National Council Of Churches On Rhodesia

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31023, 31 March 1966, Page 16

National Council Of Churches On Rhodesia

“The secretary of the Aid Rhodesia Movement in Canterbury (Mr J. A. D. Anderson) has produced evidence of very rapid progress at certain levels in Rhodesia in coping with the demand for education. But this is not new evidence,” said the Rev. David M. Taylor, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in New Zealand.

“The Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, which produced the statement that gave rise to Mr Anderson’s reaction, was not working in the dark. On the contrary, having surveyed the evidence, it declared its mind. Mr Dawson has supplied correct statistics. World Council View “At the meettag of the central committee of the World Council of Churches, which I attended in Geneva in February, 37 countries had representatives present A committee of 20 persons worked on a statement on Rhodesia, presented it to the plenary session, and not one person voted against it” said Mr Taylor.

“Readers of The Press' have to make up their minds whether to be swayed by a new body, the Aid Rhodesia Movement founded to win support for the Smith regime, or to take notice of the churches which have been positively aiding Rhodesia for a l ong time. “In Rhodesia the churches carry responsibility in the management of 90 per cent of the African primary schools and most of the African secondary schools and teacher training colleges. This is why they deserve to be heard. It is they who say they are

frustrated over and over again because of the obstacles the Smith government puts in their way. It is this long series of frustrations which makes it quite plain that the Smith regime is determined to prevent Africans from getting sufficient education to enable them to exercise political power,” said Mr Taylor. Intake Curtailed “In January this year missions received orders from the regime to reduce by 25 per cent the intake of Africans into teacher training colleges. “The churches’ rejection of Mr Smith is based not only on his educational policy but on the total attitude on white supremacy over black. “The London Missionary Society, the Methodist Missionary Society, the Associated- Churches of Christ (N.Z.), the Jesuit missionaries from England, and the AU-Africa Conference of Churches report independently, yet their conclusion is the same,” said Mr Taylor. Censorship Handicap

“Mr Anderson is, of course, handicapped by the restrictions, the banning, and the censorship imposed by the Smith regime. But documents which could not be published

within Rhodesia have been sent out and printed in other countries and are well known throughout the world. One such is the report of the Consultation on Human Relations, sponsored by the Christian Council of Southern Rhodesia in August, 1965. “It says ‘a drastic erosion of civil rights has occurred’. Of this there is no shortage of evidence.

“Evangelical readers could refer to ‘Challenge, New Zealand’s National Christian Weekly,’ January 1, 1966, page 1. They can read an account by an African Christian leader who has earned our respect. “It is no wonder that the Christian Council of Southern Rhodesia has received support from Christians all over the world,” said Mr Taylor.