CHURCH'S WORLD CALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19458, 14 October 1926, Page 14

CHURCH'S WORLD CALL.

ASSISTANCE FOR MISSIONS. THE RISE OF MOHAMMEDANISM. NEED OF GREATER UNITY. A strong appeal to ithe Church in New Zealand to increase its activities in the various mission field's of the world was made by Archbishop Averill in-St. Mary's Cathedral last evening in his charge to synod. "Whether history repeats itself or not, it is significant that miiny great- advances in missionary endeavour have coincided with national of world upheavals," the Archbishop said. "W© cannot but associate the splendid and lipid action of the missionary council of the Church Assembly in England, in issuing the world call to the Church, as a direct outcome of the upheaval and revelation of the Groat War. Compared with the pre-war period the world was an open book, in which could be read its strength and weakness, and the crying need 'was for some unifying force to bring about peace and order out of chaos. Because of the world's Inability to find any real basis of reconstruction, thinking men had been compelled to look to Christ as the only hope and security for permanent peace. The world call of this Missionary Council, which appealed for £250,000 and 736 additional workers for the chief mission fields, was one of the greatest challenges the Church had over received. It seemed to him the call from the Moslem world was the most vital of all, inasmuch as Mohammedanism was the one challenge of Christianity professing a superior faith and a more recent revelation from God. It was also the one religion gaining on Christianity in many parts of the world. A Widespread Influence. After tracing the rise of Mohammedanism from the seventh and eighth centuries, the Primate referred to the strength of Islam to-day. A study of the map of the Moslem world to-day was somewhat startling, for it held sway over 234 million people and covered a large part of the world's surface. No feweV than 90 million Moslems lived under British rule, 70 million of whom were in India. The greater part of Africa was in the grip of Islam, and the question arose whether the groat continent would be won by Christ or Mohammed. Unless the Church's outposts were strengthened ten-fold, they never could hope to stem the Islamic invasion. Growing Spirit of Nationalism. "The impact of the West upon the East is bringing about what can only be regarded as a revolution in the Islamic outlook," the Archbishop said. "Although the majority of Mohammedans are still as hostile and opposed to progress as ; ever they were, and although the death sentence'for apostasy has never been repealed. yet there is a very decided minority who have openly rebelled against the restrictions of the Koran, and are feeling their way to light and progress. "The war undoubtedly revealed a considerable cleavage in the solidarity of the Moslem position and helped tft force to the front the growing feeling of nationality which is now becoming a feature, in Mohammedan countries. The subsequent action of Turkey 111 deposing the Sultan and establishing a Republic was the outcome of a growing spirit'of nationalism and self-determination which has been such a prominent feature in the world since the war. "The political and religious significance of Turkey's actions since the war cannot be over-estimated, for they mean that Turkey, so long the overlord of Mohammedanism, has broken away from tho restrictions and authority of th« Koran and is looking elsewhere for guidance in the building up of a new nationalism. This means a severe blow to Moslem unity and strength." However, in spite of many new signs and of tho fact that many of the followers of Komal were substituting a rabid and narrow nationalism for au equally unprogressive religion, Turkey and' its Moslems showed no kindlier feeling toward Christianity than in the past. Grasping An Opportunity. The Mohammedan world was undoubtedly in a state of transition. It had come to the parting of the ways and it behoved the Christian Church to grasp the opportunity, which was hardly likely to present itself again. There was a distinct danger of the more enlightened Moslems drifting from then" ancient moorings into the atheist net- of Soviet Russia, in which event their case would bo worse than ever. There did not seem a possibility of the Moslem world revolving j round a new centre and for a time reI cewing its 'strength and broken unity j without a holy war. The task before j the ChuCch might stem impossible, but Christianity was the triumph of the impossible. In conclusion. Archbishop Averill stated tho diocese contributed £lßl2 to the Board of Missions last year and its quota was £3OOO this year. He hoped the Dominion's financial assistance to missionary work had by no means reached highwater mark.