MISSIONARY BREAKFAST.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10568, 17 November 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

MISSIONARY BREAKFAST.

The annual missionary , breakfast and meeting, held under the auspices of the New Zealand Church Missionary Association was held at All Saints' School on Nov 7. . A communion sevrvice, largely attended, was held in th« churh at eight o'clock, the Bishop of Nelson and the Eev. E. C. Epbison conducting the service. At nine o'clock a company, larger than any previous one of the kind, sat down to breakfast, and folowing was a meeting at which addreses were delivered by various speakers, he Uishop presiding. The meeting opened with hymn ; and prayer, the Rev E. C. Robispn offering the prayer, and the Chairman read a telegram from the Rev. F. W. Chatterton at Gisborne, "Our thoughts wrth you this morning. Luke iv, 17 and 18." " j In his address the Chairman directed attention to several encouraging and stimulating thoughts in connection with missionary effort, and spoke of the happy condition of the nation now that peace had been proclaimed, enabling still greater enterprise in this branch of the work of the churches. He also spoke of the many privileges enjoyed by the nation and the individual with respect to religion, and saw in the discoveries and inventions being made possibilities for still further spreading the knowledge of Christ. The Eev. J . F. Snee spoke of the progress made in the East, giving facts and figures to -prove that Christianity is making such headway in these lands that, to take the Mahomedans for instance, steps were being taken to counteract the Christian influences. This, the speaker pointed out, was evidence that. the progress was something real, for it was calling forth opposition. Following Mr Snee's facts for encouragement, the Yen. Archdeacon Grace told of what he described as the collapse of the finance of the Maori mission in New Zealand. He blamed the Board of Management for not making provision in time for the period, which this year had been reached, when the parent Society's subsidy ceased. The remedy to his mind was to ask the General Synod to dissolve the present Mission Board, and vest the management in the Church Missionary Association, transferring the headquarters of the Association from Nelson to Auckland. He also considered that the church people were not doing what they should, and urged that one tenth of each members income should be [ applied ,to furthering God's work."

The Rev George York gave an account of the labors of Mr Wong, the Chinese missionary on the- West Coast, paying a liigh tribute to the devotion of that gentleman. Mr Hollo way, Secretary of the New Zealand Church Missionary Association, also spoke, urging particularly the claims of the* Foreign missions, and contended thaVChrist's injunction in*,this'^respect^could not be disregarded Joy His people. A. collection c h was' taken up " on behalf of the funds of the Church Missionary Association, and before the Bishop pronounced the Benediction a vote of thanks to.the ladies who had provided the beakfast f was, on the motion of the" Rev J. P.'Kempthorne, -carried with_acclamation.