MISSIONARY WORK

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 April 1937, Page 5

MISSIONARY WORK

PROGRESS IN MELANESIA, The problems to be faced in connection with missionary work in the islands of Melanesia and the success that was atending the efforts of the Christian teachers, was outlined to a good audience in Trinity Hall, Greymouth, last evening by the Bishop of Melanesia, Rt. Rev. W. A. Baddeley, M.A., D.S.O. A welcome was extended to Bishop Baddeley by Ven. Archdeacon J. A. Jermyn, who also said that it was a pleasure to have present that evening Miss Florence Smith, who went to India in 1899 and worked for many years in the South Indian Diocese, Taking as his subject, “The Forward March in Melanesia,” Bishop Baddeley said that marked progress was being made with the missionary in the group of islands comprising Melanesia, but the various mission stations had been badly damaged m the recent hurricane which had ravaged the islands. He had hoped to have brought the mission ship Southern Cross, to Greymouth, but it was finally decided that the schedule might be interfered with. The New Hebrides, which were ruled by France and England conjointly, were also divided, for the purpose of missionary work, under a gentleman’s agreement, betwen the Anglican and Presbyterian churches. Some good work was being accomplished in this section, but' the population had been greatly reduced through the ravages of disease. In one portion there was now a population of 60,000, whereas it had been double that, a few years ago. In those islands, as in the Solomons, where there was a population of 100,000 natives, it was hoped to build up the vitality of the people and reduce the high death rate, especially among the children. Missionaries were also working in parts of New Guinea, where thei;e were some of the wildest and most uncivilised people in the world. Stations had been opened in favourable localities, and the barriers 'were gradually broken down. Conditions were difficult for the missionaries, as the climate was humid in the majority of the islands, and most, of the journeys had to be made on foot. Good work was beingdone through a group of native boys who were trained at the stations and then sent back to the villages to tend the sick and teach the faith. This group, who were known as Brothers, had been a great assistance. In one of the islands of the Solomon group, Malaita, there were more than forty native dialects and the difficulty of picking them up added to the difficulties of the missionaries.

’ The living conditions in the various islands were appalling, there being

ALL SORTS OF DISEASES

and ailments rampant. Th.e native woman was responsible for all the work —she dug and. planted the gardens, carried home firewood and cooked the meals, while the husband simply stood by. If she failed to cook the meal in good 1 time she was subject to her husband’s wrath, and afterwards would often require treatment for injuries to hpr caused by the piece of wood he would use upon her. Yet, she would go back to him and continue to do the work. The Brothers, trained boys, were endeavouring to show the-natives,-by their owh example], wihaitj Christian life meant ,and it was the young men who understood best the value of the work that was being carried out in the islands. Difficult situations often arose at the schools, owing to animos-

ity betwen the natives of different islands, and to avoid such friction, they were divided as much as possible. Illustrations of the native customs were to be had even in the mission stations. Sometimes a hoy’s father, who had bought a wife for his son, had the village priest communicate with the mission station, asking for his son to come home, as it was considered high time he was married. Often, however, the boy desired to stay and continue, his Christian studies, especially if the girl had been brought up in a heathen community. Incidentally, the native girls were .horribly disfigured by’ the old' hags of the villages, who cut their bodies with fish-hooks and rubbed berries into the scars. It was considered that the more scars there were, the higher the price that would be paid for the girls, and some were actually blinded in the process. There had been no Governmental interference with this practice, so fpr, as it was stated that it did not wish to interfere with native

customs. No assistance had been forthcoming from the Government to segregate lepers, and there were 400 sufferers on the islands. In the Solomon Islands the infant mortality and 1 death of young women at childbirth was appalling and, in fact, there were now few children between the age of a few months and five years. Already, nearly all of the heathen communities had been brought under the scope of the missions, but there was a lack of teachers. The Christian natives, however, were a great asset in the work and were serving God and building, up the Church in many of the islands. In conclusion, Bishop Baddeley said he hoped that his remarks would lie an inducement to parishioners to maintain and further their interest in the 'work of the Church in Melanesia. He was sure that they all realised that it was -worth while to bring the natives out of savagery and to teach them to have the joys of membership of the Church of God.

Returning thanks to Bishop Baddeley" for his address, Archdeacon Jermyn assured him that he would have their prayers aind practical assistance to a greater degree. When they learned such things, as they had that evening, they felt that they had not done enough. Ho appealed for parcels, bandages and other useful articles, which would be sent to Nurse Samuels, who was trained at the Grey Hospital, in Melanesia. He drew attention to the fact that it was now a convenient, time to send parcels by the mission ship, Southern Cross.