Facing A Task Unfinished

Facing a Task Unfinished by Frank Houghton - The Story Behind the Song
The Story Behind the Song ‘Facing a Task Unfinished’
In March 1929, the China Inland Mission led by General Director D.E Hoste, issued a call for 200 new workers within a two year period. It followed a very difficult period in China’s history. Due to the Civil war, missionaries had been withdrawn from their stations in 1927. 12 CIM workers had been martyred along with five associates.
The UK Director Rev W H Aldis wrote in Millions:
“THIS Call of need, of urgency, has come for two hundred men and women in two years, and it must be met ~ two hundred men and women who know and love the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their personal Saviour and who share the LORD’s passion for souls … men and women who believe that the gospel of CHRIST is still the power of GOD unto salvation to everyone that believeth”
Facing a Task Unfinished, ‘A hymn for the forward movement’ was written by Frank Houghton for the Annual Meeting in May 1931 in support of the appeal for the two hundred. It appeared in the January 1931 Issue of China’s Millions.
By 31 December 1931, the Two Hundred had left for China. From W H Aldis’ article in China’s Millions January 1932:
The story of how God has answered this prayer will be told in detail later on, but all that shall be said now is that your prayer has been answered, and by December 31st, 1931, the Two Hundred will have sailed for China.
All the money needed for passages and outfits has been fully supplied, and the Mission finishes the year with the encouraging knowledge that full normal remittances have been sent out to every member of the Mission for the whole year, and all our needs have been supplied.
In a very real heartfelt sense we take to ourselves the language of the Psalmist:-
‘ Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be His glorious name for ever.’