MELANESIAN MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21243, 26 January 1931, Page 8

MELANESIAN MISSION.

VISIT 1 OF BISHOP MOLYNEUX. APPEALS FOR ASSISTANCE. ■ (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 25. Due to the untiring efforts of the Bishop of Melanesia (the Rev. F. M. Molyneux), considerable interest has been aroused, in Great Britain in the work of the Melanesian Mission. By sermons from the pulpit, lectures from the public platform, broadcast talks “over the air,” and articles contributed to the press and diocesan magazines, the bishop has been able to tell the people at Home something of his extensive diocese and the spread of Christianity in the foreign mission field. This campaign he followed up with an appeal for funds, and in the 10 days preceding the departure of the Ruahine, by which he arrived at Wellington from London on Saturday, something like £3OOO was raised. Bishop Molyneux left Auckland for England in February last to attend the Lambeth Conference at Lambeth Palace. He will attend the general synod which opens at Christchurch on February 5, and will leave New Zealand for the headquarters of his diocese at Siota in the Solomon Islands by the mission steamer Southern Cross, which is scheduled to sail from Auckland in April. i Before returning to Siota the bishop hopes to obtain some assistance in New Zealand towards the work in Melanesia. “When at Home I did a great deal of preaching and writing on behalf of the mission,” said the bishop on Saturday. “ The old mission steamer, the Southern Cross, is now near the. end of . her days, and just befoi’e I left England I was busy getting out an appeal for funds to build a schooner—probably two—to replace; the Southern Cross. In about iQjdaj's ’ before I left something about' £3OOO was raised. I have not had any advice while on i the voyage out, but the amount is probably larger by now. Before I leave for my diocese I hope to get some help in New Zealand. One schooner is larger than the other, and tenders for the larger vessel are now being called in England and New Zealand.” While in the Old Country Bishop Molyneux secured the services of a priest to work in his dioceso, and the latter will be leaving England in time to connect with the Southern Cross at Auckland in April, Two lady workers are also coming out, from England to work in Melanesia. Before his translation to the episcopate, Bishop Molyneux was assistant bishop, stationed in the southern portion of Melanesia. Siota is about the middle of the diocese, and on Saturday the bishop said he was hoping for an assistant bishop to'take his place. No more popular passenger travelled on the Ruahine from London than the bishop. He was chairman of the Entertainment Committee, and entered into all the games and competitions arranged to break the monotony of a long sea trip.