MISSION ENTERPRISES

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20922, 29 September 1939, Page 2

MISSION ENTERPRISES

PRESBYTERY CAMPAIGN address on work in china A meeting was held in connection with the Waikato Presbytery mission campaign last night in St. Andrew’s Bible Class Hall, Hamilton. There was a large attendance, over which the Rev. H. G. Gilbert presided. The* first part of the programme was provided by young women, who staged the playette. “The Awakening,” most effectively. J The Rev. J. M. McKenzie, assistant Director of Missions, gave a most interesting address on China, illustrated by a large number of lantern , slides. The speaker traced the progress from its inception of the Canton village mission, which had its origin in Central Otago through the activities of the late Rev. A. Don. Winning the confidence of the numerous Chinese miners in Central Otago, who mostly came from the village areas around Canton, he was given letters to their relatives and also entrusted with their savings to deliver to their families. By this means the villages which had been virtually closed to mission effort were opened to the Gospel message. From that beginning the cause grew and flourished under the guidance of the Rev. George McNeur and other New Zealand veterans, who have had the co-operation of a devoted band of native assistants. The lights and shadows of the missionaries’ lot were outlined by the speaker, and the progress made was portrayed by slides contrasting former with latter days. The mission had been hit hard by the war, many of its buildings having been destroyed, but the native Christians had proved stedfast in their faith, said Mr McKenzie. The courage and self sacrifice of the mission staffs have won the admiration of the authorities and the gratitude of the people. Unique opportunities were being afforded for the furtherance of the work. Mr McKenzie concluded with an appeal for continued and generous support for the work in the church’s mission fields, in all of which results comparable with those in China were being achieved.