WORLD CONFERENCE NEW ZEALAND INVITED TO SEND DELEGATES.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 26, Issue 11, 1 November 1936, Page 6

WORLD CONFERENCE NEW ZEALAND INVITED TO SEND DELEGATES.

At the Swanick Conference this year, Dr. Mott was present, and spoke with all his old vigour and power on the missionary situation to-day. His address carried us to the far horizons m our world task. He spoke of "open doors," and m an impassioned appeal he summoned the missionary societies to advance. The Rev. William Paton, who has recently returned from a world tour, spoke on the proposals of the International Missionary Council, that a full meeting of the Council should be held m China m 1938. It will then be exactly ten years since the Jerusalem gathering, which proved so fruitful m its results to the whole missionary cause: Hangchow has been selected as the place of meeting m 1938, and the arrangements for delegates are so planned as to give the nationals of Eastern and African lands a clear majority over all others. It is expected that about 400 people will attend the meetings from over 50 different countries. An indication of the committee's desire to give the young churches of the mission fields a predominant place m the 1938 gathering is the fact that while only 15 places have been given to British delegates of all churches, 60 places have been kept for China, 50 places for India and 40 places for Japan. The proposals to hold this gathering and the subjects for discussion at it, formed the main topic m the Swanick programme this year. The Bishops of Hong Kong and Tinnevelly were among the speakers and they warmly advocated the holding of the meetings. The programme for 1938 swings round five main subjects: 1. The Faith by which the churches live; 2. The witness of the Church to its faith; 3. The inner life and strength

of the Church; 4. The relation of the. Church to its environment, and 5^ Co-operation and unity. New Zealand has been invited to send two delegates to this Conference, and of these the Anglican Church is requested to nominate one. The matter has been referred by the Board of Missions to the General Synod. The Better Way. — For several years at Knowles, Birmingham, there has been held a fete and sale m aid. of the C.M.S. This year Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Viney invited about 300 friends to a garden party, and the guests were asked to give a freewill offering on their arrival. By this simple means £145 was raised — £50 more than the average of the previous sales. Unfortunately, Saturday was very wet, and the gathering had to be held m Mr. and Mrs. Viney's charming house, where 149 people were packed m! The Bishop of Worchester and Mrs. Perowne gave short addresses, and a delightful afternoon was spent. I commend this scheme to the notice of those who are still, thinking m terms of fetes and sales as a means of raising funds. For Evangelising At Horne — "News Teams." — I would like to take advantage of this occasion to mention the new scheme inaugurated by Prebendary Carlile m regard to what are called "News Teams." This is a special effort of evangelism which has already proved its usefulness m many parts of England. The idea is that a small number of men and women, approximately six to ten, should go from one parish to another when invited by the Vicar, and should give simple testimony as to what their religion means to them. The Bishop of Manchester recently stated that there were many ways of bringing men to Christ, but of all methods none seemed more hopeful than that of News Team work. A Week In Warsaw: Work Of Missions To Jews. — The secretaries of Church Missions to Jews have recently received the following from the Rev. E. L. Langston, Rector of Sevenoaks: It has been my privilege recently to pay a visit to Warsaw, and see at first hand something of the magnificent work that the Rev. Martin Far-

sons and his staff are carrying on ampnst the Jews m Warsaw and Poland. Having visited Warsaw, and seen something of the work of the C.M.J. m Poland since 1914, it was all the more interesting to compare the past with the present. Undoubtedly since 1914 there has come a great change over Jewry: I saw nothing like the number of Jews wearing their "peyoth" and long gaberdine coats and small black caps, as m the old days. They are much more get-at-able from the point of view of the Gospel now. In these days when a forward* movement is being urged for Missions to Jews m Palestine, I would like to remind all keen workers and prayer-partners for Missions to Jews that they should realise that th<e( largest number of Jews m the world is still to be found m Poland, and that it is still m large measures the fountain-head from which world Jewry is supplied. The new Polish State is realising that one of its greatest problems is the Jewish; numerically they number one-seventh of the population; m "Warsaw one-third of the population are Jews, and m many of the provincial towns four out of every five inhabitants are Jews. There is a strange mixture of Eastern and Western Jews amongst them. Hatred Of Jews. — Unfortunately Jew-hate is beginning to develop again; and I saw put up m different parts of Warsaw anti-Jewish sentences such as "Beat the Jews!" and "Down with the Jews!" In spite of this sentiment that is developing everywhere, certainly the Jews are far better off under the new regime than they were m 1914. The C.M.J. has a magnificent opportunity of witnessing to these Jews, and I was deeply impressed by the sane methods used by our missionaries. I had the joy of speaking to some fifty Jews one evening at their English class. This class, which is ostensibly for teaching English, is also used as a means of preaching the Gospel. The Jews who come are all told very plainly that the missionaries are not taking this class only to teach English, but to introduce to them the claims of Christ and Christianity; and it is

amazing to see the response of these people. In personal talks with one and another afterwards I could see how the Spirit of God was working and breaking down prejudice, and awakening a soul desire for the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour as well as their Messiah. There is no doubt that amongst their number there are some who are secret believers, and who are weighing up the consequences of baptism. F. C. LONG, General Secretary.