RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1587, 2 November 1912, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHAPMAN'ALEXANDER MISSION, PERMANENCE 'OF CONVERSIONS. The Chapman-Alexander mission party arrived in Sydney on October 23 by the express from the north. After the meet-, lug in tho Town 11 all in the afternoon, tho party left for Albury, going on to Ballaraf and Melbourne, whence they sail to-morrow (November 3) for West Australia. After-conducting evangelistic services there they will go back to, Melbourne, which they expect to roach, on ! December 23. Th-e-y will then go across to Tasmania for a' riionth's holiday, but a fow days will bo devoted to mission work in Launcesfon. The original p'ro ; gi-ammo included -in' engagement in ltobart, but this had unfortunately to be_ caiic'elkd. Efforts - wero made to. ss'-' cure the return of the party to- Tasmania in February next, but this was not found possible, as they .were booked for meetings in New ijealand at thai time. "The mission work has been splendid in the north," said Dr., Chapman to a representative-of thoi Sydney "Daily Telegraph." "Altogether we have been iii 25 uitlerent places, so far, in the Common-' wealth, we'wore satisfied with our ex-:-perienco in tho north, going as faiv'as Townsville. Brisbane was very difficult, to deal With .at tho start, but it eventually finished up all right. All the northern towns were very good, and wo had great results. There Were often 3QO and iOO people from the -country at the town meetings. Scores of people even drove 75 and 100 miles. _ "Now; with regard to results," went oh Dr. Chapman. "Comparing our previous visit with the present one, I think the results have been bettor than the last time..we were in Australia. ' Of. course we havo been here, several months longer. Wo have been away from America nino months altogether. In all those places whore we have gone back a second timo. we have found the results of the former mission very permanent. Wo do notguarantee in. a...moment.to ..transform-a' person who has. not very much' strength of character, who emotional and easily influenced. We know that the greatest results the Church has known- have come along the lines of special missions. The Church has iiot made its 'gain on the slow, steady lines...it . is- ,when the Churches ministers are evangelistic that the Church progresses. .Our present visit to Australia .lias'been a more, comprehensive one than'the last, as wo have keen in practically every State." Dr. Chapman stated finally, that w;hen'. the -party—lG in all—arrive in Taeniania ; a conference confined to.its own rhc'mberS. alone will bo-held o.n one day,'. The- party.', will begin the; mission in. New Zealand about February 1, next year, and. will sail for America, .on May 19, 1913. From America tho party will go tp. Scotland, in September. 1913, the openiiig meeting to bo held in Glasgow, and,inEdiiiburgh early in l&ll. Alt being well, it is likely the party will go to South Africa'it f heconclusion of the visit to Scotland. ' ■ ■'■. Speaking to a.representative of'the "Sydney Morning Herald," Dr. Chapman' stated that no less "than 1500 young .men .had volunteered for the ■ ministry- as a direct outcome of their meetings.:. There 1 ' lyas no question in his mind as to'the permanency of the great majority of the conversions. •■'On-'the occasion of their previous visit to Australia there had been over 1000 Conversions in Adelaide. ''When they were there recently they ■seii.t out invitations to as nrairy of these,people as they could.find-te declare,.and though : there w-as only. three days at their disposal, . 500 responded thai they were still , active in Church work.; Were not these' mission conversions, which Were the' out* come of the realisation by a man or wo-' . mati that a great crisis had arrived in his or her life, more likely -to be lasting than wag the case when one's.heart hod/never been stirred in the same way? Many, of the'most important pcoj>le,in the Church to-day were there because of some mis-' ,siou.meeting..in.their,earlier life. The .Bresbyfe'riaft.'c.ChW'cli,,' ;3n the ItJnited States had ' issued an official' statement , that more than 50 per. cent., of their membership had come on times of Specialreligious interest,;-and that ..fully; 60-p'br cent.-of, their ministers had-ibeen con* verted at niissiphs.' He ■■■w'ould''npt prove, of mission's conducted.'on'hysterical or eraptionai lines,-and '.no one, he thought,- would :say that' the ChapmanAlexander "missions were ' conducted oh, .those, lines. One -interesting.• factl' was : that' in • Queensland, several people had been converted by' reading the. reports iii the papers of the addresses at tho inisi.sion. - ; • '■■'.' • '.-.-' •' I ' ' : Askpd whether ho; did not consider i that the emotional singing played somej part in theso conversions, Dr.. Chapman I said: "CJur".music isn't emotional; .it'sJ inspiring. The fact "is,. we don't - deal enough with the emotions,. The .' late. l General Booth, who knew human natiirP. as wellas-any man,; used te saythat; one could never do much with a man'till he laughed or cried;: \V« don't make them cry. enough. All this talk about playing on tho emotions is noiissnse.' The '■ man' who 'has. no emotions is ii'o, gcjod. ..Who wants to live with-an? icicle? You Awsfcra-' lians get tremendously.excited' about racing, or football, or cricket, but if a'irian gets excited, over, religion you eay.'Th.atV no good!' Let us have more of 'tie emotional. It does no harm." ;