CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14156, 19 April 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

ANN UAL MEETING

(From 'The Colonist," April 4.)

The twenty-third animal meeting of the Church Missionary Association was held in the Shelbourne street schoolroom last night. This was the annual meeting for New Zealand. The chair was occupied by Bishop Mulesj and there was a good attendance. The Rev. J. A. Rogers read a portion of Scripture (the opistle for St. Andrew's Day), and praypr was offered by Archdeacon Kempthorne.

.The Rev 0. J. Kimberley, organising secretary of the association, read the annual report, to which was appended the statement of finances 'for the past year. The report stated that after eighteen months of . war the society could the better tell what their attitude should be towards God's work in the mission field. The "year of crisis" had taught them that tho Bread of Life need not, and must not, be withdrawn or withheld from those in the mission field who needed it so much. The activities of the staff of missionaries had been somewhat curtailed owing to the absence from the field of two on furlough, and of two who were helping our sick and wounded soldiers. ' The other members_of the staff had been kept, on the whole, in good health.; and, judging by the reports to hand from time to lime, had done good, faithful work. The committee gratefully acknowledged the faithful, prayerful, sympathetic constant labours of their numerous co-workers throughout New Zealand. They realised that what had been accomplished during the year was largely due to the self-denying efforts of those friends, many of whom were working with little encouragement from local surroundings. The number of members of the Gleaners' Union who had renewed was 1112, and 79 new members had Wen enrolled, rcaking n total membership of 1191. Nineteen branches enroHed new members. No nev, branches had been formed during the year. The sum of £105 9s 6d was received by way of renew-nl jsnd membership fees. The name of the Sowers' Band had been changed to Young People's Union, in order to bring it into line with the young people's organisation of tho C.M.S. Nineteen bands worked actively during the year, with a membership of 312. The financial returns of the Young People's Union were the highest on record, amounting to £164 9s 3d. As to Study Circles, there wa-s not the growth in that branch of the work that' there ought to be. There had been a distinct increase in the number of Reading Circles formed for the purpose of reading missionary literature, though the .general output of literature was less thn?! for the previous year. The society's depots in fAuekland, Christchurch and Nelson Imd done good work. During the year the sum of £4108 was entrusted to the committee of the society, which was sufficient, with 3s 9d, to remove the deficit of £535 and to meet the liabilities of the year. Of the £4108 mentioned, £693 was specially contributed in responso to the committee's appeal. The committee were still of opinion that a Board of Missions, constituted on the linns suggested in the last General Synod, would exercise an injurious effect on the of the society. If a Board of Missions were Formed by the forthcoming General Synod, the committee hoped that it would be on the lines of the Central Board of Missions in England, which aimed at developing missionary interest without in any way interfering/wrfch the legitimate work of existing missionary organisations. Under the heading, •'The Day of Opportunity," the repori said: —"When the war is over the thoughts of men cannot possibly be the same as they were before the war broke out. The fact that active members of various churches and religious bodies — Roman Catholic, Greek, Anglican. Nonconformist—have.lived together, fought together arid * suffered together; and that at the same time there have been nt their side Mohammedan, Hindu and heathen, bearing thf> same burdens, sharing the same nrivations, enduring the same agonies, must make a differonce in their attit-Hte towards one another when the conflict has ceased, however widely they may be separated. The revival of religion in the lives of some at least in the Homeland, and the ■ictn of self-sacrifice on the part of many others, must surely become permanent. The community cannot be the same. ft is reasonable to believe that there will be greater opportunities for capturing the interest of a large number in this the primary work of the Church. Let us then see to it that we do our part towards moulding public opinion, so that, when offers of service come, as we doubt, not they will, the home base will be so built up "that there will be no need to hoid them back for lack of funds." The report concluded with an appeal for rnors men and women for the mission field. The chairman moved, "That the anvraal report and financial statement be adowci i',nd printed; that the Yon. ,-\reiHlf>ocoii P.akor be .appointed a viceprnsiderit. oi tho Society; that the following bo f'i'^'tod members of the executive ''■o;nntiiti>(' for tho ensuing year:— The Yon. Archdeacon Kempthorne, the Rev. Canon McFarlane, the Revs. A. J. Carr. .!. It. Dart, W. S. Lucas and J. A Rogers, the B-ev Dr. Weeks, Messrs. E. E. Bore's, C. W. Brown, J. F. Childs, G. Stoning, W. Thorn and N. T. Williams; and that Mr. Charles Hudson. F.P.A. (N.Z.), be appointed hon. auditor." Bishop Mules mentioned that there had come into his hands a sketch showing the effect of the war upon j those mission fields which it had mater- j ially affected. While in certain parts itj bad done great injury to missions, vet on the whole the injury had been very much less than might have been anticipated. Bishop Mules also said ho had noticed that the Japanese authorities had been agreeabl •• surprised to find that Christianity had not occasioned an individualism which was at all injurious to a ir.il ittiry nation—that Christianity hail not prevented peoples «>f belligerent countries from serving in a military capacity wiUi full vigour, and had not in any wise destroyed that blind patriotism vrhich w;is useful for the same pu-oosc .ft had been brought home to tho minds of the Japanese that ■Christianity, at least among Western nations, had not had the influence which they would have expected it ■would havo hod»unon national conduct and national behaviour; and of ceurse vie had nrsde the same remark with respect to those against whom we were contending. Reverting to the Society's work. Bishop Mules said that on the whole they had much cause for thankfulness, in spite of the war.

The Rev. W. S. Lucas seconded the motion, which was carried.

seconded by the Rev. C. F. Sauaders, thanks were expressed to God for the measure of blessing which had been vouchsafed to the Society's operations during the past year.

On the motion of the Rev. Mr. Kimberley, seconded by Mr. Thorn, an alteration was made in the name of the organisation from "association" to

'•'society," and certain minor alterations in the constitution, including provision for the setting up of commttees :in local centres. ~

An address on missionary work among the Japanese and the Ainu was «iven by Archdeacon Batehe'lor. The address gave an interesting account of Japan and its inhabitants. It was to some extent autobiographical, and nnrrated incidents connected with the

speaker's forty years' labours in North Japan. Incidentally Archdeacon Batchcior paid a high tribute to the patriotism of the- Japanese, whose bearing he had noted during 'various wars. Every man, woman and child in Japan, he said, was willing to givo his or her life for the Emperor. If we wished to be on good terms with the Japanese wo must treat them as our equals. He admitted that there was a certain racial veil which prevented Europeans from getting absolutely close to tliem in their thoughts. We must trust the Japanese and treat them as ladies and gentlemeri, and we would be all right.. The Archdeacon .thanked the New Zealand" Church Missionary Society i'or the »s----'sistancc which it had given him. in his work, and for its promise to give increased aid, which he said v.or.jd ho cor'y welcome and should have ,;j,ocd results.