WESTERN CHINA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18546, 5 November 1934, Page 2

WESTERN CHINA

RISE OF CHRISTIANITY RIO MISSION FIELD DIFFICULTIES & PROfIRESS •» On the (li.itlnctlv ■encouraging effect of missionary work in China. Archbishop Alov,ll. of Svclney. who was iormeily Bishop of Western China, gave an aildvoss iu Dunedin last week. “China at present is a discouraged country." Archbishop jVlowll said, “because hands of Communists are roamingall over, devastating parts of a great eonntrv.” When China joined the League of Nations she became discouraged, and at a time such as tuat at v.as never more, important that friendship slionld be extended to Iter by the church. Governments were promoting friendship, but lie suggested they should co-operate with the church in this connection, and with the members of churches m othei parts of the world. On the twelfth day of each month the Chinese Christians prayed for the- New Zealand churches, as they realised that thev' themselves belonged to the same church, which extended over the whole world. In China, the Church of England consisted of 12 dioceses, one having its own Chinese bishop. As war clouds gathered, one of the chief hopes m the keeping of world peace was the Christian chinch, and at the time when national feelings between China and Japan were tense representatives of the church m each country came together to endeavor to strengthen the unity between the countries. A LON 15 THE CHEAT YANGTZE Archbishop Mow 11 said that to reach Western China ono travelled to Hong!koim bv steamer, changing to a river bout, then up the Yapgtse to Hankow, where transfer was made to another steamer, which continued for 700 miles until a range of mountains appeared. Through narrow passages in the range the little steamer sailed until it reached the other side of the mountains, where lav the Western provinces of the four streams, one of the most fertile sti etches of land in the world. Oh the third largest plain in China, which was to be found in the Western provinces, every farmer c-ould get three crops from his soil every year.

It was now nearly 60 years since the first Church of England missionaries went to Western China to work in various parts in harmony with one another, so that there would be no overlapping!. As evidence of the fruits of their work, there were scattered here and there groups of Christians, but although these groups totalled a large number of people, it must not be imagined that it was a ■Christian province. The missionaries established • hospitals, dispensaries, schools and training colleges, and not infrequently some of the missionaries met with most violent deaths in hostile disturbances. But the glad tidings were spreading, and at the, beginning, of 1927 the seeds were sown in the Western provinces, transforming into bloom in 1928. Missionaries were still wanted in Western China—they were welcomed, but they were no longer the leaders, they were just the helpers. Chinese people conducted their own Christian church, and native doctors and missionaries were in the hospitals, assuming responsibility at a time when it was a most difficult thing |or them to do. due to. the fact tffat hostile military forces invaded the towns and turned many of the people to flight.