WESLEYAN MISSIONS. I

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 178, 29 July 1874, Page 2

WESLEYAN MISSIONS.

The following Report was read by the Rev. T. Buddle, at the meeting on Monday evening : — The Missionary Field occupied by the Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society embraces the Maori Mission in New Zealand, the Friendly Islands, Samoa, the Fijis, the Chinese population in Victoria, and gives aid to the Moravian Mission among the blacks in New Holland. Its agents are engaged in watching over and building up the Christian Churches that have^ been gathered from heathendom, in seeking to save the people tbat still sit in darkness, in translating the word of God into the vernacular dialects, in educating the rising youth of those countries, in printing and _ circulating useful books, and in promoting civilization and commerce among the people. Maori Mission. — Missionary operations among the natives of this country have been sadly interrupted during the last 14 years by the unhappy differences which arose between the Maoris and the Europeans. For several years the missions maintained a steady progress, and most of the tribes had come so far under Christian influence »b to abandon heathenism, and assume the Christian profession. Churches had been bnilt all over the country, schools were established, public worship regularly attended, the sabbath was respected, heathen customs were fast disappearing, civilization was advancing among the Maoris, and the word of God was translated into their language. Many to the converts from heathenism were true converts of the faith of Christ and gave evidence of their conversion by a Christian life, and by a death rendered peaceful and happy by the hope of a glorious immortality. But the work in progress was arrested by the war that commenced in 1860, the sad effects of which were felt on all the Mission Stations the country. Missionaries were generally regarded by natives as agents of the Government, and most of them had to abandon their homes, and churches, and schools, and congregations, and retire from their work. The result was that the people were scattered and many a home that had been reared by much self-denying labor was devastated, many a congregation gathered from the wilds of heathenism was dispersed, and many a promising field white to the harvest was blighted and destroyed. The Missions north of Auckland were not so much affected as the Missions South. Fourteen years have passed away since the struggle began, and the end has not yet come, so instead of reporting, as in former times, congregations amounting to 7500, we only report 5000 instead of 3000 church members, we only now report 343; instead of 4300, children in the mission schools 936. We have three European missionaries employed in our Maori Mission, 1 at Hokianga, lat Kaipara, and 1 at Raglan. These excellent men have been many years in their work, and are much respected by the natives, and exercise over their flocks great influence for good. We have also five Native Ministers. One at Kaipara, two at Wuipa, one at, the Hutt who travels into the Wairarapa district, and occasionally visits the Wairau on this side of Cook's Straits, and one in the Canterbury province. The two native ministers in the Waikato country have maintained their ground through all the years of struggle, they have kept a congregation, and have kept open, the native schools, and are using their influence at this moment to recover their country-men from Hauhauism, and to bring about amicable arrangements with the Government. The native teachers at Kawliia have also kept a native school at work the whole time. The native Ministers are partly supported by their congregations aided by grants from the Mission Fund. The prospects of the Maori Mission are beginning to brighten, the tribes in many places are gradually forsaking the Hauhau superstitions and returning to Christian worship. There is a great change in their feelings on the subject of education, and in general move in favor of tha schoolmaster, what is especially wanted at present for Maori work is a supply of native Ministers, and we shall have to look out for suitable native young men, and train them to take charge of the native congregations under European superintendence. Friexdly Islands. — The reports from this interesting group are most encouraging. The missionary character of the work is rapidly giving place to regular circuit work, and becoming self-supporting. The Missionaries have not now to battle with idolatary and heathen worship, the people have become at least nominally Christians, and the churches present many noble examples of earnest spiritual Christianity. The Mission owes much under Government to King George and his Queen, a pious couple who have been a nursing father and a nursing mother to the churches. The King himself is a local preacher and class leader. True civilization has followed in the train of Christianity. A Government has been formed, the affairs have been rnled by a Parliament assembling once every two years, which is conducted ia the most orderly manner. A college has been established for training native Ministers, and giving a liberal education to the sons of the principal chiefs, its operations have been attended with great success. They are building more durable, commodious and beautiful churches, which are prepared and sent from Sydney. They are providing better houses for their missionaries, and contribute largely to the Mission Fund, and are asking to be constituted selfBupporting churches to be placed on the same footing as our English Methodist Circuits. We have in this group 8 English Missionaries, 10 Native Ministers, 125 catechists and teachers, 95 day school teachers, 945 Sabbath School teachers, 926 local preachers, 1038 class leaders, 7682 church members, 274 on trial for membership, 490 Catechists, 5385 Sabbath scholars, 5385 day scholars, 18,850 attendants on public worship. The churches in this group contributed to our Mission Funds laat year, £5596 lis 4d. Theyreceived from Mission Fund £2964 4s ld. Leaving a balance over and above expenditure £3032 7 s 3d. A Missionary recently from Touga says that instead of impoverishim? themselves by their liberalities they seem to be be increasing in wealth. There is that scattereth and yet increased*. Samoa. — Thia group being ruled by a number of rival chiefs has often been subject to intertribal wars, which have sadly interfered with the progress of Mission work. The ruling chiefs have lately adopted a code of laws for the whole group, which, though rather crude and imperfect are expected to briug about an improved state of society. A disposition to submit to the supremacy of the law is proof of the good effect of Gospel teaching. They have lately appealed to America, asking it to assume the protectorate of Samoa. A commissioner haa been sent to enquire and has returned to report to the Washington Government. It is expected the appeal will not be refused. The prospects of the Mission are improving the ward is heard with attention, and miny are seeking readmisaion to the privileges cf church fellowship. The results of the training institution are very encouraging. We have in Samoa 3 Missionaries, 1 Native Missionary, 981 church members, 291 on trial for membership, 4880 attendants on public worship, and 1607 children in our schools.

Fiji —This part of the field we leave to Mr Waterhouse, who has labored for 14 years in thia interesting Mission, and is now returning to take charge of it, and direct its operations. We have in Fiji— 12 missionaries (European), 54 native and assistant native ministers, 837 catechists, 2273 day school teachers, 2693 sabbath school teachers, 892 local preachers, 2992 class leaders, 25,468 church members, 4450 on trial, 1692 catechumens, 49,219 sabbath scholars, 45,792 day scholars, 1 1 4,1 1 8 attendants on public worship . Fiji contributed last year £1723 13s 10d,and cost £4685 Os lOd. Chinese Mission in Victoria.— There is alarge number of Chinese immigrants in victoria, and two converted Chinamen are employed ministering to them the word of life, and supported by this society. The Rev. ijeong on Tong is laboring among his countrymen at Castlemaine and Sandhurst, and Rev. James Moy Ling ia preaching in Melbourne, where he has a small church, and holds two public services every sabbath day, his congregation numbering from 20 to 30. He conducts a society and bible class, visits his countrymen, and distributes religious tractsSamong them. The number of church members is 16. There have been four baptisms during last year. It is hoped that some of these converts will carry the seed to China, in fact there is evidence already that some seed sown in Melbourne has been taken to China and is producing fruit there. These missions are supported by the voluntary contributions of the Wesleyan congregations and other friends in Australia and New Zealand, and from the Mission Districts, as follows: —

The Nelson Circuit sent but a small contribution last year, only £5. We hope to send a larger one this year. The juvenile offerings collected by the Sabbath scholars in January last amounted to £9 4s, being double the amount collected in the previous year.

£ _. d. New South Wales 1691 0 5 Queensland ... 43 1 3 Victoria 2340 17 6 South Australia 769 5 2 Tasmania 316 15 2 Western Australia 91 4 8 New Zea*and 80 9 10 Special subscriptions for Native Students 286 0 0 Total for the Colonies ... JE5655 2 8 Mission Districts. £ .. d. Friendly Islands 5996 11 4 Samoa 436 15 1 Fiji 1723 13 10 llotumah ... ... ... 104 17 6 i Total for Mission Districts £8261 17 9 j 13,917 0 5 Entire cost of the Missions 13,250 6 4 Balance £666 14 1 These contributions show an increase on those of the preceding year of £1,055. The cost of the Maori Missions in New Zealand last year was £752 9a 4d. The amount was raised as follows: — Mission Conthibdtions. £ s. d. Auckland District 64 8 3 Wellington „ 58 6 4 Canterbury „ 67 18 1 Otago „ 10 19 6 £201 12 2 Less one-third paid on account of Islands Mission through Mission Committee 67 4 0 134 8 2 Rents of Mission Properties ...233 10 0 Sums raised in Maori Circuits: — Raglan, £55; Kaipara,£l29 I4s; Hokianga, £56 10s 241 4 0 £609 2 2 Balance subscribed in the Auckland District by Ministers Circuits 143 7 2