柏格理及循道公会在昭通所做公益事业论述

Comment on the Public Welfare of the Pollard and Methodist Missionary Society in Zhaotong

为了在中国社会开展有成效的传教工作,基督教传教士经过长期的摸索认定,必须在各地建立医院和开设学校。因此,公益慈善事业成为传教士在中国传教的助推器。从晚清以来,柏格理及其所属的循道会会在昭通及附近地区做了大量的公益事业,涉及教育、卫生和社会改良等多个方面,客观上促进了滇东北地区社会的发展。但这些事业毕竟属于外国教会管辖,其动机常不可避免地招致中国官民的共同质疑。因而在南京政府建立后,开始逐步采取措施对包括昭通在内的中国西南部外国教会事业进行抵制。不过从事后的成果来看,由于战乱频仍,这些政府事业的有效性并不太高,其最初的目的实际上也并未真正实现。

In order to carry out effective missionary work in Chinese society, the Christian missionaries, after a long period of exploration, found they must establish the hospital and open public school in China. Philanthropy of the missionaries had become the booster of their missionary work in China. Since the late Qing, Pollard and the Methodist Missionary Society had done a lot of public welfare in Zhaotong and the surrounding area, involving many aspects such as education, health and social improvement which promoted social development in northeast Yunnan objectively. After all, the public welfare activities were conducted under the jurisdiction of the foreign churches and their motivation was inevitably questioned by Chinese officials and the public. Since the Nanjing government was established, it began to take measures for a boycott to the foreign church＇s work in southwest China including Zhaotong area. However, the measures were not so effective due to frequent wars and other reasons.