Hunan Bible Institute was a part of Biola's missionary work in China. Frank A. Keller had been been serving with the China Inland Mission as a medical missionary since 1897. He pioneered in riverboat evangelism. Lyman Stewart and Milton Stewart supported his work financially and Keller became the first superintendent of Hunan Bible Institute in Changsha. Charles Roberts was the second superintendent, and William Ebeling was the third.

A Report from 1919

This report appeared in the November 1919 issue of The King's Business.

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Shanghai, China, July 19, 1919.

These tender words flashed through my mind a couple of weeks ago when Mr. Cheng told me the touching story recorded below, and while the words were used originally in a slightly different sense, they are equally applicable to the following incident. Our evangelists were located at the village of Niang Hsi, going out every day into the homes within a radius of five miles, and holding evangelistic and enquirers' meetings in the village every evening. Little Suen Chung-Tien, nine years of age, came every evening with many other children to the special children's meetings. Although his home was nearly a mine away the dear little fellow came most regularly and showed a deep and intelligent interesting in what he heard and learned.
The children learned both verses of Scripture and verses of hymns, and every evening Chung-Tien would go home and repeat to his parents and friends the things he had learned. He also taught his parents and some of their neighbors to pray. It was some time before our evangelists were able to visit his home, but at last they go there, and when the two workers reached the house the father said to Chung-Tien, "The preachers have come to our home, you should lead in prayer," so the little fellow knelt reverently and led in prayer. Some ignorant bystanders laughed but Chung-Tien said to them: "You should not laugh, you may cause me to commit a sin."
Through the testimony and changed life of this little boy his father, mother, elder sister and several neighbors have been led to definitely accept of Jesus as their personal Saviour, and they were regularly attending the enquirers' classes to learn more of the Gospel.
Another little chap, Liu Meo-Seng, lived right opposite to the inn where our evangelists were staying, he learned several hymns, and prayed most intelligently. Every day he prayed God to belss the evangelists. As soon as he rises in the morning we wants to pray, and before each meal he offers thanks. One morning he overslept and when he arose the family had already had their breakfast. Meo-Seng said to them: "What, have you eaten your breakfast without me? How could you eat your breakfast when I was not there to ask God's blessing?" Meo-Seng's father is away on a business trip so has not yet heard the Gospel. His grandfather had accepted Christ, but his mother does not yet believe. Meo-Seng has continued this earnest prayer life for more than six months, and he prays daily for his mother's salvation. Shall we not join him in this prayer?
Are you praying for our eighty evangelists? They are out in storm and sunshine. They meet wth curses often. Oh that our friends at home could fully realize how much the success of the preaching of these men depends upon the friends far away.--Frank A. Keller The King's Business, Vol 10.11, November 1919, pg 1017, http://www2.biola.edu/kingsbusiness/view/10/11/34

Letters from 1921

In 1921, the following letter came to the Bible Institute from Mr. and Mrs. Hick who were with the China Inland Mission at Shanghai:
"It has been eleven months since we landed in Shanghai, and little did we think we should be here for all these months, but the Lord so ordered it, and although it has been a test in some ways, yet we do not regret for a moment that we have been thus detained, for we have made the acquaintance of many of the members of the mission, some of whom will be lifelong friends. We have had wonderful times of fellowship with them. China is in a terrible state at the present time. On every hand there are bands of robbers and brigands. Two of our workers were captured and held for ransom. One of these men was married and his wife was with him at the time, and when she pleaded to be taken with her husband, they refused and went off leaving her to get on as best she could. Think of the awful anxiety for this woman, left alone and her husband in the hands of robbers. Much prayers went up for them and after a few days they were released. In some sections the people have been commanded by army officers to plant opium and this awful thing has taken hold of the Chinese again. Twenty millions in the north of China are on the verge of starvation. In other parts they are suffering from severe floods. Non has hay idea of the suffering in this poor dark land."The King's Business, Vol. 12.2, February 1921, pg 132

The next month this letter, also from W. A. Hick appeared in The King's Business:

China Inland Mission
Ichang, Hupeh.
December 3, 1920

Dear Mr. Brooks:

Since our last writing several changes have taken place. As you will see by the above address we are at present in Ichange in the province of Hupeh, a city of about eventy thousand, situated on the Yangtze River about a thousand miles from Shanghai.

Possibly you have heard through some other source that the city which we are now in has been looted by the soldiers. Shortly after midnight last Monday we were awakened by heavy firing on all four sides of our premises. The soldiers commenced their looting in the far end and kept up their firing and looting until daylight next morning. On account of the firing we made our way from the up-stairs rooms to the sitting room below in order to avoid stray shots which were flying in all directions around us. I am glad to say that none hit the house but to be one the safe side we all thought it best to be one the lower floor. We spent the night lying flat on our backs listening to the looting outside not knowing to a minute when our turn was coming. Several times we thought they had broken in the front door and were coming into the compound but it proved to the the Chinese shops next to us. We just committed ourselves to the Lord, who alone is able to give protection at such a time.

Mr. Squires and I took a walk around next morning to see what had been done and we found that nearly every place in the city had been looted, most of the absolutely cleaned of everything. The Bank of Communications was broken into and such silver taken. Most of the shipping offices were robbed of all their contents. Those who had nothing much to lose but a Pu'kai found themselves rid of that. It is a sad sight indeed to see the poor people. the _sic_ stores are all closed as they have nothing to sell. Mr. Squires says it looks as if it might be the New year as far as business is concerned. They were so well organized that one night was sufficient to go through the whole city from end to end. I believe there were about then thousand men involved.

One can hardly expect otherwise when they learn that the men have not received any money for about ten months. They threatened looting unless money was forthcoming. The General wirded Hankow for some but received none. Three days were given by the men and when the time was up they broke loose and nothing could stop them.The King's Business, Vol. 12.3, March 1921, pg 238]]

Preaching Everywhere by Rev. R. W. Porteous

"And they when forth and PREACHED EVERYWHERE the LORD working with them and confirming the WORD with signs following." Mk. 16:20

The more I see of the work of the Biola Evangelistic Banks the more convinced I am that God guided you to this work. These bands of soulwinners are, I believe, a part of Mr. Hudson Taylor's hitherto unanswered prayer that the Gospel might be carried to every creature. I do thank God that we have been privileged to have Banks 6 and 9 to work in this needy district with about TWO MILLION STILL UNEVANGELIZED.
Rev. William Taylor (Superintendent of the C. I. M. in Kiangsi) during his recent visit went with me to see Bands 6 and 9 at work. He was deeply impressed with what he saw, both with regard tot he work being done and that which had already been established in the centers previously worked by the Biola Bands. "Our Mission," he remarked, "strongly approves of such work."
How I wis that both Mr. Taylor and you could have been with me on my more recent visit to Band 6. I went in response to an invitation from the leader, Mr. An, who asked me to come if possible to Huang-Mao ere they left that center to take up work in another black hitherto untouched. Now I want to tell you of my visit.
First of all, I got a real hearty welcome which I fully appreciated after my 120 H. (3 H equal one mile, so 120 H equal 40 miles. Mr. Porteous is a great walker. He doubtless was up very early in the morning, walked the forty miles and led the meeting in the evening. F. A. K.) I was asked to take the evening meeting in the new street chapel opened by the people of the place as a result of the last two months' work by Band No. 6. Over a hundred hearers packed this place right out to the street, among them was a Chinese scholar with a B. A. degree who gave a good testimony on the following evening to "Jesus and Only Saviour."
I reckon that we had a most representative crowd including scholars, merchants, artisans, gentry, farmers and laborers. The next day, Sunday, we had splendid meetings both forenoon and afternoon. One item I must not leave out was the singing of the children. I wish you could have heard them and seen them as I did, and the faces of the grown-ups while the children sere singing! Real pleasure scarcely describes it, they were simply entranced! I presided at the organ, and Mr. Ou-Yang, assistant leader of Band 6, led the singing. He certainly lays himself out to reach the children and through them the grown-ups. The little chaps sing the choruses along the streets on the way home, and when they get there the keep on singing thill their little sisters catch on too. Here is one of the choruses roughly translated:--
Older and Younger brothers, listen to what I say,
Serve your fathers and mothers and do less play,
Elder and younger sisters, you make up your mind,
Father's and mother's teaching can't be thrown behind.
The true God is supreme, the idols can be seen,
Mud-made, wood-carved and eaten by white ants.
Hasten while you're young, don't let these deceive.
Trust in Jesus, He'll save you and me.
It must be rather humbling for the parents to continue their devotions to their gods of mud and wood with these little folks about. Thank God for these little missionaries of the Cross.
I spent Sunday from house to house with the leader and assistant leader of Bank No. 6. We visited a number of the principal homes in and around this market town and were cordially welcomed in each Some of the venerable old gentlemen who received us were exceedingly kind, escorting us to the seats of honor in their guest halls and giving us the usual tea and sweetmeats. They spoke highly of the work of Bank No. 6, and of the truth of the message, one old man said: "What else could we desire?" I don't know when I could have seen the interior of so many homes in Huang-Mao had not Biola Band No. 6 been there opening hearts and homes to the Gospel.
A good report comes of Band 9, who have only begun work these last two months. some forty meet with them for prayer, and these are preparing to rent premises in which to continue the worship of God, the same as at Huang-Mao, after the departure of the Biola Band.
Would that we had such bands of earnest workers all over China to gather in the lost ere the day of grace has for them become the night of despair. It does one's soul good to visit the homes of those who have been brought in by our Biola Bands. Think of the idols abolished, and the light of God's love shining in homes which were a year ago in heathen darkness. The habitations of cruelty are being made the dwelling place of the Most High. Surely, "The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth." I am sorry for those who do not accepet the miracles of our Lord, or who believe that the day of miracles is past. It may be fore them, but not for the Biola Evangelistic Bands.
Heartily yours in our coming Lord,
ROB'T W. POTEOUSThe King's Business. Vol. 12.4, April 1921, pgs 334-336

Wartime Changes

The Institute's work became difficult after Japan's 1937 invasion of China. With the advent of World War II in 1941, the Biolan reported that "Government orders issued because of present war conditions have necessitated the cessation of actual class work at least for a time. However, Christian work has not been utterly dropped."

The Institute invited a school for blind girls to occupy part of the "spacious compound," and later opened it to the Hudson Taylor Memorial Hospital, a unit of the China Inland Mission, a home for elderly women, and some 350 refugees.

In addition, six "Gospel Bands," of six Biola men each, journeyed in a circuit-rider style evangelism, "holding meetings and making personal contacts for Christ, bearing the message of life, a message most readily received, a message that all the forces of Satan cannot overthrow." The Biolan, 1941, p 48

In the 1944 yearbook, the Institute report says that "the buildings...have not been damaged by the war in China....there are Special Courses, Bible Conferences, Correspondence Courses, and Evangelistic Bands to aid those Chinese young people who are seeking to serve Him in spite of the war."The Biolan, 1944.

Close of the Work

The Institute was shut down and its property confiscated by the Chinese government in 1952. In 1979, the People's Republic of China began compensating Biola for the confiscation of the Institute property. The reparation money was used to launch Biola's School of Intercultural Studies in 1983 under the leadership of president Clyde Cook.

References

Robert T. Harrison, "Biola in China: The Hunan Bible Institute: Case Study of an American Christian Institution in China," 1916-1952

Charles Everleigh Clements, "The Bible Institute of Los Angeles in China: An American Missionary Experience as Viewed from the Stewart Papers", M.A. dissertation, California State University, Fullerton, 1975.