CHURCH EXTENSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 236, 3 October 1894, Page 2

CHURCH EXTENSION.

PRESBYTERIAN-CONFERENCE.

The question of church extension was discussed in conference, ab the Auckland Presbytery last night in St. Andrew's .Church, when the Rev. Mr Robertson prepided. Thare was an unusually large abtendance of both ministers and elders. Tho Rev. J. Hill to open the aisenssion, read an able'paper upon, the questioniof church extension. He referred to the necessity thab existed for extending the" Church in country districts. He also poinbed oub thab ib was bad policy bo allow' any church to go down when a little help wo"uld keep it alive. It was as important) bo maintain the churches that had been started, as ib was to begin now onos. Mr Hill also referred to the church exbension fund, and poinbed oub bhab bhe contri-» butiong to thab fund for the whole colony amounted to less than ls< per annum per head for the members, while in the Auck.land district bho amount was 5d for each member'for 1893, Wbacib came to per= head for adherents be could not^say, as he' had always had a horror of vulgar fractions. Mr Hill spoke ab some lengbh upon tho value of sympathy in church work, characberising selfishness as a bligbb wherever ib occurred inf a church, and pointed oub^the evils that musb befall the colony if scepticism ware allowed to spread, or the greafi bulk of the people permitted to become indifferent bo religion. Roy. Finlay also read a paper upon the same queabion. He referred to the "ital importance of church extension. The question of bow church extension could be advanced wßs,"ho ponsidered,'dne of great importance to the human race. Ib was the question of questions around which all others revolved. Without a living progressive Church, the whole social organisation would fail. Ib was necessary that they shoaid reach the lapsed members, and revive the indifferent ones. Mr Finlay also roferred to the miserable stipends that were offered ministers in some charges. He considered this caused the ministers to loose heart through being embarrassed financially. Thab was no doubt one of the reaEons why so few new ministers came to this colony. The speaker suggested several methods of improving matters, such as holding evangelistic meetings, appointing ansistants bo large charges in order to ensure services being held ab each place

once a week,

Mr S. Clarke Johnston spoke ab length on the question dealing with from the Church's st'indpoinb, bhe individual sbandp'oinb, and the nabional sbandpoinb. He urged thab a nation's progress and prosperity depended more upon its. moraliby than upon its wealth. He advocated the raising of £350, for the maintenance of an itinerant minister in, the country districts. Rev. Nome conbended bhat a groab deal had been done 1 in the past, although there 'was yet a goad deal to be done. He referred to some of the difficulties of country ministers, and aaid thab bhe town churches did nob fully understand the position of affairs in the country districts; He hoped that one roault of bho conference would be thab the stronger churches would help the weaker ones.

Rev. McKinney considered there was little bo bo thankful'for as regards the progress uißde in matter of home miosion and church extension. Ho pointed out thab the whole of the Auckland city and suburban churches now raised only aboub one half of the sum that St. Andrew's alone contributed for church extension in the days of the Roy. David Bruce. Mr Andrew Bell said thab outside effort had baen paralysed in thie^ matter by the indiflerenca insido tho Presbytery. He advocated the appointment of an ibinerabing missionary.

Rev. McCallum spoke in support of the appointment of an itinerating minister. Roy. Ferguson suggeeted that the twenty-three ministers should each give one month to the work of church extension, that would work for two yeai'S and save £400. He was willing to give one or bwo uionbh3 bo bhe mosb arduous parb of the church extension w"ork. The elder ministers might be given the less arduous parb, and fchd Elders' Association could look after fcho church, while the minister was away on mission work. 'He'thought ib was time they ceased talking about church extension and commenced working at it. He moved : " That the Revs. Hill, Munro, Robertson, Ferguson, Elders Johnston, Ramsey, and Bell be appointed a Presbyterial Committee to reporb upon eomo definite plan for church extension."

Rev. Hill said they musb face the question of ways and means. One church in Wellington gave as much for church extension aa the Auckland Presbytery. He considered thab adoal of the blame lay ab the door of the ministers for not bringing tho matter of church extension prominently before tho people.

The motion waa adopted, and also another ono moved by Mr Johnston, recommending the question of church extension to tho churches. v