“Terrible Ignorance" Of Work By Churches

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 20

“Terrible Ignorance" Of Work By Churches

“Many people are so teriribly ignorant of the work that is being done by the Church in the world today,” said the Rev. N. F. Cocks, the Australian and New Zealand secretary of the Congregational Council for World Mission, on his arrival in Christchurch.

“It is all very well to encourage people to be Christians,” he said, “but until they learn to see and accept the truth of the Christian Gospel, they will not be committed to caring for other people, and they are certainly not going to be very' concerned with what has already been done by the Church for them.” Mr Cocks, who is on a month’s tour of New Zealand, has held bis present post for 21 years. The council was

until July of this year known as the London Missionary Society, whoich was established in 1795. Mr Cocks is also responsible for the administrative work of the council in Papua, New Guinea, and other Pacific islands, and he hopes to interview candidates in New Zealand, particularly nurses and teachers, w’ho are considering overseas missionary service.

“There is an urgent need for primary teachers and nurses in Papua and New Guinea, and for secondary school teachers .in Hong Kong and Rhodesia,” he said. “A doctor is also needed for the Gemo Island Hospital, in Port Moresby harbour, which deals mainly with leper and tuberculosis patients.”