"UNIQUE WORK."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 274, 18 November 1936, Page 10

"UNIQUE WORK."

CHURCH AND EVANGELISM. NEEDS OF WURLD TO-DIY.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRIS TCHURCH, this', day.'

"Evangelism, Our Unique -Work" was the subject taken by tha moderator, the Rev. T. H. Roseveare,; in his address at the opening of the' General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 'of New Zealand at St. Paul's Church last night. In emphasising this subject, the moderator pointed out he wished it, to be clearly understood th'at he did not set this aspect of the Church's work in opposition to any other.

"We are deeply concerned in these days about the decline in church attendances and in the lack of influence of the Church upon the world," said Mr. Roseveare. "May the cause not be that, as a church, we i have not been sufficiently definite and aggressive ? The primary work of the Church Is evangelism. There is a temptation to be satisfied if our congregations pay their way, or do not decline more rapidly than others. We are:.saiisfieil:to tend our flock and so feel we are doing all we can. - "There is muclkperhaps "Overmuch, organisation in life.. ; What with clubs, leagues, societies arid so on, we are kept busy;. But we are .''in danger of losing sight' ot.the spiritual objective in our Tnstitutiftnaf ■ activities. Our real objective' is evangelism; and if our Church workers '/ would direct their energies to; ;th3#;-jEri- ; the sense, of winning the outsiders.'tirChrist: and Church they would discover such a new zest in Church work;; as " would give us all new life. The Obest ■ defensive-..is always the offensive. A glance over the! history of the Christian .Church will reveal that this is so." • ... ■ ■

Men still were aware ;that they were lost, added the moderator. They were looking here and there for some principle of life that was going to guide them through the confusion. Never before had man so felt the inadequacy of human resources to meet human need. The evangelistic message was salvation for the lost. Evangelism must have the central place in all youth work, and the evangelistic aim must predominate in the Church's mission work, which was becoming more and more departmentalised.

"Wherever we turn, we discover that an enthusiastic evangelism is the key to success in the work," Mr. Roseveare said. "What is needed? Merely a change of method, a simpler style of address, a more direct appeal, a more unrestrained fervour, and greater stress on our unique message. Most ministers have commenced their ministries with evangelism. That which first led them to preach was a re'al passion for souls. But we have come to regard ourselves as calm expositors rather than as impassioned advocates." \