43
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
November 10, 19U9
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at Ir.OO p. m.
on Thursday, November 10, 19h9 , with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, Oscar L. Hite, H. P. Thorns, Emmett Y.
Robertson, S- B. Cousins, Mrs. T. .7. Smith. T. Rupert Coleman, M. T.
Rankin, Everett Gill, Jr., Josef Nordenhaug, S. E. Maddox, E. P.
Buxton, Edna Frances Dawkins, Nan F. 'Weeks, Mary M. Hunter, L- P.
Seay, Marjorie E. Moore, Gene Greer, J. Levering Evans, Garis Long.
Visitors: Dr. J. D. Franks, Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Hipps.
Dr. Rankin presented Dr. J. D. Franks who has just returned to the United
States from the Seminary in Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Franks told of the
amazing progress of the Seminary since its opening in September. All of
the available space in the building ha3 been utilized and already there
is need for more property and a new dormitory. Many building regulations
and restrictions in Switzerland make the purchase of more land necessary.
There are twenty-six students from fourteen countries at the present time
and four or five others to come soon. With thirty students in the pre¬
sent building, there is no room to accept new students next year. It
is the plan to accept on an average ten or fifteen new students each
year until the enrollment is 75 or 100. This will be impossible without
a dormitory.
Dr. Franks sooke of the splendid support of the Seminary by the Baptist
leaders in all of Europe. It is the type of institution needed in that
section and the response from the students has been very encouraging.
He also brought greetings :'rom Dr- and Mrs. Sadler and the members of
the faculty to the Board.
On motion of Mrs. Smith it was voted to appropriate #100,000 from re¬
habilitation funds for the Seminary in Switzerland, #30,000 to purchase
property, and #70,000 to erect a new dormitory which would also contain
apartments for teachers.
Dr. Rankin read the following report of Dr. Cauthen:
Communist domination of South China has now materialized. At the begin¬
ning of October, powerful armies were in position on the borders of
Kwangtung province for their drive on Canton, the refugee capital. The
first ten days saw the drive getting under way, with their initial push
into Kukong which was occupied -with very little fighting, /if ter passing
Kukong, their progress to Canton was practically unopposed. it top
speed the Nationalist government evacuated their offices to Chungking
as it -was evident that the fate of Canton was sealed. By Friday night,
October 14, the Nationalist evacuation was completed while the Communist
armies waited just outside the city. On the following morning they
marched into Canton without opposition. No looting or rioting occurea
and the city quietly accepted the change of government.
We have had letters from the missionaries in Canton and Kukong saying
that all is well with tnem. Miss Barratt reported that the church
services proceeded as usual after the turnover. She has been in no way
molested. Once or twice soldiers have come to ner gate to make inquiry,
but when she came out to meet them they did not ask to enter the property.
In Canton the work has gone on as usual. The night preceding the occupa¬
tion of the city was very noisy as the retreat inf' Nationalists blew up
ammunition dumps, the airfield and the big bridge over Pearl River with
a very heavy loss of civilian life. The next day the city returned to
normal. Churches, schools, hospital, and other institutions have not
been molested.
We cannot thank God sufficiently for his abounding grace in watching
over his servants, the organized work and the property in these days.
