PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17912, 17 April 1920, Page 6

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

foreign missions <x>mmittee.

Tho monthly meeting of the Foreign Missions Committee of tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealand was held on Tuesday afternoon. The convener (Professor Hewitson) prts-ded, and 10 members were present, also six associated members. GENERAL. In connection with two volunteers for foreign mission service tho convener stated that Or Bowie had roported adversely upon one ami favourably upon tho other. It was resolved to express regret that tho l'ormsr bad boon pronounced medically unlit, a-T.l to ask the latter to fill in the usual application forms. The convener stated' that several volunteers who will bo ready to go to tho mission field this year will require to know as soon as possible whether they can be sent out without dolay. Tho secretary presented a report upon the progress of the propagandio and financo campaign in connection with the raising of an extra sum of $11000 for tho year's requirements, largely owing to tho extremely unfavourable rato of exchange in Chiu<i arid India. In addition to 11 presbyteries which reported last month, four more had reported arrangements to meet the emergency. Reports were received from 54' corgTegations, of which St. Andrew's, Wellington, had already contributed £440, Hawec, £235, Waitahuna £53, Inglowood home mission station £60. Twelve reports were received f.rom P.W.M.U. organisations, St. Paul's, Oamaru, having contributed£7l, besides special contributions from Bible classes and Sunday schools. Orders had been filled for 7520 copies of a circular giving a statement of the crisis and for 6500 contribution envelopes. The amount of contributions paid directly and reported to the committee for the month was £I'lßo, making a total special contribution of £2530.

A number of lottors making proposals and suggestions in order to obviate the loss by exchange were .received from various parts of tho dominion. Theso embraced tho export of produce to China and India, bor. rowing money cn the mission fields by mortgaging rwtsion borrowing from oil American Missions Board, which could pay tho missionaries from America, and exporting gold and old silver to China. A letter was received from the general treasurer, the Rev. W. J. Comrie, to whom several of tho proposals had been submitted. Mr Oomrie had discussed matters with tho Rev. J. A. Ryburn and with several of tho church property trustees. lie gave as their opinion that tho borrowing of money by mortgage is not desirable, and that it is not feasible to export gold, but that donations of old silver might be received to bo sold in Now Zealand. —It was resolved to thank all who had submitted the proposals and to refer all the correspondence to a sub-committco of business mem to consider in conference with Mr A. O. Wilson and Dr John Kirk soon after their arrival.

In conncction with missionary deputational visits, several applications were received for visits from t;ie Rev. J. A. Rybum and tho Rev. O. Michelsen. A letter was received from Miss Budd, principal of QuoJt-. Margaret College,. Wellington, inviting any or all missionaries on furlough to vii.it the college and address the girls. An itinerary was submitted by Waikato Presbytery for the Rev. J. A. Ryburn's tour from April 11 to May 16. —It was resolved to file the applications to be dealt with in regular order, to thank Miss Budd for her invitation and to make arrangements accordingly, and to approve of the >.aikato itinerary. A copy of lie eighteenth annual report of the Young Men's Bible Class Union, to be presented at the Easter conference at Motutapu, Auckland, was received. The union executivo recommended that, in view of the exchange position, the proposal to establish a peace memorial by undertaking to maintain another foreign missionary be held in abeyance, and in the meantime tho union aim at making up tho loss by exchange on the salary of tho present- missionary, the Rev. H. Davies. A letter was received from tho Rev. J. A. Ryburn, who was present at the conference, stating that it had been decided to aim at raising £1000 for mission purposes this year, any surplus to be funded for the support of a second miiisionary, and that over £180 was raised on the spot toward the loss by exchange last year. A letter was received from Mr W. Cron, Apia ; Samoa, suggesting the publication oi a mission study text-book on the work of the London Missionary Society, written specially for New Zealand people; since Samoa is now attached to the dominion.— It was resolved that the suggestion be sent on to the representatives of the L.M.S. in New Zealand.

Letters from Mr Cron to the editor of the Outlook and to the Home Mission Committee were received (haviner beeii passed on to the Foreign Missions Committee), in which Mr Cron states that there is room for more missionaries in connection with the L.M.S. in Samoa, and asks that, as the F.M. Committee hero are unable to send out their volunteers, owing to lack of funds, theso volunteers should be advised' that there are other churches in need of missionaries, and recommended to consider their needs and place their services at the disposal of those churches. —The convener stated that, as there is no surplus of vohmtccrs, and no likelihood of lack of funds, the proposal is tantamount to opening a new mission in Samoa, which is utterly impossible at the present time.—lt was resolved to thaiik Mr Cron, and advise him accordingly. CHINA. A cablegram was received from Canton advising that Dsr John Kirk had left for New Zealand on March 29. The secretary stated, that he is due at Sydney on tho 19th inst. and at Wellington about the 26th.

A letter was received from Miss V. M. Naish, giving' her first impression of a Mission Council meeting, when, owing to tho rato of exchange and the shortage of. funds it was proposed to close the Kong Chuen Hospital. Sho says "Fortunately the proposal was not carried; but the threai still Jiangs over us, and we are just waiting to know what the near future will bring. I nave never been in a meeting where there was such tension for so long a time, and I was really very pleased vi ben someone mado us lough, and we wero all abl-9 to breathe a little more freely." Tho Rev. H. Davies forwarded minutes of Mission Conference and Council, held February 5 to 9, the principal items of which were: —A discussion on the Chinese Church and social service, and the felt need for some 1-ind of industrial work to be established in the future; the invitation of the London Missionary Society to take over their work in tho adjoining distriot of Ts'ung Fa, and the decision to do so subjoct to the approval of the F.M. Committee, and on tht understanding that the L.M.S. bear the financial responsibility for a year; the proposal to open work in some rart of Canton oifcv: the official opening of tha Kong Chuen Hospital by tho British Consul-general on February 7; the best wnv in which Mr A. G. Wilson can use his fi.rkra.gh; and the need of evangelistic missionaries a3 "meta of large heart, wide vision, with gifts if initiative and leadership and good qualifications far acquiring (ho language.''

The committee resolved to congrftftilrrtf the council upon the auspicious opening of t)j» hospital; :o approve of negotiations regarding tho talcing over of tho L.M.S. work on the lines laid down; to confer with Mr Wilson won sm'v!»l''(is to the best way in which to spend his furlough; and to bear in mind the type of evangelistio missionary required. Tletters were received from Mrs M. J. M'Gregor, Masterton, on behalf of tho Gladstone branch of P.W.M.U., forwardinrr £20 as tho first of throe years' contributions for tho training of a teacher in the Canton. Unio.l Normal School; from •Sister Miriam, for the. Andrew's Christehurch "Btm Bpps." stating that "£8 had been nont to Air Comrie for the upjreop of a Wind Chinese jrirl at Cunton; from Miss Wilson, principal of Chrir,tclrurch Girls' Tf i?h School, forwardimj £5 as the first contribution from the girls towards the birlding of the girls' boarding school at IConrr Clmen; from Mrs J. Blnokie, Tnvercargill with £2 for tho Chinese boys' hnrsary fund.—lt was rpsolved to thank the donars. advise the Canton Council, and authorise the general treasurer to remit as special gifts. Letters were received from Mr Joseph Chan, Auckland, reporting upon his work among tho Chinese there, and a telegram

from Rov. J. L. Walker that Mr Chan would leavo by the Monowai last week for Dunedin. NEW HEBRIDES. A framed, onlargod photograph of Mrs Jane L. Miohelaen was shown to tho committor* to bo hung in tho office. Mrs Mieholaen died in 1862, aftor 11 years' work in tho islands. By request of the convonor, Rov. O. Micholson addressed tho commiiitco. Ho stated that thero aro now vacancies in tho Now Hebrides for sevon or eight missionaries, of which New Zealand is responsible for three, and especially pleaded that 111011 should bo placed on Epi and Anjlbrim; awing to much sickne«s on his island, Tongoa, during tho lost threo years tho church membership fell from 600 to 530, but before ho left on furlough it had riaon again to over 601 j during the last 12 years ho had been busy translating the Old Testament part of "The Child's Bible," which is now ready for publication, also that a daily text book much used by the natives is now out of print, and he would liko to get anothor lfiiblished. Mr Miohelson was thanked for liin address, and a small committors was set ur> to confer regarding tho requests for publication and report. It was reported that Cambridge S.S. had paid the £15 balanco for the salary of the ■Rev. W. Y. M'ilno's launch assistant at Nguna, and hod decided to support him for a third venr; also that the Tsla branch of P.W.M.U. had forwarded £4 as halfyear's salary of a native teacher on Ambrlm, INDIA. A letter was received from Dr W. S. Robertson (Fobruarv 1) with copy of a ji<?t'on to him by tho Punjab Government that ho had beeji posted to Dalhousio for tho summer, and requesting him to arrive there tho first week in April. Dr Robertson stated several considerations favourable to complin.rtce with tho request and Jiskod for a cabled reply. Professor ITewitson stated that after consideration a cablegram of approval was sent to Dr Robertson on March 19.—1t was resolved to approvo of tho cablegram sent.