The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-06-13
WORK Of BOARD.
Rev. o. P. Emerson on the
Home Mission Labors.
what is Being Done and What ie
Reauirsd-A Review Of Eighty
Years-inst,tution

the Central Union church Sunday,
June 4, 1897
Standing as we do close to the close
Of the century, after eighty years of
missionary work, it is fitting that a
survey be made of that work, even
though 1t be a mere glance, to the end
that it's needs be better understood.
These eighty years of the mission
divide into two periods of nearly equal
length.
The first is that of the activity of the
missionary fathers-years Of planting
and of growth-years of fruitage and
gathering-wonderfu years, when Ha
wall first felt the warmth of day after
It's long night of darkness.
DO you ask what the fathers did to
bring the day? They gave the Ha-
waiians a written language and lit
erature with Bible in it, they taught
that language and literature and in
augurated a school system which has
been the pride of Hawaii; they built
a score of great churches and made
them centers of religious life; they
gave the people the Sabbath and the
marriage rite, and giving them u
church and a home-life they drew them
out of depths of degradation and mis-
cry.
They found the people idle and they
gave them employment Mind and
heart were engaged; they became
themselves in turn light-bearers to yet
unevangelied islanders: and finally.
having raised up body Of men to take
their place, the fathers passed on.
The second period into which these
eighty years are divided is overlapped
by the first, but may be regarded as
commencing in 1868, when out of the
old General Meeting" and "Evangel-
ical. Association" of the fathers, was
formed the Evangelical Association"
of today.
This latter period is marked as being
that of the administration of the Ha-
waiian pastors.
Out of the nineteen old missionary
parishes were formed fifty-seyen small
Ter ones. placed under the charge of
native pastors.
DuTlus Tic yeuIo vi thSit bVi
vice they had the loving supervision OF
the yet remaining fathers, but soon
they were left mostly to themselves.
Such aid was rendered as could be
given by the secretary of the Hawaiian
Board during his periodical visits to
the different Islands. But how can
one man do the work of half dozen,
or himself keep under control half a
hundred and more churches? Paul did
not do II.
During these thirty-siX. and for
some, forty and more years Of their
entrance into the ministry, the native
pastors have, as a whole, done noble
work both at home and In the foreign
field.
OF the 100 and more natives who
were Ordained-about half of whom
are living-over thirty, or one-fourth
of the entire number, have served in
the foreign field.
Who can forget their brave service
at home and abroad. The names of
Kekela and KaumealOha, MahOe and
Maka, Lono and Kaaia. HanalOa and
Kaonoliimaka, Kahale and Pulii are
household words.
But these men, especially those In
the home field. were beset by flood of
ills. Influences sprang up and pre-
vailed that brought disaster to their
work. The powers OF superstition
and bad government arose and locked
hands. There also came in their day
the hordes of Asia and the deadly in
crease of the liquor traffic.
But to these beleaguered men God
Gze 30 Dtnly