Waiapu Church Gazette WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1911. Missions.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume II, Issue 5, 1 November 1911, Page 80

Waiapu Church Gazette WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1911. Missions.

On another page of this month's issue of the GAZETTE will be found the Report of the Diocesan Board of Missions Committee which was adopted at last session of Synod. We desire to draw attention to it, not simply because the Synod has by its adoption altered the dates for the yearly collection m all Parishes and Parochial Districts on behalf of the work of the Maori, Melanesian, and Diocesan Home Missions ; but because of the great importance which the subject of Missions bears upon the work of the Church. The spiritual life of a Diocese it is asserted may be gauged by its missionary activity. It cannot be maintained that such a test redounds largely to the credit of the Diocese uncler existing conditions. None of the three " Missions," the support of which is required by Canon from all Parishes and Districts, receive adequate maintenance. Let us

take the " Home Mission" first. This ought to appeal strongly to all; for the aim of the Home Mission is primarily to supply the ministrations of the Church to the white people m those parts of the. Diocese where settlement is scanty and where the people unaided are unable to furnish the whole sum needed for the support of a clergyman to minister to them. There are places m the Diocese which are practically untouched by the' 4 Church for lack of men and means to support them m this most necessary work, and work which year by year becomes increasingly difficult ; for it is hard to bring back to habits of worship those who for years perhaps have not taken any part m the same for lack of opportunity. And yet m the face of this need what do we find ? In the Report of the Standing Committee appears the following statement : — " Your Committee regret to report "the very heavy falling off m " the contributions to the Home " Mission Fund, and trust that " Synod will take the matter into " serious consideration, and en- " deavour to put this fund on a " more satisfactory footing. Its " present condition greatly ham- " pers the work of the Diocese." The Bishop also, m his address to Synod, makes the following comment : — " The support given to " the Home Mission Fund is dis- " tinctly disappointing, and suggests a very faint idea of the " obligations of Church member- " ship. ... I would also wish " the Synod to consider whether "it is not desirable to have two " Sundays' offertories m the year " for the Home Mission work of " the Diocese instead of one. And "should there not be m every " parish some organisation for " collecting subscriptions m small " amounts for the forward work "of the Church m the Diocese?" Then, too, with regard to Mission work among the Maoris, it is an undoubted fact that if it were not for the liberal grants made by the Trustees of the H. and W. Williams Memorial, the Maori work would be most seriously crippled. A glance at the accounts presented to Synod discloses the fact that more than one-half of the sum expended m connection with

the Maori Mission work was contributed from the Memorial Trust,while the total siim contributed through offertories by all the' parishes and districts amounted to just over £100* No doubt there is truth m the assertion thsLt the' Maoris ought to do more for themselves. They are being taught to do this, and m a measure are responding to the appeal. But meanwhile it will only be by vigorous and sustained effort that lasting good can be done to these people who have so recently emergedfrom savagery, and whose uplifting is a call upon the Church and a duty we owe to them, as well as a necessity for the wellbeing of the State. It is not necessary for more to be said with reference to this, for the Bishop has clearly set forth m the Pastoral Letter published m this issue, the urgent need for hearty response on behalf of the Maori Mission. The Melanesian Mission is, again, one we together with the other Dioceses m New Zealand are bound to support. It is the Mission of the Church of this Province. Begun by the first Bishop of New Zealand and its work carried on by the saintly Bishop Pattison, by Bishop John Selwyn, the worthy son of the first Bishop, and, for the last seventeen years, by Bishop Wilson, who has recently retired from a post m which he has done honourable and devoted work. And the contributions from the Diocese to this special Mission of the New Zealand Church through the Diocesan Treasurer amounted to £154 ! What is the remedy for this apathy with regard to Mission work within and beyond the Diocese ? We trust that the apathy is more apparent than real, that it is owing to facts not having been brought home that there has been so little response. We need to give information about the work for God m the Mission FieM, and also there is need for due organisation for the collection of funds. And this we understand will be the office of the Committee appointed by the Standing Committee to endeavour to effect. But no organisation, however complete, will avail for this work unless there is spiritual force behind it. It was after the

observance of the Day of Intercession m the Home Church for Foreign Missions that there was a great awakening of interest, zeal, and devbtion" m the Missionary cause. And this has gathered volume as the years have passed by. The Bishop of the Diocese has asked that the F. of 9. Andrew or the Sunday following be observed as a time of special intercession on behalf of the Mission work of the Church and more particularly of the Diocese. If many prayers are offered then and continue to be offered, we may rightly expect that the effort to be put forth m support of our Missions will meet with good response and God's blessing. The dry bones of our organisations need the quickening breath of the Divine Spirit to infuse life, and this can only be gained by prayer.