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More About the Kwato Mission B y D elavan L. P ierson (New York, N. F.)
The March issue of T h e K ing ’ s B usiness contained some interesting, observations made by Delavan L. Pier son, Editor of the M issionary R eview of th e W orld , during a recent visit to the Kwato Mission in Eastern Papua. Our readers will welcome additional information about the great work founded by the late Rev. Charles W. Abel. — Editor. The Papuan Christians are not paid for evangelistic work. Every Christian is taught that it is his or her privilege to witness to others and to seek to lead them to Christ. Every Sunday, lists are posted giving the names of those who are to go out to the villages on evangelistic assignments. The others pray for these evangelists, and great is their joy when they return with reports of souls won to Christ. While we were at Kwato, one young evangelist, ■Makura, the engineer on the Mamari II, brought in twenty-four men and women from Lamhaga as candidates for church membership. They had proved their sincerity in their own village, and after careful examination by the missionaries, were received into the church. One by one these men and women, with twenty- two others, stood up before the congregation and verbally confessed their faith in Christ and their decision to fol low His way. Confession of Christ and an effort to win others become the natural expression of their Christian life. When one of the young men, the storekeeper at Kwato, went to Australia with Miss Parkin, he was an evangelistic power in the Y. M. C. A. in Sydney, where he stayed. His example and his testimony led several Australians to the Saviour. C hurch G overnment Congregations of Christians have been formed at sev enteen stations. They have been organized into churches with elders to care for them. These elders are nominated by the Christians and are confirmed and consecrated to office by the mission. Their duties are to see that prayer meetings and church worship are conducted regularly, to keep the church rolls and a record of church attendance, to look after the spiritual welfare of the flock, to receive and transmit gifts for benevolence, to keep the church buildings in repair, to do evangelistic work, and to send out Christians week by week on evangelistic assignments to heathen villages in the neighborhood. Elders may be deposed from office for lack of faith fulness, for a lapse in Christian conduct, or for failure to rule their households and keep them in the Christian path. Church members may be suspended and denied fellowship at the Lord’s Supper for lapses in Christian faith or con duct; but they are not dropped and just forgotten. They are daily prayed for and followed up until they are brought back into the fold. Three of these backsliders came back into the church on our last Sunday in Kwato. One couple had been prayed for by the Christians for two years.
The deep interest that these Christians feel in the spiritual welfare of others is shown by a letter, written while we were at Kwato by one of the Papuan school teachers, Labini. She writes to a friend: “I know you remain in love and prayer to God always for us all here. I think you would like to know too about the Christian work of those who go out to witness for Christ. This year three women gave themselves to Christ; so I want you to pray for them too, that they may be kept true for Christ and grow day by day to love Him more and more. A few I knew some years ago gave them selves to Christ, but now they live as heathen people live, who never knew Christ as their Saviour. One woman went back because she believes in tabosima (witchcraft)/' E xamples of L iberality The generosity of Papuans is little short of phenom enal. At various villages that we visited, the people came to the boat loaded with gifts for us—taru, yams, coco nuts, bananas, chickens, and grass skirts;—to show their good will. These gifts were given out of their poverty, not out of their abundance. The Papuans are very ap preciative of any kindness shown. Recently the elders of the churches of the district met and voted that their congregations would be ready to contribute one thousand pounds ($5,000) a year for new equipment needed at Kwato, Duabo, and other stations. They have already given one thousand pounds a year for two years to pay for the plantations that are so greatly needed in the mis sion work. Now they have ■ expressed a desire to erect a House of Prayer in Kwato in memory of their beloved Taubada (their “Great Chief” ), Father Abel. When we note the meager income on which wage earners subsist (not more than ten pounds a year for themselves and their families) and the frugal way in which they live, we are put to shame. If American and British Christians would give in the same proportion, the coffers of the Lord’s treasury would be overflowing—and the windows of heav en would be open to pour down an abundance of spiritual blessings. It has been voted to erect the House of Prayer at Kwato, for the only assembly hall at present is in the Mission House, which was intended for the missionary residence. This assembly room is also used as a dormi tory, dining room, school room, music room, domestic science room, and school for manual arts. It is estimated Don’t Miss the June Issue In the June number of T h e K ing ’ s B usiness , Mr. Hugh R. Monro, a recognized authority in business and religious circles, will discuss the im portant question : “Has the Church Failed Social ly ?” This is an article you cannot afford to miss. It is one of several forceful and interesting con tributions to be offered next month. Renew your Subscription Today
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