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Collection 231 Papers of Ian and Helen Anderson

 Collection
Identifier: CN 231

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, diaries, articles, clippings, manuscripts, photographs, photo albums, songbooks, lecture and sermon notes, maps, audio tapes, etc. related to the Ian and Helen Anderson's mission work with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. The materials document their careers in China until 1951, in Taiwan until 1956, and in the Philippines until 1971, and again in Taiwan until 1974. Materials also reflect their work as regional representatives for OMF following their retirement in 1974. Audio tapes and songbooks in this collection include some of the music they used in evangelism.

Dates

  • Created: 1928-1995

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Full Name: Ian Rankin Anderson

Birth Date: 1912 in Glasgow, Scotland

Death Date: January 25, 1982

Family:

Parents: Jonathan R. and Mary Copestake Anderson

Siblings: Andrew, Molly

Marital Status: Married to CIM missionary Helen Mount in Chengchow, Honan (China) on August 27, 1941

Children: Three infant children died in the wartime period

Education:

1934 B.Sc. from Kings College of London University

1934?- China Inland Mission Training School

Career:

1935?-1941 - Evangelism in Shenkiu, Honan (new name, Shenqiu, Henan) with CIM

1941-1982 - Career after marriage, see joint career section after Helen Louise Mount biography below

*****

Full Name: Helen Louise Mount Anderson

Birth Date: 1909 in St. Paul, Minnesota

Family:

Parents: William Wooten and Louise Wadsworth Mount

Siblings: Keith and Wadsworth

Marital Status: Married to Scottish CIM missionary Ian Rankin Anderson in Chengchow, Honan (China) on August, 27 1941

Children: Three infant children died in the wartime period

Education:

Summit High School, New Jersey

1930 - A.B. degree from Wheaton College

1931? - M.A. from Teacher's Training College, Columbia University

1934-1935 - Language School in Yangchow, Kiangsu (new name, Yangzhou, Jiangsu)

Career:

1932?-1934 - Taught at Friends' School in Frankford, Philadelphia

1934 - Joined CIM

1935-1941 - Taught at Chowkiakow Bible School for Women, Honan (new name, Zhoukouzhen, Henan)

Joint Career:

1941-1951 - After marriage, the Andersons went to Shenqiu to continue Mr. Anderson's evangelistic work; later stationed at Shekichen, Honan, (new name, Sheqi, Henan), Chengku, Shensi (new name, Chenggu, Shaanxi) and Paoki, Shensi (new name, Baoji, Shaanxi); the Andersons worked in China until CIM workers were expelled from China in 1951.

1952-1956 - Taught the Chinese students in the Taichung Bible Institute, Taiwan

1957-1971 - Taught in the Chinese community in the Philippines; taught at the Bible Institute of the Philippines (BIOP)

1971-1974 - Taught in Yu-Shan Theological Institute in Hualien, Taiwan

1976 - Retired, working as OMF regional representatives in New England, and participating in church work and Christian education

Other significant information: The Andersons very often used music, songs and story books in evangelistic work, composing songs in both English and Chinese.

Extent

5 Boxes

5 Audio Tapes

9 Oversize Files

5 Photograph File

5 Photograph Albums

1 Slide

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement of Material

The collection provides a broad overview of the Andersons' career, with materials ranging from their earliest to last years as missionaries working among the Chinese in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, as well as among tribal people in Taiwan. The overall arrangement of the collection was provided by the archivist, as were the titles of some of the folders; the titles and subseries arrangement for folders 2-1 through 4-5 were supplied by Helen Andrson. Maps and some oversize materials such as a certificate were pulled from the photo albums and their original folders and put in the OS File.

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Series 1: Audio Tapes

Date Range: 1930s-1980s, undated

Volume: 5 audio tapes (0.02 cubic foot)

Geographic Coverage: China, Taiwan, the Philippines, the United States

Type of Document: Songs, narration on audio cassettes

Subjects: Missionary work in China, Taiwan and the Philippines, village evangelism, Yu-Shan Theological Institute, Taiwanese culture and life in the 1970s, hymn singing

*****

Series 2: Photo Albums

Arrangement: Chronological

Date Range: 1932-1986, undated

Volume: 5 albums (1.1 cubic feet)

Geographic Coverage: the United States, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Scotland, Canada, Hong Kong

Type of Materials: Primarily photographs, but also some correspondence, articles, clippings, manuscripts, maps

ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT- I. 460 b&w and 15 color photos. Scrapbook has brown covers with ninety brown loose pages tied up with two white strings. The album was originally prepared by Helen's mother, Mrs. Louise W. Mount, and Helen inserted some photos and letters into it after her mother passed away in 1961. All pages except the last six are either laminated or covered with plastic sheets by Helen. The photos, articles and letters in the scrapbook depict the life of Helen as a missionary in China, Taiwan and the Philippines. The items span the time period 1932-1995.

Most of the photos in the volume were taken in China. There are photos of CIM Training House in Toronto, Canada, the ship Hikawa Maru that Helen was on board to China in 1934, the Language school in Yangchow, Helen's wedding, Eastern Honan Conference on October, 9-11, 1935, and 1943 Conference at Chowkiakow, Honan (new name, Zhoukouzhen, Henan). Other photos include shots of the Andersons, their students and friends at various stations the Andersons worked at in China, Taiwan and the Philippines, and relatives of Mrs. Anderson.

Inserted into the album are many letters belonging to Mrs. Mount and Helen. These include letters from students at Yangchow China Inland Mission School in 1935, Ho Sheng Min, the principal of the Women's Bible School ( they used pseudo names of Peter and James later), and Ho Wen-Fang, a Christian in Zhoukouzhen, Henan. Details of the Andersons' wedding in this album include "Banns of Marriage", invitation cards to the wedding, an vivid account of the Andersons' wedding, and the wedding certificate issued in 1941.

Helen's writing in the album includes poems, and manuscripts on how the Andersons left China in 1951 and her impressions of the religious policy of the Chinese government in 1949-1951. Newspaper clippings include extracts from Helen's letters, the Andersons' missionary work in China, reports on missionaries leaving China to Hong Kong in 1951. Some other interesting items in the album include two passports of the Andersons, a log of travel in 1934-1979, a certificate of appreciation for Helen's forty years of service with OMF issued in 1991, a record on the placement of BIOP graduates in 1960s, and samples of fabric from the clothes that Helen wore in China.

ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT- II. Scrapbook has red covers with blue, green, white and black grid lines and forty brown pages. Most of the photos have captions. The majority of the photos show OMF missionaries such as Harry and Marguerite Owen and their activities in the Philippines. Included are also shots of OMF conference in Baguio in 1958-1960, missionary children in Baguio, missionary schools, missionaries' wedding, flooding, evangelistic activities and students of the Bible Institute of the Philippines. Some photos are shots of the Andersons, children and friends in Zhoukouzhen and Kikungshan, Henan and Taiwan. Three photos of the Andersons were taken in Ireland when they were on furlough. 119 b&w and 4 color photos; 1940-1971?, n.d.

ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT- III. Scrapbook has green covers with seventy-four black pages. Some photos are identified. Most of the photos are about the Bible Institute of the Philippines in 1957-1971, its staff and students, activities in evangelism and graduation ceremony, and soem OMF missionaries such as such as Helen Grace Nowack and Raymond William Frame, Arnold Lea, Grace and Emerson Frey. Others Some photos show churches in the Philippines and Taiwan. There is a photo of FEBC Radio and two photos of the Mindoro. Some photos were taken in Hong Kong. The color photos are mostly of the Andersons in Maine or on vacation, their friends and relatives. One photo is of particular interest is that of Cardinal I. Antoniutti with President D. Macapagal taken at the 4th Centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines, April 28-May 2, 1965. 308 b&w and 60 color photos; 1957?-1980, n.d.

ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT- IV. Scrapbook has brown covers with sixty-four black pages. Most of the photos are identified with captions. Photos of students in the Bible Institute of the Philippines and Yu-Shan Theological Institute in Hualien, Taiwan make up a large portion of the photos collection. Some photos depict the departure of the Andersons from Taiwan. Other photos include the Andersons' relatives and friends, their home in Maine and their vacation with friends. Inserted into the album are five pictures of the scenery in Taiwan. There is also a photo taken at the annual conference of OMF Philippines missionaries at Baguio in May 1961, with a list of names written below. 1957-1986.

ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT- V. Scrapbook has brown covers with 44. All 83 shots in the scrapbooks are images of the Bible Institute of the Philippines Institute, including graduation ceremonies, outings, group pictures and evangelistic activities. The Andersons, Ray and Helen Frame, Miss Brittain, Miss Kent, and Mavis Blake are among the OMF workers included in the photos. None of the photos are larger than 3.5" x 5.5", undated.

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Series 3: Photographs

Arrangement: Date Range: 1928-1962, undated

Volume: 0.1 cubic foot

Geographic Coverage: China, Taiwan, the Philippines

Type of Documents: Prints and slides

Subjects: China Inland Mission missionaries, Overseas Missionary Fellowship missionaries, Bible Institute of the Philippines, Andersons and their friends in Taichung

Request Photographs by the PHOTO FILE title listed below:

ANDERSON, IAN. Anderson, Ian. Group shots of Anderson and other CIM workers. Included are Miss Greening, Miss Temple, Helen and Ray Frame, and Ruth Nowack. Also included is a photo of Anderson eating breakfast with a Chinese preaching band. C. 1938, n.d. 3 b&w.

CHINA. Various shots of some Chinese cities and their people. Series of shots of Zhoukouzhen, Honan and the people, including the river congested with boats, an outing for children which included Helen Anderson, and Chinese laborers carrying water and sawing wood. Other photos include a shot of crowds during Chinese New Year in Sheqi, Honan, various shots of the area near Yangzhou, Jiangsu and its people, including river scenes of Chinese leisure boats and junks. 1930s, n.d. 20 b&w.

OVERSEAS MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP (OMF). CIM Jesus Hall Conference. Group photo of conference participants, including Robert and Mrs. Porteous; c. 1928. 1 b&w.

OMF - BIBLE INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES. Bible Institute of the Philippines. Graduation classes of 1961 and 1962. Includes Ian and Helen Anderson, and Ray and Helen Frame. 2 b&w.

OMF - STATIONS. CIM home, Sheqi, Henan. 1 b&w.

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Series 4: Oversize Materials

AUTOGRAPH BOOK; 1975-1994 (OS 24). The Andersons used this as a guest book when they lived in Windham, Maine. There are many Chinese cut-outs (paper cuttings) in this autograph book.

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION; n.d. (OS 24). Certificate of appreciation from the Bible Institute of the Philippines presented to the Andersons.

CERTIFICATE; 1934 (OS 24). Ian Anderson's certificate of the Degree of Bachelor of Science in University of London.

CIM MAP; 1948 (OS 24). China Inland Mission map of China, 1948. The map highlights where CIM had established stations.

MAP; 1950, n.d. (OS 24). A map of Taiwan, and a map of the Philippines showing mission stations of the Church of Christ in China denomination.

POSTERS; 1938, n.d. (PC 29, 3rd floor). Evangelistic and instructive posters. Seventeen color posters ranging in size from 15-1/4" x 21-1/4" to 29-3/4" x 42-1/2". The posters illustrate either a particular Bible passage or principle as the basis for an evangelistic talk, including the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Good Shepherd, and one illustrating the two roads to Heaven and Hell. All are in Chinese, except for one in Thai and the other in Tamil. Two below that are more extensively described were translated by Robert Carlson.

“Two Roads.” Undated. The English version of the Chinese text reads: There are only two roads. I respectfully ask you, Which one are you walking on? Christ died for our sins and was buried. The third day he came to life again. The lord is certainly coming again. If you want to find life a blessing, trust the Lord Jesus. In the upper left corner, the city is labeled, Heavenly City. The road leading up to it is labeled Road to Heaven. In the lower left corner, the fire is labeled Eternal Fires of Hell. The road leading to it is labeled Road to Hell. The character on the packs that the people on the road to hell are carrying reads Sin. The text on the red cross reads: Christ Jesus came to earth to save sinners. The text in the tomb to left of the cross reads: The tomb from which the savior rose. Published by the Christian Book Room, 205 YuenMong Road, P.O. Box 1723, Shanghai. From Collection 231, Oversize File.

“The Good Shepherd.” The panels should be read from right to left. The English version of the Chinese text reads: Along the bottom: Jesus spoke the parable of looking for the lost sheep. (Luke 15) / The Son of Man has come to seek and to rescue those that were lost. (Luke 19:10) / Beneath the first panel from the right: Of the shepherd’s 100 sheep, one is lost. / Beneath the second panel from the right: He goes and looks for that lost sheep until he finds it. / Beneath the third panel from the right: When he finds it, then with great joy he puts it on his shoulder. / Beneath the fourth panel from the right: The lost sheep found. Everything together is happy. N.d. Published by the China Sunday School Association. (Previously Accession 1985.0151a in the BGC Museum collection; framed and on display in the Archival Seminar Room.) 31" x 21"

"Christ has set us free." Undated, possibly 1949. The English version of the Chinese text reads: God in Christ has pardoned you. (Ephesians 4:32) / We like a bird have escaped from the bird catcher's net. (Psalm 124:7) / Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1). The text on the scissors reads: Grace which sets free. Published by the Alliance Press of Chungking, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Dimensions: 22 x 32-5/8".

The Old Man and the New Man.” Undated. The English version of the Chinese text reads: Create a new man. “You must take off the old man and its iniquity. This old man is continually being corrupted by its evil desires” (Ephesians 4:22) / Put on the new man. The new man is created in God’s image. It has true love and purity. (Ephesians 4:24) The various words on the old man’s coat are the name of sins, such as boasting, drunkenness, pride, hatred, foolishness, adultery. Written on the shoe of the man on the right is, “Trusting in man’s way.” Written on the clothes of the man on the left are the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23: love, peace, joy, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Undated. From Collection 231, Oversize File. Dimensions: 21-3/8" x 30".[The bottom margin and lower right margin have been covered, but close examination reveals the title in English.] (Previously Accession 1985.0151c in the BGC Museum collection.)

“The Parable of the Sower.” Undated. The parable told by Jesus is found in Luke 8: 4-15. This story is one of the basic statements of evangelism found in the New Testament. The panels, read from right to left, illustrate verses 12, 13, 14, and 15. This poster was printed by the Religious Tract Society, Hankow & Shanghai. (This poster is currently hanging in the Manuscripts Reading Room of the Billy Graham Center.) Dimensions: 30" x 43". (Previously Accession 1985.0152b in the BGC Museum collection; framed and on display in the Manuscripts Reading Room.)

Poster of cross that forms a gate through a city wall. The large vertical characters on the cross are translated, “The Lord for me died;” the large horizontal characters on the cross are translated, “Along with the Lord, together I die.” The box below the vertical characters on the cross are translated, “Salvation.” The characters to the left of the cross are translated, “With the Lord raised, seated in heaven with Him.” The characters outside the gate are translated, “Forgiving Sin;” the characters inside the gate are translated, “Overcoming Sin.” The large horizontal characters at the bottom are translated, “Commit sin. The fact of sin. Condemnation of sin.” The lower horizontal panel, reading right to left, is divided into seven portions with a caption or title, Bible verse, and accompanying reference: 1) Right title is translated, “The Road to Sin,” followed by Proverbs 16:25 and reference in smaller characters; 2) the title second from right is translated, “Sinning,” followed by Isaiah 53:6 and reference in smaller characters; 3) the title third from right is translated, “Reality of Sin,” followed by Hebrews 11:25 and John 8:34 and their references; 4) the title fourth from right is translated, “Fastening of Sin on a Person,” followed by Hebrews 9:27 and Romans 6:23 and their references; 5) the title fifth from right is translated, “The Door of Salvation,” followed by Acts 4:12 and reference; 6) the title sixth from right is translated, “Forgiving Sin,” followed by John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, and Acts 13:38 and their references; 7) the title at the left is translated, “Overcoming Sin,” followed by 2 Corinthians 5:14, Romans 6:1-2, Romans 6:14, Ephesians 2:6, and John 3:2 and their references. The text to the right in the bottom margin is translated, “CIM Publishing House, Hong Kong, PO Box 1662. The text to the left in the bottom margin is the poster serial number. Dimensions: 21" x 30" . (Previously Accession 1991.0356 in the BGC Museum collection.)

Poster of diagonal road to heaven and hell. N.d. Published by Christian Witness Press in Hong Kong. Vertical characters on left edge, [Hebrews 2] “If we neglect this great salvation, how can we escape sin?” Vertical characters down right edge are translated, “The evil person must leave his own road and return to our Lord. The Lord wants everyone to be saved. O, turn back. Why perish?” Characters across the bottom are translated, “Not willing to have one person perish.” The black characters on the road are translated, “There is a road, people regard it as true. But at the end it turns out to be the road leading to death,” and the person traveling downward has a burden on his back with the character for “sin.” Characters on the signer marker to the left of the road are translated, “Hope and Life,” while that on the sinking sign marker to the right are translated, “Sin.” The red characters on road are translated, “Road to new life.” Characters in the lower right are translated, “We invite you to go to the gospel hall and hear the preaching and examine Scripture.” Red characters at the bottom are the publishing firm and a Shanghai address. Dimensions: 21" x 31" (Previously Accession 1985.0151b in the BGC Museum collection.)

Chinese poster of “The Ladder to Heaven.” 1938. Published by the Religious Tract Society in Hankow; covered with a plastic film. (Previously Accession 1985.0152a in the BGC Museum collection.) 29.5" x 42".

Poster of “Become a New Person,” with Thai script. N.d. Published by Christian Witness Press in Hong Kong. Dimensions: 15" x 21". (Previously Accession 1985.0150f in the BGC Museum collection.)

Chinese poster (version of Thai poster above), “Become a New Person. N.d. Presumably published by Christian WitneDimensions: 15" x 21".(ss Press in Hong Kong. (Previously Accession 1985.Dimensions: 15" x 21". (0150i in the BGC Museum collection.)

Chinese poster of people crossing the chasm of sin and death through the cross to travel toward eternal life, while others ignore the cross and even fall into the chasm. N.d. [No translation available.] Dimensions: 15" x 21".((Previously Accession 1985.0150g in the BGC Museum collection.)

Chinese poster of men attempting to bridge the chasm of sin and death rather than the nearby cross. Dimensions: 15" x21". (Previously Accession 1985.0150h in the BGC Museum collection.)

Poster with floral design and Tamil script. N.d. Published by Christian Witness Press in Singapore. Dimensions: 15" x 21". (Previously Accession 1985.0150a in the BGC Museum collection.)

Four-poster series in Chinese with handwritten translations of the title in the lower margin and in the upper margin of the Scripture verse in Chinese characters of the poster; some of the handwritten text is either faded or missing. N.d. 1) “The Fall of Man and Failure of Religion” with handwritten reference to Psalm 69:2, “[I sink] in deep mire where there is no foothold.” 2) “The Fall of Man and the Failure of Education” with handwritten reference to Psalm 49:7, “Truly, no man can ransom his brother or give to [God] the price of his life.” 3) “Salvation Through the Cross” with handwritten reference to I Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His Body on the Tree.” 4) “The Assurance and Testimony Meeting” with handwritten reference to Psalm 40:2, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit.” Dimensions of each poster: 15" x 18-1/4" (Previously Accession 1985.0150b,c,d,e in the BGC Museum collection.)

SKETCH BOOK OF CHINESE CHARACTERS; n.d. (OS 24). Sketch book of Chinese characters used in teaching.

SONGBOOK; 1983 (OS 24). Songbook, lyrics by Amy Carmichael, music by Helen Anderson and.

SONG SHEETS; n.d. (OS 24). Materials for working with children. Large song sheets in Romanized Chinese which the Andersons used to interest children in the US in mission work among Chinese children. Includes "Jesus Loves Me," "Heavenly Sunshine," and "Turn Them Out." Also includes what appears to be part of an evangelistic talk for children. *****

Series 5: Slides

The following items are located in the SLIDE FILE. All of the slides are in color, unless otherwise noted.

Slide File Box 6:

S1 - Helen Anderson with Corrie ten Boom, along with a number of Chinese, in Taichung, Taiwan; ca. 1955.

*****

Series: Paper Records

Arrangement
: Alphabetical by document type (i.e., Articles, Correspondence, Diaries, etc.) and chronologically within each type of document classification

Date Range: 1928-1995

Volume: 3 RC, 2 DC (3.95 cubic feet)

Boxes: 1-5 (79 folders)

Geographic Coverage: United States, China, Taiwan, Philippines

Type of Documents: Correspondence, diaries, articles, clippings, lecture and sermon notes, manuscripts, newsletters, songbooks, story books, maps and notebook

Correspondents: A major portion of the correspondence consists of letters written by Mrs. Anderson to her mother and other members of her family. There are also Mr. Anderson's letters to Mrs. Mount and his own mother, and the Andersons' periodic prayer letters. Most of the correspondence runs from 1934 when Mrs. Anderson first went to China with CIM until 1979, following the Anderson's retirement. Some Chinese letters with English translation were written by Mrs. Anderson's friends, Ho Sheng-Min and Ho Wen Fang.

Subjects: Missionary work in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, China Inland Mission, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, church work with children, evangelistic work, Bible teaching, sermons, Christian education, teaching in missionary schools and seminaries, Bible Institute of the Philippines, Yu-Shan Theological Institute

[NOTE: In the Arrangement section, the notation "folder 2-5" means box 2, folder 5.]

Notes: Most of the letters in folders 1-6 through 1-18 were written by Mrs. Anderson to Mrs. Mount. While containing information about the Andersons' missionary work and furloughs, these letters could also be characterized as a mother-daughter conversation on the everyday details of life. With the death of Mrs. Mount in 1961, the nature of the correspondence changed, and that from folder 1-16 through 1-18 consists largely of the Andersons' prayer letters. Correspondence to the Andersons in folder 5-4 consists mainly of letters from Mr. Anderson's mother written in 1952 through 1955, a April 21, 1934, letter from Mrs. Anderson's brother Waddy, objecting her going to China as a missionary, a letter from Al and Thelma Greene describing their trip to Zhoukowzhen in 1986, and three letters addressed to Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Hazelton. A few Chinese letters with English translation are correspondence between Helen and her Chinese friend, Ho Wen Fang in 1986-1987.

The correspondence (folder 1-6) begins with Mrs. Anderson's language study in Yangzhou, her appointment by the mission to Zhoukouzhen, where Annie Sharp was her senior missionary, and Mrs. Anderson's responsibilities included teaching in a girl's school in the city. Folders 1-7 and 5-5 contain periodic references to the war with Japan as well as information about Mrs. Anderson's co-workers, including Grace Weir Rockness (and her husband, Morris), Irene Steele, Miss Kreick, and Ho Sheng-Min. Mrs. Anderson's first mention of her future husband appears in a September 28, 1940, letter (folder 1-7) and is followed by a December letter in which she gives her preliminary impressions of him to her mother. The Andersons left China in 1944 as the war intensified in China, and folder 1-9 includes their impressions of India where they stayed several months on their trip to Europe and America.

A manuscript (folder 5-6), prepared by Mary Ann, contains excerpts of Mrs. Anderson's letters to her mother dated from September 27, 1934 through September 6, 1944. In the accompanied cover letter, Mary Ann reasures Mrs. Anderson of publishing this manuscript. The excerpts start with Mrs. Anderson's trip to China in 1934, her study at the Language School in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, and her missionary work in Zhoukouzhen, Henan. The manuscript also documents her missionary work, daily life and co-workers in various stations she worked at. There is also a description of how the Andersons first met in a September 6, 1940 letter, Mrs. Anderson's concern about getting marry, and the arrangement for her marriage in some 1940 and 1941 letters. The intensity of the war with Japan, information on bombing, flooding, famine, and inflation are also documented. Details of how the Andersons left China via Kunming and Bombay in 1944, in which Mrs. Anderson mentions about her miscarriage, is also included.

Upon returning to China in 1946, the Andersons were stationed in Sheqi, and were asked to begin a Bible school there. They wanted to return to Shenqiu or Zhoukowzhen but the Chinese church leaders who shared responsibility for the work felt the Andersons would be better used at Sheqi. The frequent letters the Andersons were sending home reveal the moves they had to make as the communists gained more control of the country. A February 27, 1948, letter (folder 1-11) documents their hasty evacuation from Sheqi, which initially took them to Chenggu, and then Baoji, where they worked at the Northwestern Bible School. As an appended note by Mrs. Anderson indicates, references to the war in the letters in folders 1-10 through 1-14 were minimized due to censorship. These files nonetheless continue to make references to the political situation, occasionally in masked terms, as well as detailing the Andersons' work. Of special interest is a manuscript (folder 1-28) Mrs. Anderson wrote in June 1, 1951 entitled "As I have seen it ... " describing her impression on the Chinese government after 1949. She discussed the Chinese government policy to missionaries, missionary schools, churches, political movements and activities such as parades, indoctrination classes, and the reaction of the Chinese people to these political movements in 1949-1951. A copy of this manuscript is also found in the photo album ANDERSON, HELEN MOUNT-I.

Folder 1-15 documents the Anderson's work at the Taichung Bible Institute in Taiwan after 1952. The file includes a notepad of handwritten text which was the basis for their prayer letters. The letters document the Andersons' activities of teaching Bible classes for men and women, and Sunday schools for children. A situation worth mention is the difficulty the Bible Institute had with staffing the school, particularly in replacing the principal. These letters also document the Andersons' impressions of Taiwan, noting differences between China and Taiwan.

The Anderson's work in the Philippines between 1957 and 1971 centered on teaching at the Bible Institute of the Philippines (BIOP), a school established initially in Quezon City and later outside Manila in Valenzuela, Bulacan, mainly to serve the Chinese Christian community. The correspondence in folders 1-16 and 1-17 cover the Andersons' work in this period. While they deal principally with the Andersons' work, the letters do refer to co-workers Ray and Helen Frame and Miss Birttain. Also included are two copies of tracts prepared for children in the Philippines, and printed testimonies of a number of graduates from the Bible school. The Andersons wrote in these letters (folders 1-15 through 1-17) of their observations on the differences between the Chinese they had worked with in China and Taiwan and those in the Philippines. Mr. Anderson was also involved in a radio ministry at Far East Broadcasting Company's Philippine station, DZAS, and his responsibilities in this production are also discussed in their correspondence. Material on the Institute is also available in folder 1-1 (annual reports), folder 1-5 (a 10th anniversary commemorative booklet which includes a history of the school written by Raymond Frame), and folder 1-29 (a newsletter in Chinese).

Folder 1-18 documents the last leg of the Anderson's overseas missionary service, their return to Taiwan to work among the tribal people in Hualien (located on the east coast of the island) at the Yu-Shan Theological Institute between 1971 and 1974. The letters again comment on the differences the Andersons saw between the Chinese of Taiwan and the tribal people. Also included in the folder is correspondence written to friends and supporters following their retirement. Other documents on the Institute include a Chinese songbook (folder 1-33), and a 1973 yearbook in Chinese which includes photographs of the Andersons, students, staff, and events (folder 1-34).

The correspondence (folders 1-6 through 1-18) also covers the furloughs the Andersons had, showing not only the work of these missionaries on the field but also among their supporters. The Andersons had furloughs during the following years: 1944-1946, 1952, 1956-1957.

The Andersons' diaries (folders 1-19 through 1-23, 5-5) offer an abbreviated record of their activities. In some cases these are more devotional in nature; in others they refer to a single event of the day. In most cases they are limited to one- or two-sentence entries.

A number of manuscripts by the Andersons are available (folder 1-28), including "A Trek Into the Interior of Mindoro" describing a preliminary evangelistic contact among the Alangan Tribe in Mindoro, Philippines; Mr. Anderson's notes for what appears to be an ongoing evangelistic discussion with someone about Christianity; and a text of two brief messages sent on audio tape to a church in Scotland, in which the Anderson's work as OMF regional representatives is described.

Mr. Anderson had ample experiences in teaching. Folders 1-24 through 1-27 consist of Mr. Anderson's lecture notes on missions, presented at various speaking engagements in the United States after 1974. These cover a wide range of issues, from "The Missionary Imperatives of Christ," "Mission: God's Harvest in Formosa Hills," and "How Missions Function" to "Hudson Taylor, CIM and OMF," "Bible Translation," "Develop a Global Outlook to Missions," and "God's Answers to the Devil's Arguments Against Foreign Missions." Folders 2-1 through 4-11 consist of Mr. Anderson's lecture and sermon notes he used at seminaries in Taiwan, the Philippines, and at services in the United States. These notes cover all the books of the Bible, as well as on topics such as cults, revivals, missions, youth work, and homiletics, etc. Also included (folders 1-24 through 1-27) is Mr. Anderson's description of work among the tribal people of Taiwan, entitled "Testimony." Especially interesting are the talks in folder 1-26 which were Andersons' basis for illustrating evangelistic messages used in conjunction with posters. Folder 1-30 contains similar material in the form of a script for a presentation which the Andersons gave to explain and illustrate Chinese village evangelism. The text describes how they began meetings, includes songs and the text of their evangelistic message accompanying the posters they used, providing insight into Chinese and Filipino culture. The posters accompanying the talks in 1-26 and script in 1-30 are described in the Location Record for Oversize Material found elsewhere in this guide. Besides using posters, the Andersons also used both Chinese (folders 1-31 through 1-33) and English (folder 5-2) songbooks, song sheets, sketch book of Chinese characters (OS 24), and illustrated story books (folder 5-3) in evangelistic work. Mrs. Anderson translated Helen L. Taylor's Little Pilgrim's progress in Chinese in 1950s, folder 5-7 contains the Chinese edition of the book published in 1985, photocopies of the title page and colophone of its Chinese edition published in 1956. Included are also photocopies of the covers and title pages of the English books Little Pilgrim's Progress and One Passionate Purpose.

Exceptional items: Folder 1-9 includes several unusual letters. Since paper was scare from 1942-1944, Mrs. Anderson wrote a number of letters on the thin dress pattern paper she had with her. While Mrs. Anderson joined her husband in Shenqiu after their marriage, they maintained contact with their friends and co-workers in Zhoukouzhen and their correspondence contains information on the work there as well as at Chenqiu.

Accruals and Additions

The materials for this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives in April 1982 from the Overseas Missionary Fellowship and in 1982 from 1997 from Helen Anderson.

Accession 82-60, 82-160, 82-172, 82-174, 83-4, 83-5, 83-75, 84-136, 84-148

August 21, 1985

Paul A. Ericksen

T. Reihmer

J. Nasgowitz

Accession 85-120, 85-147, 86-23, 89-84, 91-67, 95-57, 95-65, 95-99, 97-58, 99-24, 99-29

June 14, 1999, updated

Irene Wong

P. Ericksen

Related Materials

The following items have been given to the Missions and Evangelism Collection, Buswell Library

Accession 99-29

One Passionate Purpose (Singaport: Overseas missionary Fellowship, 1990)

Taylor, Helen L. Little Pilgrim's Progress (Chicago: Moody Press)

The following items have been given to the Billy Graham Center Museum

Accession: 82-160, 82-172, 72-174, 84-148, 89-84

Type of material: Artifacts

1 green padded vest with green buttons

1 pair of hand-made shoes

1 white cloth bag, addressed to Helen Anderson

Blue Chinese gown for everyday use, worn by Ian Anderson; c. 1940.

Blue lined gown for everyday use, worn by Helen Anderson; n.d.

Carbon rubbing plate (for ink); c. 1940.

Chinese handmade stocking; c. 1940.

Ink block; c. 1940.

Two wooden address chops: "Fengsiang, Shensi", "Shekichen, Honan;" ca. 1940

Wooden endorsement chop for letters and legal documents: "Ian R. Anderson;" ca.1940

Title
Collection 231 Papers of Ian and Helen Anderson
Author
Paul Ericksen
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Roman Script

Repository Details

Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository

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