CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1907, Page 10

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

The Rev John Hornabrook, secretary Of the_En__ish Wesleyan Methodist Con- ; ferenee, has been looking into the affairs of the -W Zealand Methodist Church and.study,_g the printed, minutes of its Conference. His impressions '.are dS tmctly favourable, and he refers to the *JSIT% or g anisa ,tioa" which characterises the government of the Church in this colony.

The Rev. Robert Smith Bunn, who in years gone by took a leading part in the development of the Methodif tChureh in Zealand, died at Burwood, near Sydney, a few days ago, at an advanced The reverend gentleman had retired. «M?** ministration for a considerable time, and was pn the New Zealand Church supernumerary list, with permission to reside out of New Zealand.

ask! l?! Syi \ od 0f Wel li*gton was asked by the Rev. A. E. Worsley'to pass a motion condemning the association of dancing with any means of raising the funds in the diocese. The mover said he could not but feel that if they were goin<r' to invite clergy to come out here from Home and take missions in the diocese, and tell them that they had dancing associated with the Church, those invited might say it-was very little use for them to come. By associating dancing and other measures with them, he felt they were hanging a millstone round the neck of their church work. The Rev. C. C. Harper deprecated the motion, for he was perfectly convinced that dancing was not, per se, harmful, and his experience was that the clergy did an immense amount of good by associating themselves with and controlling dancing. On his motion the Synod passed on to the next business.

The Y.W.C.A. expect a visit before the end of the yaar from Miss Spencer,' the organising secretary of the Y.W.C.A. for the world. She will probably give some lectures in Auckland. ' "

The record of the Auckland Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union for the year is very satisfactory indeed. The membership i s over four hundred, and new branches have been established at EUerslie and Hamilton. The officers for the new j'ecr are:—President, Mrs. M. Caldwell: vice-president, Mrs. G. B. Monro; hon. secretary, Mrs. S. Falls; hon. treasurer, Miss Rattray.

The Baptist church at Gisbome is to be opened at once, and arrangements are being made for the temporary supply of the pulpit till the Conference is held, on which occasion the matter will probably be submitted to the Union for consideration.

The Rev. R. Sommerville went to Rotorua early this week on business connected with the church of which he is acting as Moderator until the Charge is filled. He returns on Monday.

The Rev.' Mr. Watson, Anglican vbar of Stratford (Taranaki), has been visiting Auckland during the past week on account of the dangerous illness of his mother. Mrs. Watson is now much better, and the Rev. Mr. Watson was to return to Stratford at the end of this week.

Bishop Neligan delivered a highly interesting lecture on "St. Paul" to " the Auckland University College Christian Union on Tuesday evening.

As supplementing the Decree dated December, 1905, on Daily Communion, the Pope, by a recent letter of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgence, has expressed his wish to have, as far as possible, certain annual devotions. There i=> to be three days' prayer, and, for preference, the period most appropriate is that beginning with the Friday and ending with the Sunday immediately after the Feast of Corpus Christi. A cermon on the Eucharist, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction are to be the chief observances".

Arrangements are proceeding for the liberal entertainment of the Baptist Union delegates during their visit to Auckland during October, and the Rev. Pastor Clark is chairman of the main committee. One feature of the entertainments will be a great concert in aid of the Home Mission Fund. At this the combined choirs of the Auckland Baptist congregations will take part in specially prepared -numbers, under the conductorship of Mr. Hall, organist of the Tabernacle.

Mr. Cecil Jones, whn was acting during ihe absence of Mr. Holmes in England and America, as general secretary of the V.M.C.A. in Wellington, has been appointed general secretary of the Hobart V.M.C.A.

The St. Patrick's Operatic Society, which produced the opera "Maritana" at the Opera House last week in aid of the St. Patrick's Cathedral addition fund, anticipates making a orofit of over £5250 by the performances. Thi cost of.the additions was about £7000, and" the fund now stands at about £3500, practically all collected in Auckland. Another operatic entertainment will be held by the Society in a couple of months' time, in aid of the same fund.

Although the prospects of Methodist 'Union in England in the near future .are not encouraging (says an exchange), I the spirit of the movement is not likely to diminish. The minor Methodists, us I they have been called, have already united under the name of the United Methodist Church, and comprise the Methodist New Connexion, the Bible Christians, and the Methodist Free Churches. These form a large and vigorous body. The next step will be union with the parent body—the Wesleyan Methodists. There are a great many ministers and laymen of note who are ardent unionists, and while not attempting to force the movement for organic union, are determined to promote it by fostering the spirit of union. Last month the President of the Wesleyan Conference presided over a ■meeting representing all branches of the Methodist Church, for the purpose of considering a proposal to inaugurate a movement which is certain, if well governed, to promote organic union. The proposal is to create a Methodist As-1 sembly for the purpose of united devotion, mutual counsel, and concerted action in certain directions. The preliminary meeting was held at the Wesleyan Mission House, and was well attended. A spokesman from each Church assured the committee that they might count on the loyal support of the section that he represented. It was decided to hold the Assembly at Wesley's Chapel in September or October, 1909, that 500 delegates should be present, that churches should be free to elect either ministers or laymen (but it was hoped they would be selected in equal proportion), and that the convention should extend over three days.