MISSIONARY SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22145, 26 June 1935, Page 14

MISSIONARY SERVICE

OFFERINGS OF PARISHES TEACHING CHRISTIANITY ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP Special missionary offerings from parishes and parochial districts throughout the Auckland Diocese were presented by lay representatives at the annual diocesan missionary festival service at St. Mary's Cathedral last night. The contributions, which were received by Archbishop Averill. amounted to £520, a substantial increase on last year. Clergy were present from city, suburban and country churches. There was a moderate congregation. Archdeacon G. MacMurrny and Archdeacon W. J. Sim kin were chaplains to the archbishop. Prayers were said by Canon W. Fancourt, and Canon C. A. B. Watson read the lesson. In liis address Archbishop Averill said people still had their altars to the gods of chance and luck, of nationalism and force, of money and success. They needed to be shocked out of their complacency sometimes and to realise that the God they professed to servo was not really supreme, but had many rivals. He asked whether tho doing of God's will was the supreme purpose in their lives. 'llie extension of God's kingdom was the bounden duty of every Christian. If that were realised to-day, the cathedral would be crowded. "It is not for us to criticise God's commands, to inquire into the future state of the heathen, who have had no opportunity in this life of knowing Christ," he said. "It is not for us to give heed to the accusing excuse that the religion of Jesus Christ is unsuitable for natives possessing ancient civilisations and religions. It is not for us to be deluded b3' the hollow excuse that the heathen are quite happy and contented as they are, and, therefore, why inflict our estern civilisation upon them? The religion of Jesus Christ is neither Western nor Eastern; it is universal, and why talk about tho ideal state of the heathen, when we know it to be a lie and when we know that the excursions of the emissaries of trade and \\ estern civilisation have broken down and are breaking clown restraining sanctions and taboos? What is to take their placematerialistic and godless Communism or Christianity? "We need to bear in mind that the true missionary has no desire to foist Western civilisation upon Eastern or other lands and no desire to make European, or even Anglican, Christians. The one aim and purpose of the true missionary is to teach the fundamental principles of the Christian faith and help to build up regional, local and indigenous churches."