STUDENT CHRISTIANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20241, 29 April 1929, Page 12

STUDENT CHRISTIANS.

WORLD-WIDE PRAYER DAY.

MENACE OF SECULARISM. A day of prayer for students was observed yesterday throughout tho world by members of tho World's Student Christian Federation. Auckland members of tho New Zealand Student Christian Movement gathered in tho women's common room at Auckland University College for tea, and were addressed by the Rev. D. C. Herron upon the work of tlio International Missionary Conference at Jerusalem last year, which ho had attended ae a New Zealand delegate.

A message written by l)r. John R. Mott, president of tho federation, was read. In this Dr. Mott stated the federation was being very highly tried during the present year. Tho growth of national and racial feeling in different parts of the world went steadily on. Students in many countries were tho spearhead of nationalist movements, and what was most generous and idealistic in them responded passionately to tho call of national patriotism. At tho same time the forces of international goodwill and understanding were more fully organised than ever before.

At tho Jerusalem conference, the message continued, Christian leaders from all over the world had addressed themselves as never before to the great tasks confronting men and women of goodwill—problems of race, of industrialism, of war, the Christianising of national and international life. They called to tho Christian students of the world to know rind understand 'what was going on, and to take their place and play their part in this living Christian enterprise. In tho course of his remarks, Mr. Herron dwelt specially on ono prublem which, ho said, had been regarded at tho conference ns vpry grave—the growth o'f materialism or secularism in Christian and non-Christian countries alike. It was unfortunate that in many parts of tho world religion had been divorced from education, with tho result that children in great numbers were becoming secularists by nurture. However, this was not the case in China and India, and students who looked forward to careers of educational sorvico in the mission field could rest assured that there would be no lack of work for them.

In the evening a special service was held in St. Matthew's Church. Tho Rev. H. 11. Hobday, who was tho preacher, spoke of tho universality of tho Christian message.