71
Foreign Mission Board Rooms
September 9, 1948
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 4:00 p.m. on
Thursday, September 9, 1948, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. II. Jenkins, Rush Loving, Reuben E. Alley, Mrs. P. Earle Wood,
T. F. Adams, J. G. Loving, Clyde V. Hickerson, Hill Montague, Rupert Coleman,
Garis T. Long, E. P. Buxton, Everett Gill, Jr., M. T. Rankin, George W.
Sadler, Frank K. Means, Samuel E. Maddox, Louis P. Seay, Josef Nordenhaug,
Edna Frances Dawkins, Nan F, Weeks, Mary M. Hunter.
Dr. Alley led in prayer.
Dr. Rankin gave a brief report on his trip to London for the Executive Com¬
mittee meeting of the Baptist World Alliance and his visit to* Switzerland
and Italy. He reported on three phases of the London conference, (l) Plans
for organizing a committee of cooperation among the European Baptist Unions
through which the programs of the unions can be correlated for the best
interest of Baptist work in Europe as a whole were made. It is understood
that the old allocating system whereby the Baptist unions of Europe were
allocated to certain mission boards in other countries will be discontinued
and that the Baptist unions of Europe will determine their own relationships
with the various mission Boards of other countries. (2) A committee was
set up to make a survey for a coordinated program of theological training in
Europe to the end that the training institutions developed in the individual
unions may be a part of a correlated plan for Europe. (3) The Baptist World
Alliance relief committee spent long periods of time carefully studying relief
needs of Europe. While it is evident that needs for relief will continue to
be pressing through the coming winter, there is a distinct prospect that after
this winter the needs will materially decrease. Dr. Rankin brought an encourag¬
ing report concerning the progress which is being made by Italian Baptists in
the reorganizing and rehabilitation of their program of work.
Dr. Sadler gave a report on his trip to Europe, calling particular attention
to the great opportunity of service among the displaced persons and refugees
in Europe. He stated that Hungarian Baptists have freedom of assembly but
not freedom of speech and that the only comfort of Hungarian Baptists comes
from their loyalty to God.
Dr. Gill made the following report:
In order to give more time to the reports of Drs. Rankin and Sadler, recently
returned from Europe, I shall make mine brief.
As Chairman of the Ridgecrest Coranittee this year, I wish to take this oppor¬
tunity to thank all of those who took part on the program and assisted in the
preparation of that program. With very few outside speakers, we were able to
give more time to our own missionary staff, and the response was gratifying.
We were also happy to note the presence of a number of Board members, among
them Drs. Feezor, Eddleman, Nelson, Long, etc.
The significant news in Latin America includes the moving of the V(. J. “ebbs
to Guatemala City, where they become our first missionaries to that republic. ~“
We are encouraged over the prospects for the future. In Chile we are all
rejoicing over the dedication of the beautiful new church building and educa¬
tional unit of the First Baptist Church of Temuco. This church will reach
hundreds of our students in the Colegio Bautista.
In Brazil an outstanding piece of property has been bought on the edge of
the city of Rio, and plans are already under way for the construction of an
additional unit for the growing Publishing House which serves all of Brazil.
All have been grieved over the sudden death of Mrs. T. B. Stover while on
sick leave in New Mexico. She was called Home on August 15 after serving
as a missionary of our Board for twenty-five years. Dr. Stover, the Director
of our Publishing House, will return within the next month or so to his
heavy duties in Rio.
Cn motion of Dr. J. C-. Loving it was voted to accept with regret the resigna¬
tion of Rev. and Mrs. Kermit J. Schmidt because of ill health.
