MISSIONARY MEETINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2323, 8 September 1898, Page 62

MISSIONARY MEETINGS.

A women's missionary meeting in cornice- j fcion with the New Zealand Baptist Missionary ] Society was held at the Hanover streeb Baptist Church Schoolroom on Thursday, about 200 ladies being present. Mrs North presided, and presented Miss Petois, who is about to j return to tho mission field in India, with a * purse of sovereigns, contributed by the ladies ; of the congregation. Miss Petex-s spoke touch- , ingly and effectively of the needs of the Indian t women. Miss Brewer sang " Cleansing fires " • and ■" Come unto Me," Miss Lily Thompson j acting as accompanist; and Mrs H. H. Driver , led in prayer. During the afternoon a sale, of ' work was held, which yielded a fair sum lo the | funds of the society. j In the evening a public meeting took place , in the church for the purpose of saying fare- | well to Miss Peteis. The Key. A. North pre- j sided, pnd there was a largo attendance. The | church -was decoj.ated with the banners pi c- j pared by Baptist Christian Endeavour So- j cietics for the monster nii^ioqaiy dr-jponsha- ■ tioii held in. the Agricultural Hall on

Tuesday night, and on which, were inscribed the names of the missionaries associated with the society. The Rev. J. Hinton having read a. clnpter of Scripture, Mr Ings engaged in prayer. The Chairman subsequently delivered v. brief address, in which he gave Miss Peters the following as a, parting text: — " I will uphold Thee with the right hand of my righteousness." lie also stated that it was 12 years ago since Miss Macgeorge, the first missionary to go from New Zealand in connection with the society, went out to India. A number of others had since gone to India, and now the society had two mission stations there, and thci'e were nine European agents on the field or on the way to the field. Mr H. H. Driver raid Miss Peters was the sixth missionary placed on the society's staff, and tho third one to go from the Hanover street Church to do Christ's work among the heathen. She went out to India in IS9I, and returned invalided at the end of XB9O. Now her health was sufficiently restored for her to return. The total income of the bOCicty for the past five years had Leon £5b31. 01 this amovuit the

Otngo and Southland auxiliary had contributed £ISBS, or on o-th nd; and of this amount contributed by the Otago and Southland churches, '■ Hvmovei street Chu.fli and its branches hod coxitributcd £iV)i, or nearly three-fifths. Jn ; the church of Jesus Clmst foi'ciga missions. ' however, did not conuTisiid the confidence of men and women as they should. Tho total ! contribution to foicirpi mis^ons by Biitish Piotestantb was approximately j£l,oOO 009. When , this was divided among tue ir.embeis of the vauoiij chinches it showed an aveiage eontiibutioii per member oi Is Gel per year, or l\cl per month. \ Addrer't'S nvro also ghen by the- Roy«. .f. ■ Mtiirhead, Salter, nntl Boichiim, and lj r i= . PctcJS, the last-me.itiO.iecl oi \;lio>n snd thr-t alt'icugh tlie romance oi bein", a jui''-;o.iaiy had woisi off, was moo m earnest 11 her desire to return to Hip nmsio.i field thaii sLe was to go out to Incur, four ruo. ', The concluding hymn of the meeting v:s.o God bo with you till we meet agaia. >