PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18991, 12 October 1923, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

foreign missions committee. There were 21 members and associate? present at the monthly meeting of the Foreign Missions Committee yesterday. The convener (Rev. G. H. Jupp) presided. Sympathetic reference was made to me death of Mrs Bannerman, who was the widow of a former convener of the Otago Synod (1872-1901), and an active and useful worker for many years in women’s missionary organisations; and of Mrs Kaye, of u ellmgton the editress of the Harvest Field, the magazine of the Presbyterian Women s Missionary Union. It was agreed to congratulate tne Itev, W. Watt, formerly of Tanna, in the New Hebrides, and now residing in Canterbury, Melbourne, on having attained his eightieth birthdav on August 7. The Secretary reported as to arrangements being made for the Chinese and other missionary courts at the Children s Exhibition to be held in Dunedin from October 29 to November 3, Rev. W. Mawson and Mrs Mawson (Canton) were planning to assist in the Chinese court. Correspondence was received with regard to Indians in the North Island, among whom the committee desires, if possible, to do some missionary work. These people are apparently widely scattered in remote parts of the North Island. It was agreed to gather more information upon the subject before taking any further steps. The report on candidates for missionary service showed that a number of apparently eligible volunteers have decided to enter upon missionary service. Miss Aquote Nansen, of Bexley, Sydney, New South Wales, has now been definitely accepted for service, and is prepared to go to the Canton Villages’ Mission in December of this year. Miss Yansen is a highly qualified and experienced teacher, who has rendered valuable service in the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales in connection with the Fellowship Union and other branches of religious activity among the young. Accounts totalling £157 12s lOd were passed for payment, and the secretary reported that the receipts totalled £l5B Os 7d for the Canton Sites and Buildings Fund (“Coming of Age” appeal), and donations of £1 10s from Mrs J. Smith, Wangaloa, for the Canton Villages’ Mission, and of £8 from “Thankoffering,” Melhven, for an Indian teacher had been received. The General Treasurer (Rev. W. J. Comrie, Wellington) forwarded his annual statement of the various foreign mission funds of the church. The amount received from congregations throughout the year totalled £11,261 (Foreign Mission £4223, New Hebrides Mission £B9O, Canton Villages’ Mission £3413, Panjab Mission £2735), as compared with £11,499 for the previous year. Amounts from other sources totalled £3265 (Foreign Mission £985, New Hebrides Mission £357, Canton Villages’ Mission £IOO3, Panjab Mission, £920), as compared with £3359 10s last year. The expenditure had totalled £16,735 9s 9d, the balance remaining in the treasurer’s hands being £1857 gs sd, as compared with £IOB7 8s 6d last year. The Convenor welcomed the Rev. and Mrs Mawson, who had returned from the field after 20 years of service, and invited Mr Mawson to address the committee. Mr Mawson began by referring to the death of Mrs Bannerman, which severed one of the last links with the commencement of the foreign mission work of the Church. Dr Bannerman had been at the beginning of the missionary , enterprise of the Otago Synod, and the first'letters in the official records dealing with the foundation of the Canton Villages’ Mission were in his hand. Wednesday, October 10, was the twentieth anniversary of the departure of Mrs Mawson and himself to China. Probably that day there would arrive in China the largest party of reinforcements sent out by the Church. When he and his wife went cut 20 years ago there were only four missionaries—Mr M'Neur, Miss Sinclair, and themselves. Mr Mawson proceeded to refer to the health of the missionaries, which, on the whole, had been good, though Dr Edward Kirk had been obliged to take a rest. One of the important matters that had recently come before the council in Chine, had been the proposal to engage Drs John and Edward Kirk as part-time lecturers in the Kung Yee Medical School, in charge of the anatomy department. The Kung Yee College is now turning out IS to 20 graduates a year. Drs J. and E. Kirk are working in a country hospital, hut they are highly qualified for the educational "work and the training of medical students, and there is a stimulus in such work which will react upon their work in the hospital at Kong Chuen. They will also exercise a rich spiritual influence on the college. The educational work he regarded us of great importance. Included in the great needs of Chinn at the present time am ipp-'V-c leaders. The girls’ school is now thoroughly established at Kong Chuen. It fa a In. restorey building, which will accommodate 60 pupils, and Mias Ogilvie (the principal) has now a plant that will enable her to do "ood work. With reference to the boys’ school, the question of the site is not settled yet' and it was time that they know whether the money was going to be available for the buildings. Ho felt that the campaign for £6OOO should have beep a campaign for £10,009. One of the most important of their educational requirements was the building at Sai Chuen, where the Union Normal School, of which Miss Hancock is in control, is doing work of a character which some authorities declare to be (lie most important in China at the present time. There is an excellent staff, earnest in their work, and they ore doing well in spite of tremendous difficulties. They arc working in two small buildings that are utterly inadequate for schoolroom purposes. There is no question that this work pays. An illustration of this is the young teacher who assists Miss Ogilvie at Kong Chuen. She take her place in the church as well as in the school. She is a. deaconess and is called upon in any social function. In spite of all that is being done there is a tremendous mass of people to bo evangelised. The proportion of Christians is only one in 1000 of the population of China. The Chinese Church will need our help for a, long time to come. The evangelistic work would be greatly assisted by a conference building to accommodate workers who arc brought in for instruction and inspiration. At the request of the convener, Mr A. Burn exnrossed the thanks of the committee. It was agreed to hold an additional meeting this month.