FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 27 January 1922, Page 6

FOREIGN MISSIONS.

THE METHODIST SOCIETY. GOOD WORK BEING DONE. The annual conference of the New ; Zealand Foreign Mission Board of the Methodist Church continued yesterday. A letter is to be sent to t<he ajred Tongan minister, tlie Rev. .7. B. Watkin, who is a son of the Rev. J. Watkin. who in 1840 was the first minister of any Church to bring the gospel to the .Maoris of the South Island, conveying x> him the love and good wishes of the New Zealand , Church. There is a strong feeling that it should : (be the aim. of the New Zealand Ohurch to undertake, the evangelisation of the whole of the vast thousands of natives vej untouched by tlie missionaries in the Solomons, and the Hoard is to look into the matter (luring the year ajtd bring up a large statesmanlike forward policy for consideration at the next annual meeting of the Board. The Solomon Island converts feel the call to carry the gospel 00 the uttermost ' parts of their islands, and during the visit of the Rev. W. A. Sinclair and Mr. J. W. Court last year they saw 150 natives pledging their life to gospel I work. EQUTP.MENT OF STATIONS. A sum of £6000 is expected within the next two or three years from ybe Centenary Fund, bequests, etc. It is pro- \ posed that this sum tie expended on necessary and urgent equipment of the . mission stations. During the year the Mission Board is ' to prepare a course of study "do he followed by candidates, students, and probationers, who look forward to spending . their lived on the foreign mission field. . Mr. 11. Field was elected to the Stationing Committee at the ensuing conference to represent the Solomon Island district, and Mr. E. Rosevear substitute. 1 A "men of the church" movement is 1 to be initiated during the year by the ' general secretary, so that the interest c of the men might be won for tihe foreign ' mission work. r -, ""THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR. The Auckland Fast Circuit has the - proud position of being the largest conr tributor to the Foreign .Mission, and the r Rev. A. A. Bcnsley has been alloted jo c them as their missionary. It was decided 1 that any circuit raising £350 should have a missionary appointed to it. The treasurers, the Rev. G. T. Marl shall and Mr. J. W. Court, were ref appointed. The thanks of the Board was passed 1. to the Fiji Methodisj Mission for the t three native missionaries who recently went to Bougainville. Solomons, in the pioneer mission under the Rev. A. H. 5 , Cropp. c It was agreed that a joint committee of teu members, live from each board, Home and Foreign Missions, meet to f settle the vexed question of the time of their annual appeal to the circuits. v WOMEN'S MISSIONARY UNION. The Women's Missionary Union work . was introduced by Mrs. Bowron. of Christchurch, presidsnt of the New Zealand unions. There arc 1600 members, in '.4 auxiliaries, from Auckland to the BlulT. Last year they raised tl2oo, and £SOO went to foreign missions and £400 lo home missions. The union supported five missionarysisters last year, and apart from mission work did a vast amount of social work. The proper representation of women and the efficient equipment for their work is an important part of Aiv union's work. 1 Mrs. Bowron was thanked for her address. I