A MISSION AT WORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 6

A MISSION AT WORK.

AU C K LAN D CAMPAIGN'' REV IE W ED. STRIKING CALL AND REMARKABLE V - : - . RESPONSE. In the following article •-.written for TiiE.DoiriNioN .by an Auckland clergyman is given a very .interesting account of the Anglican General Mission which has ]ust been .brought to a conclusion in the northern city:— ■ The mission has been: a wonderful success. Bufore the missioners began their work prayer meetings were' .held in various parts of the town, one ,of them which: took place in St. Matthew's Church was .attended.'by over 300 people,. many" laymen, as well as clergymen, Tlie' local .clergy met. the missioners .in the Cathedral Hall, and gave them an idea of the special wants of their parishes, and ' tho missioners'. sketched., the proposed plan of campaign; Then came tlie . diocesan : welcome,: at which:' the' iiishop (Dr., Neligan) gave an impressive and soul-stirring address^ j On Saturday, September' 3, the-mission-ers began their..work in .the. various' par-, whes.' Kach vicar "received .' the appointed missioher, blessed Um;'cbndiictea niin'to. the pulpit, and then handed over to hini, the parish for ten days; ■■ The mission services ' were in every "case . deeply, impressive, though the different missioners adopted .different methods; ~ Canon -E.; A. : Stuiirt," for. instance,, is - a great Bible '•' scholar,'. the Rev. - T.' lteesj an orator, and the Rev. J.-C. Fitz-:-gerald -a, great teacher.: -The'■ service generally. consisted :of .hymns, prayera, instruction, intercessions, and tiermou, followed by.-a: prayer, meeting or an after meeting: to ,answer questions' or give couh-. sel. Vl'lie ordinary '.'servieb took about iifty : minutes,' after which the 1 congregation were'given an opportunity to leavo,' if: they: ; Bo: desired, during''the, singing •> of a' :..hynin, . but' ..not five.; per: cent, of; _ the- ' people went - "out. The missioner - then / Went dowii ( into the' liavo of tho church, and alter an osteinpoiary invocation,, .desired the congregation 'to make an 'act of' faith (repeating: the words ■after, him), then an act 0f..-hope,.rand an, aot -of - love. '.Then 1 followed special prayers for the ..mission, • the - parish,' the. family,' ■ aiid ' .the. individual,

:. A . very interesting featura was- the aumb^'r-of.; ministers^of: other.' denomiiui.tiohs- who came lo the. meetinga and jolned in the .'ottering..-.of. prayer, ;a'iid:.:mentioned. mission -.in ithelr ; own' places' ot worship. V '• Wie fourth; evening the mlsslonw invited those i whoau desired to/renew: their .baptismal; vow; j .itake'} resolution.cards, v acd lill.'.theiii - in withtheir resolves, bringing them'' either . before .or' after the subsequent 'services to lie signed by the mmsionor. ' . Of course, . it'would be 'impossible; and quite undesirable to.. make 'any compaj'lsons' as to .'which; /nan or. parish was the ; most:, successful;./but ,it' is;noteworthy irtt .each vleal' la ol opinion that the 1 ; :missionepvinvlus. the: host ot the whole band. ' ' ■ '-.

A distinguishing -'mark ...of . Canon Stuart's mission .at the Cathedral was; •us : luold and deeply interesting Bible Explanations.. s'iA't . A'll ; Saints;.' Ponsonby, Community' of:'- the Kesurrectiou, took J tlieservices, ' the' number ol coaimuiii.idnts at jlho .dalijvicolubratton Increased : threefold :in a: week, ,:and ;-the' number ofpeople ~ migHt be>aid to; be without, faith,or ' .in. • doubt .or',.'sorrow,; tliat have ; thronged', the'-missiouer. is", marvellous;' - : -/The-Kev; Jones, is; a •-.wonderful' I ;man, 'simply V upon;, theni'as a- musician upon aii. organ, i .The ltev. Cyril Hephei', who conducted the at-i.Stratfoi'd, made>; such an. impression' upon ''the//men VotVihe';-paridv I '. a ; large, body c.o!:. th€ai' came. to : him, ; ■;aHkiiig to . be.;giveii 'something• to 'do to' proyo: thu: sincerity, (,f; their, cohyersion.;,- < A. 'a. 1 jUlihgstpn,V .who^^-..was' to ; have;.gone;;td;-thfe Cam-' bpdgej:'was •; changed to.; St.-Barnabas,•. ■ Mount;, lideii' where ' the "liev: \T.' 'H:: Sprott"(now s 6f .St;' Patfl's,.-Wellington) '-'rhefe;, hau . cjeejt .soM^. doubt. : to' < whether: .ii' inissipner." cbuld;*.be detailed- for that :.ish,';;so. the; interestV had:' rather .flagged';! but as : soon ; as s'the niissioner got settled' . ''.o his. work' the '-results; were astbhishing.; , -Tho lier. .■!!. .M. : Cowie,- vicar ot Hamili ton, vstates _;that' the ; l{ev:-/ 'i'iinothy ;l{ees ■had. been most: 1 successful in his> 'there. . . .. 1.;-:;:-; . The wonderful feature of tho llev.' H. Kami's mission;. at ; St. Sepulchrfe|s,V Auckland,. t;was v' tlie-V enoVmous number of intercessions i (requests' for the :proyers.rof .the ; laitliful: tor:.specified: de-t sires);/.?' On on'erfmorning t it; took' -.threo'-' .quarters of ah, hour to go; through them. The Kcv. U U. L'vuns, at bt Albans, ■dpunt, Eesktll,-seemed t6 - bet.especially: , gifted' iti attracting- young : nien. .' ' . v-".' The. mission' at : St. Paul's, Auckland; was noteworthy , in the . success of. iu L outdoor lvork,. in .processions, and -on - the M*harf. during ' ;; At 0 tah Hhu/' tho. Itev. J. H. • Darby hud the . church hall-fullof. people j for :.com- ! ■mimion; on a ;'wMk; day; morniugi'/aiidv ut the. Thames :■j!?T. 'deepesfe'ati ■ tention- of large ::cohgi'egutiohs.'': ; • iTheMtev.; Prebendary' Stuart held -short : missions :;at ;pukekoh'o. andi Kuntly.' r The lattoi 1 ; is\ stili\< In progress," tlie; > testiiiioxiyr from-' Huntly, ';'where.;;.thev-weather'>was .mosUunpropitiPus,'. is ,'.the. sumb.'as ' <jlseivhere-rpacke<l 'cliurcli, and ■ many ; ini. quiries.' 1 7 J-.;^

< Tho Eov. C. T. Horan, at Onehimga., a very large -scattered'-parish, was just an yreat- a success .'as tlie 'others 'in ' attract-' ing and holding the people. ;'• t'ar.'-jiO: fiews :,has ; been, received ire- 1 gdrding;'.Cniiion:^lTenW:missi6ii- , -at- ; 'D!ttga-' lalo;- and so'-was.-not. able to tako part m the 'Auckland-- mission.. ;1■:, ;■ ..

:One. outstanding; fact .of;- the •• mission seems; .to be that .so many people ;(vho.;.were/':in:'eyes ; of: fclie.', paru6liial clergy, mdiJToreni, . tnot Ul this/ mission^ .^wayy and : resumed . their fellowship and Mr newed ; their . baptismal, vows. ' .The clergy.'.themselves- ar«' ;foremost ' : iii ; declaring ;.that: ; '"a- Eotable- : iiiiraele-'hiitli ; :been uone." r ; ".r;.^.v•.

WELLINGTON ARRANGEMENTS

A special . meeting of the General' Committee'-- which ,is\ making-.', arrange-' ments ' for ';the;'-coming;. Geo? end. : '-MissipßL-V ; ■*?»»!• beld'yesterday/,, the Bishop, of -Wellington' (Dr.; AVallis) in-p----■Bidißg.:-'-;A number.of. matters .were..dis--cussed, - and final.. arrangements -!■ made .in connection with-the great'mass meefc ing to be held in the Town Hall on .Siuklay, ■ September 25:' ,- v Addresses will •be. delivered by the Uishop of-'"'Christ-, church '(Dr! '>:■JuliiisJ... aiid;. the; -R«vA'E/ .A::.-Stuart j"Canon.,; of.Canterbury, :;-England, whoso name; "is well-known throughout';.':England,,;for liis striking addresses , to', : ;men,.- arid ; ,'asV a .'.mission' preacher .of exceptional.-.power.. Bishop. Julius is '• well. know.ri■-in Wellington-,us ;one. : of -the; mosji'.Veloquent,, and'inter?, osting speakers in the: Anglican Church' in-. Now, Zealand.;- It;, may ;;be : mehtioned that,, the. who ; will : ;soon /be;.at work-in,'the ,'clip'ces l e. ; bf; Wellington ;, receive 'no personal payment, but the . cost of gravelling',.aiid other' expenses connected with - the -mission' are,. borne; by' tho New -Zealand Church.;..- Wellington's -share:.of. the,.ex-; pendituro was all subscribed before tile .missiohers arrived.'. i Full, particulars,regarding the 'Towni-Hall,; meetings' will -be found 1 in-oiir. advertising columns.'./. The five days' mission to be held by. the Rev. 11. W. Kinlpr-li, at St..Luke's Cliurch, .Wadestomi,- commences, to-iiight at 7 30 p.in.-. Special services are, also to bo held to-morrow, as advertised in another column... ,V;. ; ■ ' RECEPTION AT NAPIER ..(By Tclcgrapiu-rPrcss Association.);; NapJor, September 16. ' A reception -was •given ,-tpi tho . liiig--lish.'Church, missioners-'in .the: Cathedral this . ovening, :when.■ Bishops ■-Williatis. and Averill, Archdcacon. Rutldick,- and Canon Mayno officiated. ■ There - wero. fourteen inissionors present,-..and .a very ■.impressive-'service was given. .. > . ========~~=S ■