VETERAN MISSIONARY DEAD

Evening Star, Issue 18851, 28 January 1925, Page 10

VETERAN MISSIONARY DEAD

STORY OF TONGAN CHURCH DIVISION. A few days ago (lie nows was announced of the death of the Rev .1, H. Watkin, iho veteran missionary of tluPacific. Deceased was about ninety years ol ago Isays the Auckland ‘ Slav ’), and had spent, the greater paid- ol his long life in missionary work amongst the Pacific, islands. For a long period he was president of tire Free Church of Tonga, from i which ollice he. only retired quite rej cently. Deceased was the son of the laic [Rcv/james Watkin. an early missionary i in tho Smith Seas, who died in 1886, aged i eighty-one years. Mr J. R. Watkin was I for many years a minister of flu- Wesleyan : Church of Australia, and was in the mis!si on field in the Pacific. When the diviI sion took place in the Tongan Church Mr Watkin resigned from the Wesleyan Church and became president of the Free Church of Tonga. Notwithstanding this

action, Mr Watkin was loyal to the system of wmship and policy of the Wesleyan i'lmrcli, • iiiid exercised a wholesome inilur'lice on the' religions life of Tonga. The story of the division in the Church it Tonga is a sad one. In 1885 the Rev. ■■'itirley Raker, Prime Minister to the King t Ti nga. considered that too much money

was being sent from the group to Australia, .anil induced tho King to «?t up a rival church. A remnant, however, re-

mained .faithful to the Wesleyan Church. Pci sedition followed, and then an attempt was made to assassinate Mr Baker. The outcome of this was still more rigorous pel sedition, and finally ninety Tongan.s were deported to Fiji. In due course the tide turned, and Sir .John Thurston, High Commissioner of tho Western Pacific, deported Mr Baker. The ninety natives who had been' deported were, sent home again in a, steamer chartered by tho Government of Fiji. Within tho last enupio of years there has been more trouble, between the rival churches at Tonga, the Methodists having .increased in numbers. Mr Watkin, notwithstanding bis advanced years, fought for the integrity of the Free Church of Tonga, but finally ceased to be president. Mr B. N. Moody, barrister and solicitor,- of Auckland, has been engaged on two occasions to go to Tonga to argue, before the court in the interests of the Free Church.

Tho present trouble may bo described as one about tbc loaves and fishes. The Free Church of Tonga had accumulated property worth £IOO,OOO. A section of tho members, who desired union with the Wesleyan Church, wished to take the property over to that body. This was resisted by tlio Rev. J. B. Welkin, who had been appointed president for life by the late King. Tho Queen desires, however, to bo the head of tli-c church, and, as such, intended to preside at a conference. When the conference was held .Mr Watkin was simply told ho was dismissed, and since then had resided quietly at Tonga, where he was highly respected by all who know him.