CHURCH WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 279, 24 November 1928, Page 11

CHURCH WOMEN.

MISSIONARY UNION'S PoV.~ii

IMPRESSIVE GATHERING

(By A.A.8.)

The Presbyterian AVomen's Missionary Union held its annual meeting in St. David's Church on Friday afternoon. Tho Moderator of the General Assembly presided, and many members, both ministers and elders, were present. The church was crowded.

Tho balance-sheet presented by the treasurer showed the wealth, influence and power of the Union. The income ran into five figures. Two manses, or rest homes for missionaries, have been provided by the union, one in Auckland and one in Dunedin. An association of children, tho Busy Bees, gathered £800 during the year. In the great gathering was testimony of the inlluencc of woman, as a most powerful adjunct for the strengthening of the life of the church. Special features of tho meeting wore two solos, sung with taste and feeling by two young ladies. Equally striking were two addresses from lady workers in the mission field. One was a nurse from China, who at once secured attention by referring to the feeling between Chinese and British. She niado it plain that by reason of the patience and moderation practised by tho official representatives of Great Britain in face of not a little provocation at times, the old bitter feeling was slowly, yet surely, giving place to one of kindly and brotherly regard. Her account of the advent of Plunket nursing in China was graphic, assuring, interesting, and pathetic. The other speaker was a Maori mission worker, with a quick, sympathetic, and real understanding of the standpoint of the native. Both speakers were very clearly full of their subject, and so were truly eloquent, not merely of words, but of truth itself.

Ono could not well leave the meeting without reflecting on the time when women will be trained to preach the Gospel. An interesting speculation is whether they will enter the Church or State first. Once in the pulpit the legislature will not be able to keep them out.