MISSIONS IN CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17754, 13 April 1921, Page 7

MISSIONS IN CHINA.

DENOMINATIONS UNITED.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK.

The pioneer missionary of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church in China, the Rev. G. H. McNeur, has returned on furlough, his eyesight having become impaired. He' attended the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery last evening and was warmly welcomed. The moderator, the Rev. J. Pattison, mentioned that Mr. McNeur went to Canton 20 years ago. He was a member of a family which had the almost unique record of having given five brothers to the ministry or the mission field. He gave* a brief outline of the distinguished position occupied by Air. McNeur in Christian work in' Canton, being now professor in theology in the Union Theological College. In acknowledging the welcome Mr. McNeur said that eight missions of different denominations were united in Hhe Union Theological College. " Differences in. denomination do .not trouble us in the slightest," he said. " The Chinese do not understand these divisions and they are not going to try. We have not found the slightest difficulty. Common classes are held, any special denominational teaching that has to be given is given in the hostels and elsewhere." Church union was going ahead in China, particularly in the South, which was ahead of the North in most things. Union was in active operation. The name Presbyterian had gone, there was no presbytery, as' it was here known, and a great many of the old familiar trappings had been given up, and he co'uld not say they regretted them very much. The work in China was going ahead in spite of the tremendous difficulties created by political unrest. Trouble was continually occurring in one part of China or another, fighting being almost a chronic state. Further, brigands and pirates still flourished and there appeared to be no remedy for these ills. The British Ambassador, in a farewell address at Shanghai, had spoken of the unrest which afflicted—and the weakness of its Government and its poverty in good men, but said that in spite of these things, China was going ahead. He attributed this to the inherent Worth of the ordinary Chinese character. "There is something splendid in the Chinese character," said Mr. McNeur. "It is splendid raw material and when that raw material is moved by the spirit of God we are going to have a church of Christ that the whole world will be honoured to acknowledge."