SUDAN UNITED MISSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18735, 13 December 1922, Page 8

SUDAN UNITED MISSION

ANNUAL MEETING. The tenth annual meeting of the Otago branch of the Sudan United Mission was held in the Y.M.C.A, Assembly Hall last evening. The chairman, Mr G. W. Gibson, presided over a good attendance. The annual report presented by the secretory, Mr E. Duncan, recorded that this year’s work had been very specially blessed by the increased liberality of subscribers and the untiring and faithful services of many friends. During the year the branch had the pleasure and help of a visit from Miss Boniwell, who did very acceptable deputation work in the district. This was further supplemented by a visit from Mr and Mrs W. Mills, who were on furlough from the eastern branch of the mission. Dater in the year Mr and Mrs W. E. Fleming, from Nigeria, where they have been working under the British branch of the mission, arrived on furlough and were welcomed by our chairman on behalf of the committee. The local branch of the Prayer Partner League hoped at one time during the year to take charge of this work for tue whole of New Zealand, but for various reasons this was found to be impracticable, and the matter was referred some months ago to the central executive in Wellington. Unristmas boxes were again forwarded to our representatives at Heiban. The financial report this year is orto of the best for several years. The attached report of the Women’s Auxiliary, formed in April, 1921, showed that the membership had increased from 18 to 29. Well-attended quarterly meetings had been held. Though no special efforts had been made in the way of raising funds, a sum of over £24 had been received for special gifts to missionaries on the field, to whom 15 parcels had been sent. The balance . sheet showed total receipts amounting to £248 10s 6d, of which £2OO had been remitted direct to Wellington. There was a balance in hand of £8 2s 9d. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the Chairman expressed gratitude for the increased contributions during the year. They had sent forward £2OO as compared with £IOO the previous year.’ This was largely duo to the visit of Mr and Mrs Miles. He drew attention to the boundless power of prayer which few of them as yet had dared to claim. They were under a great debt of gratitude again to the members of the Women’s Auxiliary. Mr J. B. Waters seconded the motion. The mission, ho said, only required to have its needs known to secure its having much wider support in the community than it received at present. The motion was carried. The secretary was instructed to convey the greetings of the meeting to, missionaries on the field. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —President, Professor E. E. Davies; vice-presidents, Messrs W. Gow and the Rev. R. H. Knowles Kempton; secretary, Mr G. F. Inglis; treasurer, Mr H. H. Driver; committee— Rev. G. H. Jupp, Messrs G. W. Gibson, T, Somerville, J. B. Shackloek, B. Rosevear, R, Duncan, J. B. Wafers, H. T. Graham, d! Todd, and 11. C. Campbell; Lightbearer secretary, Miss M. Carlyle. Mr W. R. Fleming, of Langtang, Nigeria, explained the origin of the Sudan United Mission among the evangelical churches of Britain to combat the advance of Mohammedanism in Africa. There were today 220.000. Mohammedans and only 170.000. Christians in the world. Ho spoke of the power of Mohammedanism m Japan, China, the East Indies, Turkey, and the Near East and of its bitter, relentless opposition everywhere to Christianity. The British Government in Nigeria favoured fhe Mohammedan because he had a certain form of civilisation. Mohammedans made the best soldiers, and so they accompanied the British officials and formed active mission stations in centres where Christian missionaries were not allowed to go. Another difficulty with which the missionaries were faced was the colour prejudice, which led the natives to fear and uisiiKe the whites. xurs Fleming gave an account of mission work in Yergumland. The people of that district were pagan spirit-worshippers. It was not a white man’s country, and officials stayed there only a year at a time and the missionaries only two years. The Yergum were all farmers mostly scattered in small villages. The appalling ignorance of the mothers with their infants accounted tor ttlie high death rate. Mrs Fleming told a number of incidents illustrating the difficulty of overcoming native fears and prejudices. Sabbath among the Yergum Christians was a high day, and some of the congregation came from as far as 17 miles. The native congregation of about 150 was most reverent. The mission was seeking to work on the principles of self-evangelisation, self-government, and self-support. A wonderful change was coming over the people of the district, and the Gospel was entering into their daily lives. and transforming them, ,f