AERIAL MISSION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4340, 6 October 1950, Page 5

AERIAL MISSION

AVIATION FELLOWSHIP NOW VISITING PAEROA Back in 1938 a young New Zealander saw a film which depicted the heartbreaking encountered by a party of missionaries endeavouring to penetrate to the interior of New Guinea. As the story unfolded, the thought struck him that a small aircraft would have 1 solved many of their problems. Later as Flight Lieut. Murray Kendon, R.N.Z.A.F. on service with the Coastal Command in Britain, the Aucklander’s thoughts continued to turn to the subject of aircraft allied to missions. Such an efficient weapon of war, he felt could be used to spread the gospel of peace. Often he talked these things over with a young woman also serving in with Coastal Command, Leading Aircraftwoman Mlinnie McCartney, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,’ now his wife. Together they worked out plans, and eventually Murray Kendon put his idea before Dr. Thomas Cochrane, president of the Mildmay Movement for World Evangelisation.

Impressed, Dr Cochrane gave the “green light.” “If you tackle the thing we’ll back you up,” he said. A “prayer fellowship” was gathered and in a very brief space of time the idea had 5000 supporters in England. Dr Cochrane (since deceased), glave it the name of the Missionary Aviation Fellowship and in 1945 it came into being, with dynamic Murray Kendon as its chief organiser. Mr and Mrs Kendon, who are visit ■ ing Paeroa over the coming week-end hope that a further M.A.F. service may be established to operate from his native land. Already he has travelled through the South Island by caravan and has arousled considerable interest in the project. When speaking about this project he said, “We want to reach the 200 millions of Indonesia, Malaya and South-East Asia. The threat of communism in these lands is desperately serious and our greatest asset in combating it is the truth. But we must be quick to seize the initiative and use all aids that the modern world can afford. Aviation provides the only effective means of speeding up the vitally necessary mission work in such areas.” ‘