EVANGELISING INDIA

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1931, Page 11

EVANGELISING INDIA

CHALLENGE TO NEW ZEALAND. UNDERTAKING WORK IN SIND. An appeal to the Church in New Zealand to consider undertaking the whole responsibility for missionary work in the Province of Sind, India, was made by the Rev. W. W. Cash, general secretary of the Church of England Missionary Society, London, in concluding an address at Auckland on evangelisation activities in India. ~ . < , 7 Interest in Mr. Cash’s brief visit- to Auckland was reflected, says the New Zealand Herald, in the large attendance. Archbishop Averill, who presided, said Mr. Cash had been for 23 years a, missionary, and was now shouldering a responsibility which constituted “one of the biggest jobs in England to-day.” Mr. Cash said the work of the Church Missionary Society in India began about the same time as similar work had been undertaken in New Zealand. .There were 14 dioceses in India, and the Church Missionary Society was the major force in 12 of them. Indeed, half the church members of India owed, their membership to the society. Referring to the tremendous difficulties encountered in spreading knowledge of the Gospel in India, Mr. Cash said the greatest barrier to reform was Hinduism and the Indian religion. To show the difficulties encountered in missinary work there, Mr. Cash instanced such problems as those relating to,child marriages, windows who were forced to lead a life of penance, and the outcasts. .. However, as an indirect result of the society’s work, wonderful progress had been made in organising social service work, in ameliorating suffering and in educating women. As 90 per cent, of the people were .scattered over more than 700,000 villages, the work was necessarily one of very gradual development. Nevertheless, while there was just 1,000,000 Christians in India by 1860, . the number had now increased to 5,000,000, and Christianity was the third largest religion there. “I thank New Zealand for the two missionaries it has given us for the work in India,” said Mr. Cash. “They are working in the Sindi area. Their parish is bigger than the whole of New Zealand, and the population in that area is double yours. When Archbishop Averill was in Englund last year I mentioned to him the possibility of New Zealand making itself wholly responsible for tlie work in Sind. I know times are difficult now—as one who tries to raise £500,090 annually for missionary work, no one appreciates that fact more than I do — but, although it may not be possible for you to accept this responsibility just now, ! say that there is a priceless opportunity., I give it as a challenge to you and trust that one day you will be able to accept that challenge.” In thanking Mr. Cash for an inspiring address, Archbishop Averill said the. idea, that New Zealand should make itself responsible for the work in Sind appealed to him greatly. “If we could take over that work it would be a tremendous impetus to our missionary zeal,” said the archbishop. . “Tinies are difficult now, and it is not possible for us to undertake it at present. However, I hope we will keep this challenge before us, and I pray that the time will shortly come when we can accept it.”