of Religions to establish
missionary work in this land." This information reached us first
in a cablegram sent by Dr. Baker James Cauthen from Bandung the day
after the approval of the Ministry of Religions had been received.
This information represents an achievement of great significance.
In areas where political tensions are so stronr and «Here underground
movements flourish, governments are exceedingly cautious, and in cases
definitely reluctant, in granting permission to any foreign organizations
to conduct programs of activity that may affect the. thinking of the
people. This situation obtains in reference to programs of religious
work as well as to undertakings in other areas which t he authorities
feel may have political influences.
Since the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has
never had mission work in Indonesia, our representatives had to establish
a basis of confidence wit the representatives of the Indonesian Govern¬
ment. Since we do not have membership in the united church groups or
in the ecumenical councils, we did not have the support of the National
Christian Council of Indonesia. The absence of recommendations and
support from these groups was in itself a handicap which we had to
overcome.
Our application for permission to conduct mission work was supported
entirely upon the basis of the beliefs which Southern Baptists hold
and the objectives which we seek to accomplish. Our representatives
argued that our application was in full keening with the provision
which the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia makes for religious
liberty. The fact that after long discussions and days of consideration,
the Ministry of Religions decided in favor of granting our request for
approval leads us to believe that the validity of our position was
acknowledged.
Our representatives had the full support and co-operation of United
States Consul General Benninghoff in presenting our application to
the Indonesian authorities. They had also a letter from Dr. J. is.
Decker, Secretary of the International Missionary Council, recom¬
mending our application.
The way is now clear for the families of Mr. Johnson, Mr. Sears, and
Mr. Cowherd to join them in Indonesia and for us to provi.de additional
personnel as the needs may call for and our resources justify.
We are happy to report that Miss Cecile Lancaster, veteran Southern
Baptist missionary, was honored by an audience with the Empress of
Japan on Saturday, March 3. The Emperor's Cabinet Board of Decoration,
at the suggestion of the Japanese Ministry of Education, has awarded
