Rev. S.A. Stewart Explains Work Done as Missionary in Japan, Oct. 2, 1922

Tells of Work of Church in Japan

Rev. S.A. Stewart, missionary of the Methodist church to Japan, occupied the pulpit of the First Methodist church here yesterday morning and last night and addressed the Sunday school and classes during the morning on the work the church is doing in that pagan land. At the morning service yesterday, Mr. Stewart and two children sang in the Japanese language two familiar hymns. Mrs. Stewart accompanied. All the services were interesting, and a large congregation heard him morning and evening. A quartette composed of Messrs. Smathers, Dellinger, Deal and golden was given at the morning service.

Mr. Stewart told of the pagan customs in Corea [Korea], Japan and China, and declared that people in America could get no conception of the obstacles the missionaries had to overcome. These people had been worshipping pagan gods for hundreds of years and some of the countries have ancestor worship. In Korea, Buddha is the god of the natives, and he told of a ceremony that is held there once a year when the priests go to the shrine at 20 o’clock at night and parade a sort of box before ethe populace, which is drawn from every part of the country.

A point that Mr. Stewart emphasized is the fact that these countries which have not adopted western ideas have made no progress. Buddha did not foster public education. This was true in China. In Japan one out of every thousand persons is a Christian, and public education is compulsory in this country. Here the children go to school 11 months each year and six days each week.

Mr. Stewart said the people in the orient derive no comfort from their religions. Cheerful Christians among their own people are doing much to make them desire Christ and he gave several instances of where natives had been responsible for conversions.

In appealing to the congregation to do its part for the Christianizing of the world, Mr. Stewart asserted that if America had taken its place in the league of nations, the horrors in Armenia would never have occurred. “I believe we ought to stand with England in opposing the Turks,” he declared.

Everything done in America is printed in Japan, and the good things here have a wonderful influence, he said. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are spending a few days in Hickory. He is a native of Monroe and was educated at the University of North Carolina.

From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Monday, Oct. 2, 1922