N.Z. Missionaries “Integrate” Well

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31247, 20 December 1966, Page 19

N.Z. Missionaries “Integrate” Well

New Zealand missionaries became integrated well into the life of the national churches in the countries in which they worked, the Rev. H. F. Thomson, general secretary of the New Zealand branch of the Church Missionary Society, said ■’ on his return from a twomonth trip overseas. Mr Thomson stayed with 50 of the 59 missionaries the society supports in African and Asian countries. The New Zealanders’ ability to integrate into their new situations came partly from their year of full time missionary training in Melbourne before being sent to their postings, and partly from spiritual qualities which

enabled them to accept and not be frustrated by the tensions and limitations which all expatriate staff faced in Africa and Asia, Mr Thomson said. Mr Thomson said he was impressed by the adventurous spirit in the church of East Africa. The African and expatriate bishops of the area had a sense of mission, and were going out with their clergy to make contact in areas where Christianity 'had never been. The churches were following a realistic policy of establishing churches which in three to five years would become self-supporting and selfpropagating, Mr Thomson said. It was valuable to be able to discuss the present opportunities and future of missionary strategy with nine national bishops and three expatriate bishops, Mr Thomson said.

Although some in New Zealand expressed the view that perhaps the time of the missionary was over, everywhere he had been there had been requests for more staff, Mr Thomson said.