PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18321, 11 August 1921, Page 8

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FOREIGN MISSIONS COMMITTEE. The meeting of the Foreign Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church of 1 New Zealand was held for the first time < in the new offices. New Zealand Expfoss ' Building on Tuesday. Twenty-two members and five assort e members were • present. By request of the convener (Profssor Hewitson) Air P. L. Clark presided. GENERAL. By a standing silent vote the committee expressed sympathy with Mrs G. B. ‘ V U> Auckland, in the death of the Rev. G. B. Monro; with Miss Permin in the, death of her brother; and with Mr J. W Todd in the death of Mrs Todd’s mother. Miss Annie I. James, recently returned from Canton on furlough, was present, and was welcomed bv Professor Hewitson. Miss James replied briefly, and a minute was recorded of the committee s pleasure at seeing her again and their earnest hope that her furlough will give her real refreshment in body, mind, and spirit; also of sympathy with her in the serious illness of her brother. A letter was received from the secretary of the Central Committee of the Girls _ Auxiliary of the P.W.M.U., in reply to which it was agreed to ask the General Assembly to appoint a representative of the G.A. on the Foreign Missions Committee, and in the meantime to appoint Miss Craig as an associate member. The report on missionaries on turlougn stated that the Rev. O. Michclsen left Dunedin on July 27. and sails from Sydney tor the New Hebrides on 15th inst. ; that Miss M’Ewan expects to visit Dunedin soon to consult medical referees; and that Mr A. G. Wilson left Melbourne on July 22. and is due at Hongkong on August 18. The secretary reported upon for mission service thet in connection with the departure of the Rev. J. la Gray and Mrs Gray for India a dedication and farewell service is to be he’d in Somervell Church, Auckland, -r September I;.that Miss Grace Seymour is visiting the North Island, and advises improvement m health; that application schedules had been filled by Mcsss A. H. Harvie and A- E. Sutherland. both in their third year of the medical course.— The arrangements for the Auckland service were approved and pleasure expressed at the applications from Messrs Harvie and Sutherland, who were directed to consult the medical referees when convenient. , _ ' Mrs G. H. M‘Neur and Miss E. M. Prentice reported upon their deputation work, the former stating that the t« s t meeting she had vet had was with the Southland Women’s Assrxnat'on. Miss Prentice submitted a tabuleTed report ot 22 meetings at which she had given addresses. She wrote: “Without exception the people have been deeply interested everywhere, and the interest and enthusiasm of that great band of workers, the P.M.W.U. ladies, has been a source of great inspiration to me,” T xtr A letter was received from Miss 1. V*. Knight, secretary of the executive of the YMB C. Union, thanking the committee for the present of an enlarged photograph of the Bible classes bungalow in Jagadhn, India, to be presented to the St. Andrew s Y.W.B Class, Christchurch, who .were the largest contributors of funds for its erection. Mr A. C. Cameron wrote advising that St Andrew's congregation, Dunedin, had decided to become responsible for the sum of £450 yearly toward the salaries of their three “own” missionaries in the Canton villages.— Hearty thanks and congratulations were recorded. . , ... .. r , ‘ The chairman of the Administrative Committee of the “Federal Cpundil of the Churches of Christ ,in America forwarded a copy of a letter, signed by the responsible heads of 29 churches in the United States which had been sent to the congregations of all the churches represented, by the council. The letter suggested June 5, 1921, as a date upon which there should bo a simultaneous presentation throughout the nation of the question of urging the United States’ Government to take tne initiative in inviting an international conference upon the question of armaments.— It was resolved to reply thanking the Federal Council for a copy of the letter and stating that the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand is acting upon similar lines by urging the formation of branches of the League of Nations Union. _ „ * In response to a letter from. Rev. G. H. Jupp, convener of the Assembly s Publications Committee, it was resolved to make a grailt of £SO for the current year towards the Outlook subsidy fund. The question of a visit from Sadhu Sundar Singh, who is planning to come to New Zealand in 1922. was referred to the* Mission Council in India for its opinion. Bv invitation of the convener, the Rev. ■H H Barton gave an address upon the missionary activities of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, as noted by him during his recent visit to Australia. Although the Victorian Church has only 35,000 members to the 42,000 of the New Zealand Church, the former has more missionaries than the latter, engaged in the Net* Hebrides, Korea, among the Chinese m Victoria, and the aborigines of Queensland and West Australia. Mr Barton was heartily thanked for his interesting address. INDIA. A letter was received from Rev. T. E. Riddle, written at Solon, June 18, reporting the death by drowning of his infant daughter.—The secretary reported that a cablegram of sympathy was sent the day the letter arrived It was agreed to write to Mr Riddle expressing the deep sympathy of the committee with Mrs Riddle and himself, and commending them to Ahe consolation of God.. * ■ Mr Clark read extracts from a . personal letter by Dr W. J. Porteous to Professor Hewitson, in which he stated that there had been considerable increase of work in connection with Jagadhri Mission Hospital, that the accommodation for patients would have to be increased, and they were feeling the need of a bacteriologist and an X-ray plant. As no Indian woman doctor could be secured. Dr vPorteoue had taken on an Indian sub-assistant surgeon atsalary of 120 rupees per month. CHINA. ' Rev. H. Davies forwarded the minutes of Canton Council meetings on May 21, Juno 24 and 25, tne which arc as follow: —(aj The F.M. Committee was asked to approve of the erection of a nurses’ homo for Chinese and foreign nurses at Kong Chuen at an estimated cost of 9250 dollars; (b) contract had been let for the erection of the Union’s Theological College hostel, ■ the total cost to be.'20.000 dollars, of which the New Zealand share is 5000 dollars; (c) the F.M. Committee was asked to approve of the estimated expenditure of 35,000 dollars for a boys’ central boarding school; (d) recoinmendatiops were submitted in connection with tire transfer of the London Missionary Society’s work in the Ts’ung Fa district to the New Zealand Presbyterian Church, the annual additional outlay being about ICOO dollars; (e) the F.M.C. was asked to sanction the erection of a professor’s residence at the Union Theological College, at the estimated cost of 9500 dollars, to be ready when Rev. G. H. M’Neur returns to Canton; (f) recommended that the first building for a girls’ boarding school at Korg Chuen be erected at a cost of 6DOO dollars, to accommodate 30 girls; (g) that 4000 dollars be granted for land, buildings, etc., in connection with a girls’ boarding school at SaiTsuen; (h) approval was asked for the budget for local expenditure for 1921-22 amounting to 25,450 dollars; (i) budget for sites and buildings for 1921-22, 37,500 dollars; (j) budget for sites and buildings for 1922-25, 33,000 dollars; (k) additional sites and buildings in the near future, about 48,000 dollars; (1) order of urgency of foreign staff reinforcements- (1) one doctor and two women village workers. (2) one educational woman, (3) one woman village worker, (4) one educational woman and one educational man. It was resolved to approve of the taking over of the L.M.S. "district from January 1, 1922; to sanctiou'tho erection of a nurses’ home at Kong Chuen and the professor’s residence at the Union Theological College, at a cost of 18,750 dollars (about £2500) : to hold over the other applications until the state of the finances is definitely known; to note the estimates for sites and buildings programme for the coming three years; to note the order of urgency of reinforcements ; to express sympathy with the council because the committee is unable at present to approve of all the requests made, and to assure. the missionaries that the committee will do the best it can to supply reinforcements and equipment. A letter was road from Rev. G. 11. M’Neur strongly approving of the recommendation of the Foreign Mission Committee of the Presbytery of Auckland, that an attompi should ho made to find a man who will he willing to devote his life to work among the Chinese in Auckland (and supervise work elsewhere in New Zealand), and who would be sent to Canton for about two years to loam the language and study the people. Mr M’Neur wrote: “I think a volunteer should he called for immediately.’'—lt was agreed to publish the correspondence in the Outlook.