CHINA MISSION

Southland Times, Issue 20171, 6 May 1927, Page 8

CHINA MISSION

INLAND EFFORT ENVOYS VISIT INVERCARGILL APPEAL TO CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. There arrived at Invercargill last evening Dr. J. Hudson Taylor, M.R.C.S., F.R.G.S., and Mr. H. S. Conway, envoys of the China Inland Mission, who, in continuation of a Dominion-wide campaign are visiting the town to further the interests of that Society. Both can claim extensive experience in mission work under the auspices of the China Mission. Dr. Taylor has been superintendent of Provincial effort for a large number of years, whilst Mr. Conway, who now holds the position of Deputation Secretary for the Dominion, has also been actively engaged in missionary endeavour for an extended period under the Doctor’s supervision. The purpose of the present visit is to conduct various rallies in the interests of the Mission, and during the next day or two the work already accomplished will be elaborated in an effort to inspire local enthusiasm in such matters. An assemblage of about 40 greeted the visitors at St. John’s Memorial Hall last evening, when- under the chairmanship of Mr. C. S. Longuet, Southland representative of the Mission, a public reception was accorded them. Owing to the Doctor’s belated arrival, Mr. Conway was asked to address the audience, the Rev. E. Gardiner first leading in prayer. Mr. Conway expressed the joy they felt at visiting Invercargill, more especially when they realised that they were all members in the same body, “recognising a universal Father and consequently enjoying the privilege of claiming brothers and sisters the world over.” It was their privilege to go out to the heathen on the authority of Him and sustained by His power, and further it was the privilege of the missionary to come back from the field in order to turn attention to its needs and to visualise for the people conditions and occurrences as they really were. Many missionary socities to-dav said Mr. Conway, had suffered great discouragement and in a great number of instances the fields had had to be abandoned. From the human standpoint times were very dark, but they must realise that they were dependent upon something more than human power to win through. He referred to the Boxer Rebellion, of which he had had personal experience, stating that present difficulties were not nearly so serious as was that disaster. Truely it might not have loomed so large politically, but he recalled that 100 missionaries had been massacred at that time. The Chinese recognised more and more, he stated, that the missionaries were their friends and bore a deep love for them as a consequence, though there was possibly no indication of this in news cabled of late from China. Still all those who had worked there were agreed that in the times of trouble God had raised up friends in their defence. It was for the church at home to remember the Chinese mission in their prayers. Proceeding Mr. Conway dealt with his missionary efforts for the Inland Mission under the superintendentship of Dr. Taylor, who was in charge of the Province in which the speaker had laboured as far back as 1904. He spoke of the very gratifying progress of the Mission, giving statistical support to the contention that, the work had flourished and extended directly because the Gospel they preached was “the power unto salvation.” The one great need of China was Jesus Christ. He exactly suited the Chinaman and it was the duty and privilege of every Christian to pray that the spirit of God would continually keep them true to the Faith and steadily testifying to its blessings. Mr. Conway stated that although many mission stations had to be abandoned as the result of the present internal dissention, the work really went on uninterruptedly. Indeed the withdrawal of the white missionary was really a blessing in disguise, for it threw more responsibility on to the Chinese themselves. After all the missionaries were only the scaffolding, the Chinese themselves were really the building. Everyone must share in the work of extending God’s Kingdom, but they must not think that the prime need was an increased number of white missionaries. However desirable that might be, the real need of China was men of faith, love and devotion from among her own people to evangelize them, and to this end he solicited the prayers of all Christian people. The Rev. J. Chisholm (president, of the Ministers’ Association) and the Rev. J. A. Lush then briefly extended a welcome to the visitors.

Speaking from an extensive knowledge of both countries Dr,. Taylor stated that the catastrophe which had just befallen the United States was a mere bagatelle compared with the catastrophe which lay across the heart of China. He was in a position to speak soberly and authoritatively on the matter, and he would say that every right thinking person should pray for China and the representatives of the Church there. Proceeding, he dealt with different aspects of the work of the Mission and experiences and vicissitudes he and his wife met with in attending to the duties falling to his lot as a superintendent of the Mission. They based their service, he said, on the exhortation in the Psalms, “Serve the Lord with gladness,” while it is undoubtedly true that the best qualification the missionary could have in carrying out that service was a supreme love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Doctor explained that the Mission was undenominational in character, and stated that throughout the whole of its career there had not been one disagreement as to policy or practice. They all belonged to Jesus, and they were all endeavouring to lead the Chinese to the one living Christ. With a view to simplifying matters the Mission assigned workers of one school of thought to one particular field. Thus in the west a portion.of an area as largo as France and with a population of 68,000,000 inhabitants the missionaries were all Anglicans, while in another part they were all Baptists, in another Presbyterians and in another Methodists. The system had worked out most satisfactorily and to the lasting benefit of the Mission as a whole. The Doctor referred to the number of native evangelists already “serving with gladness” and also recounted how, during a post-war tour of 15 of the 18 Chinese provinces, he and his wife had been ambushed by rebel soldiers and held as hostages so that the local Governor might be forced into enlisting the brigands with his army. He had taken every available opportunity to win his captors’ friendship before he' was released, with a view to their conversion, and lately he had received very gratifying reports concerning the reception of the Gospel in that particular locality. Concluding Dr. Taylor contended that although missionary progress was now impeded, calm always followed storm, and he was sure that the present distressful time in China would be followed by a period of great calm in which they would be unhampered in their efforts to work God’s will. (Applause). Mrs Taylor arrived from the north on the express last evening and will assist at the meetings to be held locally.