Page:Distinguished Churchmen.djvu/303

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THE REV. MONTAGUE FOWLER, M.A. 261

who was afterwards Dean of Argyll, and he associated with the mission clergy in their work a band of Sisters belonging to the community of the Sisters of Bethany. The aim of the mission has been educational, and not proselytising, the methods being to establish colleges in the different centres of the country two in Turkey, and one in Persia for the education of the clergy and candidates for ordination. The poverty of the people is very great, many of the Bishops even having to earn their living as labourers in the fields. These priests and candidates, after going through the four or five months course at the college, return home in order to carry out their work, and there establish village schools, in which they teach the younger children what they themselves have learnt during their session at college. Thus a gradual leavening of religious education has been steadily going on ; but under no circumstances are their clergy permitted to join the Anglican Church. The object of the mission is to help in the education of the people, and to build up the oppressed and down-trodden native church, in order that it may gradually regain its position as a power for Christ among the Mohammedans, in whose midst it is placed.

" I believe most strongly, both in regard to this effort, and that to the Coptic Church, that the true secret of successful mission work among Mohammedans is to be found in the Church of England endeavouring by every means in its

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