PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22554, 9 November 1938, Page 12

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

MODERATOR-DESIGNATE APPOINTED THE REV. J. LAWSON ROBINSON, OF CHRISTCHURCH [THK PRESS Special Service.] DUNEDIN, November 8. The Rev. Joseph Lawson Robinson, 8.A., who has been nominated as Mod-erator-Designate of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand for the centennial year, has been minister of St, Andrew’s Church, Christchurch, since 1930. He is a graduate of Knox Theological College, Dunedin, and was ordained to the ministry in 1915. During his training years he was a prominent student leader, and was president of the University of Otago Christian Union. Mr Robinson was first appointed to assist the Rev. Graham Balfour at First Church of Otago, and later was called to Columba Church, Oamaru. He was afterwards stationed at First Church, Invercargill, and in 1930 was called to Christchurch. He is at present returning to the Dominion from a holiday abroad. Mr Robinson is described as a diligent pastor, and a zealous and eloquent preacher of the Gospel. His career has been watched by his brother ministers with great interest since his student days, and his first speech in the Church Assembly was marked by a maturity of thought, and also by the appropriateness and impressiveness and the fine culture which have since become so characteristic of his utterances. REPORT OF YOUTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, November 8. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church continued its session today. Consideration of the report of the youth committee was continued, and the following recommendations adopted:—

That it be a direction of the assembly to ministers and sessions that, wherever possible, youth workers’ dedication services be held at the beginning of each year’s work, with a view to giving workers a sense of vocation, and also of bringing the youth work of the parish before the congregation; That it be a direction of the Assembly to ministers and sessions that no young people should be admitted to full communion, unless they have previously attended a course of instruction in the meaning and responsibility of church membership, and that the service of confirmation of baptismal vows, or admission to full* communion, be held either at a week-night preparatory service, or at a Sunday service; That presbyteries should make a careful survey of Sunday schools within their bounds, and that selected schools should conduct experiments in method and organisation, especially in work among intermediates and preBible class age groups; That the attention of ministers, Sunday school teachers, and Bible class leaders be called to the possibilities of visual education in Sunday school and Bible class work, the scope of which is being investigated by the youth comimttee; That Mrs W. Mackay, Dr. J. D. Salmond, the Revs. James Robertson, A. C. Watson, and L>. F. Gunn, and Messrs A. J. McEldowney and E. J. Ward be representatives of the General Assembly on the New Zealand Council of Religious Education; That the committee and general headquarters be located in' Dunedin ior the next three years. Mission Funds (

Presenting a series of resolutions attached to the report of the missions committee, the Rev. D. M. Cattanach said that everything in the nature of a retreat should be ruled out as absolution of the problems confronting them in their mission funds. As they re-’ viewed the mission situation, both in New Zealand and abroad, they could not but realise that the present time was a time of great opportunity, evenj if it was a time of strain - for the Church. He was glad, in one sense, that it was a time of strain, for that was good for the soul of the Church. Mission work should not be the hobby of the few, but the life work of the Church. On the motion of Mr Cattanach it was decided to make a direct appeal to members of the Church, especially men, to ensure that some 10,000 persons should give an additional £1 a year for mission work.