BOARD OF MISSIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 197, 15 May 1920, Page 8

BOARD OF MISSIONS

PROGRESS OF THE WORK

CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACTIVITIES

To further interest in the work of foreign missions a public meeting was lield in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street, last night under the auspices of the New Zealand Board of Missions... There was a large attendance, over which the Eight Eev. tlio Bishop of Wellington (Dr. T. H. Sprott) presided. ' Dr. Sprott said that, in the Church of England in the past missionary contributions liad always beea voluntary. In England it was still possible to find parishes which did nothing for missions. The position had not been tlit same in New Zealand, however, for the work of the Melanesian .Mission had been always regarded as an integral .part of the work of the Church. Otherwise 'ho w:>rk had been purely voluntary. No longer, Imwever, 1 would missionary enterprise be regarded as a voluntary work by New Zealand, and for this reason the Board of Missions had been established. The board ■would be a standing witness of the fact that missionary enterprise, was as essential and integral a part of the work of the Church in New Zealand as tlio work in any parish. Lite Venerable Archdeacon Watson said it was not incorrect to say that a large body.'of the members of the Christian .Church' regarded missionary work from a strictly neutral aspect. The intention of tlie Founder of the Clrorck was that it should be a missionary society. In hire early days of Christianity eveiy Christian was a' missionary. Somehow or other, tlio Church afterwards forgot her missionary charter, and the Church had suffered badly as a consequence. Later on. missionary societies had been formed to keep the spark of missionary enterprise alive," but these bodies had never been officially recognised. So long as that spirit prevailed missionary work would not be taken seriously. The establishment of the Board of Missions in New Zealand was an attempt to put the matter riglnfc, and the Church in Now* Zealand would henceforth see i liat it was a missionary society itself. In Australia the working expenses of foreign missions amounted to 23 per cent., but in America, where missionary enterprise was not voluntary, the expenses had been reduced 1o 7 per cent. Archdeacon Watson concluded by emphasising that t'ho Ctlurch ot the Province of New Zealand would see in future that missionary work was regarded as a first essential, i. . The Eev. 0. \J. Kimberley emphasised that money was not the first need for the success of missionary work, but rather a prayerful spirit. Church people 6liould support by their prayers and sympathy' those who went into the foreign field to preach the gospel of salvation among the heathen. A great increase in gifts was needed if missionary work was intended to succeed.. By-rea-son of the fluctuation in the rate of exchange, four times as much money was needed for tho continuation of the work in China, and twice as much, for India. The Eight Eev. tho Bishop of Nelson (Dr. W. C. Sadlier) remarked that if tho Church was to be popular she would not'preach the gospel of forgiveness or the gospel of foreign missions. There was once a time when every toper, before going to bed at night, toasted "iho Church and the King," and there was never • ft timo wliou tho Church was more ineffective. Christianity was not a code of morals and was not a body of doctrines. There were morals and there were doctrines, but the essence of Christianity was Jesus Christ. Himself. Christianity was tho only religion in the world founded on the personality and the name of its founder, and it was the only religion that would not leave one alone. It liad been felt for some time in New Zealand that there wa3 n« necessity for organised effort in extending Christ's Kingdom outside tho Dominion. Bishop Sadlier outlined tho progress that had been made in New Zealand in developing tho work of foreign missions. Sine© November last nine meetings of the Board of Missions had been held, and a great deal of thought and planning had been given to the object in view, which was to adjust tlio missionary efforts of . the Church in New Zealand to tlio Divine programme. Bfrth the Melanesian 'mission und the C.M.S. had been co-ordin-ated in tho Board of Missions, anil the other missionary would be taken in in timo. The board would hold its own and would seo the thing through, and the whole of New Zealand had been mapped out for campaign purposes, The first thing demanded to mnko missionary enterprise successful was tho consecration of their personality to tho Lord Jesus Christ. Altogether, New Zealand was responsible for some 75 living agents in the foreign field. That would give some idea of the immensity of the work. The development of the native cburchcs, both in Japan and in China, was very encouraging because it was producing native bishops. Heathen opposition wa? also breaking down in India.. As showing the growth of the 1 Christian Church in. Uganda, Dr. Sad- ' lier mentioned that in 1898 there were ; G772 Christians, but by 1918 tho number had grown to 109,039. Tho Church in New Zealand hnd an opportunity to push ' foTwnrd tho snread -of Christianity m ' foreign lands such as it never had bej, forelf utile/Church of New, Zealand [■ .•could-'-oirly 'havora vision—a- vision such, j as tho Lord Jesus' Christ wanted it to - have, a vision which would enable it t to seo the needs and to deal with them— i then it would prosper. The work of ! the Board of Missions was only tlio.beginning of a great advance in tlio King- . dom of God, and it would bring a great blessing to New Zealand.