BOARD OF MISSIONS NOTES.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 27, Issue 5, 1 May 1937, Page 4

BOARD OF MISSIONS NOTES.

(By J. A. Tyndale-Biscoe.)

HOME BASE. Foundation for Missionary Service,

Every parish priest is confronted with the problem of holding Con-

iirmation candidates after they have •been confirmed. Confirmation is so often the end of a youth's connection with his -Church when it should be a vital beginning. If every confirmed man and woman were active members of the Church there would not be so much said about the empty pew. There is an answer to this problem. ■ "The trouble with England," said -a clerk m a motor works the other day, "is that there is nothing to do •or think about. We go to work, draw our money, spend it on the pictures or the races or the dogs or a girl. Now, if you will lead off something worth while we'll follow you, thousands of us." When candidates realise that m .saying "I do" they are committing themselves to a whole-time and adventurous life work there may not be so many of them at first, but they will stay. Confirmation could, mean the mobilisation of thousands of :young men and women, who would work together and plan together to bring a revolution, based on absolute 'honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness and absolute love, m •every home, every business and every sector of the nations life. Youth "Camps." In the writer's parish some candidates have been having training m the recent Oxford Group Youth "Camps," and they have decided to •enlist without reservation m God's ;army. As a result they have been able to translate the meaning of the confirmation vows into language that can be understood by the other candidates who were not fortunate ■enough to attend a "camp." These -others are now beginning to see to ■what they are asked to commit themselves. If they are not willing "to give themselves to God without reservation they know that it would a farce for the Bishop to lay his liands on them. - It is necessary to break down the idea that refusal on the part of the priest to recommend a candidate, is a slight on him. It is also necessary to build up a public opinion that to be confirmed is a tremendous privilege and a recognition that the candidate is offering his life to God for spiritual leadership under His control. This is a matter vital to the future «of the Church.

How to Prevent International Wars. (By Bishop Linton, formerly of Persia). You believe that the only solution to the fear of the world, which is leading the nations on m this mad race to ruin, is Jesus, accepted as. Saviour, and as Lord and King of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, who was crucified, and who liveth for evermore. You believe that — I know you do. Then say so! Every one of us. Say it m your club. Say it m your factory. Say it m your office. Say it m your school. Say it at your bridge party. Say it m your letters. Say it m the Press. And keep on saying it. And, then, go on to say why you believe it is true, because He has taken fear out of your life and filled you with the peace of God. And if you can't say that— because you have not honestly tried it m your own life — then put Jesus Christ to the test now, and you will know that peace; and then you can go on preaching peace by Jesus Christ. Yes. Let us make no mistake about it; the world catastrophe for which we are planning : to spend about a million a day, is not this time to be a war of soldiers against soldiers. You got a glimpse of it last week when you read what happened at Malaga — when 'planes, flew down and bombed and machinegunned the refugees, women and children among them, who were fleeing for their lives. And it has passed on into history with no effective protest! "We have even got to that now! AN ITEM FROM HANGCHOW. Where N.Z. Has Five Women Missionaries. A Mr Chang, of Hangchow, Chekiang, being one of the regular listeners to our station X.M.H.D., over the air, and having heard talks on public health and hygiene, • together with the doctrine of Christ, became greatly anxious. One day he came to Shanghai and called on us so as to ask many questions regarding the Christian religion. He said he was a worshipper of Buddha but wanted to accept the true and leave the false. He became interested. A letter was written to one of the pastors m. Hangchow. He has definitely accepted Christ and joined the Church. He is an earnest Christian. (From one of the Chinese speakers).

MISSIONS AND PRISONS. Miss Jennings m Kowlooh (British Territory) and Miss Tobin m Kweilin, have great opportunities for prison work, and have recently been cheered by the following news from Nanking: — The latest set of prison regulations issued quite recently by the Nanking Government includes a rule whereby, m accordance with a League of Nations memorandum on the treatment of prisoners, all prison authorities are instructed to arrange for prisoners to have the ministrations of clerygymen of their religion, and to join m worship. JERUSALEM. (By Professor Norman Bentwich, m the "Times") . The appearance of new Jerusalem, spreading with breathless . rapidity over the hills, causes anguish to those who feel that the conservation of the character of the Old City and the seemly planning of the new quarters are a part of the sacred trust imposed on the Mandatory Power. . During the last three years Jerusalem has grown on every side, save the east, where the gorge of the Kidron and the steep ascent of the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus still afford a precarious check on the activities of the. speculative builder. It may be hoped that the check will be effective long enough for the realisation of a plan to acquire the un-built-on area of these slopes as a park for the city. Jerusalem must be the only important capital withr out a park; and it is strange that, while the many religious and philanthropic bodies of every creed and people are concerned to endow it with institutions which only appeal to a section, none of them has yet had the inspiration to endow it with a garden for the whole population. The Mount of Olives. The acquisition of • the Mount of Olives would be a fitting object for a Jerusalem Preservation Trust—on the lines of the Oxford and Cambridge Trusts — which have been contemplated for several years, but has been postponed time and again because of political complications. Colonel Wedgwood said he asked to give evidence a$ the principal critic of the Palestine Administration. They had to-day m Palestine more public officials per mile prob-< ably than m any other country under

British 1 administration. These officials had gradually been changed from British to Arab, and his conviction was that the idea of placating by office had been carried out to an excessive degree. Sections of the Administration had become antiJew and pro-Arab. There was no social contact between the Administration and the Je/ws ouftside the High Commisioner's house. The worst feature, Colonel Wedgwood thought, was that the Jews were not allowed to have arms to defend themselves. The Royal Commission met m private session on Friday, when evidence, was given by Sir John Chancellor, who was High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief m Palestine from 1928 to 1931. AFRICA. Miss Lindsay's work m Tanganyika is illustrated by the following: —A Class for Wives: Nearly all have babies who do their best to divert the attention of their mothers, and their mothers' teacher, from the tasks m hand. It is difficult to concentrate on words of two syllables when Kaposta, who can just stand, rears himself up and shows off with crows of delight; or when Kavya■nera, a diminutive damsel dressed m nothing but a frill about three inches long, is licking off the words I have carefully written beforehand on the blackboard. Kavyanera is the third child of the family, and ■as the two first died m infancy her -parents gave her this name, meaning "she won't come to anything," m the hopes that evil spirits would overlook her. Kaposta has an inquiring mind, and he is puzzled by his stool. When he tries to sit on it, it will tip up, but his mother seems to manage it all right. Poor Kaposta! He does not know that "because he is so little he is only able to sit on the extreme edge, which makes the stool overbalance. When Mr and Mrs Stovold came to Kaloleni all the ' mothers were very interested m their white baby, Elizabeth, and the way m which she was brought up. They noticed that Mrs Stovold did not carry Elizabeth about on her back all day, and that she was often laid on the rug on the floor, or m a pram. Elizabeth seemed

to flourish, so some of the mothers began to copy these methods. OUR FINANCES. Improvement of Over £1,000. Receipts for "Budget" purposes up to the end of March were £1074 better than this time last year. The amount was £6555 as against £5481. Truly we thank God and take courage. As a glance at the following table will show, the increase has been well spread over the various dioceses, though Wellington shows the greatest advance. Interim figures, however, as we frequently point out, have nothing like the same weight as final returns, as any particular diocese may show to less advantage through delay m remitting to Wellington. But allowing for this, the advance this month is distinctly encouraging, and we all hope and pray that it will now be sustained to the end of the financial year — June 30th. God is certainly blessing this land m a wonderful manner, and we could give Him no better thankoffering than by doubling our usual contribution to the great cause of spreading His Kingdom.

Budget Receipts. To 31st March, Diocese. 1937. Last year. £ s. d. ' £ s. d. Auckland .. 868 10 5 718 8 8 Christchurch 1123 12 7 1121 7 .4 Nelson . . 645 7 3 438 0 10 Dunedin . . 695 6 7 577 14 7 Waiapu .. 708 6 1 762 2 2 Waikato ... 346 19 11 266 8 10 Wellington . 2129 5 8 1572 15 1 Extra Diocesan 38 1 8 23 16 1 £6555 10 2 £5480 13 7 F. C. LONG.