OXFORD GROUP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 11, 28 January 1937, Page 10

OXFORD GROUP

New Zealand "Team" Visits Australia FILM OF MOVEMENT An Oxford Group team of three, one a teacher of music, one a " law clerk, and the third a sheepfarmert recently. travelled to Australia to attend a house party at Glen Iris, Melbourne. Gathered there over a period of five days were about a hundred people of all ages, from all classes of professions — schoolboys and schqol-teachers, business men and olerks, lawyers and excriminals, artists, farmers, aviatore, clergymen of all denominations, tinemployed, engineers, doctors — from • all parts of Australia, from China, Papua and New Zealand. In an interview with the "HeraldTribtine" to-day a Hawke's Bay member of the team said the purpose of the house party was training in constructive Christian living and to plan i'or spiritual revolution in the Pacific, Representatives from all the different States and countries related remarkable stories of men made new, of unhappy coupleg reunited, of new relationships between employer ahd ew ployee, of belligerent Papuan savagoa becoming ardent peace-makers, of new hope? new light and new Hfe comtng to all Sorts and conditions of men. During the house-party the film "Bridgehuilders" was shown by special arrangementi at a looal picture theatre. ihe team member said. "The Song of the Bridgehuilders," which had heen called the "signature tune" of thei OJford Qroup, ran through the film. The ehorus was : — • To build togeth^What none shall *ever. Bridgea from man to man. The whole round earth to span. The film depicted the growth of the movement in Denmark during the short span of one year— a striking demonstration of how God could work on a national scale when men listened and obeyed. a One oi ihe New Zealanderg paid a visit to Pentdirge gaol (Melbourne), where there was a team of life-chang-ers among the convicts. A team visited the gaoi every Sunday morning and held meetings with the jnmates — on this Sunday about 25 prisoners attended. The governor of -the gaol affirmed that the Oxford Group was a healthy and desirable feature of prison life, that it made ■ for more harmonious working) among those reached, and that men who wpre 'prone to disregard prison rules and regulations before, now showed a serious intent to qualify as high as they ppssihly could in the best direction. . Qvpr 30 pgrftops attended .a dinner for inteyested business men, of the city, among them Some. of Melbourne's most prominent citizens. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr fi.-B.' S. Stevens, who identified .himself -with tbe Oxford Group during a recent visit to America, yras among those invited, but wired his apolegies, About 15 speakers testified to having fotuxd tbe solution to lifd's problems and new power and purpose through having accepted the ■challenge of the group. Three Australians ahd two missionaries from Papua returned with the New Zealanders by the Marama to assist the movement in New Zealand.