BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12932, 11 October 1907, Page 9

BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

(PBESS ASSOCIATION- TELEGRAM.) ACCKI^N I, * October 10. ! Tlie Baptist Conference "endorsed the j appointments of the ««■• H. Hobday ! S? icl), N. A. Panes (Keikoura), Guv" Thornton (Sydenham), and .\. g. Wilson (Wiiugonni). At a short ser--1 vice niter the business Msssiasi, refer(!l?e was inaiJo to tlie relation of the Church to La!«):ir nnd the too common lack of cireiul consideration of this fjiiietion hy tho Church, and it was 1 stated t!:at tho .Miliject avould roceire i due p.ttontion during the Conference. ■ Tlio Her. Mr Carter, first president of j live- Hoptist I'r.inn of Xow Zealand, ; s.ii.l this voar tl:r,y ivere celebrating I their juiiiU-o. Twenty-fire years ego ■ fifteen de'.pfiatr.j im>t nnd cuiintitutcd the Union. r ia.» yuar eighty were jin-MMit.

T!:c ar.ii u,il roport rovjewpt! Hip progvvm iiiiidi.. |>y ilic «!onoivinanoii <lurin.L' tlio lafit (jHiMtcr of a miturr. Tun Iniyii u:,s cstiiMwhorl in Wollin'gtr;ll twfivty-fivr yours ego. Tlif' liioml;c:v}ii;> of t!i--.> «liti:c>ios twcnts-fivo yr.tvf, ;1- ",o irn,i HMIl; this jfir it Mas AW"). Ovo-r twenty now Hiurelies aii-l br«!i.<!u\s had l.ucn rstablishctl. Th«» n:. mi.f-r.-hip was in--ir:.*in- at the mto of l.j per tint, wiry iivo soars. Thy nr.t incrcHo durinj; Inst yrar was 207 During tlui pnst your tliVre h:i-l been :i rctluttioii in t-h<» flcbts on Hmrcli properties. Tlio hfld given very i;pnor<ni»ly, mid {] w i!rnoinir.«tion av«h. perhaps, less mcuinborod than any other religious body in the Dominion. Tlio "New Zealand Baptist" hnd had a eucccssfuj year. It, circulation liod su?wtn,ntially inoreafcTtl, and a considerable proiib had accrued from the year's working. Tlie c'luirciite had done vigorous work in. nnny pl«icen. The report conehided by stating that urgent appeals had reached tlio Union lor vigorous extensions in many plarc,?, and it v.«is hfi-ix-d that the churcliws would respond generously. To-nin-ht tlio annual address waa delivered by the Prcf-ident, the Hey. J. ('. Mortin (.Christeliurch), on the sul>jeet of "The present- religious opportunity of the Church in Now Zealand. ,, Never ivis it more urorled, ho snid, that tlio Church should sco tho problems that faced her. The last twenty-iivo yearn hr.d seen great changes in swial and religious conditions. iSonie ccul<l sco no manner of good in tho forces thot- bad arisen in recent ycin*, but tho Church ought to bo tlio first to oxprese thankfulness for tho changes that really made her opportunity. It might bo difficult to adjust tho Church to these new conditions, but her Very life depended upon jte boin£ done. Tho influence of ecioiißo and Wiblicol criticism, the organisations of industry, the increased complexity of social life, tho reawakened interest in philosophy and reseirch, had ell seriously affected tho Church's work, but modern movements of thought wero provimaking the Church's real opportunity. "That opportunitfr was distinctly a religious one. The world had lost its "way. <md had wandered after every voice that eponiod to offer guidjiKc, end the Church must lead it beck.