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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 77

Maori Mission

Maori Mission.

It would be well if we were to come to some clear understanding during this Session as to what we, as a Synod, think is the best plan for the future working of this Mission. The ultimate decision will, no doubt, rest with General Synod; for the responsibility is Provincial and not Diocesan. Maori work is insistent upon our wholehearted attention, and it will need much Prayer, hard work, and devotion if we are to wipe out the disgrace of neglect under which we live at present, in no inconsiderable degree.

Of course there have been mistakes, errors of judgment, bad methods, faulty policy, carelessness, in the past. In what human organisation are such absent? But, side by side with all these things, there are the lives and devotion of men like the late Archdeacons Clarke and Maunsell, the present Archdeacon of Hawke's Bay, the present Apostle to the Maoris—the Bishop of Waiapu, whom to know is to reverence and love—our own Priest—H. A. Hawkins—whose devotion and levelheadedness are alike remarkable; as well as countless other men equally good. When men charge us, as within limits they may, with neglect of the Maori Race, it is worth while to remember that God has not left Himself without witness all the time.

I cannot hide from you, however, that the present condition of our Evangelistic work among the Maoris is, in certain parts of the Diocese, positively appalling. We, as a Church, do need to pray for forgiveness from Almighty God for neglect of the Maoris; just as every Imperialist has cause to be ashamed of the war in "the sixties" and its consequences. But it is no use talking about the past, except to learn lessons from it. For God's sake, for the honour of the Empire, let us face the present, do something, and go towards the future with courage and hope begotten of Prayer and intelligent thought.

It is estimated that, within the Diocese of Auckland, the Maori population numbers 20,000. Of this number about one-third are said to be nominally Christian, and page 32 belong, for the greater part, to our own Communion. About two-thirds are said to be Apostate or Heathen. The Roman Church, the Presbyterians and the Wes-leyans, have some Missions among the Maoris. As Mr. Hawkins will tell you, we observe the Comity of Missions: our Clergy do not work "on another man's foundation." I have no doubt that the Bishop of the Roman Communion, and the Heads of the Presbyterian and Wesleyan Bodies and myself will never want to upser one another's "spheres of influence." But, to quote from a conversation with a Minister of the Crown, practically, the Maori Mission is an Anglican Mission. Therefore, upon the Church of this Province lies the burden, for the most part, of providing for the Evangelization of the Heathen, the restoration of the lapsed and apostate, the edifying of the faithful. This burden is increased by the wholly reprehensible methods of people known as Mormons.

Let me allude to the facts in different portions of the Diocese.

(a) North of Auckland. The work here is fairly well established: it is the brightest bit of a dark picture. We have no cause for shame in the results of Maori Mission work in the North. The Government Enumerator for the North reported (Census, 1901):—"Drunkenness if undoubtedly decreasing amongst the Natives. The Maori population is probably about equal to the European, yet, during the past five years, there have been only thirty-seven convictions, as against fifty-one Europeans." .... "Just as drunkenness is decreasing, so is crime, with the Maori more than with the European population in the North." Again, "I cannot conclude this report without stating that the healthier state of the Natives, both young and old, is largely due to the training and assistance of the Native Teachers and the present working Missionaries of all Denominations," and so on. The work in the North is good, blessed be God! The Native Clergy, ten in number, have encouragement. They have some 1,350 Communicants and 152 Lay-Readers. The Maori population is about 9,600.

(b) Waikato. Here the Maori population numbers about 7,400, all within the district worked by three Native Clergy. The Communicants number 26. The page 33 majority' of these are old people who were Confirmed before the war—the way some of the old Maoris have kept true to The Faith amid every discouragement, the sufferings of war, and apostasy all round them is just one of those miracles of the Holy Ghost that forbid any Christian man ever to be despondent or faithless. When I was at Huntly I Confirmed one Waikato Maori. So far as we can ascertain, only two other Maoris have been brought forward in the Waikato for Confirmation during the last forty years! I have, so far, been unsuccessful in getting any facts to upset the conclusion I now draw: before we can hope for Blessing we must pray for For-giveness.

One Waikato Maori was Confirmed when at S. Stephen's School; there are in the Thames and Coromandel Districts 18 Communicants; the Waikato Communicants number 26. Thus the total number of Communicants so far as I have been able to ascertain, out of an estimated Native population of over 7,400 souls (counting only the Waikato) is 44. I know statistics do not prove everything; but I defy any man who believes in his Heavenly Father (and who loves this Empire) to rest content with the state of affairs these statistics disclose. And, further, the Waikato Maori is a man capable of high conduct, as you will see from this story: There is growing up a hopeful band of young Maoris, under the Native Priests, anxious and willing to help them to help their race. One of these young fellows works in the bush, felling timber, for a time; having made a little money he returns to the house of the Native Priest and acts as his Lay Reader until the savings are all gone; then he returns to the bush, earns more money, saves all he can, and gets back to his Church work on behalf of his people.

There you have the sunshine and the shadow of the Waikato Maori work. In the Waikato we have two-Native Priests and 33 Native Lay Readers, very unevenly distributed; and during the year under review we have had 101 (infants and adults) brought to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

To-day, the Waikato and King Country, offer, practically, an open door. I am honestly and prayerfully trying to face the facts; but I can do little or nothing with- page 34 out your prayers and hearty support. I am keeping Mr. Hawkins, for the present, in charge, as Superintendent, of the Northern and Southern Missions, exclusive of Auckland and Taranaki. I am sending Rev. Charles Marsh into the Waikato to help in the organization of strong Evangelistic work in that district. Canon Mac-Murray is my Head of the Department of Maori Missions, excepting Taranaki.

(c) Taranaki. Possibly there are some members of the Synod who do not know this fact:—this Diocese, and therefore the Church of the Province (and the Empire) owe the bit of Maori work we have in the Taranaki Archdeaconry to the munificent liberality of the Archdeacon of Hawke's Bay. It would ill fit me to thank any man for his gifts to God; but it is not ill fitting that I should inform any who know not, and any who may have forgotten, of the fact that, until the work was begun at Bell Block through private liberality, from 1872 to 1894 practically all active Missionary work in Taranaki had ceased. The people of S. Mary's, New Plymouth, have been not unmindful of the Church's responsibility, and they assist the Taranaki Mission considerably. Under the loving care and holy sympathy of the present Archdeacon of Taranaki, the Mission is, to-day, as in the early days under Archdeacon Govett, being supported in the best way, and the Mission Priest receives the guidance and brotherly sympathy that every lonely Mission Priest must have.

The Maori population in this Archdeaconry is estimated at 1,483 souls. There is one Native Clergyman, one Native Lay Evangelist, no Native Sunday School, no Native Church. Considerable hostility to Christianity exists—as the outcome of the war—and there is prevalent a strong prejudice against Education. During the year under review, however, God has allowed us the privilege of seeing, practically, the first fruits since 1872 of the Mission. There have been 15 infants and 4 adults brought to Holy Baptism. When I was in Taranaki in August I Confirmed the 4 adults. The Native Clergyman has discovered two aged Communicants who have kept true to The Faith, although without the Means of Grace, since before the war. In his own household there are five Communicants. The total page 35 for Taranaki is, therefore, 11 Communicants. Thank God, even for those few!

Now, gentlemen, as members of the Church primarily responsible for the Evangelization of the Maori race, can we rest content, in this Diocese, with these facts? I have formed a very erroneous judgment of my fellow-countrymen if we do not do all we can to deserve God's blessing on our Church for the future.

Let me quote two extracts from the Supplement to the New Zealand Gleaner (December, 1900).

"In many instances the very suggestion of Christianity stirred up bitter feelings, and reference was generally made to some of the more painful aspects of the Waikato and Taranaki wars. 'Your pakeha missionaries,' they said, 'taught us to keep the Sabbath day sacred. We did so, imagining that the pakeha would do the same; but at the time of wars we found that even during our 'karakia' (worship) on Sunday the pakehas would attack us, and fire their guns at us.

"Painful reference was constantly made to the fact that the pakeha soldiers burnt some of the Maoris alive at Rangiawhia during the Waikato war. These and many other bitter references were made by the old Maoris, indicating a feeling of hostility still existing against, not only the Church, but more especially the Government."

Thus a Native Clergyman writes. What do the extracts prove? This, beyond all question:—Missions are an Imperial matter; the White Man's Burden. I have not been furnished with any explanation or contradiction of the statement in the second extract. If the story is true, for the Honour of God let us wipe it out by Prayer and Love. If the story is false, for the honour of this Empire let us have it contradicted in every Maori "whare" in New Zealand.

Well, now as to a constructive policy. Have I one? Yes and No. I know too much already of the history to think, for a moment, that a man who only landed in New Zealand in May can submit to intelligent men a cut and dried policy for the Maori Mission in October. To go thus far were alike to insult your intelligence and to stand convicted of folly on one's own part. But, though I have no intention of proposing a cut and dried policy page 36 for your acceptance, I have no hesitation in urging you to do something at this Synod in the way of agreeing upon some big principles to send to General Synod for consideration. As with Education, so with the Maori Mission and other work for God, do let us leave empty that seat which any worthless person can fill—"the seat of the scornful"; and do let us avoid the adoption of the miserable "dog in the manger" policy which, however adapted to the canine race, is not dignified for men.

Some broad principles stand out clear. The Maori Mission is a national concern. I make the words to his Synod of my Brother, the Bishop of Christchurch, ray own, and thank him for them:

"Will the Church deal with it boldly, and make it the Church's mission to the Maoris? The General Synod must answer these questions. The spiritual care of the Maoris is the duty of the Church of the whole Province. Whether the Mission be continued on Diocesan lines I cannot tell, but I am sure of this, that unless the three Northern Dioceses make common cause, unite their forces, and take concerted action, the Mission will be no more effective in the future than it has been in the past. After all, it is the man we want. One full of the Holy Ghost and of power will be worth more than all our Synods put together. I am confident that a genuine effort to reach the heathen Maoris will have the hearty support of Churchmen in the South Island."

But I would go further. The Church, in her Provincial capacity, must act in this matter. From what I know, it is not likely that the men who have a right to be heard, owing to their experience of the Maori Mission, are prepared to advocate any less comprehensive policy. It is not beyond the wit of man to erect a "Mission Board of the Church of the Province of New Zealand," duly and canonically constituted. That Provincial Board must have a man to represent it throughout the Province. We want the living voice. Our people do not know the faets. "It takes a man to save a man." Whether the man is to be a Maori-speaking Missionary Bishop, or a Clerical Head Superintendent Missionary, or a Secretary to the Board, General Synod must determine.

These things have all to be faced. They concern you page 37 in greater measure than any other men, for there are more Maoris in the Diocese of Auckland than in any other Diocese of the Province. Think big thoughts, pray big prayers, plan big methods, hope big things, then we can do something at this Synod to help towards the solution of the matter on big lines at General Synod.