PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3118, 17 December 1913, Page 89

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

FOREIGN MISSIONS REPORT. The following are the chief items contained in tbe Foreign Missions report to bo presented at the Presbyterian General Assembly, which meets in Christchurch this week: — New Hebrides.—We joined with the Church of Victoria and of New South Wales in sending a deputation to visit the New Hebrides, and to attend the Synod. Your committee is of opinion that the assembly should try to move the Home authorities through our own Government to take some decisive action. Wo acknowledge with thanks the following donations and bequests : —£soo from “ Anonymous ” for hospital site at Ko T’ong, such site to be permanent and out of flood area; £2OO from “ Anonymous No. 2 ” for a salary (this generous donation has been given for a number of years); £llO from “Two Endeavourers,” also given for a number of years towards the salary of -Mr M'Neur; £2OO from “ Anonymous No. 3” for a second rest-house at Dumbeli Island, Canton; £l3O from “ Anonymous No. 4,” per the Rev. T. M'Donald, Christchurch, for work in the New Hobivdes; £4B from the executors of the late John Duncan, of Corner Bush, Waitati; £3OO from the late Geo. Reid, of South Dunedin (this legacy is subject to the life interest of Mrs Reid). Several congregations have undertaken to give the salary of a missionary over and above their regular contributions to the general mission funds. Never in the history of our church has a movement been carried through with greater earnestness of purpose, attention to detail, sanctified wisdom, and complete success than the " Every Member Campaign.” AVhen the campaign started the C.V.M. sites and buildings fund stood at £4600. It now stands at £12,600. Several students have intimated to the committee that they are hoping that the church will send them out when their studies are finished —namely:—Miss Jolly, a medical student in her second year; Mr Henry Budd, M.Sc. (double first honours), who begins his medical course .in January. This will probably take four years. To complete the list of volunteers, the following names previously reported should be added:—Miss Christensen, M.Sc.; Mr Herons, 8.D.5., medical student; Mr A. Lindsay Miller, 8.A.; Mr W. Gordon, M.A.; Mr Venables, Mr Donald Milne, Mr Batligate, Mr Cole, Mr Watson. * Canton Villages Mission.—The past year has been one that will long be remembered for the impetus that has been given to Christian missions throughout the Chinese Empire. Mr M'Neur, in opening his report, Ba ys:—V We have just closed the most interesting year in China’s mission nisiory. Christianity has had an unprecedented opportunity. The Chinese classics, on which the Confucian cult was founded, have b(*>n banished from the schools. The reaction against idolatry and superstition has been marked by the destruction of myriads of idols and the changing of temples into schools and other public buildings. The acting President of the republic has expressed his approval of Christianity. The Government issued an appeal for the prayers oi Christendom which, with the response, electrified the world. Christianity has not only been permitted ; it has been welcomed. There are stiff many adversaries. Confucianism, idolatry, and the Manchu dynasty were not Christianity’s strongest foes. The powerfully entrenched enemies —materialism, selfishness. and corruption—still remain. The real battle has just begun. The main work of the past bus been the destruction of the old. Now for the tremendous task of constructing the Christian Church of China.” The long-talked-of Union Medical College has not yet come into existence. The latest proposal has been made by the Rung Yi Hospital. The institution is the leading Chinese hospital in Canton. It is controlled by Chinese, most of them men of influence, but the presiding genius is Dr Todd, a man of great ability and rare Christian character. Invitations have been sent to several medical missionaries, among them Dr John Kirk, to attach themselves to this hospital and form the faculty of a first-class medical college. The doctors would be perfectly free to propagate Christian trutli among the students and patients. The missions concerned are asked to provide the doctors and their residences, but in the case of withdrawal at any time the cost of the latter would ho refunded. The whole plant and sites are to be provided by the Chinese. If this scheme comes to fruition it should certainly provide a fine sphere of influence for the doctors engaged. During'the year 185 men and women have presented themselves as candidates for baptisms. 74 of whom have been accepted. 51 in Fa district and 23 in the P'oon Yue. These figures, however, do not by any means represent those who are coming under the sway of the Gospel. The fact that whenever it is proclaimed intelligently and earnestly, numbers arc i" - ::dy to listen, shows that the seed is fii <' lodgment in the hearts of many. 'i desire for freedom that found ex s!on in the revolution

has its < lunterpart in the Chinese Christian Church, where there is un increasing desire for self-government. This is as it should be, and the missionaries welcome the new spirit. But until the Chinese Christian Church is in a position to be selfsupporting and sell-propagating, a certain measure of control will have to remain in the hands of the foreign missionary. In our own church the majority of the members are poor, and the leaders are paid agents of the mission, so that self-government is necessarily some way off yet. The Kev. W. V. Milne reports on ionga and district: This year includes our furlough in New Zealand. During our absence the faith of the faithful was put severely to the test. The people were all subjected to very bad trader influence. The unusually high price of copra, and much of it, have also been adverse to spiritual life. Nevertheless teaching and preaching have gone on steadily, and there arc decided evidences of real progress. About 20 men have been at their posts to fulfil the r appointments as volunteer preachers. T wenty-five services have been held every Sunday on Tongoa by them. It is quite clear to me that increased efforts to awaken and cultivate Sjy.l llLld. llKu liinuug LiiU , and I am looking to our Christian Endeavour as the best means to that end. The generation that came out of heathenism could better appreciate the blessings of ChwEfcanity than the younger people who ar. enjoying the peace and comforts resulting from that Christianity without realising from whence these blessings come. Our New Hebrides natives can Team many things, and some of them arc very good end earnest

preachers, but it seem* quite against their nature to become good teachers and leaders, so that I am more than ever convinced that as they advance they will need more, and not less European teaching and influence. The vital statistics show that under Christian influence the population on Tonga is steadily increasing. For many years it was decreasing very fast, but during the last 15 years or so there has been a steady increase. I am also looking for an increase on Tongariki and Buninga. In the meantime they are only holding their own. My district on Epi is almost hopeless in that respect. The island is unhealthy, and also through child marriages and insanitary habits throughout past generations, the race has so degenerated that -their early disappearance seems pretty well certain. In addition to these causes I fear they are helping on the speedy end. The disproportion amony tho sexes seems also to point in the same direction. There is now in my district only 80 females to 115 males. When I first took the census there were 295 females and 269 males. In my entire district there are now 645 communicants, of which 64 were added during the year. Another candidates* class has been commenced, and several new members are being added every week. In Nguna and adjoining island there has been sickness, but we have not been visited by any serious epidemic, and the death rate is about half of what it "was last year. Sunday services and school work have been v carried on by myself and native teachers. Besides our own district, I have had the oversight of Tonga, Havannah Harbour, and Vila. I have been able to cover the whole of the ground at least once, and parts of it several times. I do not think, however, that it is fair to the natives to have such a largo district. As I cannot be in more than one place at a time, they are necessarily left a good deal to themselves, and are very apt to get into loose ways. Being so near the capital, too, the natives of this district have. • perhaps, more temptations to serve Mammon than those further away. The church here needs building up, and tho children should be getting more teaching than they are. The greatest event of the year was the arrival of the complete New Testament, printed in Nguna language. During the first tw« days I gave our about 300 copies.