Great Missionary Passes

REV. C. O. LELEAN, QBE, an out standing figure in Fijian mission work, died in Melbourne on Sep tember 14.

In all, he devoted 34 years of his life to work with the Methodist Overseas Mission in Fiji, and during that period he endeared himself to every section of the community. During his first two years in the Colony he was stationed at Bua, on Vanua Levu, and then transferred to Ra, a mountainous district, where he had a great deal of heavy travelling, but in spite of this and his frail physique, he was happy in his work there.

It was while he was stationed at Ra that his first wife died. When on fur lough in India at the end of his seven years’ service, he married Miss Constance Howell, who now survives him.

Shortly after his return to Fiji, from India, he was appointed principal of the Methodist Mission’s Training Institution at Davuileva, on the banks of the Rewa River, where for twenty years he super vised and organised the work and activities of the institution, and at the same time acquired a deep and sym pathetic knowledge and understanding of the Fijian people. He was greatly in terested in their traditions and customs, and even more in their reactions to their transition from the native to the Euro pean way of life. Because of his know ledge of the Fijian language, he was appointed to revise the Fiji New Testa ment. He was esteemed in Government circles in the Colony; and, in recognition of his services to Fiji and its people, the King honoured him with the Order of the British Empire.

After 30 years’ service he became a supernumerary, but in 1936 he was re called for special work and went back as Chairman of the District. He accom plished great things during this short period—he had been very much in fluenced by the Oxford Group Movement, and was able to pass on, to both natives and Europeans, some of its inspiration.

In 1938 he retired from active work, and he and Mrs. Lelean made their home in Melbourne.

The following tribute has been paid to the man himself and his personality, by a close friend and colleague, Rev. J. W.

Burton, General Secretary and Treasurer of the Methodist Mission:— “His was not an aggressive personality: perhaps—to use the word in its best sense —it was an insinuating one. Some may have thought, on first meeting him, that he lacked force, for his gentleness was so apparent; but he could, when occasion arose, be firm, adamant, even stubborn.

He was a man of great sanity, probably because he had a strong sense of humour which prevented him from taking himself too seriously. He was amused, and even tually annoyed, when people called him ‘the Saint of the Pacific,’ and used some vigorous language to assure us that he did not feel a bit saintly. His was a deeply humble spirit, without any flaw of egotism.”

Recent

photograph of

Rev. C. O.

Lelean and Mrs.

Lelean.