MISSIONARY POLICY

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XX, Issue 4, 1 October 1929, Page 4

MISSIONARY POLICY

From the Monthly Letter of the Bishop of Christchurch. I do not know whether you have considered the question of Missionary policy .' One line is what is called the "Faith Policy," which means that when a call comes, the Missionary Societies should go ahead and trust God to send the money. This policy was boldly followed by the C.M.S. for years, and it did result m a marvellously increased income. But after a time a sort of limit seemed to have been reached, and deficits became a yearly anxiety. Theoretically a great deal is to be said for the policy: it seems to follow Christian lines, and the plea of its supporters, that the giving power of the Church is not exhausted, is a very true one. Practically the policy does not seem to succeed beyond a certain limit. One may name many causes. For instance, lack of enthusiasm, lack of knowledge, weakening of faith m the unique appeal of Christ; and ) we have to remember that the giving will of the people is very different from their giving power. To the enthusiast it seems almost an apostasy to suggest that it is ethically questionable whether we shall spend money we have not got on Godls work, and to incur deficits on the security of the goodwill of Christian people. And we have to remember that the liabilities are apt to be undertaken not by the people who ar.p to be asked to pay, but by a small body of committeemen who may not be directly representative. And there is no doubt that the impact of an appeal to make up a deficit is not comparable with the appeal to meet a definite need which is put before the constituencies, brought home to them, and approved by them. The fact is that the faith which has directed the policy of some .missions has been the faith of the small body

of, leaders, who are stricken to the heart by the desperate needs of the world, and cannot believe that their fellow churchpeople are not of the same mind. The faith which can alone carry such a policy to a successful conclusion would be the faith of the Church as a whole. How, then, tt an this faith be aroused, and how can it find- expression? I think that the preliminary to advance is to arouse m people's minds a conviction of the world-mission of the Church, and of the importance to the Kingdom of God of the application of our spiritual energy at the most crucial points. There is a phrase m Second Peter which describes our normal point of view rather well: — "Seeing only the things that are near." Now, an actual acquaintance with the world to-day and it needs makes one feel that — to use a business phrase — the investment of spiritual capital m the Mission Fields of China or India will return a far higher rate of spiritual interest for the Kingdom than m many of what we think "gilt edged" Church securities m home enterprise. This is true both of lives and money. A few lines m a letter from Miss Bargrove, telling of the tragic state of a Chinese baby home which her hospital h happily taking over, wrings the heart, hut also fires the imagination by possibilities of such a work on its educational side, as well as its immediate effect. Do I depreciate the work at home? Far from it. The failings of ur Christian civilisation are a direct hindrance to Christian missions. But I believe that the wider work, if done, from conviction, will help and not hinder the nearer work. No part of our work can be really well done, unless we realise that whole work is one. And if the will to give be aroused, how can it find expression? I am staying now m a parish where the duplex envelope system has m one year increased the missionary gifts from about £33 to £53, and where the quota has been reached for the first time. And this is not, I am sure, by any means a solitary example. Special appeals must always be made for special needs, but the backbone of the work must be steady, regular giving by the mass of our people with whom such a. sharing of the Adventure of the Church becomes a habit. This is not as spectacular as fervid appeals, but it means the gradual conversion of the mass instead of the exhaustion of the faithful few. I would suggest then, first, that the education of our people m the the principles of a really world-wide Church spirit, united with a presentation of

vivid and heart-stirring appeals straght from the fiield, are a first call on the Church leaders. And secondly that an organised expression for the educated enthusiasm which would result, should be given through a system such as the duplex envelope. (The Church News.)