MISSION FIELDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1922, Page 5

MISSION FIELDS.

WORK IN MELANESIA. ADDRESS BY ANGLICAN BISHOP. The work and objects of the Melanesian Mission were the subject of some interesting references by Dr. J. M. Stewart, Anglican Bishop of Melanesia, who was the preacher at St. Mary’s Church, New Plymouth, last night. Before the commencement of his sermon, Bishop Steward expressed his thanks to all Who had helped in the past and thoee who responded to the recent appeal on behalf of the work in Melanesia. It was a. great pleasure to him to come from place to place and meet the people who were supporting "the work. The preacher’s text for the evening waa “Great is the peace that thepr hare who love the Lord.” Enlarging on these words, he remarked how otupendoua a claim they contained. One thing the world was longing for at present was peace. The people wanted poneo in their own country and among the nations. One of the great claims of the Melanesian Mission was that it had gone into the islands of the Pacific to bring peace. When they went there in the early days they found village fighting against village and island against ialand. It claimed that it had brought peace because it had taught the people to be Christians. It showed that whan Christianity was practised by the Melanesians it seemed to change them front a warlike, dishonest and treacherous race into a peaceable, trustworthy, and on the whole honorable people. He had made the latter reservation because, of course, there were exceptions in every people. The question might occur to some as to how Christianity was presented to these people, comparatively speaking a savage race, for it might seem a difficult subject to teach. Christianity, however, was not a difficult religion. Their view was that it suited everybody and that everybody who was willing to do so could understand it. Association, year by year, with this simple, but little-educated, race had shown that Christianity was a simple matter, and that the root of its principle was to do what was right according to God’s will, living one for another and serving other people. That was the Christianity that the mission presented to its pepole—M far as one could gather much the same Christianity the Apostles taught. There were many people who called themselves Christians and who, perhaps* thought their Christianity absolute by their attendance at church, while in their daily lives there was very little of Christianity shown. They were the people who were self-deceived, and did much harm in the world, for Christianity was often judged on the action of such people. It was necessary to show the principle in daily life. That wns why they wanted them to be Christians, not only in word, but in deed. Proceeding, the preacher said it very difficult to get a Melanesian to understand things, for the mind of ths Native worked in much different channels to that of the European. It thus happened that the Native could misinterpret what was said to him, and therefore it was necessary that the missionary work should not depend entirely on Europeans. Their predecessors in Melanesia learnt the great lesson many years ago that if they wanted to make Christianity real and understandable to the Native it must be presented by members of his own race, and by people thinking in the same manner. Thera- • fore a great deal of the mission work was done by the Native mission helper, A great and important feature of the Melanesian work was that the mission did not in any way attempt to alter the race. They did not wish them to imitate the European, but to remain proud of their own race; not to be a pale imitation of the Church of England, but a real Church of Melanesia. He was glad to be able to say how well the work was progressing. The Church of Melanesia was not a weak institutUm, but a healthy child of the Church of England.

What was the Christianity that war presented to these people? It was & Christianity that affected every part of their life; not only by educating them in book learning, but also by the upraising of their whole outlook, and teaching them, as far as poesxble, useful trades, work that they could do to make them, first of all, a profit to themselves and then to those with whom they were brought in contact. The object of the mission was to make these people better than they found them,, ill body and in mind and’ in ways of life. (Experience taught that civilisation was bound to reach to all comers of the world, but civilisation without Christianity was a terrible thing. Bishop Steward said they wanted to bring Christianity and civilisation together, and that work was blessed with success. Some people regarded the missionary as someone apart from the ordinary individual, but that, he kne*w, was not the case of’the church people of New Zealand. He did not appeal to the •. people of New Zealand as strangers, but as people who understood. His message to the congregation that evening was therefore twofold: Firstly, the joy in knowing that they were fellow-workers and that as long as they continued to strive to give to others the blessings which they had received through Christianity they would find that the benefits to themselves would also increase. Secondly, the service of others was the true source of joy and happiness, and service of others was the whole secret of Chris-