MISSIONARY WORK

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 15

MISSIONARY WORK

Bishop’s Address To Youths

About ’ 120 young persons from all parts of the Dominion were welcomed by the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren) at the opening of the New Zealand Church Missionary Society League of Youth house party at Tyndale House on Thursday evening.

Speaking on missionary strategy the Bishop said there were few countries to which the Christian Gospel had not been taken and the church established, however weakly. “It is now the day of strategic planning,” he said. After the war, the World Council of Churches established interchurch aid as one of its departments for the building up of indigenous churches and gave gifts of money and goods worth £lsm each year, he said. Western Germany, which immediately after the war had been one of the greatest receiving was now one of the biggest giving countries.

The vast sums spent by the World Council of Churches included more than £lOO,OOO contributed throughout New Zealand National Council of Churches in addition to the generous contributions that flowed through C.0.R.5.0., said Bishop Warren. “Today the spotlight is on Asia,” he said. “A South-east section of the World Council of Churches has been formed on the initiative of the Asiatic Christians, and New Zealand and Australia have been asked to participate. The greater part of the work of the Inter-Church Aid Department of the World Council will in future be carried out in Asian countries. N.Z. Leader Sought “An urgent request has come from the churches in South-east Asia, and from members of the World Council Secretariat to the National Council of Churches in New Zealand, to release the Rev. Alan Brash to become head of the world council’s inter-church aid department in Asia. “Convinced that the next 10 are critical years for Christianity in Asia, the executive is unanimous in agreeing to recommend to their council that Mr Brash be released from next year on a half-time basis until 1960, when he may go whole-time to the work, which will be based on Singapore. Until then, he will probably make three trips a year, each lasting two months, to supervise this work of growing importance. “You will see the face of the world change rapidly,” he said, “see that it changes to Christianity.” Speakers during the house party, which will continue over the wek-end, include Miss Laugesen, a missionary from Karachi, Pakistan, the Rev. M. S. Betteridge, president of the League of Youth; the Rev. H. W. Funnell, formerly with the China Inland Mission; Mr K. J. O’Sullivan, a Palmerston North lawyer; and. the Rev. H. F. Thoipson, general secretary of the New Zealand'’ Church Missionary Society, who has recently returned from a tour of West Pakistan, India, Ceylon, and Malaya, where he visited New Zealand missionaries.

The function will conclude on Monday with an admission service which will be conducted by Mr Thomson.