CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13463, 9 December 1907, Page 6

CHURCH OF ENGLAND

MAORI MISSIONS.

\A special appeal'-.■was made tothe congregations—at Bt: ".-'Mary's Church yesterday, by tihe Rev. H. de B. Galway, for financial assistance for. the Church of England Maori Missions. The preacher rcnirnded his hearers that four years ago the Church Misiuonaires Society at Home, handed . over the Maori Mission entirely to the, COrurch in New Zealand,' and ib therefore became neee-sary for the Church to raise all the funds required. To this end\ a certain sum -wais allotted' to each diocese !to collect. For this year and two folio-wing' Tears the annual total had been fixed ab £4OOO, and the share of the Ghristchurch diocese at £859. Some unavoidable expen'ies would increase this to about £B9O, and tIMsSTim ought,to be raised. For the firs* three years- the diocese dud very well, rakang more than the amounts asked for, bub last, year the collections, subscriptions, etc., fell off, and only trough having a balance of £250 in hand were they able to make up the £B9O required, and a very small balance -was* left- over, llihey wcire* told that very much depended on the Christchurch diocese: that if it failed to respond to the call made upon itthe result might mean disaster to the whole of ithe mission machinery. He therefora app?aled for liberal suport forike-vari-ous collecting agencies, /and lespecially asked for an increase of regular annual sub-, seribers, the most satisfactory as the most reliable source of income. The appeal -was moved -vrftli compassion" : "Jesus....was moved with compassion": 'Jesus ? aid, I must do the works of Him who sent me ■while it is day." The preacher spoke of the pity tihe divine compassion,, and the high sense of duty, "which had character.'ssrl Jer.ns throughout his life. "I must" were among the earliest of his recorded w r ords. "I mu. c it be about my Father's business." Pity for Hie Maori must be felt by all who knew the history of the mission, tb.9 greatness of it« early promise, when the gospel was accepted by natives fromi end to end of the inlands; and the greatness: of the fall back into old and into new superstitions in consequence of

the "war ■ over "the : land. ; - Pity -"was "'also ielt for ithe ■Maori ;ith aitcivilisations had-jbroiught him'.maaiy benefits,* and Tin various;.ways .tended• to develop "the. seamy side ;of -, his; 'character.. •- From , these:- evils there . was -,'bnt.. one; wayvof escape,'":■ and this was ■through ..the .gospel: of \ Christ. Tlfere "was-no .longer, any; romance, any adventuring among unknown lands ■ for- the Maori, , missionary, but-.merely patientuplulL' work,", -impelled: by -a strong' sense of "duty.. The .Church at. -large v mu*. accept : its responsiiblity ; for :- thei. Mission .■ as a, duty,, giving if need-b? not what' would n,ot, be missed, but even', something. Lthaji involve! a. personal sacrifice in 'the giving. The "two motives would' enable .'the diocese of Chrisitchurch to' ; meet the demand made upon"it- wit'hquit. any 'difficulty. ,