MISSIONS TO SEAMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22090, 22 April 1935, Page 6

MISSIONS TO SEAMEN

CENTENARY OF MOVEMENT WORK OF FLYING ANGEIL BEGINNINGS ON GALILEE Interesting sidelights on the early history of the Flying Angel Missions to Seamen are contained in " From the Bristol Channel to the Seven Seas," a small brochure issued in connection with a centenary of the movement. " In one sense the history of missions to seamen begins with the history of Christianity " states the book. " For it was before the Day of Pentecost that the voice of the Risen Christ was heard over the waters of Galilee, bidding the wearv toil-stricken fisher-folk to come ashore and partake of simple hospitality— 'A s soon then as they were come to land they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.' " In the Bristol Channel, midway between the coasts of England and Wales, are two lonely islets, Steepholme and Flatholme, the latter conspicuous by its lighthouse. On the Clevedon shore stood a clergyman and his little son one afternoon in the summer of 1835. A glint of light from some windows on one of the islets showed that they w«re inhabited, and the innocent question of the boy, 'How can those people g 0 to church? ' started a train of ideas in the mind of the father. " While waiting for a settled sphere of work, for he had recently come from Ireland with that object in view h e voluntarily ministered for the next three months to the fisher-folk living on the islets." It was from the work of this man, John Ashley, that the Missions to Seamen grew. " In the early days most of the work was afloat. Steam was in its infancv and the bulk of Britain's overseas trade was carried in sailing vessels. Thus many a ship would find itself windbound in some roadstead, such as Yarmouth, the Downs, Falmouth, or Queenstown for a considerable time. W T hile the crew were waiting, 'whistling for a fair wind,' opportunity would be given for the visit of the chaplain. "He was invariably welcomed, for at least he would break the monotony and could bring news from the shore. He might be afloat every day for a week and yet be unable to visit the whole of his floating parish, for it was often necessary to spend several hours on one ship alone." Since those times the work of the mission has been organised on an almost international basis and depots and halls have been established in innumerable ports, large and small, throughout the world. Billiard rooms and libraries have been built in addition to mission halls and the society's chaplains are held in respect and admiration by sailors of all creeds. In 1856 it" was facetiously said that the mission started with one chaplain and a debt. Although the debt no longer exists funds are needed and a nation-wide campaign for money is being inaugurated, the fund being called the John Ashley Centenary Fund, in honour of the founder of the movement.