MISSIONARY WORK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1677, 18 February 1913, Page 5

MISSIONARY WORK.

. -—-7-*— — ■ ADDRESS BY THE REV. J. K. " GILMOUR. In the Wesley. Church, Taranaki Street, last evening a> missionary demonstration was held. The Rev. W: 'Ready presided over a large congregation. > . The boy Matthow, who came from the Now Guinea Islands (of which ho is a native), with the Rev. J. M. K. Gilmour, was the first speaker. He spoke through Mr. Gilmour, and said that when the missionaries first came, to his own island the natives did not understand them. They thought it was a strange game they played—singing, speaking, kneeling, and sitting down. .• When they saw what thin waisjs some of the wives of the missionaries had they said that they had come to New Guinea because they could not get enough to eat in thoir own land. Howover, the message of the missioner was now understood in a good portion of tha 'Islands. He hoped they would recognise the need for the Gospel in Papua by sending out moro help. \ Tho Rev. J. M. K,. Gilmour, ohairman of the district in New Guinea, urged that if any Church should be missionary in its nature it should be this new Church born in tho year of the centenary of the Methodist mission. The traveller' or visitor to New Guinea would see much to admire in tho beautiful country and the people—apparently; wholly intelligent, loving, and happy. With such a slight acquaintance,' a man might be tempted to ask—How can the condition of these people'bo improved? But a more intimate Knowledge would reveal the superstition, fear, and eavago habits which 60 clearly revealed the need for Christianity. Mr. Gilmour gave instances of the habits of savagery in the people, and how the'nature of the people had been entirely changed by knowledge of tho Gospol. The wave of' commercialism which hod swept over the land within the last few years had made tho work- of conversion more difficult than formerly. ' , Tho Rev. G; H. Mann described some' of his experiences in back-block districts of New Zoalond. % The Rev. Fred. Copeland, who has offered himself for mission work, also ad-, dressed the meeting.