Page 72 - Malayan Story
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MALAYAN STORY
AFTERWORD
I have tried in these few pages to tell the story of the start of the work of the China Inland Mission, later to
be called The Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Malay, now part of Malaysia. We went in to Malaya with
the aim of working amongst the Chinese people who had migrated there and not to compete with
missionary work which was already being carried out in the country. In a very reel sense it was a pioneering
work and I believe that we carried it out with sensitivity to the needs of the people and the need we felt to
spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I have not necessarily told the story chronologically, but have attempted to show you the beginnings, the
difficulties and the blessing that the Lord encouraged us with. It was a time when Percy was able to use his
pioneering, supervisory administrative and pastoral skills effectively. We continued to work in Malaya until
our tour of duty came to an abrupt end in March 1959 when Percy suffered a heart attack. On medical
advice we returned to Australia for a complete break and, as it happened, we never returned to Malaya.
At the Field Conference in 1958, some months before his heart attack, Percy reviewed the work of the
Mission in South Malaya. He felt, like Sir Gerald, that he had finished the work that he had gone to do.
There were now churches in many villages which were independent and able to reach out to other
unevangelized villages with the Gospel. One of the goals of the Mission was to make missionaries
unnecessary. They had tried to make the local church self-governing, self-propagating and self- supporting.
This had now been achieved in many places.
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72
AFTERWORD
I have tried in these few pages to tell the story of the start of the work of the China Inland Mission, later to
be called The Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Malay, now part of Malaysia. We went in to Malaya with
the aim of working amongst the Chinese people who had migrated there and not to compete with
missionary work which was already being carried out in the country. In a very reel sense it was a pioneering
work and I believe that we carried it out with sensitivity to the needs of the people and the need we felt to
spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I have not necessarily told the story chronologically, but have attempted to show you the beginnings, the
difficulties and the blessing that the Lord encouraged us with. It was a time when Percy was able to use his
pioneering, supervisory administrative and pastoral skills effectively. We continued to work in Malaya until
our tour of duty came to an abrupt end in March 1959 when Percy suffered a heart attack. On medical
advice we returned to Australia for a complete break and, as it happened, we never returned to Malaya.
At the Field Conference in 1958, some months before his heart attack, Percy reviewed the work of the
Mission in South Malaya. He felt, like Sir Gerald, that he had finished the work that he had gone to do.
There were now churches in many villages which were independent and able to reach out to other
unevangelized villages with the Gospel. One of the goals of the Mission was to make missionaries
unnecessary. They had tried to make the local church self-governing, self-propagating and self- supporting.
This had now been achieved in many places.
Return to Table of Contents
72
