CHAPTER IV - TSING-CHOW-FU

Summary

The city of Tsing-chow-fu has a population of about 30,000, and, like many other cities we have seen, was evidently more populous and prosperous in former times than it is now. This city is the centre of the Baptist Society's mission work in this part of Shantung. It was commenced here in 1874 by the Rev. Timothy Richard, who was afterwards joined by the Rev. A. G. Jones. In the great famine of 1876–1877, Messrs. Richard and Jones, with self-sacrificing devotion, gave themselves up to famine-relief work, and, by the valuable and loving service they rendered to the suffering and starving natives, won for themselves a place in their esteem and affections from which they have never been dislodged. The famine opened up a way for the preaching of the Gospel, and prepared the hearts of many to listen to and welcome the good news. Some of those who were first gathered in have fallen away, and yet a large proportion of them have remained faithful. This mission—subsequently reinforced—has been carried on with encouraging success. There are six foreign missionaries and seven native pastors, six of whom were ordained during our stay in the city. Work is carried on around Tsing-chow-fu within a radius of thirty or forty miles in seventy-nine different places, the foreign missionaries and native pastors being assisted by a considerable number of evangelists and other helpers.