The people of the Philippines, their religious progress and preparation for spiritual leadership in the Far East,

SELF-SUPPORT 241
to try at once, One by one our pastors have been converted
to the self-support idea. A few are not yet converted and
the people pay them little. Our daily prayers and nightly
visions have been 'Lord save the people and teach them to
support their work.' " Who knows what was not wrought
out in those "nightly visions and daily prayers." If one is
looking for the "secret" of the amazing progress which we
are now reviewing, we have already found it. It was not any
clever scheme. It was three things combined-great vision,
tremendous, persistent work, ceaseless prayer. The greatest
single factor in every church is the education of the pastor to
the objective, and the grim determination that come what may,
this church must be self-supporting.
"Until we have pastors who suffer and work we can not
reach the goal of self-support. The pastor who is lazy or
unspiritual will have a hard time in obtaining a place which
will support him. So long as the support came from the
mission the people would tolerate a lazy man, but as soon as
they begin to pay their own pastor they demand a day's work
for every peso paid."
As one opens the leaves of I917 reports he feels the thrill
of ingenious experiments and of cumulative success. Rev.
Klinefelter declares: "The Proportionate Plan, we feel, after
a second year's trial, offers the best solution of the self-support
problem. Our field gave P3500 and the mission gave P2000
for this year." And from the Cagayan Valley one reads that
"Brother Calica has demonstrated the value of an organized
Ladies' Aid Society. Through their help the self-support on
his circuit has been increased fifty per cent." Rev. Housley's voice vibrated, doubtless, with joy, as he declared that
"the vision of great possibilities in the hearts of our Filipino
men and women inspired the greatest initiative that they have
ever shown. A real wholesome independence has been declared among the men and women in charge. Self-support
and evangelism are the conspicuous features of this independence and initiative." 5
Stage Four: Shifting the Entire Burden to the Native
Rev. Housley in M. E. Annual Report 1917, p. 78.