Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

9 articles on this Page

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

News
Cite
Share

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. WREXHAM AUXILIARY. On Sunday last, sermons were preached and col- lections made at the parish church and at St. MarkB, in behalf of the above society, and on Monday evening the annual meeting was held in the Town Hall, the vicar (the Rev D. Howell) in the chair. There were also on the platform the Rev M. H. C. Shelton, Rev Griffith Jones, the Rev E. Smart, vicar of Henllan, Denbigh, Rev Mr Honiss, the deputation; his worship the mayor (Dr Eyton Jones), and Dr Williams. There was a very good attendance. After the usual devotional exercises, The Vicar said: It becomes my duty, my Christian friends, on this occasion to read the report of OHr local auxiliary for a reason which you will understand, namely, the decease of our late most estimable treasurer. Before this meeting is Dyer I shall ask you to join with me in appointing « successor. At the present moment it. is my duty to act in his place, and to read to you the following repot--t: The friends of Church Missions will be lad to learn that the income of the Church Missionary Society continues steadily to grow. rhe total income for last year was Y,189,457 17s. id., or, including Special Fund, S195,116 Ss. Id. The increase upon the income -of the preceding year is largely due to the bequeathment of Legacies, but an increase of £ 2,213 is also shown in the total amount remitted, by the associations throughout the country. Our own Parochial Association has, during the past year sustained a very great loss in the decease cf our most, estimable treasurer, the late T. T, Griffith, Eeq. From his YcGUt h interested in the cause of missions, and deeply attached to the prin- ciples of the Church Missionary Society-, it is hardly possible to overestimate the value of his services during the long period in which tie acted as Treasurer to the Wrexham Auxiliary. To the last he manifested the liveliest interest in the operations of this Society; and it becomes an act of duty to his honoured memory, as well as tc the ever increas- ing exigencies of the Missionary cause, that we should, with greater energy, zeal, and liberality than heretofore, sustain and further this must blessed work, with which Almighty God has specially connected His own glory. The Society's operations during the past year have been characterized, ai-road, by doors opened, and entered, for carrying the Gospel message into (regions hitherto unevangelized; end also by the increased activity of the Native Christian Churches. The growth of the Native Church is witnessed by the unparalleled increase in the number of Native clergy (twenty-eight at least having been ordaimed in the course of the year); by the now almost I universal acknowledgment on the part of the converts of the duty of bearing their own Church expenses; by greater knowledge of God's Word, greater delight in united prayer and praise, greater activity in making known the-Gospel to heathen neighbours and countrymen; and, lastly, by the greater devotedness and spiritual power of Native Christian preachere. Prominent features of the year, at home, have been the liberality of friends in offering help for new efforts, and the large accession of candidates for tbe Society's college at Islington. And though the supply of men from among the younger clergy and University graduates, and generally of men ready at once to proceed to the Mission field, has been in quantity painfully inade- quate, there are manifestations at the English Universities in influential quarters of a warm desire to co-operate in the Church's tppointed; task of evangelising all nations. Subjoined is our financial statement for the past year:— £ s. C. Sermons: Parish Church and St. Mark's. 31 420 Meeting 7 3 6 Griffith, Miss 110 Beale, J., Esq. 0 10 0 Cunliffe, Rev. Canon 10 0 Edwards, Miss 10 0 Greenwood, Mrs 0 10 0 Griffith T. T., Esq 2 £ 0 Griffith, Mrs. 1 C 0 Hayes, Miss 0 10 0 Howell, Rev. D 110 Overton, W. Esq 110 Williams, Dr 1 10 Williams, Mrs Owen 2 2 0 Sums under 10s '2 5 9 Howell, Rev. D. Nickson, Miss 110 MISSIONARY BOXES. Barnes, Miss. 0 16 1 Da,Ties.Miss. 0 13 9 .Jones, Master K. 0 10 6 Parsonage, Miss 1 '7 4 Rogers, Miss 13 6 Beast Market Sunday-school 0 11 3 Sums under lCs 1 8 7 JE6124 Total in last Report 2630 10 8 £ 2691 13 0 Such, my brethern, is the report which, as I said before, in the absence of a treasurer it is my duty to present to your notice and after what I have said it will not surprise you that I should just, in opening this meeting, say that we are placed in a position which I think has not been paralleled possibly in the whole history of the Wrezham auxiliary, that we have for the first time been deprived of the services of one whom we not only respected and esteemed but I may say universally honoured and loved, our late treasurer Dr. Griffith. I am sure I shall carry with me your sympathies when I say it is impossible to express too eulo- gistically our obligations to the departed one, who has now gone to his rest and his reward, for his .ever faithful and sustaining presence to meetings such as the present, and also for his liberality and activity in promoting the interest of this great and good cause but whilst it is our duty, my friends, to give expression to our sorrow for having lost one who was a friend and supporter of every good cause, it is also my pleasure to announcetoyou that another and distinguished member of a pro- fession to which «war late member belonged has been kind enough to say he is prepared to take up the work and office vacated by our deceased friend. I am happy to tell you that Dr. Williams has been kind enough to consent to become the treasurer to this auxiliary, subject to the approval of this meet- ing; and though I siy it in his presence, I am sure 1 can in all sincerity say that there is no one in this parish better fitted to discharge the duties of this office to our entire satisfaction than Dr. Wil- liams (applause). We are thus reminded of the course of life, particularly of the Christian life, in which one soldier passes off the scene and another takes up his place, his weapons, and his warfare. This I need hardly say to you is the tone of all our Church services. pwticularly the latter part of that most deeply impressive and solemn prayer we offer at every morning prayer of our Church—that is the prayer for tue Church Militant. There you re- member we are taught not only to thank God for all His servants departed this life in His faith and fear, but we are also taught to beseech Him to give us grace so to follow their good example that we may with them be par- takers of Christ's heavenly kingdom. it is there- fore to me most gratifying to find that while one faithful and devoted member has been taken from us, there are others prepared to take up the work, and I trast to carry it forward, I cannot say with more zeal, but with equal zeal and efficiency. Few things have pleased me more of late than the desire shown by the laity to take part in this and similar good worka, having for their object the temporal and spiritual welfare of those around them. I trust there never will be wanting in this town and parish those who from their education, position, and influence cannot fail to have great weight with their fellow townsmen, those who will lay their shoulder to the wheel of the Redeemer's chariot, and so leave the world better than they foand it; and seek to promote God's glory in connection with that work with which is associated the best and highest welfare of men. Need I say there never was a time when the exigences of the missionary cause were greater than at the present time; never were the openings for missionary enterprise so extensive in every part of the world; never was the influence of this great country so great thrcughout the length and breadth of the world as at the present moment; and never were our responsibili- ties greater than now. Some months ago, some of you may remember a letter from that great African explorer, Mr Stanley, which appeared in one of our daily journals pointing out a field of missionary labour in one of the most promising parts of Africa, and how in a very few weeks more than a sufficient amount of money was freely offered and placed in the hands of this society to engage in that work. And that work is at the present moment being carried out with energy and zeal, in which I cannot fail to recognise the finger of God. I therefore venture to say that whether we look to the east or the west, whether to the country so graphically described by our friend yesterday, South India, or other parts referred to in the society's report, there never was a time when openings for missionary enterprise were so numerous or promising as at the present moment. The question is what shall we do in entering these doors, in undertaking this most blessed work; and it is for you, by your prayers and sympathies and by your contributions, by above all things your continued interest every year, tc say what part of this most holy work shall be undertaken in this parish; and how far a work, which has been hitherto conducted with no small degree of zeal and energy, shall in the future be conducted if possible with still greater self-sacrifice and zeal (applause). The deputation then moved the adoption of the report in a speech of considerable length, in which he gave a graphic sketch of the domestic life of the Hindoos, their natural characteristics and caste pre- judices, and the difficulties which missionaries had to encounter in overcoming Brahminical supersti- tions and Budhist worship, Mahommedanism. and Parseeism, &e. Notwithstanding these discourage- ments, he stated that as the result of missionary enterprise there were no fewer than a hundred thousand converts to Christianity in India at the present time. and these converts could be matched with Christian converts in any other part of the civilised world. The Rev E. Smart seconded the resolution in an eloquent and forcible speech, in which he took a sanguine view of the prospects of missionary enter- Erise in various parts of the world, including Japan, te stated that the society expended £ 198,000 last year for the evangelisation of the heathen, and began the present year free of debt. The Church Missionary Society stood foremost among aU missionary societies of the world in point of means J ana influence. The resolution was put to the meeting and carried unanimonsly. The Mayor then rose, and said that since the year 1848 he had been for a great number of years in the habit of attending these missionary meetings, and he could not call to mind ever attending one with- out seeing on that platform the face of their iate treasurer, not only sitting there, but speaking earnestly, acting usefully, and labouring with all his power for the benefit of the Church Missionary Society and when, in common with them all, he de- plored the loss of that great and good man, he was very thMikful that he could recommend in the proposition he was going to place before them one to succeed him who, he believed, would faithfully do his work towards this branch of the Church Missionary Society. If the town of Wrexham ever wished for an earneat of the able manner in which Dr Williams could discharge his duty, he would I point out to them the manner in which he had acted-during the last twelvemonths as president of the eisteddvod committee (applause). If he could so devotedly labour foe our national institution, he was that for that sociaty which carries on its labours beyond the seas and for all time they could trust him as their fnture treasurer. He had the greatest pleasure in proposing that Dr Williams be appointed treasurer of the Wrexham Auxiliary Branch of the ChurehMissionary Society (applause). The Rev Mr Shelton seconded the resolution, and trusted Dr Williams would find the office something ■more than a sinecure. The resolution was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. I Dr Williams, in reply, said he could not allow such a resolution to pass without offering at all events his gratitude for the confidence they had been good enough to repose in him. He felt thit he was following one who had discharged hie duties so long, so well, and so faithfully that he could not have a better example than he who had passed away from among them deplored, beloved, and regretted (applause). But although he had gone his memory lived among them and while he feared I the Mayor had spoken of him in too fiattering terms—("No, no")—he only wished he was able, and hoped he should be in some measure, to follow in his footsteps. He should be only too glad for the words of Mr Shelton to be fulfilled, that his work should not be a sinecure, but that they should add year by year to his labours in what he would regard as a labour of love. He should be glad to be helped, as he was sure he always should be, by their excellent vicar to further the cause of the Church Missionary Society, in which he always felt the greatest interest (applause). Again heithanked them for the confidence reposed in him, and hoped he should prove it had not been misplaced (applause. The Visar then. proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Overton and his partner Mr Thos. Williamc, for the use of the hall, which was seconded by the Rev G. I Jones, and briefly acknowledged by Mr Overton. A vote "of thanks to the vicar, and the singing of Bishop Heber's well-known missionary hymn concluded "the proceedings. The foUowing is the result of the collections:— Parish Church, Sunday morning, ..£1:0 8s 5d; evening. 14s 6d. St. Mark's, Sunday morning, £7 13s 6d:-evening, £4 12s Id. Collected in meet- ing, .£5 8s total, £29 Ss 6d. It may interest same of our readers to know, further, that the Bishop of Colombo hat; seen it necessary to suspend the licenses of twelve clergy- men in his diocese paid by this society. The local newspapers speak of it as an act which was-sure to be required sooner or later, but all accounts are more er less ex-parte. We believe, however, that similar diSiculties have occurred in the diocese of Madras and in that of Calcutta, during the episcopate of the ever venerated Bishop Wilson.

___._-__-----COUNTY MAGISTRATES…

jWREXHAM COUNTY COURT.

Advertising

--WBEXHAM TOWS C^LNCiL.

[No title]

FATAL ACCIDENT AT SONTLEY…

WBEXHAM BKEWSTER SESSIONS.

--_._--ilocal WcU)«3.