METHODIST MISSION

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 9

METHODIST MISSION

THE REV. VAL. W. TRIGGE. The Rev. Val. W. Trigge, who is now conducting nt tho Addingtou Methodist Church the first of a series of missions which is to bo held both in tho South nvil North Islands of New Zealand, and will extend over six months, has very rapidly conic to tho front in his own Stato of Victoria as a young man of special pifts and power as an evangelist (says tho "Lyttelton Times"). Although only twentyright years of age, and in the last year of his probation as a minister of tho Victoria and Tasmania Methodist Conference, he is already widely known and greatly esteemed for his unbounded devotion and singular gifts as an enthusiastic leader of men. Bsforo giving himself to the call of tho Church for evangelistic work, he was a recognised leader in athletics in Melbourne, and as a well-known captain of leading cricket and football teams, had a brilliant record as a winner of matches, and was the recipient of many gold medals. Though now otherwise engaged, ho still takes a keen interest in clean, healthy .sport. v His evangelistic career was begun in Homo Mission work in Gippsland, where a poorly attended cause, was speedily transformed into a flourishing church. After one year at Queen's College, lie was appointed in 1910 .as conncxional evangelist, and undertook an evangelistic tour through Tasmania, where ho was instrumental 'in over a thousand conversions, amongst them being some very remarkable cases, victims of the drink and drng habit being reolaiimed. In 1911 ho was appointed to Melbourne as junior missioner of tlio Collingvvood Mission, and hero also his work hrs been conspicuously successful, large gatherings attending has ministry and conversions taking placo (with few exceptions) evr-j'y week. A feature of tho Collfnajwood Mission is- the work amongst homeless and outcast men. Every Sunday morning a free breakfast is provided for them, and each Sunday about 80 or 90 human derelicts from the streets and parks are minjstercd to, both in body and soul, largo numbers of them being thoroughly reclaimed antd transformed into worthy and thrifty members of the mission and of society. At tho Inst Victorian Conference, tlio Rev. Val. W. Trigge was appointed, together with the liov. Dr. Woodful, as connexional evangelist in connection with tlio great centenary movement of this year, whereby in addition to seeking a general spiritual advance it is designed to raise a centenary fund of .0100,000 for general church purposes. In response, however, to tho request of tho New, Zealand Conference, Mr. Trigge has been transferred to New Zealand for fix months for tho "Mission of Inspiration and Appeal." In connection with tho samo movement, the Rev. Vallanco and Mrs. Cook, two noted evangelists from England, commenced their campaign at 1 Invorcargill recently.

Mr. Cook, who has just concluded a very successful mission in Australia, has achieved much distinction in Britain as a connexional evangelist. He was born in Middlesbprough-on-Tees, Yorkshire, a town sn.id to bo famed for two things, iron and Methodist preachers. After leaving school ho had ten years' commercial experience, and was subsequently trained for the ministry at llcadingley College. On graduating, he was assistant minister for one year at the Leeds Central Mission, i and afterwards held appointments ilt Hastings, Rochester, London, and lluddersfield. The meetings at Invercargill wero at-" tended by largo congregations, and tlio missioned' addresses created a very favourable- impression in the south. Mr. and Mrs. Cook commence their Christchurch campaign, which will last for three weeks, at the Dur'liani Street Church on Juno 21. "IS LONDON PAGAN?" SOME INTERESTING OPINIONS. The London "Daily Telegraph," which some year's ago ran an extensive correspondence on "Do Wo Believe?" has lately dovoted many columns to a controversy I oil tho question, "Is London Pagan i" The discussion was provoked by a sentence used in the courso of an interview by Mr. Dan Crawford, the missionary, who has just returned to London after an absenco of 23 years spent "without break in tlio long grass of Central Africa." Ho said that "in noting the changes that have taken place during those 23 years, to mo tlio blackest fact is that now London has become frankly a pagan city. Tho Londoner has ceased to read his Bible." A largo number of the clergy and laity of all churches have taken part in the discussion. Dr. R. F. Ilorton contended that "everybody is more Christian in tlio true sense," but then (one of tlio London papers points out) his test is seen to bo somewhat vague, for he says that "the ordinary person who does not go to church is Christian." Dr. F. B. Meyer, who also affirmed that "church-going is no gauge of the Christianity of a people, said that "tho ideals _ of Christ are wrought in tho very fabric of our civilisation," and he pronounced t'ho legislation of the last two or three years to be "eminently Christian." The Rev. Silvester Horne said that "the character and the temper of the city is growing more Christian," but lie admitted that "the tragedy of the situation in London is that tile great bulk of people do not care whether they arc pagan or Christian." Other correspondents, like "Olio of tho Clerj-.v of St. Paul's Cathedral," and the experienced Rector of Whitechapel, find grounds of hope in the large attendances on Good Friday at the cathedral ami some other places of worship; whilst others, again, refer with confidence to Hie progress of the Church of England Men's Society. Mr. Watts-Ditchfield declared tlmt "while there is less atheism, there is far greater reality about ihoso who aro practical Christians." Dr. Darlington, Vicar of St. Mark's, Kennington, said"There is a wave of indifference spreading all over tl)o metropolis," that "people go to picture palaces instead of to a plnco of worship," and that "in fact, Sunday is not Sunday now'in this country." j Tha "Record," .while asserting that It U I

an exaggeration to call London "a pagan city," admits that "Christianity is not in possession," and urges thafits condition challenges the attention of tho Christian Church. The widespread decline in attendance at public worship is most serious. Tho causes are many. Wo do not say that Church and Chapel aro altogether frco from responsibility in tho matter, but tho root of the mischief is tho growing love of pleasure, which lias taken, possession of nil classes. It is emphatically true that the people have becomo "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God," and everything is dono to. paudor to the popular taste." LANCASHIRE COLLEGE. PROFESSOR BENNETTOFFERER THE PKINCIPALSHIP. Tho Eev. William Henry Bennett, M.A. (London), D.l). (Aberdeen), Litt.D. (Cambridge), Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Exegesis, History, and Criticism in. Hackney anil New, Colleges, London, has received a unanimous invitation from the committee of the Lancashire Independent College, Manchester, to succeed Dr. W. 3?. Adency as principal of the collogo (says tho "British Weekly" of April 3). At the annual meetings of New. College and Hackney College : Professor Bennett is .received with an enthusiasm' which proves his well-earned popularity with tho students and their families. His occasional addresses oil Old Testament subjects have been amongst tho most interesting functions of the last ten years. He lias shown himself from tho first a sound and thorough scliolar, indeed ona of tho best Old Testament scholars of his time. ..110 is also a most successful and stimulating teacher. Ho has shown him. self ill connection, with the theological faculty of the University of London to 1)9 a first-class administrator and business man. Last, not least, ho is an impressive and acceptable preacher. Dr. Bennett owes much of liis success to his racy and admirable individuality, liis keen sense of humour, his openness of mind, his candour, and his restraint. He is an old student of the Lancashire College, and knows the Nonconformity of tlio North. PRESIDENT OF THE ENGLISH BAP. TIST UNION. Tlie Rev. George Pearce Gould, M.A., Principal.of Regent's Park College, is tho new president of the English Baptist Union. The "Home Messenger" .states that most of his young life was spent at Norwich. Ho is a graduate o£ .Glasgow University, where he obtained a llibbcrt Travelling Fellowship, and afterwords pursued his studies at Berlin and Leipzig. On returning to England ho was threo years at i Bournemouth and Boscombe as assistant and co-pastor with the Rev. 11. C. Leonard. M.A., and then, iu 1879, ho succeeded tho Eev. J. G. Greenhough, 51.A., at Cot)]nni Grove. Bristol. When, in 16>S.'i, Mr. Gould left Bristol for Regent's Par!:, lie began a work which has known no lonian? back. In ISHG, when the illness of the Rev. R. H. Roberts, 8.A., compelled liini to resign the presidency of the College. Mr. Goul<s, responded to the call to take up this added responsibility. N.Z. MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION. To commemorate the twenty-first Anniversary of the founding of tho New Zealand Missionary Association, a Forward Movement is being organised in tho Dominion. Fifteen missionaries are at present maintained. Fivo are labouring among the Maoris, two iu the Mclnliesian Mission, and four under tho Church Missionary Society. Four aro stationed under the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society, their posts being in Africa, China. India, and Japan. These are all European workers. As a forward movement tho New Zealand Church Missionary Association is now undertaking to support native agents in Africa, China, and India, and to build and support a New Zealand ward in tho Church Missionary Society's Hospital at Kcrman, Persia. To do this an additional i'soo per annum will lie needed, and it is hoped to Becuro this amount before October next. Twenty-five to thirty pounds will support a native pastor, or evangelist, for one year; £10 will supply a bed in the Kcrman Hospital for one year; .CI Gs. 3d. suffices to cure the average patient, 1 and one shilling will \iroeuro medicine for six average out-patients. CHRISTIANITY IN UGANDA. A report recently submitted to tho C.M.S. Committee shows that there is at present a national movement in Uganda towards Christianity. The number of Baptisms (7982) during tho last year is the third largest since the commencement of the Mission, and all through tho diocose churches aro springing up at a rata that is bewildering. Tho growth everywhere has been remarkable, the more bo when it is remembered that-, the great populations in tho eastern pjrt of tho diocese aro as yet practically untouched.