CHURCHES OF CHRIST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 136, 21 March 1935, Page 3

CHURCHES OF CHRIST

CANTERBURY-WESTLAND AREA. ANNUAL HELD. (Special to the " Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The annual conference of the Associated Churches of Christ in the Can-terbury-Westland district was held yesterday in the Moorhouse Avenue Church of Christ. The president (Pastor Stuart Stevens) presided. Delegates were present from all the churches in the area, about 200 attending, and reports on each of the district* were presented by representatives. The secretary (Mr A. L. Pugh) stated in his report that a new church had been erected at Hokitika, and that Pastor A. Grundy had been appointed minister. In February, Pastor TyrrellBaxter (chairman of the local executive committee in Christchurch) had accepted a call to Oamaru. Mr and Mrs John R, Hay, two of the Church's missionaries oft furlough from South Africa, had recently .visited churches of the Canterbury district. The Ashburton delegates pressed for a discussion on the proposed new constitution of the Youth Committee. They stated that they considered the proposed changes so radical that the delegates should have the opportwriv to discuss the matter fully. The president stated that the matter was om iu be dealt with by the Ashburton district Youth Committee, and the matter was deferred till the annual Conference of Youth to be held in Christchui oh in June. . The president reported that tne churches in the Westland area would apply to the Dominion conference, to be held at Wellington at Easter, to be recognised as a separate unit. He said that as much as the Canterbury district desired to retain the intimate attachment of about eight or nine years' standing, it did not resent the action, us there were several advantages to be gained. Addresses by Pastor W. E. \ ickery, of Ashburton and Pastor James Crawford, of Ohristchudch, were given to the conference. Pastor Vickery spone on "Evangelism," and Mr Crawford took as his subject "The World Situation and the Kingdom of God/' The election of officers for £he district conference executive for the ensuing year resulted : —President, Pastor 0 James Crawford; executive committee, all the ministers of the district, ex officio; local committee, Pastor Stuart Stevens, Messrs G. P. Purnell, A. Melville, R. L. Pugh, N. Doreen, A. Chapman, and D. Bruce. The secretary and other officers will be elected by members of the committee.