THE MISSION FIELD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 83, 29 April 1901, Page 2

THE MISSION FIELD.

WBITELEY MEMORIAL CHUBOH.

j The annual foreign missionary services were held in the Whiteley Memorial Church yesterday. The Bev. S. J, Serpell preached in the morning, and the Rev. T. J, Wallis, of Fiji, in tha evening. Mr. Wallis' sermon was an eloquent tribute to the power of Christianity in the uplifting of the nations, jaod showed by many examples how the Gospel draws men to seek its power, Mr, Wallis has been on the Fiji mission field for ten years, and is capable of giving a very good account of his labours and work there.

On Tuesday thsse who are interested in the story of Fiji will have a further opportunity of hearing the missionary, as he is announced to give a lecture in the church on that evening. Tim st»ry of tbe mission work in Fiji is, perhaps, the most interesting in the whole field of mission work, and the change wrought in tbe condition of these once savage cannibals is so wonderful that it proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Everyone interred in mission work should hear Mr. Wallis.

THE KEY. JAMES OH&LMERS, In connection with the reported death of this veteran missionaty the following particulars will be of interest. The Rev. James Ohalmers was born at Ardrishaig, Argyllshire, Scotland, in 18-11, and was brought up at Inverary, where he served articles in a lawyer's office and was subsequently for some time a city missionary in Glasgow, and then studied for the ministry at Chestnut Collego, near London. He left Gre.it Britain as a missionary for R iratonga in 1866 ia connection with I the London Missionary Society on board tbe well known mission boat John YYil'iams and suffered much in the Channel from the severe gale in wl ich the London was lost. He arrived at Raratonga on May 20th, 1867, having twice been wrecked on the way and lost everything. After spending 10 years in Ratatonga be, at the request of the London Missionary Society joined the New Guinei Mission ia 1877. Ho Ins sir en explored and opoced up many portions of New Guinea and has e i ablisharl many mission stations, he lias written two books on the island, " Work and adventures in New Guiuta," and "Pioneering in Now Guinea." His death will be keenly felt hy all who take an in:west in mission mo k iu the S >uth Sei Islands.

In the very last letter received by lii.s Now Zealmd friends the Rev. Chalmers refers thus to their many invitations to visit them: '"There is not the s'ightest chance of my coming to you for the present. I am now in my <so*,h yetr, and have no time to lose, ' The uisht cometh f.'hon uo uian cm work.' " In viow of what, it i-f fciit'ei*, has transpired iioy prophetic was this ntteranco I