Chapter 17: The Greatest Work in the World (1891-1893)
Pierson’s most concise statement of what could be done by the year 1900 was The Greatest Work in the World: The Evangelization of All Peoples in the Present Century, published in 1891. By this stage Pierson was dealing not with twenty years as he had in 1881, nor with fifteen years as when "An Appeal" was authored. Now there were ten short years left before the turn of the century. The Greatest Work was thus his last-ditch attempt to wake up the church to her God-given responsibilities and opportunities. He began by stating, "The supreme enterprise of the age is the immediate preaching of the Gospel to every creature," adding that there was no lack of resources for the job--either men or money--nor lack of opportunity or access to the world. The hindrance was "unhesitatingly, that the Church of God is trifling with human souls and with her own duty" (Pierson, 1891:7). He went on to convincingly outline the marvels God had done in the nineteenth century to prepare the whole world for the Gospel. And he irrefutably showed that the church needed to go to the regions beyond, not only geographically, but in faith, prayer, power, giving and holy living. In conclusion, he said,
The grand duty of the hour is, therefore, as plain as an unclouded sun at its zenith: faith in the duty and so the possibility of doing it; energy of action, courageously and promptly doing the King’s business; and prayer for power from above. Give us these, and before this generation passes away, the world shall hear the Gospel (Pierson, 1891:56).
The entire text of this book appeared as a serial in the Missionary Review, thus bringing these views before public scrutiny.
In 1891 Pierson also published The Divine Enterprise of Missions, in which he outlined his philosophy of mission:
Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: Every saved soul is called to be a herald and a witness; and we are to aim at nothing less than this: to make every nation, and every creature in every nation, acquainted with the Gospel tidings. This is the first and ever-present duty of the Church: it is the heart of the whole missionary plan. God will give us souls as our hire and crown; large results in conversion of individuals and the transformation of whole communities will follow, as they always have followed, a godly testimony. But we are not to wait for results: we are to regard our duty as never done while any region beyond is without the Gospel. Let all men have a hearing of the Gospel at least; then, when evangelization is world-wide, we may bend our energies to deepening the impression which a first hearing of the Gospel has made. But, again, let it peal out, as with a voice of thunder, to be heard wherever there are believers! The first need of the world is to hear the Gospel, and the first duty of the Church is to go everywhere and tell every human being of Christ, the world’s Saviour. To stop, or linger anywhere, even to repeat the rejected message, so long as there are souls beyond that have never heard it, is at least unjust to those who are still in absolute darkness. Instead of creating a few centres of intense light, God would have us scatter the lamps until all darkness is at least relieved, if not removed (Pierson, The Divine Enterprise, 1891:99-100).
The year 1892 marked the centennial of the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society and thus ushered in a new century of Protestant missions. Many believed that the next few years would be the greatest in the history of the world’s evangelization. Regions Beyond heralded, "It is possible for us in the few remaining years of this decade to do more towards evangelizing the heathen than has been done in the whole century since Carey’s days. This is a fact, and one which throws on us all most solemn responsibility" (Regions Beyond, January 1892:6).
In February of 1892, A. T. Pierson asked the question, "What is the Next Step_" in relation to the task of world evangelization. "I think we need first of all to realize that the evangelization of the world in this generation is not a mere wild dream, but may be made a fact if the Church of God will have it so, and use the means God has given to her" (Missionary Review, February 1892:141) [Italics his]. Pierson continued,
Who can tell how rapidly the Gospel message might be diffused over the habitable globe if all this available material could be utilized_ After twenty-five years of constant study of this subject, and conference and correspondence with hundreds of students of missions and missionary workers, I am more and more satisfied that if the Church would but imitate the laudable "push" and "dash" of the men of this generation, the children of light would flood the world with the Gospel in as little time as Ahasuerus dispersed his royal decree from the Bosphorus to the Indus. Will any one tell us why not_ (Missionary Review, February 1892:141).
Perhaps a prayer conference might be of value, Pierson suggested. If mission leaders were to come together for a prayer conference, they could lay before the Lord the whole problem of whether their dreams for the end of the century were feasible.
Robert Arthington persisted in his advocacy of dividing up the unoccupied fields. "To partition the world for evangelistic purposes would seem quite easy and without material expense: by interviews in London for preparation; meeting in their rooms for apportionments; correspondence with a few eminent societies abroad for work among the actual heathen. The work of division should be accomplished with urgent prayer and dispatch. I deem it the first and best thing to do and be done in Christ’s Kingdom," he declared (Missionary Review, February 1892:143).
In the next issue of the Missionary Review, the President of the Boys’ Brigade, J. Q. Adams, stated that the role of young people’s societies could not be overemphasized. As was true of Christian Endeavor, the YMCA, and the YWCA, the Boys’ Brigade in the United States at that time emphasized missions. "Moreover, it is safe to say that these boys will go into the Church knowing not only that there are heathen, but that it is the duty of every Christian to pray, labor, and give in order that the Gospel may be preached to every creature" (Missionary Review, March 1892:197).
As the months passed, the Review hammered away at what it would take to do the job. That the church’s idleness was the primary cause of the slow progress of missions was a widely accepted premise. In April, someone signing his name as W.C.C. wrote, "It is generally admitted that the worldliness of the Church is the only obstacle to the immediate evangelization of the whole world. The work is well within our spare ability, and there is nothing in the way of doing it and doing it at once; only the people who profess to be doing it are not doing it, but, as a whole, are devoting nearly all their time, labor and money to the pleasures and vanities of this world Ôas the heathen do’" (Missionary Review, April 1892:280).
That same month it was announced that a Congress of Missions would be held in conjunction with the World’s Fair in Chicago in September 1893. The initial suggestion was A. T. Pierson’s, but the congress would be taken over by others and applied to different purposes than Pierson proposed.
Immediate Evangelization
In May 1892 Pierson once again called for the immediate evangelization of the world.
Obedience to our Lord’s will should be immediate. It has been long delayed, and the time is short. We firmly believe, and the conviction enters into the very marrow of our being, that the disciples of Christ should at once organize efforts and occupy the whole world; that the whole field should be mapped out, and the whole force be massed together; that we should then proceed carefully to divide the field, so that no part should be overlooked, and then to distribute the force, so that no part should be unprovided for (Missionary Review, May 1892:326).
In June he wrote, "We are not to wait for results; we are to regard our duty as never done, while any region beyond is without the gospel. Let all men have a hearing of the Gospel at least; then when evangelization is world-wide, we may bend our energies to deepening the impression which a first hearing of the Gospel has made" (Missionary Review, June 1892:406).
In July Pierson wrote an article entitled "Discerning the Signs of the Times." In it he portrayed the hand of God in the historical development of missions. "Now observe what follows," he said, "God having a definite historic plan, and the fitness and fulness of times being the determining law, we have only to study carefully and prayerfully the events of the present day to see the plan revealed and read the forecast of the future, and especially the near future" (Missionary Review, July 1892:505). "Are we at such a time in history_" he asked, then concluded, "At this centenary of William Carey; God’s signals flash like lightning and boom like thunder around the whole sky. By every mightiest argument and most persuasive appeal; by every motive drawn from a world’s need and our opportunity; by every open door and loud cry; by every Scripture prophecy and promise, and by every unfolding of Providence Christ is just now saying to His Church, ÔGo ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature!’" (Missionary Review, July 1892:508-509).
The August issue included an article by a young volunteer on his way to Africa. In reference to the unfinished task of world evangelization, he wrote, "Gazed at in the light of the great white throne, what do the words mean to present-day Christians_ Simply this, that if the trust is not yet discharged it is for us, the Christians of this generation, to rise up at once in the strength of the Lord and with loving obedience carry out His great parting command.... Have the believers in Christ sufficient men and means to send the required numbers_ Yes; probably so" (Missionary Review, August 1892:574).
The Forward Movement
As the result of the centenary, the "Forward Movement" was born, emphasizing greater giving to missions, more laborers for the field, and greater facilities for educational and medical missions. The editors of Regions Beyond were excited about the possibilities of this movement and wrote,
In these closing days of the dispensation the Church of God will see a "forward movement" for the evangelisation of the world, so wide, so deep, so swift and strong and prevailing, that the achievements of the century that lies behind us will be seen to be but the foundation and beginning of a final mighty God-inspired work. If we each are but faithful to our Lord, the Gospel may yet be preached "to every creature" in this generation. Let us seek that faithfulness which will make this possible (Regions Beyond, December 1891:485).
Pierson was thinking in more concrete terms and wrote in response,
We have thought a true forward movement will include much more than this. First of all the occupation of hitherto unoccupied fields in the regions beyond--nothing is more imperative than that there should be no part of the world-field absolutely lying in neglect; and, secondly, a true forward movement will include the rapid and world-wide proclamation of the tidings of redemption, evangelization in distinction from conversion, and the various machinery of an organized Church of Christ. The first need of the race is to hear the Gospel message, and when this has once reached every creature, then the way is open for a more thorough work of conversion, organization and education. And, thirdly, a true forward movement will include a systematic and united prayer on the part of the constituency at home for definite results on the individual fields of missions (Missionary Review, December 1892:881).
But again, Pierson was not primarily worried about strategic planning or lack of it on the part of mission agencies. His greatest concern, as always, was for the lack of consecration in the church. Again he warned that the Church was not serious about obeying Christ, particularly his last command; they were simply trifling with their faith. When church leaders tried to excuse their disinterest by accusing him of shallow mission strategy, he repeated with increasing force,
It is so much the more imperative that this work should be immediately undertaken and with all possible promptness accomplished, because even when done, it is but the beginning, not the end of evangelism. Had every human being to-day heard the Gospel, with every pendulum stroke one dies and another is born; and so, within thirty years a new generation must be taught, or we have again earth peopled by the unevangelized; so that, unless the Church of Christ keeps up her holy activity, and reaches one new soul every second this work will not remain done, though once accomplished. Moreover, evangelization is not conversion, but only the first step in preparation for it (Missionary Review, February 1893:84).
