Y.M.C.A.

Evening Star, Issue 15308, 7 October 1913, Page 7

Y.M.C.A.

On; Sunday afternoon the Rev. F. Oldrieve addressed the men’s meeting at the Young Men’s Christian Association on ‘The Value of Missions.’ Mr Oldrieve’s .experience as a missionary on the Congo, in Africa, and-also in ■ India gave his remarks peculiar authority. He said that there are indirect and direct results from missionary, work. These results concern us as individuals and as a nation. Missionary work has increased our geographical knowledge. Sixty years ago Central Africa was a terra incognita. The discoveries of Livingston and of Grenfell on the Congo revealed the heart of Africa, and thus furthered geographical knowledge. Linguistic science has been advanced by the %’ork of missionaries. Carey was the great linguist who brought to our knowledge in his translations the languages of India. Education has been spread through missionaries. Alex. Duff’s policy was largely the foundation of the Government’s educational work in India. In Uganda, in Central Africa, 100,000 natives can read and write, and this result has come about by missionary enterprise. Civilisation has been advanced by missions.; cannibalism has almost disappeared ; the wild tribes of the Bengal (head-hunters) been converted to Christianity, and this has been duplicated in many other lands. Social life has been purified; foot-binding is going from China; suttee in India is_ illegal, and has disappeared. Impurity has been stamped out very largely among those who have come into touch with mission work. In Calcutta, in a series of athletic competitions held some years ago, of the 83 competitors nine were Christians. These nine carried off nine first prizes out of 13 events. A man cannot -be impure and remain strong. Philanthropic work has been done by missions; medical mission work is an evidence of this. Mr Oldrieve gave pathetic and telling illustrations of the work among the lepers of India. Politically we owe a great deal to, missions. In fact, one might almost say that New

Zealand was won to the British Crown by the self-sacrificing work of its missionaries in the early days. Certainly Uganda is ours through missionary effort. Eminent authorities such as Darwin, Roosevelt, Lord Lawrence, and others' were quoted in support of this contention. t The direct results were .twofold, objectively and subjectively. Missions had for their ultimate purpose the evangelisation of the world. The world is like a great harvest field. In India alone 4,000,000 people have been won to Christ. Obedience to the command of Christ always brought blessing, and subjective results are here seen; Mr Andrew Morrison sang several effective solos. •