WESLEYAN HOME MISSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 268, 16 October 1883, Page 2

WESLEYAN HOME MISSION.

The annual meeting m connection with the above mission was held last SJX^_^.___}^pJK^JS^^Qk9 :^kt. J^ P. Leary presidedover the proceedings, and Introduced the Rev. Mr Grifliths, who after , some introduoting remarks rbad the' report - of thb New Zealand Home Mission, f .w_ich he-stated was of more t^em special intere t, having been written by the late Secretary, the Rev. ;Mr Buddie, the day prior to his decease. Thejamount estimated as income was £2,764, the amount, actually recei*ved being £2,587,^ 210 of which had been contributedi by the Sabbath scholars. Ihe money thus raised was devoted to Maori Missions, Scandinavian Mis- . Bions, English Home Missions, Aiding Circuits, and Ministerial. train- , ing. I.".The1 .".The EeVi gentleman then read the amount obta ned for the mission m. tjie Palmerston North Circuit as follows .-—Sunday collections, £2 14s 3d; iEarere, 9s; Public Meetings , £5 ,11s 6d; Childrens' Cards, — Elizabeth Dillon, £4: 10s; Alice Grace, £1 14s 9d; Kichard Carty, £1 7s 6d ; Willie . Grace, £19s lOd; Francis Moffatt, ,14s 6d ; Lucy Eibblewhifce,: 12s '6d;i Mary -lls-lld ; Claud Haynes,, lis 3d ; Eliza "W"adham, : lis ; Prances Kibblewhite, Bsßd; S A. Thackbr, 8s; Francis Anderson, 6s9d; L. johansen, 5s 6d; Mnall sums, 5s 3d; making atotal of (less expenses, £1 7s 6d,) of £20 ISsjlOd' (Cheers.)? . ; r .•- L Choir— l^Oth Hymn. , . ;" \ \ ,-'.; ;The Pev. Bowse (F'eildihg) coritrasted the position of New Zealand 100 years ago with that at pre-ent— V | Then the ; Maoris lived constantly' at war with eaoh other, and continued to do so until there came the missionarps with' the glad tidings^ . of peace and salvation. < Ihrongh thie f-; --orts of the -_ f 'missionaries pblgamy • a,nd slkvery^were abolished,; and it ' could not but ; be \ acknowledged had it' not been for the'woik of preparation done "by the * • missionaries, Europeans would not have been* permitted to occupy the oOuntry so peacefu'ly. He had long been- connected with mission work among the Maoris' m the North Island, and had worked m the' cause iii the same district as the ; misßionary father.. It was to be regretted that the Maori race had fallen away from' religibn'hnd taken to all those low vices introduced by; Europeans. It was to be regretted that, although! there were between 4000 and 6000 natives on this coast, they "were entirely without a religious '.;■ agent. There were sixjyoung men^mtrairing at the ,y Three Kings Mission ; ani he' would like some of these preaching the Gospel among their brethren. He had seen Te "Whiti, but that power'ul native had. given him no encouragement. i We must Ahoweve^' 1 (ne observed) do ! something. Are these natives to be a curse-or-a blessing"?— Tierey. gentle-, man concluded by appealing to those j present to render their assistance m ; connecting the Maori from their de- I ! graded position, and make an effort to bring them b,ack from .darkness to the j paths of Christianity., Choir. — " I will lift r up mine eyes." The Rev Mr ChristofEersen next ad- : dressed the meeting and gave an interesting account ofLthe Scandinavian Mission. He sa ; d<that hehad laboured four years.at Mauriceville. '1 he people ; there did not know the English language, and were poor, nevertheless they j had bnUt a^churbh' wbieh would hold 150 people, and'moreoveip' whfln it was opened it wasfree from. debt. — (f'hefers ) Choir — "But the Lord is mindful of; .his own." ' •.;'• . ] •' "Ebv Mr WiUlia^s congratulaifced the > people at the result; of the Home Missionis held at; ' Palmer ston which were getlang' ' d tter . and better; ' He ' had likened with pleasure; to Jbhe reniarks' made 11 bjr the J previous/ speakers. Mr Chri^offersen had however omitted to; tell the meeting one fact m connection; ■vnth the MauriceVille ChurcK ; viz, that Mr Christoffersen built it, ; ana his wife painted the building. Cheers and Laughter.) ' Speaking of polgamy re-: minded him Of a story he hud heard. 1 A native iri India wViidered how his master only 'bad one wife, and during a conversation^ the Englishman s id^ "If I am happjr with one wife, how happy ought you.'to' f be with four"' Now it happened tti_t' uie Indian did not get along welllwith the four, so he pla.nl of Jiis.^Bias.tejc^ejit three^pf his, wivea v adrift, and prospered afterwards He was glad to see flapre .were signs of revival among the Maoris.' 'They were donning the blue ribboiij a!t Wanganui through the influence of Jbhe ! Be^'3_[r Grace, -and .he. i^ougnt evbry person jof i itiae ■-, .name of ; Grace ought to be. proud ot. such a graceful attempt to, wean the , Maoris from their drunken habit< He thought the motto for remarks made for a Home Mission meeting could riot be better obtained than front the last words penned by the pioneer missionary, Father Buddie. '**' Freely you have re(Ceiyed, freely give;" and^ m a stirring) J address urged them^ to give 'freely > to the mission. ! Before rbsuming his seat, the JRev.. gentleman paid a high compliment to the choir for the valuable v as- - sistance they hadrendered. Choir — " Oh haste and see how gracious the Lord is." The collection, plates, wee then handed round, and the Oliair-ian announced that the sum given amounted to £4 4a sd, as againstTs6s lis 6dhj<it year, To -bake ,up fqr jthis, Sunday's, collection for this year amounted to £3 9s 76. as agairist l £2 14s 8d last year. ' ' i ";: '""-'' ; --•■ , Votes of thanks were then accorded •to' the choir, the several speakers, and. the Chairman, after which the Db^olbgy was sung'by- the chbir, and the benediction pronounced by ,the Rev, . Mr "\yilliams.