MISSIONARY TEA.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 334, 4 March 1915, Page 3

MISSIONARY TEA.

GATHERING IN Y.M.C.A. A very pleasant function, which took the form of a laymen's missionary tea, was held in the Y.M.C.A. Lecture Hall last evening. Mr C. Salter, the president of the Methodist Branch of the Laymen 's Missionary Movement, presided over an attendance of about one hundred and eighty.

The chairman stated that the main object of the meeting was to try and stimulate the laymen present in connection with the missionary movement, 30 that they in turn could stimulate the laymcn'in other districts. Mr E. Rosevear, the ex-lay vice-presi-dent of the conference, in addressing the gathering;, said that he wondered how many of those present could pass an examination iu* foreign missions with Dr Brown as examiner. The Ladies' Auxiliary had done a very great amount of work in the way of foreign missions. They had formed themselves into a council, and had 14 societies with 900 members. The speaker contended that this was not women's w r ork, but men's work. The result of the war would probably enlarge the field of work, particularly in the case of the - Pacific Islands, which were now under British control. There was at present a debt of £BOOO, and whatever field was taken for their sphere of work there would be an increase of at least 50 per cent. However, the greatest thing that was wanted was not mouev but men. The Laymen's Missionary Movement was not an institution for raising money, but one with a fourfold purpose, namely, to pray, study, work, and givo. Here in Christchurch a movement had been started, and it had proved a blessing from the beginning. Tlfe speaker suggested that the laymen should institute a class study in connection with the missionary movement, and he maintained that if each church were to form study circles a great ileal would be done for the movement.

Dr Brown also apolce of tlie great need of missionaries for the Islands, and said that the only thing- he was afraid of in connection with the L.M.M. was that people should get the idea that it was a money-collecting scheme.

At the conclusion of Dr Brown's speech a motion to the following effect was unanimously carried: "That a branch of the Laymeu 's Missionary Movement be formed in the Methodist Circuit for the purpose of initiating the movement in the respective districts."