WESLEYAN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3057, 14 May 1867, Page 6

WESLEYAN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The annual public meeting in connection with the Wesleyan Foreign Missionary Society was held 'in the High-street Chapel last evening, and was wjsll attended. | The Rev. J. Buixer (Superintendent of the district) occupied the chair, stating that he regretted his Honor the Superintendent of the province, who, was expected to have presided on the occasion, was prevented, through official duties, from being p^e,ient; and, as' he was unable to procure the attendance of another gentleman, the duty fell uppn himself. He was sorry to «o few faces befdra him, in comparison with the number who ought to have been present. The work of the missionary cause was an important one, and in times gone by hkd been fully sustaiued by the Auckland Christian public ; ' but he regretted to say it was not the case that evening if appearacces indicated anything* He hoped the people absent would regret it in the loss of an intellectual and spiritual treat. He had received a note intimating that the Rev. J. T. W. Davies, who had promised to take part in the proceedings, was unable through indisposition to be i present. He wonld call upon the .Rev. Mr. Lawry i for the annual report. The Eev. H. H. Ijlwjry then read the following i ' " BEPOBT. » "We hold our annual meeting this year at another season than what has been customary here. Therefore no local financial statement will be given, because our collectors have yet their duty to perform. "The operations of the Parent Society continue to extend in Germany, in Italy, in France, and in Spain. The Gospel is preached, by its missionaries, in Ceylon and Continental India ; in the vast empire of China, in the extensive regions of Southern Africa, in Western Africa, and in the West Indies, the Parent Society sustains a large number of devoted men. Besides 981 ministers, it supports 1,383 other paid agents, and eight printing establishments. The total income for the year 1866 was £145,885 Os. 2d., and the expenditure amounted to, £143,707 8: 9d., leaving a balance df £2,177 lls. sd. towards the deficiencies of former years. ''The missions that are under the care of the Australasian Conference include the Maori stations in |New Zealand; the Fijian group, the Friendly Islands, Samoa, and the island of Botnmab. Throughout this wide field it employs 27 English missionaries and 51 native assistants, together with » Very large number of unpaid agents. The general schedule reports 116,714 hearers, 1 of whom 27,013 are Church members, 'showing an increase in the year of 912; and 36,742 children are taught in the Mission Schools, « '• For the maintenance of these Missions, 'together with two printing offices and the Mission ship, the vim of £14,213 13s. 6d. was .expended last year, towards which £10,480 was raised in the colonies and'on'the Mission Stations', and the balance paid by the parent committee in London. ' ; " The ntimerial increase in our annual schedule is an encouraging proof of success for which the com mitfcee is thankful. -The work-is not prosecuted without difficulty and trial. In this country, as is wel. known, missionary effort has had much to contend, with during the last few years. The Rev; Mesirsj Whiteley,' Scnuackenburg, Gittos, and . Bowse} together with five Maori ministers, continue jbheicj exertions at the Chathains, at Taranaki, ' at Raglan; and Kawhia, at Kaipara, and Ho&iknga. >^nderj ' the adverse circumstances which have beset them, it is cause for thankfulness that more than 500 Maori Church members are reported, and 116 Maori children instructed in our boarding schools. One of these is conducted by a superior Maori teacher at Karakariki, • on the Waip*, who teaches her pupils the English! language. "In the Fijian Archipelago, where, the din of savage war is still often heard, our missionaries are cheered 'with evident progress. A large /number, of, effective' native ministers are employed in this district. The Theological Institution, under the charge' of the Eev. St Nettleton, is' doing great service. In< the first report of the examiner we read';— " 'Satisfactory progress had been made in' theology,, Scripture history, and exposition. 'In arithmetic, geography, composition, dictation, and sermonlsitfg ! they did fair. They read remarkably well. ' While \ some of them write a good hand, others require donsiderable attention in this important matter ; audvf c judge it most desirable that a clever native missonary be allowed as assistant tutor. One of the students, Philemon, from Batiki, was' prominently efficient ; and we agree with the tutor in his fitness to become a native missionary ; it was most cheering io Hear their experience in class. - : • - ' ' " ' Special attention ia paid to the students 1 wives by Mrs. Nettleton, who has a Bible class ; meets them in class ; teaches them to read, write, stitch, and make clothes ; and employs them in washing. Mrs. Nettleton, with her own voice, the'lnstitution's harmonium, and her own piano, affords most valuable help to the students in singing. " ' The men are 1 most diligent in planting cotton and food, so that the expenses of the institution will be greatly lessened; thus getting the men of Fiji's future into habits of industry and self-support, and competency, without doing them any harm. Everything on Richmond Hili, at Malamby, wears an encouraging aspect, and it is quite manifest that the tutor and his devoted wife are very successful in their hard toil.' '♦The Friendly Islands District has been greatly weakened by the unavoidable return of several of the miaiionarita through failure of health,, Theie

" sunny isles hare long been Christianised ; and civilisation, m the fruit of Christitnity^makeJLadvance un'drfrthe'government of King George, who uta noble Christian monarch. The Rev. J. E. MouUon has established a Theological Inititution for the training , of native ministers. "Our mission in Samoa ii marked with God's blessing. Here, as in all the islands where your missionaries labour, the people are taught to contribute to the snpporb of the Gospel. Notwithstanding a condition of poverty, owing to the devastation! of a fearful hurricane, our Christian native* of Samoa last year sent up the sum .of £233 13s. 6d. , " In the island of Rotumah, your lone miuionary is labonribg . with: difficulties', but not without iucceis. The v Rev. W. ; Fletcher is stationed there. Already the work of reducing the language to a written form is begun; several elementary^ books have been' printed; and in the 'facb that the professing Christians on the island' outnumber those who oontinuß, heathen,,, we have the pledge that yet a little 'while and, the little leaven ahjall leaven the Whole lump. , f , "The loss of the mission brig, the "John Wesley,' is to be supplied by a new and larger vessel, which the London Committee have ordered to be built. The Executive Committee have . made arrangements for Tier, to visit the principal seaports in the colonies on her arrival from England ; and the last Conference recommended thai our ' Sunday scholar^ 'throtighout the connection should be* Supplied with, collecting cards during this present month (May), in order to raise a portion of the cost of this -new, mission vessel." The Rev. ThojulS, Booxeb moved the first resolution :— " That the report nosr read be adopted, and that this meeting records its grateful Acknowledgment! of the measure of success which, "under the Divine blessing, hath attended the labours of this and kindred societies during , the past year." The report they had heard read was a faithful record of facts. ■ It told its own tale, and needed no speech from hinvto recommend it to their notice. There could be no , doubt that, success had attended the mission cause, and they were called upon, in the resolution he h*d read, to tender thanks to the Divine giver of all good for the .measure of success He had vouchsafed. The resolution also recognised' their dependence . upon another resource — that of the Divine < Spirit, for assistance. It was, '•. also, catholic in principle, inasmuch as ,i£ comprised other Christian societies. The Church was one/, notwithstanding the several divisions^which existed. The Gospel was the basis of union, and standing upon that basis they, acknowledged the 'unity of the Church. He'was sure they, would join ' him in wishing * continuance of the Divine blessing which had been vouchsafed during the past year. Ihe Rev. G. H. Habpjck, in seconding the -adoption of the first . resolution, said ' the .atone of Christianity would continue to roll, on and, gather strength, with the Divine aid. He was .glad to see the catholicity of the report,' for they 'were all gathering the same wheat to the same, stack-yard, although it came from various fields; and the harvest supper would be great and glorious at the end of the gathering. 1 The resolution was then adopted. ' I „ The, Rev. P. H. Cobniord proposed the next resolution, " That this meeting, under a deep'conviction of entire dependence on the Holy Spirit for the conversion of souls, and the duty of human effort as the appointed means of salvation, pledges itself {to earnest prayer and increased exertions on behalf of this Society." He said the former resolution was' comparatively, an easy one, bufcitwasMme1 what difficult to act upon one containing a pledge such as the One he had to speak to. He 'Wai 'afraid , the pledge would be forgotten and buried after the meeting, as, they were not fully awake ,to the importance of such a work. If they had the grace of God in their hearts they needed no resolution to remind them of their duty, and, if they were not apathetic and , hard-hearted, they would be more awake to the importance of the work, and strive to further it with all their hearts. The Rev. G. Buttle seconded the resolution, and spoke of hia connection with the missionary work since the year 1838, when he was called to the ministry, and elected the foreign work in preference to home labours. The roughness 'of New Zealand had been, he said, pretty well worn off since that time,' and there was little left to complain of. , /The resolution was then adopted. The Rev. J. Wallis then proposed the following resolution: — "That the thanks of this meeting be given to the Committee and collectors, and that>the following gentlemen be the Committee for the coming year, -viz , Messrs. Fletcher, Edion, Griffiths; J. Wilson, M. Somerville, Welunan, Caley, Singer, Ashby, T. Cooke, and ft. Hobbs ; C. Arthur, -Secretary." ' The Rev. J. Hobbs seconded the resolution, which was put to the meeting, and adopted. A collection having been made on behalf of the missions, and the usual compliments passed to the Chairman, the proceedings terminated with singing and prayer. _________ ________ _ ''