THE Free Presbyterian Church during the first 13 years of her separate existence (viz., from 1893 till 1906) was without any Missionary working in the foreign field. In the year 1905 the Rev. J. B. Radasi left this country in order to begin Mission work among the Matabele in Southern Rhodesia. Owing to opposition he was not able to commence services till 1906. To begin with, the building now used for the infant department at Ingwenya served for church and school. It might hold between twenty and thirty people. By the time we visited Rhodesia we had five schools, four of which served as places of worship on the Sabbath. At Ingwenya there is a good brick and corrugated iron church capable of holding over 200. There were then sixty-four members in full communion; of these six were elders and six deacons. We have now in Southern Rhodesia about five hundred children in our ten schools, and about 170 members in full communion with the Church. We have a Secondary School at headquarters, where sixty girls are being trained in sewing, washing, basket-making, etc. We are supposed to set up classes for young lads in agriculture, etc., for which purpose the Government promised the land that may be required.
Last year Dr R. Macdonald, M.B., Ch.B., went out to Rhodesia. We requested of the Medical Director in Salisbury to allow Dr Macdonald to make Ingwenya his headquarters. This was approved of. Now Rev. John Tallach and Dr Macdonald are together, which, I hope, will be a great comfort to themselves and a great benefit to our people and to the heathen in all the surrounding districts. Seeing there are two reports, one from Mr Tallach and one from Dr Macdonald, to be submitted to the Synod, I will not enter into detailed accounts of their work here. I may say, however, that in my opinion the reports are very encouraging. When we look back upon the wonderful progress made by our Mission in Matabeleland, we have much cause of thankfulness for the way the Lord has hitherto prospered our Church in her Mission to the heathen. Let us do so in the language of Scripture:—”Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
I desire to inform the Synod of the fact that, when Mr Tallach went to Ingwenya the men of our Mission built at their own expense and at their own unsolicited will two huts for him to dwell in. Since then that pest, the white ant, has made these buildings quite uninhabitable, so that it is absolutely necessary to have another house built for Mr Tallach. For this £170 should be granted by the Synod without any delay. Plans, estimates and specifications have been placed before the meeting of Synod on Bills and Overtures held to-day.
Dr Macdonald has found it impossible to carry on his work in surgery and medicine without a small hospital, in which he may be able to have beds for six males and six females. From our own knowledge of the huts of the poor heathen, it must be most detrimental to patients suffering from serious and painful diseases to have to live in them. This is even true, to a far less degree be it said, in the huts of Christians owing to lack of accommodation, but not of care and sympathy. The first report Dr Macdonald sent us concerning his great difficulty as regards this urgent need, we confess, went straight to our heart. The plan and specification and estimate for this hospital has been placed before the meeting of the Synod’s Committee on Bills and Overtures to-day already. The estimated cost is £95. The whole of the above buildings will cost £265. We trust the Synod will grant this sum so as to allow these buildings to be erected without delay. We have received much financial support for Foreign Missions last year, which makes it easier for the Synod to meet this demand on our Foreign Mission Fund. “The earth belongs unto the Lord, and all that it contains.”
We desire to acknowledge heartily as a Synod the good work of love done by Mrs Miller, Wick, and all who lend their aid in money or work for the Girls’ School at Ingwenya. Mrs Miller sent us a detailed account of the money collected and the use to which it was put, of which we highly approve.
Rev. D. Urquhart was sent to Palestine as Missionary to the Jews last autumn. Mr Angus Fraser accompanied him, and did all he could to find a suitable place for starting on a mission. The information Mr Fraser conveyed on his return helped us to understand better the difficulties of the situation there. (1) Mr Urquhart, all will understand, was not able to speak the colloquial Hebrew in common use in Palestine. Without acquiring it he could not succeed. Dr Christie, Tiberias, offered to teach Mr Urquhart free of charge, which he did for several months. Mr Urquhart is now able to speak to the Jews. We tender the thanks of the Synod to Dr Christie for his valuable assistance and his many kindnesses extended to Mr Urquhart. (2) Mr Urquhart has been for a month at Tel-Aviv, endeavouring to find an opening for a mission there. Tel-Aviv is outside the boundary of Jaffa (Joppa), and is near the Mediterranean coast. It is a new settlement of over 40,000 Jews. We have nothing to report as yet concerning this mission, but we are convinced that Mr Urquhart is doing all he can to get in touch with Jews in Tel-Aviv.
We have now, as a Church, three Missionaries in the foreign field. This brings considerable responsibility upon our people. It binds them to pray daily to the Lord for the success desirable on the labours of our Missionaries, and for grace, strength, and wisdom to be given to them to enable them to serve the Lord faithfully in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It lays also the responsibility upon us all to do our best to support financially our Jewish and Foreign Missions Fund. In order that this may be done to better purpose, I hope the Synod will order that the collection may be made by books from house to house as it used to be made in the best days of the Free Church.
Concerning Australia, Rev. R. Mackenzie spent four months in Ballina, on the Richmond River, N.S. Wales. He came to the Clarence River about the beginning of March, and I expect he will leave for home about the beginning of July. He had a mind when he went away that he would pay a visit to Matabeleland on his way home. If he will do this, it will cause a delay of perhaps a month. If he will come straight home he should be in this country by the beginning of September. We will have to wait till he comes for his report, which will be published in the Magazine. May the Lord bring him home in safety and comfort to his own flock.
I have nothing that can hire or bribe Grace; for if Grace would take hire, it were no more Grace.—Rutherford.