PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20101, 18 May 1927, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

WORK IN MISSION HELDS. ADDRESSES IN FIRST CHURCH. CAMPAIGN OF INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION. Largely-attended meetings wore held all day yesterday in First Church in connection with a mission campaign of information and inspiration, the Rev. G. H. Jupp presiding. The morning was spent in listening to addresses by the Rev. John Collie and the Rev. J. L. Gray. “VISION AND FAITH IN MISSION WORK.” The subject of the Rev. John Collie’s address was “Vision and Faith in Mission Work.” The speaker said that vision was necessary because it became the motive of all the work accomplished. The artist needed technical skill, but it was essential that he should see a vision of the work he attempted. But vision was apt to be dreamlike at times and to overlook fact, and so lead to disillusionment, unless supported by faith. Faith was the earnest persuasion of the truth of vision. It was even wider—it was the conviction that the purpose of God was behind the vision of the work to be done. What was the vision for the world that should inspire our hearts as Christians? Christ saw the world of men, united into one flock, under one Lord, one shepherd. Paul’s vision of the world -was that all things were summed up in Christ, and he believed that the power of God -was free to everyone who believed. It was vision supported by faith like this that would enable a man to go with some confidence to the outcast and the lost. Was Paul mistaken? If so, then Christ was mistaken. There was a tendency to regard one religion as though it were as good as any other. But Paul would put no other religion beside Christianity. For him there could be no end to the world except winning mankind for God. When this vision that constrained Paul laid hold of the church as a deep and earnest persuasion the church would move forward in its work, and would experience in its movement more of the power of God. It was a vision of men being brought nearer to one another by being brought up to their full possibility of service m Christ. “THE PROBLEM OF THE OUTCASTE.” The Rev. J. L. Gray spoke on “The Problem of the Outcaste.” In introducing his subject, the speaker said that the work among the outcastes was by no means the only mission work carried on in India, but because of tho mass movement of these people towards Christianity it was very important. The object of his address was to give some conception of tho problems which confronted tho missionaries in their endeavour to utilise this movement in the interests of the Kingdom of Christ. The area in which the Now Zealand Presbyterian Mission was operating was some 50 miles long and 30 miles broad. Kharar, whore Mr Ryburn had his school, was the educational centre of this district. The speaker then asked the question, “Who is the outcaste?” There were in India 60 million people who might be called Hindus, but who wore not recognised as such by the higher caste classes. Amongst these outcaste people there were several different castes. Those amongst whom the New Zealand Mission worker were scavengers. Their beasts might drink from the village well, but they themselves might not without incurring the penalty of death. They were body and soul in tho hands of tho landowners and shopkeepers. It was customary to bury an outcaste face downwards. The principle involved was that these people came from the dirt let them go back to the dirt. Within recent years the desire to rise had come to the outcaste masses. r lhey might turn to Hinduism, but Hinduism turned them away. They went to Mohammedanism, but were told that their fate was to be what they were. They turned to Christ, and were received as brothers. Realising the reception that awaited them in Christianity, they were turning thither in thousands. The method of work amongst tho outcastes followed by tho Now Zealand missionaries was first to instruct them in tho rudiments of Christianity and then to baptise them and receive them into tho membership of tho church. The missionaries went among the people, tried to find, the motive for their desire to become Christian, and where they found the motive satisfactory they instructed the people and prepared them for baptism. Then began the tremendous task of the missionary in building up from the very foundations a Christian church indigenous to the country. It was not advisable to take a Western church there. Tho people did not understand tho meaninn- of Western term*, and had no desire to understand them. Hence the church had to grow out of the needs of the move ment. When a community desired a missionary to come to them, a weekly scivic was arranged, a head man was aPP to take charge of the work, and the.| head men. it was hoped ho unitod into a kind of eldership. The speaker then proceeded to deal with several problems with which the missionaries were faced in carrying out this programme as follows: (1) The movement was not a deeply spiritual movement. Not more than 5 per cent, of the people who came forward had a deep conviction of sin. Ihero was mostly a real desire for better social conditions. But this movement could bo spiritualised, and this constituted the chal lengo of the mass movement among the outcaste to the Church as a , w ' ol °' ll 2 ‘ There was always great difficulty in finding the motive behind the action of people when they asked for Christian instruction. They sometimes came because tho ? esl^ t fl the help of the missionary m a Jaw suit or from some such reason. After all, the matter of greatest importance was That the people came to the missionary seeking help. (3) Slave mentality, the result of centuries of oppression, constituted a tremendous difficulty to tho missionary. The people weic terrorised by those Ao had beer, them masters for so long and though brave enough when out of the presence of the upper castes, they were craven and JJPJ when these masters were near. (4) Another problem was the appalling poveity of the~c P o r utc b Lc. tWr Juv.ng by ceived a Bmal) pieee P of bread from each hou'c ‘hey cleaned, the . men. some old clothes and a little Rram twice a year. They were called, “Knights of the Broom. How were these people, who had no other means of support than the crumbs they picked up from their masters, tables, to provide for and support a ministry. (5) These outcaste people were 100 per cent illiterate A baptising Christian. could not read. Hence it was neccssary te .cstabh schools. This was expensive, and the land owners and shopkeepers were kewily opposed to the school* sot up by the mis sionarios. They terrorised the people whose children were attending the school, and forced them to withdraw their support. Hv. schools had to be closed because there weic not sufficient pupils to make it worth while to keep them open. (6) A new moral order had to be set up. . People to suEtain hfc had had to eat camon. When Christianity had come this had had to cease; thesaqiedness of tho marriage tie had to be insisted upon. New moral standards had to bo brought into operation and this was an exceedingly difficult task where there were customs of such long standing. he meeting closed with an expression of thank, to the speakers, proposed by JT; Hewitson, who was convener of the Forei„ Missions Committee for many years. MISSIONARY CONFERENCE.

Tlic afternoon was devoted to a conference on the missionary work of the church. 'lhe Rev. G. If. M’Ncur, who presided, slated that the foundation of the work lay in the preparation of nicn and women for P cv . E. J. Tipler said that every enterprise demanded leadership. Nothing could bo done without that, HeP l ”' cccded to refer to the Theological College, the work of which was tremendously ,m----portant. Ho impressed upon those oresent that the work of the college wu= a work which, without enterprise, could not go on. It was a work thev could not do unless tliev had the interest, support, and prayers of those present. The time had come when they should acquaint the church with the work that was being done m tho .college. He went on to refer to the financial aspect, and, in concluding, said it lay with the motherhood of the church to assist matters. Motherhood field the key to the position. Thev wanted to enlist the sympathy and help of the mothers of their church. _ , The Rev. R. M. Ryburn, representing the youth of the church, referred to the work of the ordinary congregation, and called attention to the missionary side cf rim work. He pointed out that there wore large fields in our own land, and that creat stretches of country were neglected in regard to preaching and leaching. He -iress'nl the necessity for obtaining Sunday . •fr.o! teachers, and teachers in the Bible classes. ihe Rev. G. Budd said that they had

two main lines of policy, the first being in relation to the staff. They aimed at the education and goodfellowship of men. Mr Budd went into detail on the missionary work that had been done, and said that they always tried to remember that the population was growing fast. . . Sister Jessie, representing the mission work amongst the Maoris, said that in the early days the whole of the missionary work amongst the Maoris had been in the hands of the Anglican and, Methodist Churches, which covered the field. tjnul the time the war broke out they had done wonderful work i n t he North Island an also in the South Island Then the Presbyterian Church sent out teacher:, to different places where the Maoris were. Sister Jessie proceeded to give derails ol the missions to the Maoris. . The Chairman invited questions, and 10quosted Mr Budd to speak as to „ lb ® l?s°' vth of the- work of the church in Hamilton. Mr Budd said that he had gone to the North Island about 21 years ago, and Hamilton had one mi * lon , Btatl ° n ’ the churcii missionary m charge was Mr Adams. Now there were three ministers working in that town, and they were talking of a fourth station in the precincts ol "Sister* Jessie, replying to a tbe value of women s work in the church, said that they found that they needed all the training they could get. Sister Margaret said it was difficult t <*ct anyone who could teach tne Maori Wuage, and she thought .the Missions CmnmTttee might give Hmp in the field to learn the language. The Rev. H. H. Barton spoke on foreign missions, and in.the course of bis remarks R-iid that n New Zealand they were charged with the duty of the tion of foreign mission work. It w^.bj Scat ™lhi -“. lilt of information, and ft was imperative that their people here should be P informed concerning the pro"of fU work Changes had set in so frequently that frequent information was nf several of the mission fields. boToJ'the «.*’“Spoof trict they bad several lady workers all being engaged in medical and evangelistic work The towns were occupied by their Indian fellow-workers, niul he ivantcd to enlist their sympathy, on beha 1! o these. He mentioned that .it would take: 1 > - to visit all the villages in the district every (lay. M>Neur speaking of the had a similar effect, and through hundreds of students the influence spread out to their homes. Then they, had central chui dies some of which had schools connected with them. There were a number nf German missions in the same district, but they worked amongst another accti S’SKprity and the democratic peoples What they noeaeu most of all was peoples sympathy.

EVENING SERVICE. Following on the day’s and engaged in the campaign met together aml s? sX’ztza Firs was well, filled by 8 £’ clo t C when there was a missionary service, tbe Rev Professor Hewitson presiding. After a few introductory remarks by the .connection with the Maoris. feheJ'ad fouiKl a verv active Mormon church establishes JeMie»iwark»«e«®°^j“ d on amongst m The Rev G. Budd said that they had with new co vo 'three instances of church° extension work, and l n .|, bl ncction mentioned tln-ec 'n th N Island, one of them being I Q y ortuni . which was giou m 0 . ~y being seized ties in the mission field wore ccing up o n in these h had The Rev. G. H. M * pi ;... „ few days received a letter fr° Cl ( nliss i onary ago concerning the anxiety [alth , ivork out theic. But Uiev . ton a Shortly after ho had mot - ono quarter of a cental> , w h o had that these -ere difficult andwas hut thev had faith m Cod. that tie “ e “ pS.“ i!£d he“ but ju tb.l .ho had been disappointed. She had asked fo Several "hings. and hid been sorely disappointed, and her representatives ha 1 eft out. P It would bo better to leave the matte r to the Chinese in China. When the tiuth became known there would be a change in Chimi. China was. not ant,-fore, ? n did want foreign friends. _ there ’’ a . d “® on far too little sympathy with the Chinese. Th“ nrocoedings were then closed with thrsingm?of a hymn, and the benedict,on. which was pronounced by the Rev. G. H. M'Nour.