/fx s~~
ANNUAL REPORT
I FRENCH INDOCHINA
MISSION
or
THE
OF THE CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE
—
1925
ALLIANCE GOSPEL PIIKSS, HANOI. TONKIN
FRENCH INDOCHINA
A N N U A L REPORT
OF TUP.
FRENCH I N D O - C H I N A MISSION
(Tlic (llirj i .
unci Mlssluunry Alliiinre)
1925
REV. E. F. IRWIN
N Annamese from a distant city came lo the writer saying:
» « A Christian from your Mission visited me some time ago.
and prayed for me and my family. His prayer was answered
and we were greatly blessed. Now I have come over fifty miles
lo hear more about your religion. I am sure that your God is
the true God, and I have already given my hearl to Him, and
want lo be baptized..) The missionary's work is easy when
the enquirer begins like that. In French Indo-China this year
there have been many such testimonies. II is happening on
all of our stations; for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has
• token* in the hearts and lives of many. Praise God! The
Annamese are experiencing a type of salvation that is contagious.
• The word •Expansion* would express the key-note of the
work thai Bod has done in French Indo-China during 1925. We
began the year wilh ten main stations; we close the year with
eleven. On January 1st. 1025, we hud twenty-two out-stations;
on December 81sti there were thirty-seven. These forty-eight
main and out-slalions mean forty-eight cities, towns or villages
where God has already gathered out a group of people to the
glory of His Name. There ore many other meeting-places where
more or less irregular meetings are held, and where believers
are praising God for salvation through foitfa in the shed blood ol
our Lord Jesus Christ. One thousand six hundred and seventyfive new converts were baptized during 1925, and the reports
from the different stations indicate thai at the close of the yen I'
there were nearly one thousand more enquirers who are ap­
plying to be received into the Church by baptism.
There are, in all. eighteen organized Churches, with three
thousand and nineteen members; eighteen Sunday-Schools, with
one thousand two hundred and twenty scholars. We have
also two Bible Training Schools: one for Cambodians and
A
the oilier lor Ihe Annamese. The Annamese School has two
sections: R Men's School and n Women's School. Praise God
fur u splendid group of veiling men end women in these schools,
preparing for the great work of evangelizing their countries.
The Mission Press al Hanoi is printing Scriplures and other
Christian literature in Annamese and Cinnhodiaii. God's bless­
ing in abundant measure has rested on every department of
the work, and we are looking forward to still greater blessing
in 102(5.
The Church offerings have more limn kepi pace W i l l i Ihe
increase in membership. In 1921Ihese amounted toa little less
than twenty-live hundred U. S. dollars; in 1925 live thousand
four hundred and thirty-two dollars and ninety-eight cents
were given by Annamese and Cambodian Christians for the
furtherance of God's work. At the Second Annual Native Confer­
ence of the French Indo-China Mission, held in February, 192."),
a n e w step along the line of sell-support was taken. The An­
namese delegates pledged their Churches to take special offer­
ings for the support of the ISibio Schools, and for the expenses
of the Annual Native Conference : and at the same lime to con­
tinue to push steadily forward toward the goal of local sellsupport in all of Ihe Churches. The response is a cause for
much thanksgiving, The total offerings more than doubled.
Iwo hundred and seventy-five piastres were given lor the Bible
Schools, and Ihe indications are that almost all of Ihe expenses
for 1920 Native Conference will be met by the offerings taken
for this purpose.
Four of our senior missionaries wenl home for furlough
during Ihe yeari and live others have relurned to the held. YVc
also had the pleasure of welcoming one new missionary, Miss
FaithBichards, (now .Mrs. W . A.Pruetl). Six more new recruits
who had been studying in France are now on their way, and
should arrive at Saigou early in January. Praise God for this
much needed increase in our missionary stall".
CAMBODIA
Our two stations in Cambodia, and the one on the border
of Ihal country, have been greally blessed during 1925. The
number of Cambodian Christians has multiplied itself eight
limes. A l Ihe close of 1921 there were only ten; loday there
are eighty Cambodians who believe on the Lord .lesus Christ
ami are saved.
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BATTAMBANG
Al Rattamhang fifteen Cambodians anil four Annamese were
baptized during ihe year, and two new out-stations werenpened.
Mr. BilisOn writes: « W e praise God l'or the step forward in the
Cambodian work at Donleo, a Village about rive miles from
Bntlamhnug. A bamboo add thatched chapel has been built by
the Christians and tliose interested. W e have baptized fourteen
tluis far, and others are hemming more and more interested.
This is the first chapel given by the natives in Cambodia; and
lliis is Ihe first break in Cambodia among Cambodians. One
young man wants to enter t lie Hi hie School nexl year.» Mrs. Ellison
has boon conducting two Sunday Schools for the children, one
al the main station, and Ihe other at Donteo. These Sunday
Schools have hud a combined attendance of about a hundred
al each meeting.
CAMBODIAN BIBLE SCHOOL
Mr. Ellison lias also charge of the Cambodian Bible School
which was opened al Battambang Ibis year. He reports as
follows: « The Cambodian Hi hie School has become something
of a reality nt last,— Praise God! T h e r e are five students in
training: one from Cantlio, and the other four from the
Cambodian border work in Chaudoc Province. They are all
making good progress in spite of the fact that sve have, as yet,
only the Gospel of Luke printed in the Cambodian character.
This makes it an almost impossible task to proceed very fast.
But God is able, and He lias said, « l f any man will to do His
will lie shall know of the doctrine."
PNOMPENH
Five new converts were baptized al Pnompenh during
1925, and a new outstation was opened at Taken, about fifty
miles south. Regular services are conducted, and Ihe attendance
has been very good, particularly al Takeo.
CAMBODIAN BORDER W O R K
Mr. and Mrs. Hammond have also charge o f the Cambodian
border work. Il is here Hint we have seen the greatest liarvest of sOhis among Cambodians. During li)2."> sixty-three have
been baptized. Or these Mr. Hammond writes: « O n one
of the Cambodian oulstations on the border, there are four
old women who have recently been baptized. Before Ibeir
conversion they spent nearly all their lime in the Buddhist
temples feasting and reciting prayers, all to gain merit for the
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life beyond. Upon hearing the message of salvation, they be­
lieved. Today, after following the Lord Jesus Christ for almost
a year, they are very happy. They spent their time from
youth to oldagG f o l l o w i n g heathen god, bul they uever gained
peace of heart. What a wonderful change when Jesus comes
into their hearts! The faces and lives of these dear old women
radiate the peace and glory of God.u
CAMBODIAN TRANSLATION WORK
Much of Mr. Hammond's lime is taken up with the impor­
tant work of translating Ihe Gospels. Luke has been printed
this year and the first editou of five thousand copies has been
practically sold ° u l . Translations ol'a trad entitled «The Gospel
Summary," have been prepared anil printed, and Ihe Gospel
of Mark is now ready for the press, as is also a Cambodian
hymnal.
COCHIN CHIN A
The membership of each of our six main stations in this
province has more than doubled during 1925. One new mainstation and eight new oul-stalions were opened, and more or
less regular services were conducted in ten new meeting places.
SAIGON
Fifty-two new converts were baptized at Saigon during
I925» and a new out-station was opened at Binh-Tri. This outstatlon is the result of the testimony of a young Annamese
who was converted in the fall of 192-1, but who was taken sick
and died in December of that year. His death was such a glor­
ious one, and his testimony of his hope in Christ was such a
bright one that his friends and neighbors wanted a similar
salvation. They first came to the Church in Saigon, and accept­
ed Jesus as their Saviour, then asked Mint we hold services in
Iheir village. They clubbed together and built themselves a
chapel. Now regular services are being conducted there, and
I went v-ni ne new converts have been baptized.
SADEC
Itev. and Mrs. 1. It. Slebbins have charge ol'the Sadec work
and also of Saigon. One hundred and sixty-four converts have
been baptized in this work, ami two new out-stalioos have been
opened. One of these is al Vinh-long, where twenty three
new e.inverts have been baptized. The other is al An-ThaiDong in the Province of My-tlio. Forty have been baptized al
this nut-station. The new work al An-Thai-|)ong is worthy of
special mention, lor there, as at Binh-Triin Saigon district, the
Christians have handed together and built and equipped n
chapel. Mr. Stebbins writes that there have been many in­
stances of healing, and sends in a special note of praise for the
conversion of a man sixty years old, who has been miracu­
lously delivered from opium smoking.
THUDAUMOT
This station had its beginning in the out-station of l,ai-thieu
opened by Rev. J. D. Olsen in 1922. Our Conference this year
made it a main-slation in charge of Hev. William Bobinson,
who has since opened an out-station at Ben-Cat, and is holding
irregular meetings at Thoi-nn, a village in the neighboring pro­
vince ofGindlnh. Thirty-live have been baptized during Hie year.
Of the opening of Ben-Cat, Mr. Bobinson writes as follows:
•i Ben-Cat is situated in the midst of a strong Buddhistic popu­
lation, The Lord began work there through a case of healing.
A young man bought some books from the colporleraud became
interested in the Gospel. Later his wife was very sick, and he
came to the chapel at Lai-thieu and asked us to pray for her.
She was wonderfully healed. Today, in that young man's
village, there is a church with a membership of thirty-one.
The young man has now gone away to anolher province, and
is working on a rubber plantation ; but he is also working for
the Lord, and seven people have been saved there. He holds
meeting-; in his home, and teaches the catechism. Please pray
for him. His name is Thay Ky-Hien.»
Mr. Bobinson has also been making periodical visits to the
uMois*. a savage Iribespeople in the jungles of Tliiidnumot.
One hundred and ten of thesesavages have accepted the Saviour,
but none have been baptized as yet.
MYTHO
At My tho we have something unique in the history of the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, and very unusual in the his­
tory ol any society. On January 1st, 1925, there were seventy
seven Christians on this station ; now the baptized membership
numbers one thousand and seventeen. One large oul-slalion
has been opened during the year, and irregular services have
been conducted at six other places. At the present lime there
are about six hundred candidates awaiting baptism. There is
an average attendance of upwards of four hundred at the mainslation, and about two hundred al the oul-station. Three
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thousand one hundred and live piastres and nineteen cents
have heen contributed by these new Christians towards the
Lord's work. Rev. and Mrs. George C. Ferry are in charge of tills
work. Mrs. Ferry holds weekly meetings Tor the women at each
chapel, and also has an*encouraging children's meeting al My­
tho. Mr. Kerry and his two native evangelists spend much ol
their lime travelling from village to village where the Gospel
has spread like wildlire ahead of them. Mr. Terry reports thai
he has made forty trips during the year, each of several days
duration* while hi? native helpers have made one hundred and
fifty such trips.
There has been much persecution al Mytho. But persecu­
tion always redounds to the furtherance of the Gospel. Mr.
Ferry writes: « Praise God for a mother who saw two of her
sons severely beaten for Chrisl's sake and two days later gave
her heart to Jesus because of their staunch faith. These two
young men were ordered by the village officials lo bow down
to the idols. They refused, were severely bealen, and sent lo
higher officials. Here again they were asked to conform to
heathen riles, and ajjain refused. They were heulen once more
ami sent lo still higher ollicinls. who in their turn heal them
and senl them lo the French Administrator, lie exonerated
Ihem after commending their TaiUi and courage. The mother
saw all this and marveled at the staunchness of her sons, for
she was stdl a heathen. The Following Sunday shegnve her heart
lo Jesus, and since then her young daughter has also been saved.
CANTHO
Al Canihd, the year has also been one of steady expansion
and progress. One new out-station has been opened al l.ongxuyen, the capital of Ihe Province of Longxuyen ; and work has
heen commenced in three new meeting places. One hundred a ml
forty-nine new converts have heen baptized, and there is now
a strong, self-supporting church with a membership of '207.
Many trips have been made inlo Ihe country, both by Rev. and
Mrs. H. A.Jackson and by their native helpers. The result is
that the Gospel lire has spread inlo at least four adjoining pro­
vinces, where hitherto our Saviour was unknown. Mr. Jackson
writes: o One sorcerer and two sorceresses have b e c o m e
Christians, giving us the staff which they used lo deceive the
people. One man look Jesus for deliverance from opium, alter
being a slave lo the drug for twelve years. The smell of opium
now makes him sick.»
CHAUDOC
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have also Charge ° '
Chattdhc sta­
tion. Here seventy-seven more men and women have given
I heir hearts lo Jesns and been baptised during l!>25. Mr. Jackson
reports that: « A woman dying o f cholera was instantly delivered
in answer to prayer. A man was delivered froni insanity.—
At Triton a man has given us a piece of ground on which to
build a chapel. Al another out-slaliou. the oldest member of a
family, the one in charge of Ihe ancestral worship, has forsaken
his family altars, and all Ihe feasts connerted with Ihe ances­
tral rights, to follow Jesus.»
TONKIN
The work in Tonkin is also very encouraging. For Ihe first
lime it has spread beyond the large cities, and the Gospel has
golten a foothold in the country districts. More or less regu­
lar services are now being conducted in three out-stations from
Hanoi, and forty-three new converts have been baptized.
HANOI
Mr. and Mrs. Cadman report that this has been the banner
pear OS Hanoi station. The church membership has almost
doubled, and the Anuamese offerings have more than doubled.
As mentioned above, three new out-stations have been opened,
and in all, fifty-seven new converts have been baptized. Mr.
Cadman writes that one of the Hanoi congregation losl five
relatives in May. his only child, his falher, brother, and two
uncles. He was persecuted by his family which insisted thai
he follow heathen customs. He refused, and look a stouuch
stand, even refusing funds from a Buddhist Benevolent Society
to help pay the funeral expenses. Now he is paying off these
heavy debts, and hopes to attend Bible School in 102fi. He is
looking to the Lord for funds, hoping to pay his own way if
possible. (Seven or eight others have claimed the baptism of
the Holy Spirit, and their lives and increased offerings testify of
Ihe same."
HAIPHONG
Owing to the shortage of missionaries, Haiphong has been
run for the greater parter pari of Ihe year as an out-station
from Hanoi, but Conference has appointed Itev. and Mrs. YV. A.
Pruett lo this station, and they took up the work just before
the close of 1925. T w o new converts were baptized and the
membership is now thirty-six, of whom nine are Chinese.
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ANNAMESE TRANSLATION
The Translation nl" tho entire Bible into Annamese lias been
completed. It is now on Ihe press, and will he in the hands of
the people early in 1020. This is a great work accomplished
and is n cause for much thanksgiving on the part of the Annamesc church. Credit is due to Hcv. and Mrs. Cadman, and
Rev. John I ) . Olsen Tor the hard work that they have put into
this dillicull task, and also to the British and Foreign Bible
Society which has Una need the preparation and publication of
both Ihe New Teslnmcni and Ihe Bible.
PRESS
Mr. ('.adman's report tor Ihe Hanoi Press reads as follows:
••Praise Cod tor another banner year in Ihe publication work!
The oBtpntof the press has been one-lbird more than Inst vcar,
a total of 13,606,280 pages navlng been printed. This includes a
second edition of ten thousand Annamese New Testaments;
seventy thousand Annamese .Scripture portions; live thousand
copies of the Gospel of Luke in Cambodian ; and one hundred
and thirty-one thousand four hundred, booklets* catechisms
tracts, etc., in Annamese and Cambodian. Besides these. Ihe
regular monthly Sunday School lesson booklet has been print­
ed in Annamese, ami the Quarterly «(".all of French Indo-China..
in English, a
"Thanks to the generous gifts from Ihe «Milton Slewnrl
Evangelistic Fund», of which our dear brother, Rev. \V. H.
Rlaclistnnc is the trustee, we have been able to purchase Tonls
of Cambodian characters, and also to ereel an additional build­
ing for Ihe Press, to be used for book-binding and stereotyping.*
ANNAM
Tourane is slill our only main station in the Stale of Annam,
hut this year the work there has been characterised by in­
creased expansion into Ihe country districts. Four new outslalions have In tn opened. T w o of these are al Ihe extreme
ends of the Slate, one at Xhnlrnng, three hundred miles south,
and the oilier al Vinh.lwo hundred and filly miles north of ToUrane. These two posts were opened us Colportage outposts, but
Ihey have both developed into regular ont-slalions wilh rapidly
growing Annamese churches. The other two out-stations are
al l)ai-an, thirlv -live miles south-west o f Ton rune, and at N'ani-o,
a few miles norlh-wesl. 'Ihe chapel al Xam-o was built and
furnished by an Offering raised by Ihe Christians in the Tourane
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r.liurrli. In all one hundred and seventy-five new eonvcrls have
been baptized, and the Annamese offerings have amounted to
one thousand and twenty-five piastres.
There have been many cases of healing al Tourane and the
out-stations. The deacon from our new church at l)ai-an was in
the chapel talking to the Annamese preacher, when a servant
came running to him saying that his child had been taken
suddenly sick and was dying, lie hurried home, praying as he
inn, while the preacher dropped lo bis knees and plead with
.lesus for the healing of the child. When the deacon reached
home, he found his child entirely healed, and at lirsl thoughl
that someone had tricked him. He learned, however, that it
was all Irue, the child had heen almost dead, but just al Ihe time
Hint he had lifted up his heart lo God, and the preacher had
begun to pray in Ihe chapel, his child had been suddenly healed.
Another Christian at l>ai-an was completely healed from appen­
dicitis from which be had suffered for thirteen years. The
child of Ihe native evangelist al Vinh was taken very sick with
dysentery. He took it to the French Hospital, hut Ihe doctor
shook his head and said that it was too laic. The evangelist
left this child al Hie hospital, went lo Ihe telegraph ollice, and
sent a telegram lo Tourane asking for prayer. II was prayer
meeting night, and the Christiana look his request to the throne
of (iod. Later Ihe falher reported thai he had had a miraculous
peace in committing Ihe child lo God, and had gone lo bed
trusting Hint.lesus would heal. The next morning Ihe child was
completely well, lo Ihe surprise of Ihe doctor and nurses at Ihe
hospital.
ANNAMESE BIBLE SCHOOLS
Rev.J. I). Olsen has charge of Hie Men's Bible School, Tour­
ane, and Mrs, Smith of the Women's School. Rev. H . C . Smith
and Pastor Thua teach in the Men's School, and Mrs. Irwin in
Hie Women's School. There are twenty-four men students and
thirteen women. Almost all of these are partially self-support­
ing, and many of them fully so. The spiritual lone of the school
has been excellent and the educational standard high. The Lord
is raising up for us a splendid group of Annamese workers who
will carry the Gospel to every corner of the country.
COLPORTAGE W O R K
This report would not be complete withoul some reference
to the splendid work done by the eolporters of the British and
Foreign Bible Society. This Society works in close allilialion
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with our Mission, and ils colporters arc under the direct over­
sight of our missionaries. Rev. G. \V. Sheppnrd, the agent of this
Society in the Far East, was present at our Conference in the
lull of 1924, and the suh-agent for French Indo-China, Pastor A.
Martin, of Hanoi, made a tour of our Stations last year, giving
inspiring addresses which were greatly appreciated by the An­
namese churches. The colporters have sold five hundred and
forty French and Character Bibles, two thousand four hundred
and ninety-two Annamese New Testaments, sixty-six thousand
one hundred and ninety-seven Scripture portions, and eightythree thousand live hundred and forty-four Christian books and
tracts. These silenl witnesses of the Gospel are gelling into
every stale and every province and almost every village of the
country. «Pray ye that the Lord of the harvest* will cause this
seed lo bring forth much fruit.
COMPARISON OF STATISTICS FOR T H E INDOCHINA
MISSION. 1 9 1 8 - 1 9 2 5
(Approximate population <l.'pen<li-nt on this Hhxtan atUMMMQ)
1916
Number of Missionaries
5
Number of Mnin-slations
2
Number of Out-stations
li
Number of Native Workers 8
Number of Church Members 25
Baptisms during year
IS
Suudas School Scholars
—
Bible School Studenls
II
Offerings by Native
Churches in I'.S. Dollars 2(1.0(1
— 11 —
1921
22
5
2
8
183
Til
—
Hi
:tuo.(HI
192-1
2(1
Hi
22
Hi
1678
656
866
17
1923
22
II
:i7
41
:iom
1673
122.->
12
2426.09 5432,98
H E A D Q U A R T E R S : Chairman. Rev.
TOURANE:
HOY. a n d W o . E. F. I r w i n
Rev.
and
M r s . u.
c.
smith
R e v . a n d M r s . C . K . T e n is
R e v . .1. 1). O l s e n
Niillve l'nslr.r: K e v . H . T . T I m n
Nnlive Evnngejisls: Messrs. \'gp,
T h u n h , I.yi a n d B I S m
l l i l t l e w t m i a n : M r s . 11.iu
HANOI :
R e v . mill M r s . W m . C . C a d m a n
Rev. anil M i s . R. M . J a c k s o n
Native Evangelist : M r . Quoe
B i b l e w o m i i n : M r s . HiTu
HAIPHONG:
Rev.
E.
Irwin. Tonniiie. A n n a m
SADEC:
and Mis. W . A. Prurll
N a t i v e E v a n g e l i s t : M r . TV*
S A I G O N . yjB R u e F r i w L o u i s :
R e v . a n d M r s . I . It. S l e l i l i i n s
Rev. a n d M r s . P . E. C a r l s o n
flev.
Wni. Robinson
N a l i v v E v a n g e l i s t s : M e s s r s . I>ong
Hal, and Tir.
Chinese Evangelist
: M r . Chile
Xalive Evangelists: Messrs. Dinh
Unyfin a n d L u y e n
C i b l e w n i m i n : Mrs'. C a n
MYTHO:
Rev. a n d M i s . G . C Kerry
Native Evangelist : M r . Plum
CANTHO:
N a t i v e E v a n g e l i s t : Messrs. D l n h
a n d Lii-n
R i i i l e w n m a n : CA C h i
CIIALDOC :
Native Evangelist : M r . Khanh
P N O M P E N H . 80 R u e M o n t d e P i e t e :
Rev. a n d M r s . A . L . H a m m o n d
R e v . m i d . M r s . K. C . P e t e r s o n .
Native Evangelist: Mr. T l e p
BATTAMBANG :
R e v . a n d M r s . 1). \ V . E l l i s o n
Nalive Evangelist : M r . Klianli
ON H U H t . O U G H :
Rev. a n d M r s . R. A . G r u p e
l l e v . a n d M r s . It. i. J e f f r e y
M i s s E . M . l-'rosl
Miss C. M , Ailshouse
llev. and Mrs. H. A . Jarksim