CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 225, 20 September 1913, Page 14

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

The Woman's League of the Bible-in-sc-hools movement, Wellington, has determined to raise one thousand guineas as an evidence of their earnestness to have religious instruction in the State schools. The ancient Cathedral on the Island of lona is being restored, many prominent members of the Church of Scotland taking an interest in the matter under the leadership of the Duke of Argyle. A year or two ago a new roof was completed, and regular worship is now conducted during the summer months. This month will sue a further dedication of a new pulpit, reading desk, stalls commsinion plate, baptismal font, and several carved oaken doors and serpens—some of which, it is interesting to learn, have been subscribed for by Scots in Canada. Summing up the position of the Nonconformist Churches in England for the past year, a writer in the "Westminster Gazette" notes an improvement in Methodism, a decrease in Congregationalism apsl in the Baptist Church, and a decisled advance in the Society of Friends and the Moravians. The growth of the Unitarian Church in New Zealand may be gathered from the fact that the census of 189G showed only 375 in the Dominion. In 1906 the number had increased to 789, and in 1911 to 1,31 G. The Unitarian body now owns church property to the value of £6,000, and the expenditure of tho British and Foreign Unitarian Association by way of grants in New Zealand totals £1,500, of which £1,0.00 went to the church at Wellington? „ The first Unitarian Church in New Zealand was erected in Auckland in 1902. Mr Frank Taylor, of Wanganui, h_6 for the last couple of years been working for the London City 'Mission. Accounts were received by last mail regarding the World's Sunday School Convention in Zurich, .Switzerland, the middle of last July. Seventy countries were represented by 2,600 delegates, which made -this one of the most remarkable religious gatherings that has been held. There were also thousands of other visitors who attended the Convention, 'but were not delegates. North America sent 1,344 representatives, Great Britain 288, Asia 83, Africa 56, Australasia 30, South America 24. The programme was given in English for the most part, then translated into German. The interpreter for the German contingent, Professor H. L. E. Luring, of Frankfort, speaks fluently no lees than 27 languages. The missionary emphasis was the dominant note of the Convention. Six great commissions submitted reports upon the needs and opportunities of Sunday-school work among the people. Dr. Ibuka presented an invitation from Japan to hold the World's Eighth Convention in Tokyo in 1916, and this was agreed to. The figures submitted showed the Sunday-school army to total 28,700,000 in 29~8,000 schools. The Convention elected Sir Robert Laidlaw, of London, president for the coming three years, and Mr. H. J. Heinz, of 1 Pittsburg, Perm., chairman of the executive committee. j Farmers in Lue, New South Wales, have struck upon an original method of raising funds for a church. One landowner gave the free use of an area, others contributed seed wheat, and recently seven teams set to work and ploughed 21 acres. When the crop is harvested the proceeds will be devoted towards the funds of the church. The Congregational churches of Auckland district have been visited during the past week by the members of the L.M.S. deputation, Rev. G. J. Williams (organising secretary) and Rev. A. W. Brough, of India. In connection with these meetings "Tlie Livingstone Cantata" is to be given in Beresford Street Church on the evening of Wednesday, the 24th instant,, ■by Mt. Eden choir, conducted by the Rev. Henry Steele Craik. This will be the first performance of this work in Auckland. The words were written by the Rev. Sylvester Home, M.P., and the music, which is reported to be very effective, is by Ham.sh McCunn. The "Church Times." commenting upon the fact that Mr. Bonar Law 6ent a message to the Unionist candidate for the Altrincham division, in which he referred to the proposal of the Government to "despoil a Protestant church by the aid of Nationalist votes," adds: "Mr. Law is, we believe, a Canadian Presby- | terian, and, as such, he must be held excused for a certain amount of haziness in regard to the right epithet to apply .to the Church in England and Wales. Yet, to call a church 'Protestant' which nowhere has so called itself, is to be guilty of a mistake which he should be careful not to repeat". He has offended many_ churchmen by his use of this offensive adjective—we mean offensive in this connection." The year. 1912 established a record in the contributions from various countries for the work of the propagation of the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, as the receipts totalled £322.063, which was an increase of £31.093. and the largest-since the foundation of the association „1 years ago. As.usual, France i leads with £124.273 4/9. Other contri- ! buttons ■Were' as follows.—United States ! £73,153 5/9, Germany (including Alsace I and LoTraine) £49,202 14/. Belsium i £14,249 4/11, Argentine £12 237 143 I Italy £10,895 7/8. Ireland £10,547 7/10 j Spain £8.166 10/, Mexico £4,866 3/5* Switzerland £4,082 19/, England £4 0/>s| 8/7, Cfhil. £3,825 19/_„ ' ' ' I