LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21978, 13 June 1933, Page 13

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY

ADDRESS BY THE REV. W. N BITTON

The Rev. W. Nelson Bitton, Home secretary of the London Missionary Society, who has come from London in the interests of that society, addressed a largely attended meeting in the buildings of the Moray Place Congregational Church yesterday afternoon. Mrs T. Searle, president of the Women’s Auxiliary, London Missionary Society, Otago district, presided.

Mr Bitton gave an illuminating address which was listened t© with full appreciation. He first conveyed, as his special commission, the thanks of the London Missionary Society, for the devoted support which it had received from those present as well as from many others. He commended all to think of the wideness of their work, for they were really standing behind the active workers, who could not carry on without such reserve forces. He indicated the bond of real fellowship which missionary work created between peoples of every colour and standard of civilisation, and said that such a bond was essential if the ideal of world peace was to be realised. The work of missions, in which they all played a part, was thus a real factor in international peace. Speaking upon womanhood and missions, Mr Bitton stated that the London Missionary Society was the first to visualise the possibilities of sending women into the distant field as missionaries, and he outlined the great results which .thereby were achieved. He referred to Maria Newell, who was sent to China in 1815, also Mary Aldersey, who offered her services as a missionary to Robert Morrison, of China, in 1814. It was due to her efforts that education for women began and developed in China. In all parts of the world women had since exercised a wonderful mission, out of gratitude, the speaker thought, for the remarkable emancipation which had come to womanhood through Jesus Christ. Another instance was the work of Miss Mabel Shaw in Mbereshi, whose work reveals what women can do for women. The progress of the world owed more to Christian missions th4m it realised. If missionary work was withdrawn from the world of to-day the world would be sadder and darker than it was. The influence of a woman’s religion was seen in the fact that in China the wife of Chiang Kai Shek was the granddaughter of the first ordained Chinese minister of the London Missionary Society in Central China. Her mother had brought her up in Christian ways and it was through her .influence that the President of the Chinese Republic had become a Christian. It was notable that one of her brothers, Mr T. V. Soong, the Finance Minister, of the Chinese Government, was. also under the same Christian influence and that her eldest sister was the widow of Sun Yat Sen.’ Mr Bitton concluded by emphasising the great value of Christian missionary endeavour and appealed for loyal support for the sake of the farreaching results that were possible. An expression of appreciation was extended to the speaker for his address.

MEETING AT RAYENSBOURNE. A meeting was held in.the Ravensbotirne Church in. the evening, the Rev. T. Flower presiding. A solo was rendered by Mrs MTvor, after which the Rev. W. Nelson Bitton spoke chiefly on the work of the London Missionary Society in Samoa. In that place there were 9000 church members and altogether between 33,000 and 34,000 church adherents, representing about 70 per cent, of the population. That had been accomplished in a century, for it was due to the adventurous faith of John Williams that the gospel message was taken there; During his recent visit the speaker was tremendously impressed by the amazing force of the work there and he hoped there would be the ties of faith between New Zealand and Samoa, for such ties were stronger than political and other bonds. The devotion the Christians in Samoa showed towards their liate missionary, W. J. Hills, whose influence was undying, was remarkable. Passing from Samoa to South Africa the speaker gave vivid pictures of the London Missionary Society’s work in Hope Fountain and Tiger Kloof. At the close an expression of thanks was moved by the Rev. T. Flower.