POOR AUDIENCE TO HEAR CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 56, 23 February 1949, Page 5

POOR AUDIENCE TO HEAR CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT

War’s Aftermath Starkly Exposed A very poor audience assembled on Monday evening to hear the reports of the delegates to the Christian Conference which was held in Amsterdam last year. The speakers were Mrs R. Dudley and the Rev. Alan Brash (Secretary of National Council of Christian Churches) both of Christchurch. Seldom has it been one’s privilege to listen to such eloquent and informative speeches. The speakers graphically depicted the wonderful and colourful scene when fourteen hundred men and women from all parts of the world, dressed in their own national costumes, assembled for the first meeting. One hundred and fifty Churches were represented • —a greater number than most folk even knew existed. Many of the men present had fought on opposite sides during the war, but in an amazingly short time they had forgotten their differences in the presence of the Spirit of Christ. A Japanese unknowingly took a vacant seat beside a Filipino. They glanced at each other’s cards of identification, and a terrific tension sprang up. The Filipino was horribly scarred —the results of Japanese torture. What would be the outcome of this chance meeting? Delegates nearby watched anxiously. After a few moments the scarred man held out his hand to the Jap, who instantly siezed it., Then the two knelt in prayer together. This spirit animated the whole huge gathering. Mr Brash told also of his trip to Germany. In one great city he looked for a mile over levelled houses -- the result of 90 minutes’ bombing. Ten thousand bodies were still hidden beneath the debris. But many thousands of men, women and children were living in the cellars and underground rooms without light, heat or running water. He told also, of the hundreds of heroic Christian workers, ill-clad and much more than half-starved, who yet carried on their noble work. One-third of these were suffering with T.B. through lack of food and proper clothing. ' < The whole was a clear and terrible picture of the state of Europe at present, lightened by the story of the Christ-like efforts being put forth by the Churches of the world in order to meet the need. The delegates left yesterday morning for Gisborne and Wairoa to address meetings there.