Archiving Old China Missionaries Project Launched

Several leading evangelical Chinese Christian ministries and mission organizations have spearheaded a new project that archives the history of all old foreign missionaries to China.
By Eunice Or

Several leading evangelical Chinese Christian ministries and mission organizations have spearheaded a new project that archives the history of all old foreign missionaries to China.

According to the Second Generation Mission Ministry of the Gospel Operation International (GOI) for Chinese Christians, a draft of the proposal for the project has been released on its website. With an aim to commemorate the great value and historical significance of these surviving foreign missionaries who have served in China before1949, the archive not only provides a documentary for the legacies, but will also become a precious testimony.

Sources for the documentary are to be obtained from both North America and China. On one hand, video interview will be done for each old missionary in the United States if he or she is still available and healthy enough to speak. Some historical photos or objects will be collected from them as well. On the other hand, it is planned to send a crew to China to make shots of where the missionaries were, and to interview some old believers who knew the missionaries before.

The progress of the project and the content of this archive will made available in an online directory. The depository of the physical content, such as the actual video footages and physical artifacts, will be housed in the Christian Life Press Library in Chicago.

Currently, the participating ministries in this project are Campus Evangelical Fellowship USA, Gospel Operation International for Chinese Christians, Christian Life Press, and Chinese Christian Internet Mission. CEF USA will use the content of interviews for special biographical write up for their magazines.

The intention of the project is primarily for the benefits of the entire Chinese Christian community. The final production will not be just belonging to one particular ministry. Rather, it will be a depository for the future generations of Chinese believers and belongs to the entire Chinese churches, the proposal suggested.

Any ministries and churches are encouraged to make use of the content in this archive. It also welcomes any ministries to develop their own program using or based on that.

The criteria of the interviewing missionary in North America or other places are set as follows:

1. Served in China as missionary before 1949,

2. And, had continued serving the Chinese afterward.

3. Who lives in major American, Canadian or English metropolitan areas.

4. Still healthy enough and willing to give an interview about their services in China.

Some of the Old China Missionaries identified so far are Otto Schoerner, Bishop and Mrs. Elmer (Marjorie) Parsons, Richard (Dick) and Florence Webster, Gunzel British Columbia, Hugo Johnson, Dave Woodward and others.

For further details of this project, please contact Rev. Jeff Lee of the Gospel Operation International (GOI) for Chinese Christians.

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