BY A SCOTCHMAN

During the past three or four years an increasing interest has been taken by friends in Holland in the Mbuma section of our mission work in Southern Rhodesia. The large contributions given by these friends in the past, as indicated in the Accounts, form an ample testimony to the depth of their interest and the reality of their desire for the welfare of the Mission there.

It has been felt recently that these efforts should be coordinated by forming a Society, rather than continuing through private individuals. Accordingly, a Society has now been formed in Holland called “The Netherlands Society for the Support of the Spiritual and Medical Work at Mbuma Mission Station in Southern Rhodesia which is under the auspices of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.” The purpose of the Society is stated to be, “The moral and the material support of the spiritual and medical work of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland at Mbuma Mission Station under Rev. P. Mzamo and J. D. van Woerden and their successors.” The Secretary/Treasurer of the Society is Mr. A. Doctor who is well known to our people in various congregations throughout the Church.

It was decided to hold a meeting of this Society on Saturday, 18th July, 1964, at Utrecht, and I was asked, as Clerk to the Jewish and Foreign Mission Committee, to address this meeting. On arrival in Holland, I stayed with Mr. Doctor and, on the day of the meeting, proceeded from his home in Delft, where I experienced great kindness, to Utrecht. On arriving at the station in Utrecht I was interested to hear the Public Transport loud speaker announce for the benefit of interested parties, “Bus No.— for Mbuma Mission Meeting” or “Tram No.— for Mbuma Mission Meeting.” The meeting had been well organized when public announcement was being made of the proper transport to take in order to get to the meeting! A hall had been taken to seat 2,000 but, on our arrival, we found it completely filled. Another adjacent hall was taken, and quickly filled with another 1,000 people. As no other halls were available and the people continued to pour out of buses, it was estimated that about 500 were turned away. The total number of people who had gathered for this meeting was, therefore, about 3,500.

The large gathering was in itself very impressive, and the fact that so many came in their national costumes added color to the picturesque scene. I was told that one could tell the various districts from which people came by knowing the distinctive costume worn in that district. As most of the people who came from the same district sat together in the hall, the different costumes representing different districts stood out in a most pleasant way.

The meeting commenced at 10:30 a.m. and was opened by the President, Mr. A. de Redelijkheid, with the singing of Ps. 90:1, 2: reading of Acts 15: and prayer. The President then gave a short address to the meeting outlining its purposes and the desire to support the work of the Mission of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in view of its Scriptural principles. On the completion of this address and the singing of Ps. 77:13, 14, an address was given by one of the ministers present on Matthew 28:18-20. This address was on the Mission command of the King of the Church in three aspects: — (a) Mission and its power, v. 18; (b) Mission and its instruction, v. 19; and (c) Mission and its precious promise, v. 20.

I was then asked to address the meeting, my remarks being translated into Dutch by Mr. Doctor. The main points of this address consisted in showing that our Mission work had the authority of the Holy Spirit. This was based upon the event which took place in the church at Antioch when “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where-unto I have called them.” This setting apart of these two servants of the Lord was to carry the Word of God to the Gentiles, and thus formed the first Foreign Mission expedition.

It is interesting to note in this connection that they were sent to Cyprus. As Barnabus was a Cypriot, he was sent to his native island to began this work. Similarly, the late Rev. J. B. Radasi when set apart for similar work went to labor among his own people. A further feature of Mission work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is to be seen in Roman 15:20, “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: but, as it is written, “To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see and they that have not heard shall understand.” Mission work involves the carrying of the Word of God to places where Christ has not been named and it is interesting in this connection to note that when Mr. Radasi went to his own people, he chose Ingwenya because it was a place where Christ had never been preached before.

A Foreign Mission is related to the Home Church as the branch is to the tree. If the tree is good, there is every prospect the branch will be good also. It was, therefore, thought desirable to give some explanation of the Free Presbyterian Church in Scotland. A brief summary was given of the position of our Church, laying emphasis on the facts of having the Scripture as our supreme standard, the Westminster Confession, with its Calvinistic doctrine, as our subordinate standard, the singing of Psalms to the exclusion of hymns and instrumental music, and the practice of Church discipline according to the Word of God. I was able to assure the meeting that, from my own observations, these principles were also carried out on the Mission. The concluding part of the address dealt with the connection between medical work and the gospel as exemplified in the miracles of the Redeemer in healing the sick, giving the blind their sight, etc.

In his reply which was translated into English by Mr. Doctor, the President expressed his pleasure at hearing of the principles of the Free Presbyterian Church and stated that he agreed with every one of them! He also made it clear that they in Holland very much welcomed the opportunity of contributing to the work of spreading the Word of God among the heathen, and that they were particularly glad to do this in connection with Scotland, from which country they had received so many sermons which they had felt to be of benefit when translated into Dutch.

Mr. Jan van Woerden then gave a brief history of the Mission. After a pause for lunch, another address was given by one of the ministers present on the subject of the curse upon Ham in Gen. 9:25. Thereafter, a further address was given by yet another minister on Joel 2:23, and a final address by another minister on Ps. 9:20 and Gal. 2:15. The President then closed the meeting about 4 p.m. conveying to Mr. and Mrs. Van Woerden and myself the blessing of Ps. 134:3. “The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.”

The collection taken at this meeting amounted to the extraordinary sum of more than 2,800 pounds ($7,700) ! The Committee of the Society decided to purchase a Mobile Clinic for use in connection with the hospital work at Mbuma. The Foreign Mission Committee here at home had already ordered this vehicle and we are indebted to our Dutch friends for meeting the cost of 1,500 pounds. The Committee of the Society also agreed that they would publish the Shorter Catechism in Sindebele when the translation has been completed and revised. I understand the Catechism has been translated by Mr. Mzamo and is being revised by our staff out there. The estimated cost is about 1,000 pounds. The Society wishes to be allowed to carry out definite projects of this nature which can be easily reported to its members.

One could not but be impressed with the very warm interest taken by these Dutch friends in our Mission, expressed in the large attendance at the meeting and th liberality of the financial support. It is indeed wonderful that the Lord should have opened the hearts of His people in Holland to support our Mission, and it should be a great encouragement to us. that His hand is to be seen in this way. While we desire to thank them, our chief desire should be to praise Him. May He be pleased to visit us in Holland, Scotland, and Rhodesia with the dew from heaven so that Christ would see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied in the raising up of a seed to serve Him. “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” (Ps. 68:31)

— From the Free Presbyterian Magazine

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