Collection 472 [September 20, 2002]
Contento, Paul A.; 1906-
Interview; 1992
Audio Tapes (.01 cubic feet)
Brief Description. Oral history interview in which Contento discusses his childhood, conversion, attendance at Moody Bible Institute, going to China in 1928 as a China Inland Mission worker, evangelistic work in Ningxia province (Inner Mongolia) and work among university students in southwest and northwest China, founding of the Inter-Varsity student movements in China, Singapore and Vietnam; Calvin Chao; the Sino-Japanese war; the communist takeover in China; founding of Singapore Bible College; evangelistic work in Singapore and Vietnam among high school and university students; and the war in Vietnam. The events described cover the time period 1900-1992.
Restrictions: Transcripts to the interviews T1, T2, and T3 are available. A portions of interview T2 is restricted until December 31, 2042.
| Full name | Paul Alfred Contento | |
| Birth | August 14, 1905, in Volentare, Italy | |
| Death | August 1, 1997 | |
| Family | ||
| Parents | Italian immigrants to the US, Edward & Carmilla (Carmela) DeMissaris Contento | |
| Siblings | Four brothers and sisters | |
| Marital Status | Married to Maida (Mary) E. M Bolster on June 10, 1933 (Mary died November 14, 1985) | |
| Children | Isobel Ruth, born September 15, 1940 | |
| Conversion | At father's funeral | |
| Ordination | Northern Baptist Convention | |
| Education | ||
| 1924-1927 | Moody Bible Institute | |
| 1937 | Henry Martyn Islamic School, India | |
| 1938 | Arabic language study in Jerusalem | |
| 1946-1949 | University of California - Berkeley, BS | |
| Career | ||
| 1928 | Joined China Inland Mission (later Overseas Missionary Fellowship) | |
| 1928-1951 | China:
Evangelism and church planting in Zhongwei, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia (1929-1936) Taught English in Chongking University, Szechuan University, Northwestern University (1939-1951) Evangelistic and discipleship ministry among university students (1939-1951) | |
| 1951-1960 | Singapore:
Launched Inter-School Christian Fellowship Worked with IVF in Singapore Taught at Nanyang University | |
| 1960-1975 | Vietnam:
Taught at Van Hanh University in Saigon Started IVF program in high schools | |
| 1975-1982 | Philippines:
Chaplain to the Norwegian Alliance of Social Workers | |
| 1982 | Retired from OMF on June 30 | |
| 1982-1989 | Dean of students at the Chinese Christian Witness Seminary, Berkeley | |
| Other significant information | ||
| Was a participant at founding of Chinese Inter-Varsity movement in Kunming. Was often featured as a speaker at church meetings and conferences in the US. | ||
Scope and Content
Paul Contento was interviewed by Robert Shuster on December 9, 1992, at Contento’s residence in OMF’s retirement center, Lammermuir House, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The events described in the interview cover the time period 1900-1992. The interview was originally recorded on two audio cassette tapes, and afterward transferred to three open-reel preservation master tapes.
T1 (68 minutes, click to link to the transcript of this tape) Background of Italian immigrant parents and their migration to the US,
father’s anti-religiosity and personality, memories of World War I, mother’s character and
Catholicism, earliest memories, value of education, coming to personal faith in Christ during
Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918, participation in YMCA program and early evangelistic
experiences, pastor’s challenge to consider Christian service and missions, attending Moody
Bible Institute, emerging interest in missions, influence of Isaac Page, sense of call, Moody’s
mission program and Robert Glover as a professor, other professors (James M. Gray), need for
expository preaching, Christian service and preaching experience, regulated social life at Moody,
Paul Rader’s speaking style as an evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson’s speaking style,
Moody’s reputation for producing missionaries, strengths and weaknesses of Moody’s
missionary program, application to China Inland Mission, first impressions upon arriving in
Shanghai, CIM’s language program and regret for not learning Chinese and culture and history in
Beijing, desire to be assigned to Tibet, assignment to Zhongwei, Ningxia, in Inner Mongolia,
joining Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Rist, Chinese evangelist (Chang Kwei Cheng), use of repetition in
evangelistic preaching, meeting his wife Maida
T2 (68 minutes, click to link to the transcript of this tape). Meeting his wife, outreach to Muslims, attending Henry Martyn Islamic
School in India, studying Arabic in Jerusalem, return to China to work among Muslims, teaching
university English and emerging work among university students in Kunming, wife’s experience
at founding of Inter-Varsity in Great Britain, his teaching methodology, establishing first Inter-Varsity group in China, young Chinese leader (Raymond Shing) medical student, presenting the
gospel, relocating to northwest China in 1939, criticism from fellow missionaries for working
with students, teaching in northwest China, revivals at Chinese colleges, 1944 convention in
Chongqing of Christian students, Calvin Chao character and leadership, collaborating with Chao,
emergence of national student movement, Stacey Woods personality and suitability for his IFES
(International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) role, IFES recognition of Chao as the Chinese
leader, David Adeney’s displacement of Chao who relocated to Hong Kong, dissolution of
Chinese Inter-Varsity, studying at Berkeley to gain credibility among Chinese students, returning
to Chongqing in 1949, Communists’ arrival in Chongqing, attending public trials, witnessing an
execution, being ignored by the Communists as a Westerner but not allowed to leave, Inter-Varsity students continued to meet secretly, attending brainwashing sessions for English-speaking faculty, leaving China in 1951
T3 (44 minutes, click to link to the transcript of this tape). Overlap from T2 on brainwashing and departure, Houghton’s ineffective
oversight of CIM from Australia, evacuation of CIM to Hong Kong, moving at Calvin Chao’s
invitation to Singapore, assessment of Houghton’s leadership, starting Singapore Bible College,
the Contentos’ duties and teaching at Nanyang University, churches of Singapore, IVF in
Singapore, comparison with IVF in China, methodology to develop leaders, start of Inter-School
Christian Fellowship with high school students, opposition to high school work by Youth for
Christ staff worker Joe Weatherly, early work among young people in Vietnam, cooperation with
Christian & Missionary Alliance, beginning of IVF work with Vietnamese students, Vietnamese
leaders (Le Vinh Thach, Nguyen Xuan Duc), movement’s rapid growth, emphasis on developing
leadership, comparison with C&MA’s philosophy, comparison with student work in China and
Singapore, impact on Vietnamese churches, impact of the escalating Vietnam War, Contento’s
recommendation to Lyndon Johnson and his administration’s reply, strategy to train leaders in
view of anticipated defeat of South Vietnam, link between IVF students and Vietnamese
churches in US, emphasis on providing instruction rather than controlling, OMF policy of
working with the existing churches, leaving Vietnam in 1975, relocating to the Philippines until
1982, teaching in Chinese theological seminary in Berkeley, leaving Vietnam, ongoing ministry
*****
Provenance
The materials in this collection were given to the Archives of the Billy Graham Center by Paul
Contento in December 1992.
Accession: 92-156
September 20, 2002
Paul A. Ericksen
LOCATION RECORD
Accession: 92-156
Type of Material: Audio Tapes
The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE file.
All of the tapes described below are reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips, one side only.
| # | length | Contents | Dates |
| T1 | 68 min. | Oral history interview of Paul Contento by Robert Shuster | December 9, 1992 |
| T2 | 68 min. | Continuation of interview from T1 | December 9, 1992 |
| T3 | 44 min. | Continuation of interview from T2 | December 9, 1992 |