BAPTIST SCHOOL IN PAKISTAN

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26264, 8 November 1950, Page 8

BAPTIST SCHOOL IN PAKISTAN

STATE AID RECEIVED CONCERN EXPRESSED BY ASSEMBLY Concern that its missionary school and home at Brahmanbaria, in Eastern Pakistap, was the recipient of State aid was voiced yesterday by the assembly of the Baptist Union of New Zealand, sitting as the annual meeting of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. The society decided to inform its field committee that should it decide to discontinue accepting State aid it could rest assured that the funds available to it would not be reduced. The question was raised by the Rev. N. R. Wood, who said he was concerned whether the church should accept State aid or bear squarely on its own shoulders the whole responsibility. The secretary and treasurer of the society (the Rev. P. F. Lanyon) said that the society’s field committee had had such action under .consideration, but it had postponed making a decision for 12 months, which meant that it would be again considering the matter next month.

Mr Lanyon said he was sorry that the society accepted grants from a Moslem government. He said he knew that .one Baptist missionary was confounded and frustrated by the amount of form filling and clerical work which was necessary to secure the grants. Every week she had to spend from five to seven hours for this purpose. “Even as a business proposition we would be better without these grants,” he added. Wrong In Any Form

Mr N. E. McGregor (Auckland) said it was wrong for the Baptist Church to accept State aid in any form. He likened State aid to the story of the camel which poked its nose into an Arab’s tent to shelter from the cold. After its nose came its head and soon the whole camel, ar.d the Arab had to vacate the tent altogether. Not only was it in Islamic states that governments were coming into missionary work, said Mr McGregor, who has had missionary service in the Pacific. The British Colonial Office had some big schemes, he said. In the Solomon Islands it had called together missionary workers of all denominations to discuss a scheme for native education, but a provision of the scheme was that during school hours there was to be no-Bible or religious instruction. For once, he said, all missionary interests had flatly turned down the idea. Mr Lanyon said that it should be known that the assistance in India was given in recognition of the high standard that the society had established in education. A majority of those responsible for the school were Christian people and if at any time the Government should rhake it a provision for its aid that it should have a controlling influence or should seek to have the Koran taught, then, there was no doubt the aid would be rejected.

Another speaker asked whether the Indian people, who were a sensitive race, might not feel resentful if th? society refused to accept their aid.

In expressing its opinion to the field committee, the assembly nriade it clear that the church in New Zealand would make good any money that might be lost in not accepting Government aid.