AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 634, 10 April 1929, Page 10

AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY

BIBLE CLASS UNION GROWTH FAMINE IN CHINA At a meeting of the Auckland Presbytery held in the Mount Eden Presbyterian Church yesterday, the Rey. D. C. Herron and the Rev. S. E. Hill prosecuted a call to the Rev. S. Nixon, of Pukekohe, from Pukerau (in the Mataura Presbytery). Messrs. Nicholson and Blair, commissioners from Pukekohe, expressed warm appreciation of Mr. Nixon's services in the parish during the past 19 years, and intimated that the congregation would place no obstacle in the way of his acceptance of the call. Mr. Nixon accepted the call and the Rev. J. Hubbard was appointed moderator of the vacant charge. In submitting the report of the Foreign Missions Committee, the Moderator, the Rev. Evan R. Harries, recommended that each congregation hold a missionary meeting on a weeknight as early in May as possible. Mr. Harries said it was surprising how little people knew of what was being done in the missionary line, and meetings of this kind would spread the missionary interest. The travelling secretary of the Young Men’s Bible Class Union of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand submitted facts to Presbytery regarding the progress of the movement. He pointed out that the movement had grown up within the Church and as an integral part of it. and that it existed as a preparation and training ground for the Church. Church managers in some instances dealt very lightly with their responsibilities toward youth. There was a general interest, but it failed to materialise when it came to a matter of pounds, shillings and pence. Youth could be reached by any church 'willing to give adequate men, money and prayer for the purpose. They should seek to direct rather than correct youth. Youth would not be coerced, but must be won. There were eight boys’ camps held last Easter, with more boys under canvas than they had ever had before. The union had undertaken leadership training courses, and a growing missionary interest was manifest in the movement. Dealing with the famine in China, the Rev. W. Mawson said that for three years now in certain of the provinces the people had been suffering from a series of calamities, such as drought, locusts and banditry, and now some were being driven to the extremities of cannibalism and of selling children and women. -He- had seen some of the famine bread that was being used in the Honan province, a mixture of bran with clay to eke it out. It was estimated that from 00 000 to- 25,000,000 people were suffering from shortage of food. The Presbytery adopted a resolution commending the famine fund to the liberality of the Church, and authorising the circulation of a special appeal.