For 158 years American Baptists have been involved in the proclamation of the Gospel and the establishment of the Christian church in South and East Asia. The bold initiative of Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice in 1713-Judson in Burma and Rice in America-brought about the establishment of a foreign missionary society through which the Baptists of America could express their faith by carrying out Christ's Great Commission.

In those days it was a vast world, in travel time at least, and it would be interesting to know all the factors that caused American Baptists to concentrate their efforts in no less than 12 distinct areas or countries in the part of the world most distant from their own shores. Today, when travel time is reduced to as little as one per cent of what it was in Judson's day, the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society is still active in South and East Asia, pouring in resources in personnel and finance-still preaching the Gospel and building the Church.

As the articles in this issue will reveal, American Baptist missionaries in Hong Kong are taking an active part in Christian work throughout the area. Hong Kong and the New Territories is a very small area of approximately 400 square miles. Sometimes we feel a little confined, with the sea on three sides and the People's Republic of China on the fourth, so we hope we may be able to contribute to broader programs involving all the areas in which Baptists work and worship.

In addition to our work in Hong Kong, most of us have become involved in activities which are important to the churches throughout this vast area in which almost half the population of the world now lives. We trust that you will enjoy a look at the diversity of the tasks to which we are called.

-Bill Hackett, Editorial Committee

Seven Days in Burma

Seldom does one enjoy a week such as Estelle and I have just had as we revisited Burma. It was Estelle's first return since we left six years ago; my second. Dreams rarely find their equal in reality, but for seven days our dream lived. A month earlier Bill Hackett made his fourth seven-day visit.

Besides enjoying special dinners, meetings and an innumerable flow of friends at the home of U Ba Hmyin where we stayed, we feel that we quickly broke through the formal facade and got at the heart of what's happening in the Burma church. The pulse was strong, the pace regular, the murmur negligible, the total body active, the prognosis optimistic.

Recent reorganization of the Burma Baptist Convention has helped to consolidate the total work and to increase efficiency. The commitment to our Lord's work by the top leadership in the Convention has resulted in almost visionary goals, but goals being forged into reality. All this in spite of their own decision to take a 10% cut in their salaries in order to maintain a full working staff so that the work for Christ in Burma will not falter.

The Burma Baptist Convention is now in its second year of a ten - year plan to phase out financial assistance from the ABFMS. At a time when prices are spiraling and wages are low, the church somehow finds it possible to give more. Giving is up about three times over three years ago, demonstrating a consecration to our Lord's work beyond that of most of us; yet the supply of funds still cannot match the demand.

Building and project plans from across the vast country representing 250,000 Baptists have been carefully trimed to fit a very generous WMC contribution for the Burma Church. Preparation and printing of materials, leadership training programs, new evangelistic fields and theological education continue to have high priority in all planning and expenditures.

Estelle and I spent most of our time with four congregations: Immanuel English, Immanuel Chinese, Insein Telegu and Okklapa Burmese. Immanuel Baptist Church, under the leadership of Rev. George Po Ba, was filled for the English service. The Immanuel Chinese had twice as many worshipping as it did six years ago. The Telegu (Indian) Church of bamboo and thatch still stands in Insein, but just barely. A strong building fund promises a new building within the year if materials can be purchased. The Okklapa Christian Center program has expanded by adding a penny-a-day nursery for 55 children and an adult literacy class.

Many years ago my Friend said something that repeatedly came to mind as we saw the Burma Christians in action: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth .. .but in heaven." Perhaps because of their poverty, the Burma Church possesses a spiritual richness the rest of the world could profitably emulate.

-Harold Schock

Fourth Asian Baptist Youth Conference

This Conference was held in Thailand from 30th December 1971 to 4th January, 1972. 317 youth leaders and young people from 16 Asian countries and 2 observer groups from Germany and the U.S.A. gathered at the Baptist Encampment, Jawmtian Beach, which is three hours' drive from Bangkok. The Joint Committee of Swatow Baptist Churches of Hong Kong sent three delegates, who are pictured below with the Rev. Simpson Shih, the Conference Chaplain.

The theme of the Conference was "A Living Sacrifice for God," which was particularly emphasized in the daily morning Bible studies led by Dr. Willie Wickramsinghe of Ceylon. He showed how sacrificial living is the true' nature of the people of God and illustrated this from the lives of Abraham, Moses, Peter and Paul. Speaking about Christian commitment, he said, "Simon Peter realized that discipleship in the new age called for total surrender to Jesus Christ and that total commitment should be his response to Christ's call, 'Follow me!' The God who

demands all is a God who gives all. Therefore, the demand for complete obedience and commitment is a demand to enter into the destiny of a God who gives Himself, all in all, to mankind upon the cross."

Each day delegates joined in discussion groups which covered the topics: The Community of the Family" (the generation gap), "The Community of the Campus" (the understanding gap), "The Community of Your Work - Place" (the communications gap), and "The Community of the Church" (the commitment gap). The conferees gained insights from each other as they shared in these discussions and informal chats throughout the Conference.

The 18 delegates from Nagaland, India (an area where American Baptist missionaries served until the late 1950s) made a deep impression on others by their obvious dedication to Christ and enthusiasm for preaching His gospel. Their leader, Mr. Ellis Murry, said: "We have heard that church leaders in the West are saying that God is dead. We, the Baptists of Nagaland, are saving our money and hope to send missionaries to other countries; and when they come, they will not only tell people about the Jesus of the Bible, but also of the Christ of their experience."

During the Conference, there were many moments of challenge, and delegates returned home determined that with the Lord's help they would indeed be a "Living Sacrifice for God" in the countries of Asia.

-June M. Sutton

Science in General Education

Conferences, Workshops-common? But this was different! For the first time people involved in teaching in Christian universities in East Asia were meeting together to discuss curricula and teaching methods, as distinct from administrative policies or research papers.

Initiated and organized by Chung Chi College, a Workshop on General Education in Science for Non-Science Students was held at Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan from December 27-31, 1971. A total of 22 participants from Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea), International Christian University (Tokyo, Japan), Tunghai University and Chung Chi College shared in presenting papers and in discussion on areas of possible mutual co-operation. We I considered the philosophy and content of general education and also the place of science in a general education programme.

All present felt that this was a most rewarding and worthwhile conference, due partly to the smallness of the group, but mainly to the common concern, and interest in the topic, which was expressed not only in the formal sessions but also in the many hours of informal conversation. There was a common conviction that Christian institutions can give a lead in general education, and in particular in helping Students to understand the signifcance of the scientific and technological revolutions so, that in the developing countries of Asia they will neither worship nor despise the achievements and methods of 'science.

As Organizing Committee Chairman, it was my privilege to share in this Workshop and to sense the strong desire to develop further what was begun there. It is hoped that in the future there will be similar workshops; but immediately we are to begin publishing "Science in General Education-an Asian Bulletin" as a means of sharing information and ideas. Although the Editorial Committee will comprise representatives from each of the four institutions (initially I will serve as general editor), the distribution will be much wider. In this way Christian universities can give a stimulus to others.

To encourage creativity in curricular developments and in co-operation between institutions was one of the reasons the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia established a Commission for the Advancement of Christian Higher Education in Asia (the Executive Director, Canon P. T. Chandi, is based in Hong Kong). It was due to the stimulus provided by the setting up of the Commission and to their generous financial grant that the Workshop and the ongoing programme has been possible.

-John W. Olley

Ngau Tau Kok Chapel Dedication

Another World Mission Campaign - funded chapel began services in new premises at a beautiful dedication service on December 5, 1971. The chapel occupies two ground -floor flats in a new building in a heavily populated area of Kowloon, called Ngau Tau Kok.

A mission work started by the Kowloon City Swatow Baptist Church, this chapel had a wandering history. In the rural Ngau Tau Kok village, a few Christians began to worship in homes, then used a converted cowshed. As the city reached out to them, resettlement and high-rise buildings replaced the farmlands. A rooftop of a resettlement building became the chapel's next home for about seven years.

Last May the rooftop had to be given up, and 130 chapel members bad no place to worship. In the same general area, which has lost all resemblance to a village countryside, new buildings continue to rise. Almost 2,000 square feet in one of these was considered ideal for the new chapel. About one-third the total cost was supplied by W.M.C. funds; the balance is being raised locally.

Under the leadership of a trained Bible - woman, the program in the new chapel has already expanded and enthusiasm runs high. For the first time in thirty - year struggle, Ngau Tau Kok Chapel has a home.

-Harold Schock

Meeting of Asian Business Schools

I was asked to be one of two delegates from the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration (a graduate division of the Chinese University of ]Hong Kong) to the third annual "Meeting of Asian Business Schools" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 11-13, 1971. Delegates from business schools in Ahmedabad (India), Bangkok (Thailand), Dacca (East Pakistan, now Bangladesh), Djakarta (Indonesia), Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Manila (Philippines) and Singapore met to discuss common problems in teaching management sciences in Southeast Asia. Problems in the areas of admissions, curriculum, teaching materials, research, relations with the community, and faculty recruitment and development were discussed, and the various approaches to these problems by the different institutions were evaluated. For me, it was a most interesting and valuable experience, as many of the ideas brought forth are usable in Hong Kong. The Ford Foundation supported this meeting by providing travel expenses for all the delegates.

--John L. Espy

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

President Nixon's recent journey to, China included a visit to the Great Wall. As he stood admiring this gigantic effort of the Chinese centuries ago, he remarked, "We do not want walls of any kind between peoples . . . . What is most important is that we have an open world."

His dramatic visit to China and the reception he was given there are concrete first steps on the long road to removing the wall of hostility that has unnaturally separated China and the U.S.A. Much still remains to be done and many problems have to be resolved in the process of "normalizing" relations between the two great peoples. Given a continuing dedication on the part of both countries to the basis and spirit of the talks in Peking, the result will certainly be a lessening of tensions in Asia and an opportunity to work together for world peace.

When the visit was first announced, considerable apprehension was expressed in many countries. Perhaps no other event has caused such a universal flurry of reexaminations of past policies and relationships and such concern to anticipate what the new situation might mean in the months ahead. Now that the visit is over, the response in Asia, with a few notable exceptions, has been positive. The finesse with which both countries carried out their respective responsibilities connected with the visit left little to criticize. The massive coverage provided by the press, radio and television was much appreciated. (A sudden decline in attendance at movie theaters in Hong Kong was reported to be the result of so many people staying home to watch television).

Hong Kong Chinese seemed to be impressed especially with the meeting, early in the visit, of Chairman Mao and President Nixon. "They shook bands," many said, as though that somehow solved everything. There seems to be a feeling of closer identity with China-not that it didn't exist before. Many college students, taking advantage of relaxed restrictions, have been visiting their homeland, many of them seeing it for the first time. While the future is far from Clear, most businessmen feel that Hong Kong stands to benefit from improved relations between China and the U.S.A.

It is still too early to make any assessment of how the new situation may affect the Christian Church. There have been some recent events in China which tend to indicate a slightly more tolerant attitude toward religion. On our part, we need to do everything we can to help Christians outside of China to understand the changes that are taking place in that land. That means beginning with ourselves our assumptions, our images, our attitudes, our knowledge, our ignorance, our commitment to Christ. Unless we find out and understand how China has changed, we can hardly know how to pray, much less be able to enter into mutual exchange of ideas and experience when that time comes.

-L. E. Noren