Annual Meeting

Methodist Mission Board’s Annual Meeting Eleven New Appointments

ELEVEN new appointments to Pacific Islands mission staffs were announced at the Annual Meeting of the Methodist Board of Missions in Sydney on February 4. The new missionaries are Rev. Walter Shepherd, M.A.. 8.D., of Victoria, accepted for service in Tonga, in place of Rev. A.

H. Wood, M.A.

Rev. H. H. Bock, of Ouyen, Victoria, appointed to the Lau Circuit in Fiji.

Rev. T. N. Simpson, of South Australia, who will go to New Britain after attending a course of training at the George Brown College, Sydney.

Mr. Jack Trevitt, 8.A., Dip. Ed., of New South Wales, who is the new headmaster at Vunainma Training College, New Guinea.

Rev. A. Stanley Jones, L.Th. (New South Wales), who will serve at Kabakada, New Britain.

Rev. Howard J. Pearson, 8.A., of South Aus tralia, who has taken a course in teacher train ing at Adelaide University, has been appointed to Rabaul, New Guinea.

Rev. Donald F. Boorman, L.Th., of Queensland, who has been accepted for the Bau Circuit, Fiji.

Miss M. E. Brabin, 8.A., of the Tasmanian De partment of Education, who has been appointed as a missionary sister in New Britain.

Miss E. Twyford, of Victoria, who has been ap pointed to Papua. She was associated with the Methodist Mission some years ago.

Miss E. D. Wallace, 8.A., Dip. Ed., of Victoria, who will go to Western Samoa as headmistress of the Avoka Girls’ Schools. .Miss Wallace has already spent four years in Fiji.

Miss M. E. Woolnough, of New South Wales, who has been appointed as a sister at Malabonga, New Guinea.

£59,000 Spent In 1935.

Presenting to the meeting the balance sheet of the Society, the Lay Treasurer (Mr. J. W. Kitto) said that income failed to meet expenditure by £314. Included in income, however, was a transfer from the Insurance Fund of- £1,000; the deficit for 1935 was therefore really £1,314. By trans ferring amounts from various funds, the accumulated deficit of £22,337 was reduced by £5,284, leaving £17,053.

Expenditure on work among Pacific Islands natives was £59,066, of which £22,193 was raised in the various groups, the balance being contributed by mission supporters in Australia. Itemised expen diture was:—Fiji, £29,351 (Fijian £18,992, and Indian £10,359); New Britain, £15,881; Papua, £12,106; Tonga, £1,060; and Samoa, £668.

District Reports.

Papua: Rev. J. R. Andrews (District Chairman) reported a splendid increase of membership and adherents. An experiment is being made in the Bwaidoga Circuit, by which the natives them selves will be responsible for the salaries of their own pastors. This is the first step towards ulti mate self-support in Papua. Dr. W. G. Heaslip, of the Salamo Hospital, retired owing to ill-health; other retirements were; Miss Vera Pearson, of Salamo, who is to be married shortly, and Rev.

Joji Nasavuilagi, who returned to Fiji.

Samoa: As in the case of Tonga it has been decided to continue the support of European mis sionaries in Western Samoa. A missionary sister has been appointed to take charge of the Metho dist Girls’ School. Shortage of mission funds will not allow the appointment of a missionary to Savaii Island.

Fiji: There has been a marked increase in native membership, the figures now being; Full members 30,270, on trial 4,653, adherents 91,124, and junior members 15,102. After 28 years’ valu able service, Rev. R. L. McDonald retired from the Chairmanship of the District, and has been appointed to the Victoria and Tasmania Confer ence. Rev. C. O. Lelean returned to Fiji in suc cession to Mr. McDonald. Rev. A. G. Adamson,

M.A., Dip. Ed., of Davuilevu, Rev. A. D. Lelean, of Ba, and Rev. T. N. Deller, of Bau, have re tired after working in the Colony for over IS years.

New Britain; In face of many difficulties, ad vised Mr. R. N. Wayne (Ulu), membership was increasing. Rev. A. E. Brawn returned to Austra lia from Nakanai owing to family illness. A move forward w-as made in sanctioning the opening of a child welfare centre on New Ireland, and in the appointment of a technical instructor.

Miss Margaret Syers, of Auckland, New Zealand, arrived in Sydney by the Makura on March 7 to join the nursing staff of the Melanesian Mission.