LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15820, 19 July 1913, Page 10

LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The third annual meeting of the Uunedin Presbytery branch of the Laymen's Missionary . Movement was held in tho First Church hall last night. The president (Mr W. T. Glasgow) occupied the chair, ami there was a good attendance. The Chairman read a telegram of greeting and goodwill from Mr Mitchell, the president of the .Presbyterian branch of the movement in Cliristchurch. In an interesting address ho traced tlto history of tin* movement here, and emphasised the urgency of the need of tho mission fields in the Par East; He outlined the scheme undertaken .by .the Presbyterian laymen in Christchurch to' raise the large sum immediately required by the Canton Villages Mission.

The following arc the principal clauses in tho annual report presented by the 6ecre- . tary (Mr A. Burn): No new branches' have been formed during the year. 'Die roll of membership is now as follows: St. Andrew's Church, 3-1 members; First Church, 26; North-East Valley ohurch, 23. Until branches are formed in connection with all Uie larger churches in the Presbytery we cannot expect the movement to make much progress. ■ The outstanding feature in connection with the mission work of our church during the year has been the presence amongst us of Dr Jo.hn Kirk and Mrs Kirk, of the Canton Villages Mission. The Canton .Villages Mission council in Canton hud decided to call the Chiurch'6 attention to the urgent necessity of being prepared to invest a sum of not less than £11,400, in the purchase of land and the errction of buildings in the Canton field during the next two years, and Dr Kirk had been deputed to bring this matter before tho foreign missions committee of our church. The latter cordially endorsed tho proposals of the Canton Village Mission council at Canton, and Dr Kirkwas still engaged in travelling throughout Now Zealand in the interests of this "forward movement." It was with much gratification that the committee learned that the laymen of Chri6tchurch had undertaken to organise a systematic canvass of the Presbyterians throughout Now Zealand for the purpose ot securing whatever funds wore required after Dr Kirk has completed his itinerary. It was also proposed by tho Canton Villages .Mission council, at the suggestion of other missionary societies working in Canton, that tho 'Church should unite with them in the establishment awl control of a theological seminary nnd also of a medical school, wherein Chinese students' might bo trained by Christian missionaries for tho purnoso of taking up work amongst ■ their own •people. It was clearly' recognised by tbo<<c best informed that, if China was.to be evangelised at all, the work must be done largely by men of her own race. The Conlon Villages Mission Council had urged the Foreign Missions Committeeo to allow its convener (Professor Hewitson)' to visit Canton before the end of tho year, in order that he might confer with) it, arid with the other mission societies, regarding tho "union" proposals, and aleo discuss the other problems with which the Church was faced in its work at Canton. The council also hoped that it would bo arranged for two laymen to accompany Professor Howttemi, should ho bo able to make the trip. Another decision, of the Foreign Missions Committee waa thai, in view of tho great development of tho work, and the necessity of increasing mission contributions, the time had arrived when it was necre&ry that an organising secretary should be appointed for New Zealand. The committee expressed deep regret that the movement was making sunli slow progress in the presbytery,' and urged ail tho laymen of the church to join its ranks during the ensuing year. Tho statement, of accounts showed that the year had commenced with a credit, balance of £3 lis 3d. and that tho receipts had been £26 10s 9d, and the expenditure £24 14s 9d. ■

. A discussion took place on the. question of interesting other congregations in tho work of tho movement, and tho report and balance sheet were adopted. Tho following office-bearers wero elected for tho ensuing year:—President, Mr A. Burn; secretary and treasurer, M.r W. H. Taylor; committee—Messrs W. 11. Adams, W. Gow, M. Henderson. 1). Highet, J. N. Stewart, J. Farrnihnrson, W. T. Glasgow. J. Arthur, and Professor D. B. Waters.

On tho motion of Mr E. Cameron, it was decided to reduce tho animal subsoripiion from 2s fid to Is.

It was decided to adopt tho constitution suggested for branches of the movement at the Auckland Assembly.

Dr Kirk, who was very cordially received, raid .how deeply he, a 6 one of their missionaries, appreciated what they were doing. He thought that their wori- hero was even mora difficult than his in Ko T'ong, but ■ he. urged; them not to bo discouraged. Great changes had been faking place in China during the past few years, and never before in its history had. thero been such n, time of opportunity as thero was now. He believed that in 10 years from now the opportunity in China would be lost if it was not seized now. He believed that the Church had missed its opportunity in Japan. ■Through the influence of the Cantonese in New Zealand, tho key to that part of China had been given to the Church here, as to no other church in the world. There was ' no greater need in China to-day than that nrsdonaries should spend their time in training the Chinese to help themselves. He explained the proposal to establish a. union medical missionary college, pointing out that while, as an individual doctori lie could soarcely touch tho fringe of the Buffering of the million Chinese among whom ho worked, as a trainer of Christian Chinese doctors he might do a far greater work for that multitude. Their great desiro was to make the Chinese Church self-supporting, self-governing, and eelf-propagating. If ho ha/i his hearers with him for <i month in Canton lie would not need to tel! them that now was the time of r;Bing tide there, and that every stroke- now wou'd bo worth a hundred later on. Very powerfully he emphasised the other three objects of the Laymen's Missionary movement—" to pray, to work, and to give." In reference to tho last, ho claimed that if Christian people were to give systematically and proportionally every problem of work in tho Church would be solved. Tn conclusion, he exp'auicd the "every member campaign" promoted from Christchureh with, the .object of bringing beforo every member of \ha Presbyterian Church in Now Zealand the present immediate need of a sum of .TlblOu to proseoutu tho work of the Canton Villages Mission. Dr Kirk had replied to a number of interesting questions, the meeting resolved, on tho motion of Professor Waters, to pray, to wort, -*uid give.in the .interests of'nu--fiioiM. and to co-operate with the Ohriste.i'up'h laymen in the canrpaJgn thwy havn undertaken. ■ ' ■