(6) The next business was the “Appointment of the Annual Collections.” Rev. A. Sutherland moved that the Collections be appointed as follows: (1) Collection for College Fund in August—notice to be sent by the Convener of the Theological Committee; (2) First Missionaries’ and Catechists’ Collection in October—by book from house to house; (3) Organisation Fund Collection in December—notice to be sent by the Synod Clerk; (4) Church Building Fund in January—notice to be sent by the Synod Clerk; (5) Foreign Mission Collection in March—notice to be sent by the Convener of the Foreign Mission Committee; (6) Second Missionaries and Catechists’ Collection in April at church door—notice to be sent by the Convener of Sustentation Fund Committee; (7)
Aged and Infirm Ministers, and Ministers’ Widows’ and Orphans’ Fund in June—notice to be sent by the Rev. D. Macfarlane, Dingwall. The motion was seconded by the Rev. N. Matheson and agreed to.
FOREIGN MISSION REPORT—SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION.
In the unavoidable absence of the Rev. Neil Cameron, Convener of the Jewish and Foreign Mission, the Rev. John R. Mackay read the following report which the Convener had forwarded him:—
“The report of our Mission in South Africa is not, in some respects, so favourable as we have had to report in the past; but in other respects things have to be reported which are encouraging. We need not remind the Synod of the fact that the effort made to set up a Mission in Mashonaland had met with some opposition. The history of the case is this:—Mr. David N’Tuli went to Mashonaland, conferred with one of the chiefs there about the setting up of a Mission in his kraal, and got the chief’s consent. He then went to the Native Commissioner, who expressed his approval of the movement. Mr. N’Tuli then returned home, sold all he had, and went to Mashonaland with his wife and children. The distance seems to be more than one hundred miles. When he arrived, the Native Commissioner raised objections to the setting up of the Mission. Mr. N’Tuli told him that the chief had given his consent, and that in the good faith of that consent, he had come with his family all the way from Matabeleland. The Commissioner answered that he would send a man with him to the chief the following day, and that, if the chief consented, he would consider the matter further. This man was sent the same day to the chief by the Commissioner. The following day Mr. N’Tuli and the man went to the chief, but, as might be expected, found he had changed his mind and did not wish the Mission to be started in his kraal. In these circumstances nothing remained for N’Tuli but to return home to Matabeleland. He took three weeks returning with his family and waggons. When he arrived the Rev. J. B. Radasi wrote the Chief Native Commissioner, and, at the same time, reported the matter to our Committee on Foreign Missions. He expressed a desire that we should write to some of the chief men in authority in order, if possible, to have the way opened for the setting up of the Mission. The Rev. J. R. Mackay wrote Sir William Milton, the Chartered Company’s chief administrator in Rhodesia, explaining the circumstances to him, and requested that he would use his influence to have the barriers raised against the starting of the Mission in Mashonaland removed. Mr. Mackay wrote also to Mr. Wodehouse, an influential missionary at Umtali, in order that he might use his influence in our favour. The Committee took these steps to begin with, because Mr. Mackay had met both Sir William Milton and this minister when he visited the South African Mission more than
two years ago. The replies received, while sympathetic, gave little solid encouragement. In these circumstances, the Committee awaited the manifestation of the Lord’s will and purpose concerning the matter. After waiting till last May, the Committee took into serious consideration the whole case as regards Mr. David N’Tuli and the Mashonaland Mission, and came to the conclusion that David N’Tuli should not be continued as a missionary, and that the efforts to start a mission in Mashonaland should meanwhile be delayed. The Committee are quite satisfied that, after seriously and prayerfully weighing the matter set before them by the Rev. J. B. Radasi and others, the above decision was the only prudent and economical course open to them at the time.
“At the last meeting of Synod, plans and specifications of the church proposed to be built at Bembesi were submitted to the Court. The Synod decided that of the three parties who sent in offers two should be dropped as unsatisfactory, and that the third party should be asked to send more particular specifications as to materials, and a definite offer which would include all costs. This contractor sent plans and specifications which will be submitted to the Court, but we are sorry that the cost of the building is much higher than the former offer. The cause of this is that iron has now to be used in the walls of the church as well as on the roof, because the bricks have been a complete failure, and can only be used as a wall inside the corrugated iron. The offer is still as indefinite as the former, and leaves the carriage of the stuff to Bembesi as a future charge, which the Church might find too high at the end. In our opinion, this Court should have a definite statement of all costs, signed by the contractor, before the building should be proceeded with. Of course, we make these statements in full submission to the decision of the Synod.
“We are very pleased to inform the Synod and all our people that the Shorter Catechism, which we understood was out of print, and was not to be printed again at the Lovedale Press, was only substituted by another translation of it. The Rev. J. R. Mackay had a copy of this new translation sent him from Lovedale, which gave full satisfaction to the Rev. J. B. Radasi, and of which he ordered quantities to be sent him. This will relieve the Synod from printing the Shorter Catechism in Kaffir as was decided on at last meeting. We think that the small sums of money received for this purpose should be used for buying quantities of the Catechism already in Kaffir print as need may require. If any of the friends who contributed towards the printing of the Kaffir Shorter Catechism desire their money to be otherwise used, we will be obliged by their writing to Mr. Angus Clunas, Treasurer, 35 Ardconnell Terrace, Inverness, instructing him as to how they wish it to be allocated.
“We are pleased also that we have to report better progress as regards the putting of the Psalms into Kaffir metre. The two native missionaries who had been working at this translation into
metre got on with it to the fiftieth Psalm. They submitted the first forty to Principal Henderson, Lovedale, and had the other ten in MS. when we last heard from them. The Financial Committee sent those translators £7 10s. each as an acknowledgment from the Church for the work done by them. Principal Henderson has written Rev. J. R. Mackay to the effect that the work would now be proceeded with without any undue delay. We thus hope that our friends in Matabeleland will ere long have the inspired Psalms of David in metre. This is a real cause of thankfulness to our Church.
“The work of our Church in the hands of the Rev. J. B. Radasi is being conscientiously and laboriously attended to. He reported some time towards the end of last year that the Kaffir and Zulu Bibles were almost all given away. We ordered £6 worth of Bibles to be sent him through the British and Foreign Bible Society, and have had word from him since that the Bibles arrived safely. The Synod resolved several years ago that a Kaffir Bible should be given to every person attending the school there who will learn to read it. This practice has been continued ever since. Meetings or services are held each Sabbath day in six places—the elders presiding at five of these.
“A good work seems to have been going on among the young in connection with the school. The Rev. J. B. Radasi wrote us some time ago that almost all who attended his Bible Class were received into full communion with the Church. We have full confidence in Mr. Radasi’s faithfulness to the souls of men, and consequently we had to conclude that they were received after full examination by the Session. May the Lord cause His abundant blessing to rest on the Mission.”
Rev. J. R. Mackay moved that “The Synod accept and approve of the report of the Foreign Mission sent in by the Convener of Committee for said Mission, and further thank the Convener for the same. The Synod entirely approve of the Committee’s finding with respect to Mr. David N’Tuli, and, as a consequence, of their regarding the effort to send a missionary to Mashonaland as, for the present, at a standstill. The Synod postpone a resolution on the subject of the proposed new building at Ingwenya until (d.v.) the Synod meet again in Glasgow in November. Further, the Synod express gratitude on account of the progress that is being made with the rendering of the Psalms into Kafir, and approve of the instalments of payment sent on to Mr. Bokwe and Mr. Gaba for services rendered in this connection; and, finally, express their thankfulness for the measure of success that has, during the past year, attended Rev. J. B. Radasi’s services in Matabeleland.” In supporting this motion, Mr. Mackay, after a brief reference to the topics with which the motion opens, went on to give some account of the progress that is being made with the rendering of the Psalms into Kafir metre. He reminded the Synod of the letter from Rev. J. K. Bokwe, which had been read to the Synod in
November, a copy of which appeared in the December, 1911, Magazine. Principal Henderson of Lovedale, who had seen Mr. Bokwe’s letter, wrote him (the speaker) to this effect:—
“LOVEDALE,
SOUTH AFRICA, 24th February, 1912.
The Rev. J. R. MACKAY, M.A.,
Free Presbyterian Manse, Inverness,
Scotland.
DEAR MR. MACKAY,—I have just seen the Free Presbyterian Magazine for December, containing the correspondence brought before your Synod in regard to the metrical version of the Psalms that is being prepared in Kafir; and as this correspondence is liable to be misconstrued, I think it right to make a statement on the subject without delay. Briefly, the native translators have made a beginning which is distinctly creditable to them, and promising. But on my referring portions of their work to competent authorities, I found, as I feared, that there were defects in the direction of failure to bring out with sufficient precision the sense of the original, which made it impossible for me to sanction the issue of the version as it stood. It was then my endeavour to find one or two European authorities on the originals, with also an efficient knowledge of Kafir, to act as revisers, concentrating specially upon the touch of the version with the Hebrew text. This, after long waiting, I am now hopeful about, and I have in view an arrangement which promises to accomplish our purpose. As to Mr. Bokwe’s suggestion about a tentative edition, the work that has to be done on the version as it now stands is not what can be obtained from criticisms in newspaper correspondence, but the hard spade-work of men who take responsibility for the work from beginning to end, and are to see it through, and who are prepared to spend all the time that is needed on the work, taking the version word by word and line by line.—With kind regards.
Yours sincerely,
JAMES HENDERSON.”
Proceeding, Mr. Mackay said that the Synod would see that at the time Principal Henderson wrote the above letter, progress in the work of rendering the Psalms into Kafir metre was still attended with much difficulty. He was glad to say that this subject assumed a more encouraging aspect recently. According to the latest information which he had from Principal Henderson, Mr. Bokwe’s work was recognised as the best that could now be produced, and on this account the work would be urged forward with the greatest possible speed. Mr. Mackay was not without hope that by this time next year they would be able to announce that the entire one hundred and fifty Psalms had been rendered into Kafir metre. He then read a very interesting letter from Mr. Radasi to the Convener, which had just come to hand, and which reported how the work was being carried on up to date. It contained several particulars which would be heard with much
pleasure. (The letter is published elsewhere in this Magazine.) In the course of some further remarks, Mr. Mackay said it was highly desirable that some one should go from the Church at home to assist Mr. Radasi in his work, as the authorities were not willing to encourage Missions without white missionaries on the field. Rev. W. Matheson seconded the motion, and expressed the hope that the Lord might soon send out a man from among themselves to help Mr. Radasi.
CANADIAN MISSION REPORT.
(8) Rev. Ewen Macqueen, Dornoch, Convener of the Canadian Mission Committee, delivered their report. It was already announced that the Rev. Walter Scott had been sent as the Church’s Deputy to Canada for the present summer. In response to an appeal for ministerial supply and indication of willingness to join our Church, from members of the Associate Presbyterian Church at Chesley, Ontario, sent through Rev. Neil Macintyre, last year’s deputy, an arrangement was made that the Rev. Mr. Scott should give three Sabbaths to Chesley before visiting the other stations. The burden of the present report is the outcome of this visit to Chesley. The minutes duly signed of a meeting of the members of this congregation held on 8th May had been forwarded. Mr. Alexander Dobie, elder, acted as Chairman. Rev. W. Scott opened the meeting with prayer, after which he announced that the object of the meeting was to decide whether or not the congregation should unite with the Free Presbyterian Church. It was moved and seconded that they connect themselves with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and look to said Church for supply. After some discussion, the motion was put and carried. Thereupon a formal petition in terms of the motion was agreed upon. The following is the petition which has been forwarded:—
“UNTO the Reverend the MODERATOR and REMANENT
MEMBERS of the SYNOD of the FREE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, to convene at Inverness on
the Tuesday after the last Sabbath of June, 1912:
This Petition of the Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Chesley, Ontario, in Congregational Meeting assembled, this 8th day of May, 1912, humbly sheweth—
That for some time past it has been the desire of this congregation, in respect of their isolated and pastorless condition, to seek connection with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, in the interest, especially, of the Gospel ministry being restored and continued among them; that with the temporary presence at this time of your representative, they have taken the matter into their further solemn and prayerful consideration, and have formally resolved in favor of such connection. Therefore they request that your reverend Court take the premises under their favorable
cognizance, so as to receive and acknowledge us as a congregation of your Church, and further our desire for pastoral provision accordingly. And your petitioners will ever pray, etc.
On behalf of, and by authority of, the congregation petitioning.
A. DOBIE, Elder, Chairman.
In succession to this petition, a Call had been forwarded to the Synod Clerk, dated 31st May, and addressed to the Rev. Walter Scott, minister of the Gospel, inviting him to undertake the office of pastor among them, promising to give him all “due respect, encouragement, and subjection in the Lord,” and to contribute to his “suitable maintenance, as God may prosper us.”
At the conclusion of the report, Mr. Macqueen moved as follows: “The Synod, having considered the petition of the Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Chesley, Ontario, for union with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, hereby resolve to receive the said congregation as one of the congregations of this Church, on the basis of the constitution of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.” The motion was seconded and unanimously agreed to, and the Clerk was instructed to communicate the decision to the petitioners. It was also decided to communicate with the Rev. Walter Scott on the subject of the Call, and to make arrangements according to result.
The subject of the supply of Winnipeg during the coming winter was taken up in view of the coming to Scotland of Mr. William Matheson, student, to begin his divinity studies. The matter was remitted to the Canadian Mission Committee to take steps to procure supply and to make arrangements.