£784 SUBSCRIBED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 23 June 1943, Page 3

£784 SUBSCRIBED

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY WORK IN NELSON DIOCESE ANNUAL MEETING LAST NIGHT The tenth annual meeting of the Nelson branch of the Church Missionary Society of New Zealand was held last evening in the Marsden Church Hall. Archdeacon O. J. Kimberley presided at the meeting which was well attended. The committee which was elected for the ensuing year comprised Archdeacon O. J. Kimberley, the Very Rev. P. B. Haggitt, the Rev. C. F. Saunders, Mr E. B. Mabin. Mesdames P. W. Stephenson, C. H. Coote, C. Tosswill, S. Wiggins, T. J. Smith, Misses F. Smith, L. Hunter-Brown, and V. M. Dodson. Mr G. E. Edmonds was appointed auditor. In a reference to the annual accounts of the branch, the chairman stated that during the year the sum of £784 had been forwarded to the Church Missionary Society from the Nelson Diocese. The hon. secretary (the Rev. C. F. Saunders) presented the annual report on the activities of the C.M.S. in Nelson, which, he mentioned, was the cradle of the society in New Zealand. ANNUAL REPORT The report stated inter alia:— “The jubilee of the society in New Zealand was held in Nelson on 74h October, 1942, and although, owing to war conditions, the plans had to be somewhat modified, the event was very fittingly celebrated. “The Book Room Committee has functioned very well during the year, and has arranged the voluntary labour necessary for keeping the Book Room open one day a week. “During the year the Rev. H. Ault undertook a deputation tour of the diocese, visiting many parishes and addressing gatherings of adults, as well as speaking to the children in the Sunday schools and State schools. Whereever possible his addresses were illustrated with films on India and China. We are deeply grateful to Mr Ault for his helpful and inspiring addresses and we are sure much good will follow as the outcome of his labours. “We regret that owing to the disturbed conditions due to the war the activities of our missionaries, especially in China, have been very much interrupted: but we are thankful to be able to report that news has been received confirming the safety of our missionaries in China and stating that they are able to carry out useful’ work in hospitals, etc. The faith and integrity shown by these missionaries even under the most trying and distressing circumstances, should inspire us ail to carry out our work at this end. “The j f ear upon which we have entered has been described under various titles. Some call it ‘Victory Year,’ othei*s The Year of Hope.” while others j again have described it as ‘The Year of ! Retribution.’ No matter whether we ! accept all ,or any of these titles, let us endeavour to make this year a year of hope to those who are sitting under the shadow of heathen darkness, and a year of victory as far as our contact with sin and evil in all lands is concerned. The time has passed when we can call the West ‘Christian,’ and the East ‘Pagan,’ for these boundaries are illusory. We are summoned to plant the Cross of Christ in the storm centres of the world, and to plan for the evan- j gelisation of those countries which are j causing us so much injury and suffering.” THE C.M.S. IN INDIA The work of the C.M.S. in India and particularly in the Peshawar district of the Punjab was described by the Bishop of Nelson in a lecture illustrated by lantern slides. Scenes of the cily of Peshawar, where he had been stationed for some time, were shown by the Bishop, who spoke of the extent of the work the C.M.S. was doing for the people in this frontier outpost. Hospitals and mission centres had been established where they would be readily available to the hill tribes coming down through t:.c mountain passes into British India. The slides showed scenes in the mission hospitals and in the streets and bazaars where travellers from Afghanistan, Turkestan and Persia mingled as they transacted their business. By means of the lantern slides the Bishop took his audience on a trip through the famous Khyber Pass, the mouth of which was only nine miles from Peshawar. Donkey and bullock trains, and lengthy camel caravans were seen winding up the steep, narrow roads of the rugged and forbidding looking pass leading to the border of Afghanistan. A Christian community of over 100 men, women and children, living in peace and hapiness in a village near the entrance to the Khyber Pass bore witness to the influence of the C.M.S.. said the Bishop. People who were formerly outcasts were now educated, clean and attractive, living Christian lives to which they had been won by the work of he Church Missionary Society. The Bishop was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, which was carried on the motion of the Rev. J. Hay. Mr W. C. Davies, who was responsible for operating the projector during the lecture, was thanked by the Bishop.