PROFICIENCY IN RELIGION

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28930, 25 June 1959, Page 9

PROFICIENCY IN RELIGION

Certificate For Laymen

The New Zealand Council for Christian Education, an autonomous body sponsored by member churches of the National Council of Churches, aims to promote religious instruction in public schools under the Nelson System, To this end it has published an agreed syllabus with handbooks for instructors and activity books for the children. The teaching in the schools is done by ministers and lay assistants of whom some are school teachers.

To give the lay assistants a greater knowledge of their Bible and faith, the Council for Christian Education has provided a two year course of lectures covering the subjects Old Testament, New Testament, church history, and Christian doctrine. The lectures are given in the Teachers’ College, i.e., Auckland, Ardmore, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. There are 13 lectures in Old Testament, 13 in New Testament, seven in church history and seven in Christian doctrine. In 1959 New Testament and Christian Doctrine are the two subjects being taken. The examination on New Testament was held recently and on Christian Doctrine will be on September 26.

The Council for Christian Education also provides a correspondence course for those who do not live near Teachers’ College centres. This course has the same number of lectures in each subject as the main course and all four subjects are available each year, but Old Testament and New Testament may not be taken in the same year. If two subjects are taken they are done concurrently, and assignments are returned fortnightly. On the successful completion of the course the Certificate of Proficiency in Religious Knowledge is presented. Further information ,may be obtained from the New Zealand Council for Christian Education, P.O. Box 228, Wellington.