By Rev. R. MACKENZIE, M.A.
AT the Meeting of Synod held in May, 1928, I was asked to visit our Mission in Australia as deputy from the home Church, and afterwards, through Mr. Cameron, Convener of the Foreign Missions’ Committee, was authorised to extend this visit to South Africa. Having, in the kind providence of God, been enabled to carry out my instructions, it falls to me now to give you some account of the Missions concerned and of my visit to them. This I shall endeavour to do as briefly and with as little unnecessary detail as possible.
AUSTRALIA.
First, then, as to the Australian visit.
In company with our esteemed elder, Mr. James Campbell, Inverness, I left Glasgow on Friday, the 7th September, 1928, travelling by the North America and Pacific Route. At Vancouver Mr. Campbell and I were joined by Mr. Duncan Campbell, Mr. Campbell’s son, who accompanied us throughout the remainder of the journey. We reached Sydney on the 10th November and proceeded north by train the Thursday following, arriving at Lismore, the railway station for Ballina, on Friday evening, the 16th November. Here we were met by Mr. James Kidd and conducted by car to Ballina, about twenty miles distant. The Messrs. Campbell, having seen me to my journey’s end for the present, took their leave early the following week.
Our people in Australia to whom I ministered are few in number. They were originally connected with a church which went by the name of the Synod of Eastern Australia, and which by union with the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria and the Free Presbyterian Church of South Australia became the Free Presbyterian Church of Australia of the present day. I consider it desirable for the sake of those who are not familiar with the ecclesiastical situation in that distant part of the world, to state the following few facts by way of showing how the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland came to be represented in Australia. It will be observed that this was no case, as has been suggested to me, of our thrusting purely Scottish controversies upon an uninterested people.
The Synod of Eastern Australia, in common with the other churches named, was originally identified in point of constitution although not organically with the Disruption church in Scotland, and might well on that account be spoken of as the Free Church of New South Wales. In the year 1884, by what must be characterised as an act of gross ecclesiastical despotism, three ministers were excluded or, to use their own word, expelled from the Synod, and formed themselves into the Reconstituted Synod of Eastern Australia. Several congregations, including the Brushgrove congregation on the Clarence River, attached themselves to the Reconstituted Synod. The Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria to begin with favoured the expelled ministers, and it was while a minister of that body that the late esteemed Rev. Walter Scott became associated with and afterwards accepted a call from the Bushgrove congregation. Time, according to a familiar saying, is a great healer, although it must always be remembered in connection with that saying that there is such a thing as healing of a kind, and that it is possible to heal the hurt of the daughter of Zion slightly. At any rate, in course of time, and when those who were more directly affected by it were beyond redress at the hands of men, the Expulsion Act of 1884 was finally expurgated without any formal acknowledgment being made of its pernicious character or expression of regret for the wrong which it had perpetrated. This procedure, so characteristic of the method of modern ecclesiastical engineering, and yet so utterly futile for the purposes of ecclesiastical and of personal righteousness, eventually bore the desired fruit, or at least nearly so. The testimony of the Reconstituted Synod was in large measure abandoned, the sympathy of the Victorian Church ultimately withdrawn, and an incorporating union brought all the parties together within the presently subsisting Free Presbyterian Church of Australia. Mr. Scott and the Brushgrove congregation alone stood their ground facing difficulties which invariably attend thoroughgoing honesty of purpose and consistency of conduct in this present evil world. In 1911 the congregation, being now without a minister, Mr. Scott having left them two years previously, and being destitute of church connection, petitioned our Synod and were received as a congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. It is to be observed that the position and principles of our Church were well known in Free Church circles in Australia prior to this time. The decline of the Free Church of Scotland culminating in the Declaratory Act regime had been watched and deplored for years, and the rise of the Free Presbyterian Church was hailed with expressions of admiration and gratitude. By way of illustrating the attitude adopted by responsible ministers of the church in Victoria, I will quote a passage or two from their literary organ, “The Free Church Quarterly.” In volume 2 No. 7, the following appears:—”A secession from the Free Church has begun, which though at present small and displaying little wisdom in the steps taken, we would fain see successful as a testimony to truth. But the bulk of their leaders and their followers of the Constitutionalists party refuse to join the movement, and still remain timidly or snugly within the fold of an increasingly corrupt Church. They are ready with the plea that to secede plays into the hands of their opponents, who wish them out of the Church in order to be unhampered in their movement downwards. And they are ready to denounce the seceders as schismatics. But if this secession be a schism, the Disruption was a far greater one, for the corruptions of the Church now are far greater than they were then; and the corruptions are now growing, whereas then they were diminishing. As to the other plea, the Constitutionalists are only playing into their opponents’ hands by remaining within the Church; for they are merely giving these opponents abundant opportunity to corrupt the Constitutionalists leaders themselves and their followers, or to crush those who will not be corrupted—a twofold process which has been going on successfully for a generation and which will, humanly speaking, soon result in the complete extinction of the Constitutionalists party. I say this will soon take place, because, after all the dire threats and dread prophecies by Constitutionalists as to what would happen if the Declaratory Act became law and was unrepealed, now that, so far as they are concerned, nothing of consequence happened, the Constitutionalists party has ceased to exercise influence, or even to command respect from friend or foe.” Again, in Vol. 2 No. 9, we read:—”The Revs. D. Macfarlane, Raasay, and D. Macdonald, Sheildaig, are being proceeded against with a view to their deprivation of the churches and manses held by them; and have been summoned to appear before the Court of Session. It is very grievous to find some who are of their own mind regarding the evils of the Declaratory Act taking part with the Rainyite majority to dispossess them of their properties. The fact is that heretical ministers shielded by the majority have their positions thus secured, whilst the seceding ministers who are true to the principles to which the Church has proved false are to be thrown out of their homes and churches, if the civil law can do it . . . However, they can plead that they faithfully adhere to the principles which the Free Church required of them at their ordination; whilst those who have occasioned their separation have not. They only left the nominal Church because it ceased to be what it was when they undertook to serve it.” I quote one more passage from Vol. 3 No. 7:—”The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is like a small bark held by the moorings, from which a stately ship has parted, whilst with all sail set it is being steered to the breakers, most of the officers and crew being illusioned.” In addition to writing as above in their magazine, the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria, at a meeting of their governing court held on 7th May, 1895, unanimously passed a motion of sympathy in these terms:—”that this Synod agree to record their great regret that there should have been so much ground for this secession, and their gratification that, so far as appears to them, zealous attachment to the great Scriptural principles of the Disruption of 1843 has been a prominent feature in the contendings which have eventuated in the formation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.” On reading what has been written on this subject in Australia, one would naturally be excused for believing that it was all sincere, but the strange thing is that, with nothing to account for it beyond the mere passage of time, the judgment then so deliberately and impartially arrived at and so clearly enunciated appears now for the most part to be completely reversed. So much for history.
As to the extent and condition of our Mission in Australia, I have already indicated that our people there are few in number. Indeed this may be said of those in general who, one way or another, represent evangelical religion as distinct from Roman Catholicism on the one hand and Modernism on the other. For the most part, I am afraid, Australians are “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” The religion which makes no provision for the flesh makes little or no appeal to them. I have seen services held in Grafton in which, in addition to special musical programmes, exhibitions of crayon drawing by a man, and of whistling by a woman, figured, and which drew hundreds nightly, while not one person of that multitude would deign to cross the threshold of our place of worship. Only in the strength of that faith which is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” could one survey the situation with any degree of mental comfort in the present and of confidence for the future. Yet in the very bosom of that desolation, I have had the inestimable privilege of meeting Christian men and women of a rare type, the memory of whose piety I shall always cherish. So long as any such are left, Christ shall have a cause in Australia, a cause to which we as a Church are pledged, and which we are in honour bound by all means in our power to promote. Having been there, and having seen for myself the lights and shadows, spiritually speaking, I for one shall not welcome the day when the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland shall lose or otherwise give up its foothold in Australia. After all, it is wholly wrong to measure the relative strength or weakness of the cause, in Australia or elsewhere, in terms of manpower. And when we take God into account and in our calculations set the resources of His world-wide kingdom over against the sum-total of all other odds, the position at its very weakest and worst becomes full of promise, and especially so when viewed in the reflected light of that coming day when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth and when His glory shall fill the world.
The majority of our people reside in the Richmond River district, Ballina being the centre in which they gather and where regular services are conducted by Mr. James Kidd. We have a few families on the Clarence River also. Here Mr. Hugh Grant holds meetings in his own house in Brushgrove. The whole are regarded as one congregation, that is to say, they are under the jurisdiction of one Kirk-Session composed of Messrs. Hugh Grant, Alexander Kidd and James Kidd as members. Mr. L. S. MacLachlan, Ellerslie, Clarence River, is a deacon.
During my sojourn in Australia I divided my time equally between the two districts, being four months in each. Services were conducted twice every Sabbath (in English, of course), and the usual prayer meeting held during the week. In the Clarence River district, I held services on alternate Sabbaths at the Brushgrove end and in Grafton. In so far as our own people are concerned, and having regard to the distances some of them had to come, the attendance at these services were on the whole satisfactory. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed in both districts, and the usual services, with the exception of the Friday fellowship meeting held in connection therewith. I baptised three families, including in all nine children. One of these families came all the way from Queensland.
I conclude this part of my report by calling the attention of the Synod and of the Church to the needs of our mission in Australia. At home here, with all our privileges and conveniences, we can have little conception of the real difficulties and hardships with which our loyally disposed brethren on the other side of the world have to contend in their struggle to maintain principles which are dear to all true Free Presbyterians. They are at a loss in that they have no settled pastor to lead and feed them and to dispense sealing ordinances. For fourteen long years prior to my going there they waited patiently and expectantly for the coming of a deputy—surely a sufficient test of endurance. We cannot but admire them when we take into account that no consideration in the world other than warm regard for, and sincere attachment to, the cause of truth and conscience prevented them from seeking and readily finding church connection elsewhere. I make bold to appeal to the Synod on their behalf to inaugurate an effort with a view to finding sufficient money which, with what they themselves are able to afford, would make it possible to send them a deputy at regular intervals of a few years. In the meantime, I would ask all who have been taught to pray for the coming of the Kingdom to remember the King’s outcasts in Australia.
SOUTH AFRICA.
Coming now to the South African visit:
I arrived at Ingwenya via Durban on the 10th August, 1929, having left Sydney on the 5th July. In all I spent three weeks and three days with our South African friends—weeks and days which I shall reckon as among the happiest of my life. During that time I had the privilege of visiting all the various stations then connected with our mission, namely, Ingwenya, Ilibeni, Bembesi, Induba, Morven, Martha Farm and Shangani. I also found time to acquaint myself with the work done in the several departments, religious, educational and medical.
The most outstanding impression I have carried with me of our mission in South Africa is that the Lord is evidently at work there making the wilderness to blossom as the rose. It appeared to me as though those quickening influences of the Holy Spirit which we are accustomed to mourn as passing away from us to an alarming extent in Scotland are raising head in South Africa. One seems to see unmistakable evidence of this in the aspect of a South African congregation sitting at the feet of Christ, in the countenance of a South African Christian as with clasped hands and bowed head and tearful eyes he literally pours out his supplications to God in prayer, in the dark interior of a South African hut where one in casually passing the door catches a glimpse of a South African boy or girl poring over an open Bible, and in the orderly relationships of life that to an amazing extent have superceded the immoralities of South African heathenism. Such an impression is strengthened by conversations with natives, either in broken English or through an interpreter, when one hears of inward spiritual experiences, of the strugglings of a justified, but imperfectly sanctified soul, and of efforts at praising God for having sent the Gospel of His grace to the poor despised heathen. “This is the doing of the Lord and wondrous in our eyes.”
At the time of my visit there were in all seven stations at which services were held and schools conducted. From a letter recently received from Mr. Tallach I understand two stations have since been added, while three more are calling for attention. These stations range in different directions from Ingwenya at distances of from 5 to 200 miles. It will readily be understood from this that the field is increasing out of all proportion to the resources of the staff. “The harvest truly is great but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He send forth labourers to His own harvest.”
With the exception of Martha Farm, the circumstances of which have already been reported to you by Mr. Tallach, all the stations are provided with buildings, generally of a primitive type, which serve as schools and meeting-houses. At Ingwenya, the headquarters of the mission, there is a substantial church with several huts of corrugated iron while Mr. Tallach’s new house is constructed of burnt brick. Hitherto the white ant has been giving a lot of trouble in ravaging the walls and roofs of these buildings. A method of construction, however, has recently been adopted which it is hoped will render buildings immune from the pest.
From the religious point of view, the mission is in a very promising condition, and as I have already indicated there are many tokens of His blessing who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. There are eight elders in the Kirk-Session, all of whom, so far as I am in a position to judge, are men of true piety. The church membership is at present over two hundred. It is extremely gratifying to have to record that notwithstanding, on the one hand, the adverse conditions of life among a people who are just emerging from barbarism, and, on the other, the strictness with which membership is administered by the session, not one individual out of the two hundred had to be brought under discipline during the year previous to my visit.
The Church will be pleased to know that Mr. Tallach is now able to preach in the native tongue, and that Dr. Macdonald is making substantial progress in acquiring the language. They are both whole-heartedly devoted to their work and are indefatigable in their labours both at headquarters, at the various out-stations and in the native kraals. Nor is their attention confined to those natives who have already embraced the Christian religion. Periodic visits are paid to heathen kraals, and the Word of God read in their huts. In this connection the requirements of the body are made to subserve the interests of the soul, for the doctor has opportunity often in course of his professional duties to deal with sinners who might otherwise be inaccessible to the Gospel.
On the educational side, according to the testimony of the Inspector of native schools at Bulawayo, with whom I had an interview, our mission is in a relatively advanced position. When I was there the total attendance at our several schools would be somewhat over 400. There were in all 10 paid teachers, two of whom held N.P.L. certificates. While most, and indeed all of them according to their qualifications, are doing creditable work, and while it is invidious to make distinctions, I cannot but make special mention of the name of Paul Hlazo, son of the late godly Chief John Hlazo, who is head teacher at Ingwenya. Paul Hlazo is a veritable acquisition to the mission, not only with respect to the success of his work as teacher, but having regard also to his invaluable services as interpreter, services which he renders with a readiness and ability that are remarkable. In addition to the ordinary school subjects, among which religious instruction holds a prominent place, basket work, cookery and needlework are taught, the supervising of the two latter subjects being in the hands of Mrs. Tallach. In passing, permit to say that the Church owes Mrs. Tallach a large debt of gratitude for her untiring efforts in the interests of the mission both within her own peculiar sphere and without it, efforts often made under conditions of great difficulty and without any attempt at self-adulation.
I should perhaps mention that changes in the system of administering native schools in Southern Rhodesia are pending. The intimation of this together with the result of my conversation with the Inspector of Schools at Bulawayo serve to convince me that the Church will soon be called upon to appoint a certificated white teacher to take over the superintendence of the schools attached to our mission. This and the urgent call for the services of our missionaries in fresh fields are matters that I specially desire to commend to the Synod’s consideration. From the human side, the question of expense will immediately emerge as an unsurmountable difficulty, and that certainly has exercised my mind when contemplating bringing these matters to your notice. I have been influenced, however, by the consideration that the demand has arisen in connection with our humble efforts as a church to promote the Lord’s work, and that, where the interests of His cause are involved, His providence which so wonderfully helped us in the past will not fail us in the future.
With regard to medical service, I do not think the Synod will consider me competent to enter into the details of this, especially since reports are being regularly received from Dr. Macdonald. I will, therefore, content myself with referring to two matters only. There is first of all the hospital scheme. That such a scheme was called for, one who has been there and has seen some of the cases dealt with by the doctor, cannot but testify. The accommodation at present available is altogether unsuitable and inadequate for the purpose. It is with much gratification, therefore, that I learned that the Synod approved of the scheme and earmarked a sum of money to be spent on it. This sum I am afraid will require supplementing somewhat since the original estimate submitted by Dr. Macdonald was arrived at before he had actual experience of constructional costs. The other matter I wished to refer to is the question of water supply. Already this question has become a difficult one and the prospect of having an hospital set up in which a great part of the treatment will necessarily be by ablutions adds considerably to the difficulty. In the circumstances, I consider it a matter of some urgency to have a new well sunk within the mission ground, and, if at all possible, an appliance such as a pump or windmill provided to ensure an adequate and convenient supply of water. I have one or two further recommendations to make, which, in order to save space when the report is published, I will treat apart.
It gives me great pleasure now to formally convey to the Synod and to the Church, by request, the greetings of our brethren in South Africa, including the missionaries, elders, and members of our mission, and to express their sense of indebtedness to them for their instrumentality, under the hand of God, in sending the Gospel to Matabeleland and in maintaining it there, and, further, to convey the special regards of quite a number of individuals to Mr. Cameron and Mr. Angus Fraser, the memory of whose visit they fondly cherish.
Before concluding, I take occasion to acknowledge my personal indebtedness to the Lord of all the earth for His merciful dealings with me throughout my prolonged journeying in distant lands, and my indebtedness also to the numerous friends who by their forbearance and kindness helped me more than I can tell. I would particularly thank my genial travelling companion, Mr. Campbell, and his sons; Mr. James Kidd and Miss Kidd; Mr. Hugh Grant, Mrs. Grant and Miss Grant; Mrs. Scott and her sisters; Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. Tallach and Dr. Maedonald—all of whom with our brethren in Australia and South Africa I commit to the grace of God.
May the Lord bless His Word and the witness of our Church afar off and near; and may His name be hallowed, His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is done in heaven!