RELIGION IN FACTORIES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28008, 30 June 1956, Page 10

RELIGION IN FACTORIES

BRITISH EXPERIMENT DISCUSSED

An experiment in taking the Church to the people was described yesterday in Christchurch by Dr. Colin A. Roberts, a former president of the British Methodist Church, as “the most satisfying period of ’my ministry.”

He said that in the “Christian Commando Campaign” of about 12 years ago, the churches had sought to establish bridgeheads by going into factories, universities, hotels, cinemas, and so on.

A result of the campaign was that the Methodist Church had 200 ministers in England who in addition to their ordinary duties were factory padres.

Other denominations, including the Church of England, were also in this field. The Church of Scotland had 300 factory padres, said Dr. Roberts In Britain, he said, there were 8,000,000 factory workers, many of whom had no religious affiliations Hence the importance of the factory chaplaincy. Dr. Roberts, who is accompanied by Mrs Roberts on a two weeks’ visit to New Zealand, was in the Home Mission Department of the British Methodist Church for 16 years until last July, when his place was taken by Dr. W. E. Sangster, who visited New Zealand two years ago. For the last seven years of this period. Dr. Roberts was general secretary.