THE DOOR PERIOD III

With Bethel to South China
1932

All five young men of the Bethel Worldwide Evangelistic Band returned safely to Shanghai after an expedition that lasted four months, that took them close to the borders of Korea and Siberia. Though it was mid-winter, it was not as freezing cold as the far north, inasmuch as Shanghai was their base and the home fires were burning. Like heroes returned from the battlefield, the five young men were given a rousing welcome, with many praises and thanksgivings to God for the souls brought into the Kingdom.

But like a platoon of seasoned commandoes much needed for frontline action again, the Band was plunged into service for the Lord with hardly a day or two for recreation. Bethel had just taken a new batch of nursing students who had not heard the evangelists before. To these they were assigned to do a work of soul saving. Indeed the fields of China from north to south were white to harvest under a hot political climate.

Since the fall of Mukden through the so-called 9-1-8 Incident of September 18, 1931, China began to brace for war. Where would the enemy strike this time was on everybody's lips. As the shadows seemed to be slanting southwards toward Shanghai, the Ministerial Association felt all the more the need of holding special meetings. The Allen Memorial Church at Chapei in the Chinese city was chosen, and the opening day was scheduled for January 1st, 1932. Sure enough, the church was filled from the inaugural service and "mountains and seas of people" kept coming, more and more each night, so that the original programme was twice extended, to make up ten full days. The climax was reached at the close of the campaign with hundreds converted and thousands revived. Did the Church leaders know it was the Spirit of God Himself breathing life, and more life, into a city that was about to be gripped by death?

A fortnight after the close of this All Shanghai Campaign, at midnight, January 28th, 1932 the enemy struck. The Japanese army came by sea, landing at Woosung at the estuary of the Yangtze River. In no time they had the city under siege, though the Chinese army fought back heroically against superior odds. Soon shells fell on the Allen Memo­rial Church and killed some of its workers. Pandemonium had broken loose in the Chinese city. Like a tidal wave refugees poured into the International Settlement. Bethel, the House of God, found a temporary shelter too, moving its hospital, schools and orphanage in the nick of time. Bethel doctors, nurses and evangelists suddenly found themselves working overtime in a new situation of mutual suffering, tending the sick, healing the wounded, comforting the bereaved. When war comes, there will be no more distinct­ion between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, official and unofficial. "The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day" (Isa 2: 11). One flag that flutters above every other flag is the Red Cross, that fights the good fight of mercy, but what does it reflect but the Cross of Calvary upon which the Savior of mankind died? The Lord was supreme over this latest Sino-Japanese Conflict. The Lord took care of John Sung His servant.

The Bethel Programme had included a short term Bible School from February. With this outbreak of hostilities, the Bethel leadership wanted to disband it, inasmuch as the main body had shifted into the International Settlement. But with eight delegates from Manchuria having arrived, Dr Sung was determined that the Bible School must open. Despite many sincere pleadings to leave the war zone, Dr Sung stuck to his guns during the whole fighting that lasted a month and a day. Meanwhile he took his pupils through twenty-three books of the Bible, while they stayed put together to guard the Mission property. The Lord was their refuge, directing the shells and shrapnels to fall wide of the Mission compound. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee" (Ps 91:7).

Meanwhile a six-month itinerary to South China was chalked up for the Five-man Team to begin in March. With the signing of peace between China and Japan on March 2nd, 1932 it seemed the war had ended too soon for John! For as Editor of the "Guide to Holiness," Bethel's official magazine, he had to gather material for the six months he would be away. Like the whirlwind that he was in preaching, he was inspired to edit even a whole year's work during the two week's "rest" before war came, so that the magazine was able to continue publication while the editor was away. During their Manchurian campaigns, the Band had collected eight hundred new subscriptions, fully paid!

On Friday March 4th the Lord expeditiously brought the Bethel Band to Hong Kong, British port for South China. As the ship originated from Shanghai a war zone and was small-pox prone, it had to go into quarantine. A big welcome party from the Peniel Mission went to the harbor, but not a shadow of the Band could be seen. It was not until Sunday afternoon that the ship was released. When the Bethel Band finally found their way to the Evening Service they entered a church built for five hundred now crowded with a thousand, leaving no standing room.

As English was spoken in Hong Kong, Dr Sung preached in English and Philip Lee interpreted into Cantonese. The meetings "persevered" through six days at three meetings a day, because sickness and loss of voice threatened to hinder their smooth progress. Nevertheless, God kept John Sung the chief speaker in the pink of health, and his messages diminished not in power. One of his fervent supporters was the Rev John E. Su, a graduate of North China Theological Seminary, and a prolific writer and gifted musician. Some of his "Heavenly People" Bible-verse choruses were incorpo­rated by John Sung into his. Many other church leaders in Hong Kong must also trace their conversion and consecra­tion to this series of revival meetings.

Dr Sung had prayed for the sick and spiritually affected since that first request made by a Baptist missionary in Shantung. It was in Kowloon, the mainland side of Hong Kong, that he held a healing session at the request of a number of converts. Precipitated again by that universal need of a mankind fallen into sin and resultant sickness, the Band felt led to administer it. Fifty sick people were directed to a special meeting at which they were thoroughly purged by a full confession of their sins under the Blood of Christ. When this was done Dr Sung and Rev Gih laid hands on them, one by one. Whether olive oil was applied or not it was not stated. Among the sick who came for the healing were several western missionaries. "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14,15). At testimony hour the same evening, which was the end of campaign, many who were sick, including the missionaries, praised the Lord for being made whole. Hallelujah!

The campaign advanced to Canton (Guangzhou) well inside the Chinese mainland to the big Union Church on the south bank of the Pearl River. Here the same process of powerful preaching with deep conviction and confession of sins resulted. One outstanding case of a prodigal son come home tells the story of a praying mother. As it is said that the son of a praying mother cannot be lost, though this prodigal son had studied in America and looked down on John Sung as a madman, he was soundly converted by "condescend­ing" to attend the meetings. As son sought mother out after the meeting, both were in a mutual shedding of tears. When the Holy Spirit seeks to "lay hold" on anyone, as John Sung had observed, there could be no escape. Is this not what Calvinists mean by "irresistible grace"?

From Canton the Bethel Band proceeded by boat up the Pearl River to Wuchow in the "twin" province of Kwangsi. Here the Christian and Missionary Alliance had established a Bible School under Dr R A Jaffray which produced an outstanding Chinese missionary in Jason Linn of Pioneering in Dyak Borneo fame. One of the Bible School students at that time was Newman Shih. This young follower of John Sung had been blessed the year before at the Bethel Summer Conference in Shanghai. Therefore he did his best to prepare the hearts of Christians to hear the Shanghai evangelists.

The campaign opened up on March 27th, 1932, but it did not seem to make much headway. There was disappoint­ment all round. But it was a different John Sung the next day as the Spirit of God mightily fell on the hearers. As the whole Bible School came under deep conviction of sin, the principal, leading staff and students and many Church members went up to the front. In further contrition they knelt before the Lord. The fire of Revival being thus lighted, it burned brighter and brighter until it closed after ten days, like the days of the first Pentecost. As hearts were now stirred to pray as never before, those who found release and relief went on a prayer marathon lasting several nights. A woman who had stolen a gold bangle twenty-three years before made restitution by converting it to three hundred dollars, which sum she penitentially offered to the Bethel Band.

The word Wuchow is made up of two Chinese characters. The first character wu is composed of two radicals, wood and self. Now the character wood has a cross in it. A fertile mind like John Sung's immediately read from this word a message which he imbibed for himself. He saw the need of nailing himself to the tree of the cross. The night before leaving Wuchow he was heard singing in his sleep, "If I leave the Lord, I never can do. If I leave the Lord, I never can do. Cast outside, I'm left to burn. If I leave the Lord, I never can do." From now on his emphasis was more on the need of abiding in Christ, the need of loving Christ. "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).

One group of students who attended the Revival meetings were the blind girls from Kweihsien, the labour of love by two missionaries of the Faith-Love Society. The mem­bership of this Mission numbered about a hundred, includ­ing the blind girls. When these girls did not respond to the invitations, Dr Sung spent extra time with them. The message of Love finally melted. their hearts. Tears of contrition bathed their blind eyes. "Love is the greatest" was the message of a maturing evangelist. (I Cor. 13).                                                                     

During the Wuchow meetings invitations were received from Nanning near the Vietnamese border and from Yulin. The evangelists again decided by lot. After completing their tasks in these uttermost parts of Southwest China, the Band regrouped in Canton. From Canton Andrew branched off to Swatow, but the rest returned to Hong Kong.    

A second campaign was held which lasted from April 26^th to May 1st. The campaign climaxed with a baptismal service on the last day, whereon Dr. Sung was invited to participate. "You know I'm a Methodist. I have not been immersed before," said he to Rev A. K. Reighton. But he added, "If you will immerse me, I can immerse the others." So the Methodist evangelist got immersed, before he in turn immersed twenty-one women and twelve men.

This baptism episode brings to mind his baptizing two hundred in Kirin, Manchuria-by sprinkling.  Was he now forgetful of Kirin, or had he changed his view on the mode of baptism since then?  Enigma of enigmas!

To understand Dr Sung fully we must examine his statements on baptism made after the event. In a sermon preached at either Kimchi (Gold Well) or Kulangsu, Fukien Province between October and November 1934 expounding 1 Timothy 1:1-20, touching baptism he said, "Don't listen to those who say that sprinkling does not fully portray, but immersion does, that by immersion is obedience fully displayed. More important than this is whether you are saved or not. If you have not the Blood of Christ to wash away your sins, you may be immersed again and again, but you will go to hell." Is there any ambiguity now in his stance on baptism? We can remember Dr. Sung' s declaration on this subject in a lighter vein in one of his sermons preached in Singapore (all of which we had heard without fail), "If you want it from me: More faith, less water; Less faith, more water," which statement is verified by Liu Yih Ling in "John Sung's Anecdotes and Sayings," p. 133. "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." (I Cor. 1: 17).

The spirit of revival carried them over to the final All Hong Kong campaign on Hong Kong Island from May 2^nd.  In the morning they spoke at the Methodist Church and in the evening at Hop Yat Tong (Unity Church).  As the Spirit more and more worked through Dr. Sung it was inevitable he became the chief speaker.  Andrew Gih took care rather of prayer meetings and counseling while the three younger men dealt with the practical side.  The Hong Kong campaign which began from March 4^th came to a grand finale May 8^th, with side trips to Canton and the remote towns of Kwangsi Province in between. Hong Kong which means "Fragrant Harbor" must henceforth see a Church that offers "an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God." (Phil 4:18). Amen. 

June saw the Band wheeling eastwards along the Fukien coast. As familiarity breeds contempt which in Cantonese is "local ginger is not hot," (the evangelists had picked up hundred in some Cantonese in Hong Kong) John Sung avoided native Hinghwa to press on to Foochow with Frank Ling, himself a Foochownese, as interpreter. Andrew Gih, Philip Lee and Lincoln Nieh, lot or no lot, were obliged to visit Hinghwa. Over this scenic route of brown mountains and lush green paddy fields, the three had to crawl at a snail's pace by sedan chair, by rickshaw, by river launch, by sampan. This was Fukien, familiar ground visited three years before when Andrew came to Sienyu. The churches in the Hinghwa and Sienyu vicinities were brought to a closer bond of brotherly love as a result of this round of meetings, as attested by Rev W. B. Cole.

At Foochow John Sung and Frank Ling were greeted by a continuous rain that dripped on for twenty-seven days. But their spirits were not dampened, neither the enthusiasm of high school and university students, for there were four hundred of the latter who came to swell the meetings. The spirit manifested in Foochow was so fervent that after the morning meeting, a great many would remain in their seats lest when they returned for the afternoon, these would be occupied. Foochow was another of those mountain top experiences of John Sung for over one thousand were born again. Those who "accepted" Christ were deeply convicted,

so much so restitutions and reconciliations between friends who had fallen out were readily made. One of the fruits of John Sung was a high school girl Tay Swee Lan by name who became the composer of his Autobiography Part II. Miss Tay gave her life to the Lord and graduated from Ginling Women's Theological Seminary, Nanking. Having served in the Church for a lifetime, she is now on the staff of Chin Lien Bible Seminary, Singapore.

There is a Chinese Church saying, "When the Holy Spirit works, Satan will also work." Seeing that so many students were won to Christ at the revival meetings while the classrooms were left empty, the press began to level charges against Dr. Sung that he had charmed young people by his crafty speeches. Anti-John Sung posters were pasted on the city walls warning him to leave or face going to gaol. Such pressures resulted rather in a greater commitment of the young people. At the close of the campaign one hundred and twenty-seven of them signed up to attend Bethel's Fifth Summer Bible Conference which was soon to follow in Shanghai.

The 1932 Bethel Bible Conference opened in Shanghai July 4th-14th. In spite of a deteriorated communication system resulting from war with Japan peoples were pouring into Shanghai from every part of China. These belonged to the Kingdom of Man who were headed here to earn a living, to look for business contacts, to go to the universities, to make a fast buck. But there were another people that belonged to the Kingdom of God and they were coming to the megalopolis because the Church was here, and Bethel's Bible Conference was here. Many of these arriving were from South China - Hong Kong, Swatow and Foochow as noted last, but the charm of Shanghai over sinners and saints could not be ignored! With Shanghai being one of the most densely populated cities on earth, finding accommodation for the saints was a hard job for the Bethel management. Nevertheless all found "a roost for the body" somewhere. Everyday one thousand five hundred delegates and visitors crammed the Bethel auditorium. The thirst for God's Word was so great that an extended three-week Bible School was offered to paying delegates. One hundred and twenty-seven, the same number as those coming from Foochow, enrolled. Spending three hours in the morning and more hours at night, the students were taken through sixteen books of the Bible. The Bible Study Programme was one that kept up the interest of new believers, who having been weaned from the milk of gospel messages must eat strong meat. (Heb 5:14).

During the year that Dr Sung formally joined the Bethel Worldwide Evangelistic Band, from July 1931 to July 1932, they had covered a total of 55,000 miles holding 1,200 meetings. They had preached to 400,000 people in thirteen provinces and recorded 18,000 decisions. They did not leave the converts to fend for themselves but had organized them into Preaching Bands and Bible Study groups. Thirteen missionary societies were helped and no denomination was a barrier to them except one or two traditional diehards.

Immediately after the Short Term Bible School Dr Sung, accompanied by Philip Lee and Lincoln Nieh returned to Swatow to hold a Baptist Summer Conference, the latter part of August and the earlier part of September. The Spirit led them on and on and gave them no let up, for "the King's business required haste" (I Sam 21:8).