MINISTERIAL TENURE OF OFFICE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12502, 25 May 1906, Page 9

MINISTERIAL TENURE OF OFFICE.

DISCUSSION BY THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSOCIATION.

A disnu.<aion took plnco at the annual mooting of tho Presbyterian Association last evenuig, on the question of ministerial tenure of office. Tho Ilov. T. Tait presided. Mr G. Lauronson, M.H.R., said that for a vumber of years there had been a growing feeling throughout the Presbyterian Church in favour of a change in tho present ministerial tenure of office. Thus had not arisen because of discontent with tho ministers who preached tho Goepel -throughout tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Tho cause lay deeper than that. It lied come to bo recognised bj- many who loved tho Presbyterian Church, that if they were to keep in the forefront as an Evangelical Church they must adopt, a modified system of tenure, such as obtained in tho Methodist Church. Tho demand was not confined to tho laity, but ministers themselves, in considerable numbers, had begun to ere that tho time was ripe for some alteration in the present system. Under the Anglican system the pastor was appointed by tho Bishcp, who could remove him when ho thought that the good of the Church demanded his removal, or for other reasons. A Methodist minister was appointed to a charge for a period not exceeding five years. Free Methodists had no fixed term, but ministers were j re-elected annually. With the exception of the work of superintending, which was done by the PrisbytcMy, the system in tho Presbyterian Church whs the same as that inaugurated by John Knox, and when one realised the number ot years that had oJnp»-ed since his time, wind the growth of human thought by tho expansion of liberty, one mu-.t admit the almost superhuman foresight of the great reformer who inaugurated in Great Britain our Presbyterian syeteni of Church government. It wiis tho democratic basis en which Probytcrwmism rested that gave it ito permanency. It recognised the brotherhood and equality of its members in a manner which, hardly any other syfitem of Church government did, and that was what gave it a hold among free communitk% which few ether Chinches cbtained. The question at iesue wa.s this. Would it be for the good of true religion, and fer the furtherance of the growth of the. Presbyterian Church, whoso policy and traditions they all loved co well, to make any change in that system which had now been in operation for some 400 years? He thought thnt it would, but ht» submitted the following arguments m favour of tho system now in rogue. A minister in charge of a pastorate for a limited period never got that influence in lecal matters, or that weight in the committees which a minister placed for a lengthened period would havo. The reply to this vas that it was desirable for the benefit of true religion that a

minister should wield power in local aliaus. lik> apeakt-i inuiseif great ij doubted it. The strongest rt>aM>n tor v long pastorate was undoubtedly a sentinu'ntal one, but it wae none the les» ftcrong on tliat account. 'Hue persona, atfcpijon an<i reverenoe winch ciu&terv'c romi<i a minister who had been in charge of a congregation tcr a lengthciilXi ponod ot Usell coiwtitutcd one oi illj .siiongjet reasons tor a long paistnrate, but tliow was a danger ot haviusr w pay too mueii for the good which caTue worn thus source. Against this gowl there was the undoubted evil ot jiuving an incapable man and helpless man in charge ot a church jt>ar in and year out. until lie practically starved it to spiritual death. The- present system provided no mearu? of gewing rid of Midi a man. The congregation over which he might starve him out—a proe-L'ss which v.n a rule had a mors disastrous elk-ct upon the congregation than upon Uie miiiirtter—and this ! wns the only way in which lie may be ! £ot rid ot. Then a minister might tmd that h? was , in ah uncongenial atmosphere, and reali^that in another place , he could do much better work jor Gtxi than m the congregation whore ho> wci! located, but unless by letting it b.-> kiijVjn in v roiin-J about fi-ishion that ho do-sired a cltange, there was no reI ccgnii-.td way in wJiicli lie could geit ■'(ihiiuxl from Ihu district in which he was placed. The great difficulty which itsei! to cne proposing an itine'."ai"T symeiii for tho Presbyterian cliiircli wao how to have that system, and nt the same tune retain to a congrt'tjation tin. , right, to elect its own minister. The only wny, or far ac he could sor. in which this could be don,e j was by ndoDtiitf!; a modification of tho s,vr<t<»ni which in certain parts of America in Iho Prrsbytorian church, and which in calling I a minivstor for ii certain fixed period. j The. call should be for a period not exceeding seven yccrs. At the end of j that IXMUxI an extension could be grantjed «t the discretion of tho Presbytery, jon an application f-igned by not ln=s I than two-thirds or the. members of the congregation—tlio extension to be for I a !>:>ricd not exceeding five years, nnd }nt tho end of the second period, there should be no further extension. It would bo well known when ministerial terms were coming to an end, and mini^tors fliid congregations would make their choice of new fields of labour nnd of now pastors. Mr Laurenson wont on to quote figures to chow that as a d?nor.iiMatioii, J'iesbjterians were inj croiising more slowly than any other, I and ho was strongly of the opinion that 1 conic change in tho present system was desirable— a view which, ho thought, lVfifi ihaied by a largo majority of his fellow Presbyterians. Mr J. iStout tflid that he agre«l with Mr Laurenson in a great many of his ronwrlce. Ho did not think the present system v\is ami would like to see minieture appointed for a term of five years. Ministers who were in a pastorate for a long period wore inclined to get into a groove, and same-iip-s of sermons resulted. A number of I other ministers could not adapt themj sselvee to thoir congregations, and when ! the iibrsonnol of tho congregations changed, they did not altor with it. Tho ministers were not to blame, and if they were transferred to now pastorates they would be entirely new to the people, land good work would bo obtained from them. In regard to vacancies, lie would like to ccc more publicity given to them. When a minister was appointed, he was seen j <at his best, and ho had the best sermon he had pretiched during the last twelve (menths to tubmit as a trial sermon to the congregation. On tho other hand, the congregation turned out in good force when n new minister ■was appointed, and subsequently when ministers' sermons wore not up to the mark, and tho attendance was decidedly below what it was on the day ho preached his trial sermon, thcro was at once dissatisfaction on both eides. Therefore, lie would like to see a minister placed on probation for, say, twelve man the before ho w«i> permanently op- | pointed. A motion to tlio effect that a change j was necec*;iry in the existing system was ' carried.