FAR-FLUNG DIOCESE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 300, 15 September 1937, Page 6

FAR-FLUNG DIOCESE

Church of England Work in Straits Settlements

MINISTER’S ACCOUNT

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, September 14.

Chaplaincy work performed by the Church of England in the far-flung, diocese of Singapore was described by the Rev. Nigel Williams, who, with Mrs. Williams, arrived by the Maetsuveker from the East. Mr. Williams, who was formerly of Hawke’s Bay, has been absent from New Zealand for 15 years, nine of which have been spent in Malaya. For some time he was stationed in Taiping, and for the last six months has been in charge of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore. There was not a great deal of social work as the Church was dealing with a population that was predominantly heathen, Mr. Williams explained. The Federated Malay States were Moslem in character, and they did not wish to have anything to do with Christianity, but in the Straits Settlements- there was a much stronger element and a certain amoujit of Christian social service was undertaken. The Church conducted the sole nou-Government hospital and a population of about 400,000 Chinese, many of whom were ignorant and poor, came within the scope of this mission activity.

According to Mr. Williams, few repercussions of the Sino-Japanese conflict have been felt in the Straits Settlements, and Malaya. Up to the time of his departure there had been no anti-Japanese demonstrations on the part of the Chinese population, and there had been no boycotts on Japanese trade as had been applied on previous occasions.