53. Gheer the Superintendent of Bible-women’s workThe missionary career of Gheer in Japan lasted three decades. Initially, the Bible-women were trained by Gheer in both schools: Kwassui Jo Gakko (Kwassui Gakuin) and Eiwa Jo Gakko (Fukuoka Jo Gakuin). Every year graduates from both schools joined the ranks of Bible-women who then propagated the seeds of the gospel across Japan. Gheer comments, “The evangelistic work is opening and developing finely, all over the island. Bible-women are called for in numbers greater than can be supplied.”6 Upon their graduation, the Bible-women were escorted by Gheer to various locations to assist the pastors of churches in their work among women. As the number of graduates entering the field of Bible-woman work increased, Miss Gheer’s missionary base enlarged itself to cover all of Kiushiu as well as the Loo Choo islands as shown in Table 1.74. The Fruitful labors of Bible-womenIn The Minutes of the Thirteenth Session of the Woman’s Annual Conference of the MEC in Japan, Gheer explains the role of Bible-women: The work these women are appointed to do is for the women of their own land. Their one work should be to teach the Gospel and they do teach it.... They visit the homes of both Christians and unbelievers, they organize and carry on women’s classes and meetings, Sunday schools, day-schools, distribute tracts, cards, &c. sometimes they visit and care for the sick, they are class leaders, Sunday School superintendents, stewards, pastor’s advisors and counsellors; in any and every way possible, they are holding up Jesus their Savior as the Savior of the world. The districts over which they are scattered, extend from the north of Kiushiu to the Loo Choo Islands, embracing a territory of almost fifteen thousand square miles, and we are casting our eyes towards Formosa hoping someday to bring it within the circle.8According to Gheer’s 1893 report on the Fukuoka District the following details are given revealing the depth of the mission. “No. of women employed during year (11); No. of Visits to women in their homes (4664); No. of talks on Christianity (3108); Study and Reading Scriptures (1958); No. of Weekly Women’s Meetings (11); No. of Sunday Schools (18); Average Attendance at Sunday School (398); United with the church as probationers and full Members (44).”9 The following year thirty Bible-women attended the Bible-Woman’s convention in Nagasaki. As Gheer reflected on all their work, she remembered a time “when there was no Bible-woman in Kiushiu, and none in preparation for such work.”10 Yet her heart longed for the one soul who had yet to hear the Gospel message. So, she writes: While considering the subject of sending out these girls, one question kept presenting itself to me. It was this: Would we not accomplish more and have more satisfactory work done if our Bible-women, instead of being sent out, as heretofore, to work in and with and for some one or more of the churches, were sent, perhaps two and two together, to the towns or even villages where there is no pastor, and where, but for the teaching they can give, the people will never hear the Gospel?11A few years later in 1898 Gheer’s work is reported from the Southern District’s Kagoshima base:She has twelve trained Bible-women, and others receiving training. Work is regularly carried on in nineteen stations. There are twenty Sunday-schools, twenty women’s meetings, regularly held in stated places, and two day-schools. Five thousand four hundred visits have been made, besides calling on the women in their homes. A Bible-woman’s convention was held, which proved to be a great success--helpful on spiritual lines as well as methods of work. An earnest plea is forwarded for a Bible-woman’s Home and Training-school, and such an investment would be a great help to the evangelistic work.12Finally, the years 1905-1906 are the pinnacle years of Gheer’s success. The annual report on the Southern District informs that “in all this vast territory we have only eighteen Bible-women.... Last year 16,500 tracts and leaflets were distributed, 8,250 visits made and 1,800 families visited.... Miss Gheer has traveled the District from end to end, teaching, holding meetings and distributing tracts, which she herself carefully prepared.... Miss Gheer was thus enabled to take her furlough after ten years of continuous work.”13 “Send Forth Reapers!” Gheer’s Bible-Women in Meiji Japan1890.121896.4.28 1909.4.23DepartureBase1879.10.3SupervisionTraining Bible-women School establishmentTraining Bible-women Training Bible-womenTraining Bible-womenSouthern DistrictTraining Bible-womenSouthern DistrictNagasakiFukuokaNagasakiFukuokaKagoshimaKagoshimaFurlough1887.6～1890.121894.6～1896.41907.7～1909.41910.5
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