GLEANERS’ UNION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2187, 17 September 1907, Page 3

GLEANERS’ UNION.

The monthly meeting of the Gleaners’ Union was held laßt night at Te Ran College, the Rev. Mr Chatterton presiding. The subject for the evening was a closing study on Japan. • Before introducing it Mr Chatterton said that in regard to Maori matten, since last meeting he had received a donation of £2 2s from a local resident to go -to a fund for augmenting the stipends of native clergymen. The matter of these stipends would again bo considered at Synod. Last Synod bad fixed the

salaries at £IOO, £4O to be raised by the Maoris themselves. Steps must • be taken to raise this £4O in each Maori parish. He reported that a mission has just been conducted among the Maoris at Moteo, H. 8., bv the Rev. Arthur Williams, assisted by Miss Stirling, a now well-known evangelist. The results of the mission are most encouraging. A svmi : lar mission is to he opened at 1-aki Paki on Wednesday next Proposals have been made to set the Rev. b. Bennett free for six months of such mission work. These will lie again brought forward during Synod week. Taking up his subject of Japan, Mr Chatterton said the present-day position there was at once encouraging and anxious. There are 140 000 Christians in the country, and practically 1,000,000 who are convinced believers; but have not made open v»r->fession. There are. 700 mission aries in the country. Their mam object is to build up a nattve Christian Church, -and the Japanese themselves were most anxious to do wuthout European help as soon as possible. To this end tbe churches are uniting un with the hope of forming one body. Some 40 different missionary agencies liave thus been narrowed d<y.vn to three bodies— Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Methodists. In China the same movement was oil fo ‘t and great results were hoped for. ’ The old religions in both countries are losing tlieir hold on the people. Gut of 409 students in some High Schools only one was a COll- - and one a Shintoist, lo were Buddhists, 4 Christians 60 Atheists, 282 Agnostics, and 4b declined to call themselves anything. This showed a dangerous condition of affairs, for the nation was becomim'. devoid of religion. Japanese statesmen were recognising the gravity of tlio situation. The Minister of Education recently advised a return to the national religions Mr Chatterton regarded the critical state of nfl’airs as a great call to the Church to pray 1 for Japan, all the more urgent because of *he influence at present exerted by that country on Korea and China. _ , It was announced that the next meeting would deal with Melanesia.