CLERGYMEN FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16883, 10 July 1920, Page 6

CLERGYMEN FOR NEW ZEALAND.

DR. J. GIBB'S SEARCH. (I'ROM OUB OWN CORRESPONDBNT.) LONDON, Maj- 20. The Rer. Dr. James Gibb tamo up from Edinburgh, recently, and has been attending the of the Presbyterian Church of England, and the May meetings of uie other churches. He has now returned North to the Scottish Assemblies at Edinburgh, and in June, he will cros.j to Ii eland for t-lio Irish Assembly. At these gatherings Dr. Gjbb hopes to M-cure some more men for duty in New Zealand. Of the £0 home missionaries whom he came to the British Isles to seek, he has booked 10, and there' are six or seven more almost decided upon. Of .the 20 ministers., he has so far found only ! five, but there are five more who are quite likely, and he is in touch with more*than'a dozen other enquirers and applicants. J)r. Gjbb says he has not found his task an easy one. Tor every man he accepts he has turned down one or even two, and since he accepts no man. whether minister, or home missionary, without a personal interview, a good deal of travelling to and fro is involved. The "men whom he has alrcady securcd are as lar apart as London, Belfast, and Inverness. Further, Dr. Gibb is beginning to find that it is one thing to select church workei-s for New Zealand; and to cover the cost of their passage out. but that it is quite another thing to arraaCT for passages in any outward bound ships for some months to come. He had honed to arrange for quite half a" dozen to get away in July, but at present he has been able to secure passage for only one. The shipping companies . are helping him to their utmost power, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie is rendering him valuable help in this connexion and other ways as well. "The High Commissioner,'.' say? 3>Vi Gibb, "is a friend indeed, to his fellow-countrymen, and eager, no matter at what cost or trouble to himself, to help'every cause for the good of his country.". After the Irish Assembly, "Dr. Gicib's are uncertain, but he intends to keep on at his task until he finds all the men he came Home to secure, and until he ha* completed arrangements for their passage to New Zealand.