CHINA INLAND MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19530, 13 July 1925, Page 10

CHINA INLAND MISSION.

RECEPTION TO OUTGOING MISSION PARTY. The local branch of toe China Inland Mission on Saturday evening held a reception meeting to tho Rev. If. S. Conway, tho successor to tho Rev. Robert Powell as New Zealand deputation secretary, and also to bid farewell to three missionaries who aro shortly going out To China. The meeting was held in tho Young Women’s Christian Association cafotaria hall, and was largely attended. Mr A. J. Nichol presided, and the meeting opened with devotional exercises. Tho three outgoing missionaries are Miss Grace M'Gregor and Messrs Sinclair Hamilton and Henry Taylor. The Chairman, in introducing Mr Conway. said that ho had spent 30 years in mission work in one of the most difficult provinces in China. They heartily welcomed Mr Conway. Tho eyes of the world wore on China at toe present time, and to us it seemed that China was going through the birth pangs of modern nationhood. In spito of all this unrest there were volunteers going forward to mission work in that land. Mr Conwav expressed tho great, pleasure that a missionary had in coming back to link up again with the people of the homo churches. Ho greatly appreciated tho hearty welcome extended to him. Speaking of his work in China, he said that 30 years ago the church to which he went had 37 members. Now it had a membership of over 300 and 17 outstations. There wore 35 workers there and about ns many more had been sent, out to work in other stations. Ho spoke of tho unspeakable privilege and joy of preaching the Gospel to the Chinese. Each of the outgoing missionaries then spoke briefly. Miss M'Gregor asked for the constant flavors of Christian friends, and the other two spoke in similar strain, emphasising their own sense of irwnfficientv for the work ahead of them and their de-n-erlence on the nr.iverf'd support of friends at home They hopert (hat d"ring their four toroprrh New Zealand many other ronne people mi'e-ht to „n'rred uii to offer themselves for missionary work.