LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12639, 17 April 1903, Page 6

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Tho annual meeting of the Otago Auxiliary of the London Missionary Society was held ill tho hall below the Congregational Church kit evening. Tho Rev. W. Saunders presided, and, taking tho weather into consideration, the attendance was fairly good. Tho Revs. E. Taylor, G. Heighway, and A. E. Hunt occupied teats on tho platform. The Chairman explained that Iho meeting that night was something in the nature of an experiment It had not been usual for them to hold special business meetings in connection with the auxiliary, and. so far as he could remember, they had had what were termed animal meetings, which were really pub'io meetings, but no,business was done. They had come to tho conclusion that it might quicken the interest among the churohes if the sooicty were to hold meeting,? such .as this and to present a secretarial report. There was 110 real lack of interest in tho London Missionary Society, and the reports that night would show that their churches contributed fairly liberally to the funds of the society. Ho hoped" the present year would see a. great revival in the interest taken in the mission. The Rev. G. Heighway (secretary) submitted his report, in which it was stated that with the idea of enlisting the sympathy?, not only of the churches, but of all those who were interested in its efforts, tluj committee resolved two yeari. ago to bold an annual' meeting of the auxiliary apart from the customary visit of the deputation from the parent society. Tho present report covered the work ot the past two years, and thankfully' recorded the stea/dy work and the liberality of some of the churches. Sinco last report they had had to grieve over tho tragic death of the liev. James Chalmers. The report then proceeded as follows: — In Novembsr, 1901, Dnnedin was visited by tho Rev. Joseph King, the Australasian ngoiit of tho parent, society, who, villi the Rev. Tlios, Lord, of Madagascar, and Miss Ilarbraud, M.A., of Madras, had been appointed a deputation to visit the churches At the accepted deles, however, a series of very noteworthy meetings in conueation with the union of the northern and southorn Presbyterian churches was being held, so that it was felt advisable to start the itinerary at Oaniaru. Your committee met Mr King in cobiereiico, and, amid many details of work discussed, were ab!e to lay before him the desires of the donors to the special fund for the support of Hiss Inglis, M.A., in the work 011 behalf of which her sympathies had been particularly atoused, and io sustain her in which special donations had been given. During the interview Mr King further mentioned that in Australia there was a desire to keep green the momory of the veteran missionary, the late Rev. James Chalmers, and it had been suggested that his successor should be supplied with a boat, to be named the James Chalmers. Your committee resolved to join in any such

memorial, and so make it Australasian, and they now very heartily commend the effoit to this meeting. In December, the Rev. Thos. Lord, having completed the visitation of the northern cliuvchcs, returned to Victoria by way of Duliedin, preaching on the Bth DecenTher in First Church, Kuox Church, and Moray Place Congregational Church, On tho following Tuesday a successful meeting was held at Port Chalmers. While proceeding to the Bluff Mr Lord addressed meetings at Milton, Gore, and Invercargill. The clear, graphic descriptions given of missionary work in distant fields must do good 'in stimulating to .move earnestprayer and effort Sot the conversion of those who havo so long sat in darkness, but to whom shining light is coming after the night of toil. Advantage was taken of tho presence in t"ie city of Miss Joliffe and Miss Ffronch, of Samoa, during the month of February last, 1902, and an exceedingly interesting meeting *as held in the Moray Placo School Hall, when many details of the important operations being carried on in Polynesia were, given to the fiionds assembled. In October last we were cheered and quickened by a visit from the Rev. A. E. Hunt, of Port Moresby, who had a profitable and interesting story to tell of the New Guinea missions, though it had also its sad side for tho shadow of tho loss of James Chalmers was still upon us. Mr Hunt's recital of his visit to the scene of the massacro ol Chalmers and Tonkins was very pathetic, and will long he remembered.

Mr P. Barr presented the treasurer's report, which showed a total receipt of £363 9s 9d, of which £338 14s Id had been sent to Sydney as the Otago Auxiliary's contribution to the London Missionary Society, as against £245 in the previous year. This amount, however, inoludcd anonymous subscription.? amounting to £140 on account of the deficiency fund, so that- the auxiliary's annual contribution was in reality £59 less than in 1902. Mr Barr said that the London Missionary Society had an annual income of close upon £200.000 per annum, and expended £157,000 on foreign missions and £1264 on tho Homo management. In 1901 tho society had a deficiency of £36,638, but according to latest advices it was hoped that this debit balance wOuld be entirely wiped out by March, 1903; a.nd tho Otago Auxiliary had'done its riiaro in bringing about that result. A notable item was that £26,884 had been contributed by the mission stations themselves, or moro than twice the amount that it oost to run the society. <

Mr G. Bell seconded the adoption of the secretary's and treasurer's reports, and in doing so congratulated the society on its present position. Ho also complimented Mr Heighway and Mr Ban 1 on the carefullyprepared reports whioh tliey liad submitted.

Tho eloption of the committee for the ensuing year was next proceeded with, and rtsuited as follows:—Revs. W. Saunders, G. Heighway, W. T. Fernie, A. Hodge, E. Taylor, D. Berrie, and A. Cameron, Messrs W. Brown, P. Barr. F. G. Cray, J. Hercus, J. H. Wilkinson, R. Johnson, J. W Jago, G. Bell, and T. Gillies.

The Chairman called upon the Rev. A. ; E Hunt, late.of New Guinea, and now of Tiinaru, to address the meeting. Mr Hunt said that he had borrowed the keynote of his speech from tho secretary's report—viz., that the missionary societies aro the representatives of the Church, and ' voice and carry out the work of the Chinch. If ever tho world was to lie brought to Christ, it would bo by the deepening responsibility of -the individual church members and their realisation of tho truo meaning of tho \Vords "Go yo. v In nearly every missionary meeting the dominant note was one of rejoicing over tho progress of' the work of missions in heathen lands. It was well, however, to remember the slowness of that progress, lest they be deceived by tho glamour of success. The population of the world was 150,000 millions, and out of that number 100,000 millions were still in the darkness of heathenism, and £03 millions had never heard the name of Christ. During the last contury, which was essentially a missionary century, between 400 and 500 million converts to Christianity had beep made, but for evory convert made 50 people had been added to the heathen population. Mr Hunt cited the case of Mrs Isabella Bird Bishop, tho only lady member of the Royal Gtographical Society, and who, having travelled up and down Asia for eight years, i had seen hoathenism in all its horrors. What 'alio had seen had converted her to the cause of foreign missions. Reference was next made to tho work in the South Seas lost year, and to tho fact that while the whole of the churches in Australasia contributed £5000 to tho London Missionary Society, during the same period the native churches' had given £8400. Samoa, ivilh a population of 26,000 people, had given more than Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and New Zealand. New Guinea alone had given £520 during the year to ,thc London Missionary Society. Mr Hunt recited some touching instances of tho generosity of tho native Christians and their self-denial in contributing to the funds of the society. In conclusion, Mr Hunt appealed strongly for the support of foreign missions, and said tho constraining love of Christ was the dominant feature of missionary enterprise, and until all people felt that, the world would never be brought to the feet of the Master. Tt ttas not until they realised the personal significance of the command "Go ye into all tho world and proach the Gospel" that- the consummation of this task would bo attained. He would. a«b ministers in their churches to take up this matter of foroign missions a little oftener than they did. Why should ministers not deal with this question from the pulpit at least quarterly, so that their congregations might coma to know the facts of the heathen world. Foreign missions should be regarded as an integral nart of a church's constitution, and as a matter of fact it was always the church that had most life that was doing the most for foreign missions.

On the motion of Mr P. fiarr a hearty voto of thanks was passed to Sir Hunt for his address, and the meeting disporsed after the Rov. Mr Pernio had pronounced the bonediotion.