MISSION TO SEAMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 145, 19 June 1906, Page 2

MISSION TO SEAMEN.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, Ma? 11. How the Missions to Seamen came to open a branch at Auckland last year is told in the 50th annual report, which has just been issued. The Bishop of Auckland, it seems, wrote to headquarters last summer: young sailor stopped mc in the street one day this week, and said, TJisTiop, can't you do something to help us chaps like Mr. Moore does at Wellington !' I had to say with sorrow c No/" The Bishop asked for a guarantee of £200 a year for three years, and he would risk the future, "confident in God's overruling." . The guarantee has been generously provided. The Missions to Seamen has for fifty years been making spiritual provision for crews of any i nationalities and creeds, fishermen and : bargemen, etc., as far as possible wheifeat sea, a3 well as whilst in port, at anchor and ashore. It does so now in sixty-two harbours around tho British Isles, and in twentyfour ports abroad. All the year round, in all practicable weather, its eightyone mission vessels and boats are every day carrying fifty-five chaplains and seventy-nine readers, etc., from ship to ship to minister to their crews" on board. Nearly 21,000 religious services were held last year in 111 Missions to Seamen Churches and Institutes ashore for seagoing men. Seamen and fishermen of all nationalities and creeds freely use these Institutes, and attend the services, both afloat and-ashore, uniformlypaged Prayer Books being used. Nearly 4500 seamen and fishermen bought Bibles in thirty-one languages, or Prayer Books/in nine languages from the spiritual agents last year; and over 4000 seamen and fishermen took the Missions to Seamen total abstinence pledges. Sobriety has advanced by leaps and bounds in the Mercantile Marine when, Divine worship obtains afloat, when Bibles are purchased, and when special Seamen's Churches and Institutes are faithfully served by "clergy specially set apart for this work."