Baptists Seek £50,000 In Next Three Years

Press, Volume C, Issue 29537, 12 June 1961, Page 14

Baptists Seek £50,000 In Next Three Years

In the next three years £50.000 would be needed to further the work of the Baptist Church in Canterbury and Westland, said the chairman of the finance committee (Mr R. E. Ensor) at the annual meeting of the Can-terbury-Westland Baptist Association held at Greymouth on Saturday. That sum, said Mr Ensor, who was introducing the 1961-1962 development fund t.heme, was for the building of churches in new housing areas at Avonhead. Sockbum, Harewood, south Ashburton, south Timaru. and Westport A motion asking member churches to report on their willingness to b"’ such a scheme was passed after much discussion Proceedings Ar the 82 delegates, most of whom travelled by special rail-car from Christchurch at 6.10 a.m.,’ opened when they were welcomed by the president (the Rev. L. E Armstrong) and by the Rev R Bullen, minister of the Greymouth church, who said it was the first time in 69 years that the annual meeting had been held in Westland. New Church A new church, the Wainoni Baptist Church, with a foundation membership of 26, was received into membership of the association and a new fellowship. Ferrymead, which served the outer suburbs of south-east Christchurch, was also welcomed. In his annual report, the secretary (Mr J. W. Taylor) spoke of the stewardship of the churches in having enabled advances to be made The minister of the Oxford terrace church (the Rev. R G. Hart) put forward a suggestion for the formation of a special church fellowship for isolated Baptists, and this proposal was commended to the home mission and Christian education committees of the association for study in the coming year The Bantist Union's director of Christian education (the Rev. J. J. Burt), who is

visiting the Canterbury area, in a plea for the teaching of evangelism, spoke of membership increases of up to 12'4 per cent a year being obtained overseas The association's finances were outlined by the treasurer (Mr D W Holland!, who reported an increase from £919 to £1213 in the circulating loan fund Considerable property investment had been made during the year, he said, and the sections held for future churches were valued at almost £4OOO. Member churches had increased their contributions this year, and the association was determined to provide, debt free, at least an acre of land for each new church New President The association elected as its new president Mr J. Calder. of Riccarton. who in an address to delegates spoke of the year ahead as one of challenge and opportunity. “We must build more and more buildings and facilities to allow people, especially the young people of today, to share that better way of life thut belongs to the Christian gospel.” he said Officers elected were: president, Mr J. Calder; presi-dent-elect, the Rev G. F. Coombes: vice - presidents. Messrs F. G. Howe and D. C. Moore; secretary, Mr J. W. Taylor.