The Annual Report of the Melanesian Mission for 1922.
From Melanesian Mission: Report Issued by the English Committee 1922, pages 9-10.
No place: Melanesian Mission, 1922.
[9] The Annual Report of the Melanesian Mission for 1922.
INTRODUCTION BY THE BISHOP OF MELANESIA
OWING to my prolonged absence from my Diocese, my report for the past year must needs be very sketchy and lacking in detail.
As far as I personally was concerned, the year began with a visit to all the chief centres in New Zealand, during which I was much impressed with the interest taken by New Zealanders of every part and every age in Melanesia. My visit terminated with the meeting of the General Synod of New Zealand in Auckland, where much of interest to Melanesians took place.
For the first time in the history of the New Zealand Church the position of the Diocese of Melanesia was officially defined to be that of one of the constituent dioceses of the Province of New Zealand. Then the Diocesan Synod of Melanesia was officially recognised by the General Synod and the method of appointing the Bishops of Melanesia for the future was brought nearer to the ideals suggested at the Lambeth Conference of 1920, and arrangements were made for the appointment of assistant Bishops when necessary.
The whole question of the New Zealand Board of Missions was discussed formally and informally very carefully, and we may now hope that in the Board we have a living Missionary force representative of the whole New Zealand Church.
As soon as the sessions of General Synod were ended I left for Australia, where I was able to pay flying visits to Sydney, Brisbane, Ballarat, Melbourne and Adelaide before sailing for England.
My visit to Australia, though very short, was very interesting and showed me how many warm friends we have in the Commonwealth, who only need encouragement to be a very strong support to our work.
In England I had the pleasure of meeting very many of our friends and helpers and realising something of the splendid work for Melanesia that is being carried on at home.
In the Islands we have just been "carrying on." The various island reports will be published in the Log as they arrive. The outstanding event of the year was the establishment of a new central school in the Solomons, a much-needed advance and one that will have to be repeated before long, we hope. Mr. and Mrs. Sprott, Mr. Thomson and Mr. Hodgson and Miss Wench have come home for much-needed holidays; one hopes they may benefit greatly by them. Mr. Hopkins has already returned. We hope Mr. Browning is really making good progress towards a complete recovery.
[10] In conclusion, I must take this opportunity of trying to express something of the deep gratitude I feel to all friends of the Mission for their prayers and sympathy during my illness. I trust I may, with God's help, show my thankfulness, not only with my lips but in my life, by doing my best to serve Him, as long as I may be able to continue in Melanesia.
Although the general outlook is hopeful, in the immediate future the Mission will be entering upon a critical time and therefore we ask for the redoubled efforts and continual prayers of all who, in the past, have so splendidly supported God's work in Melanesia: and we look hopefully for a large increase in the numbers of our fellow-workers in the Home Counties.
+JOHN,
Bishop of Melanesia.