MISSION WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15560, 18 March 1914, Page 8

MISSION WORK.

IDEALS OF ASSOCIATION.

WELCOME TO BISHOP AVERILL.

The Anglican Bishop of Auckland and Mrs- Averill were welcomed yesterday to the depot of the Church Missionary Association in His Majesty's Arcade by the ladies of the depot and the committee of the association, when a large and representative gathering from all parts of Auckland was present. Canon MaeMurray, speaking on behalf of the lady workers and the committee of the Church - Missionary Association, tendered a hearty welcome to the Bishop and Mrs. Averill. The Church Missionary Association of New- Zealand was an extension of the great. Church Missionary Society at Home, The canon said he thought the whole Church of England must admit that they owed a debt to the Church Missionary Society whether they agreed with all its methods or not. To it the Church owed its redemption from the stigma of being barren and limited in its work among the heathen. It was the means in the 19th century of carrying the gospel to New Zealand, to Africa, to China, and to Japan. To the C.M.S. both the Church of New Zealand and the State of New Zealand J owed their existence. In this year their j thoughts; went back to the visit of Marsden and his little band of missionaries coming from England and landing in New Zealand, and the first sermon preached here on Christmas Day, 1814. They should be very ungrateful if they ever forfet. that it was the Church Missionary ociety that sent those men out. This was the first great enterprise that it had taken in hand. Little did the C.M.S. realise what great things would grow from the" little seed planted in this land, namely, a civilised State and a Christian Church. The whole Church of New Zealand owed a great dea' to the Church .Missionary Association. There was a danger of its becoming narrow in vision. and limited in aims—that it might thinE its work among the Maoris and the Melantsians was all that was necessary. The C.M.A. reminded the Church that its horizon must never be less than the uttermost bounds of the. earth. They' should be thankful that the C.M.A. had given them the opportunity of helping in missionary worfc in Africa, ' in China, in Japan, in India. The work ' had been and was being blessed of God ' not only in foreign lands but also in stimu- ] Ming the earnestness and zeal of their people at Heme. On behalf of the com- ' mittee he desired to say that they were ' grateful to the Bishop and Mrs. Averill ' for their presence among them, thus ex- : i pressing their sympathy with the work. They earnestly prayed that during Bishop Averill's Episcopate the Church as a whole would become more and more earnestly ' missionary-hearted. Bishop Averill, in reply, thanked Canon MaeMurray for his welcome, and said that anyone who knew his past history would -know that he was not uninterested in mis- ' sion work from his boyhood. It was because he believed in doing what God would have him do and going where God would have him go that he was. here ,in New Zealand. He was fully persuaded that there could be no real life in a church or parish that was not missionary-hearted. He often told church officers that in working for foreign missions they were working, for the best of the parish, because any parish that was a strong missionary centre would not fail in its duty to-its own parochial organisations. All missionary effort in the Church would have his support and interest, not only because of its effect in the foreign field, but also because of its reflex action or. the Church at Home. This indeed was an interesting year and he hoped that the Marsden centenary would be commemorated as it should he. They owed a deep debt of gratitude ' to the Church Missionary Society for the work that Marsden started, and. he felt that all in New Zealand who had any of the spirit of the early days, of Marsden, of Selwyn, and the Williamses. who gave their lives to carry on the work of God, must do all they possibly could to carry on their ideals! and their work. The bishop said he had always felt that though they had received a great legacy from the men of old times to carry the gospel to the Maoris and the Melanesians, yet there was danger lest their horizon should be limited and that they should forget they must do their part in taking the gospel to every part of the world. God had called them into the Church and had strengthened them in order that they might strengthen others. The bishop concluded by saving that as long as be was among them all missionary work, all work for God, would have his sympathy and support. He prayed for God's blessing on the work of the Church Missionary Association.