Special Function Seen For Inner City Parishes

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 13

Special Function Seen For Inner City Parishes

“There is a tendency to try ■to build out the church in the central city, and push it into the suburbs,” the Rev. D. M. Steedman told the Presbyterian General Assembly last evening. He was presenting the report of a special committee on “the mission and problems of city parishes.” “The city has a heart, and the church ought to be in the heart,” said Mr Steedman. A full seven-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day service was needed in central city churches, the report said. It continued:

“This is not yet possible anywhere in the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand, but it will need to be made possible in the near future in Auckland at least.

“Such a conception includes cafeteria and counselling services.

‘There must be a team of staff members with different abilities to cope with special needs and to try experiments. A 24-hour, seven-day programme is completely beyond the ability of one man and perhaps one parish. “There are many ways in which women workers could be used. Some few lay people with special gifts and training might well have a place in such a team. “The committee is quite opposed to lay people of good intention but with no training becoming involved in the special ministry of the inner city.

“Such a set-up will mean readaptation of buildings, and new buildings. But the financial outlay is completely

outside the wildest dreams of the congregation. “We plead that the church will consider ways and means of implementing some of ■these schemes to give the church the plant it must have to do the task.” Plan Together The “inner ring” parishes on the fringe of the inner city should plan together rather than as individual parishes. The strong suburban parishes should “think of asking some of their key personnel to give real service in the inner city area.”

Presbyteries should give active oversight to the progress of inner city churches, especially when the choice of a new minister was being considered, the report advocated.

There was a special responsibility to Maoris in the inner city, including their accommodation and recreation needs.

‘The cost of all this is likely to be enormous,” Mr Steedman added.

The Rev. W. P. Eggleton said the inner city parishes could well face a real crisis if immediate action were not taken.

The assembly decided to ask the finance committee to report to the next assembly on the church’s responsibility to the inner city, with a view to definite financial assistance.

It was also decided that presbyteries should initiate joint planning of inner city parishes within their bounds. The assembly's book of order committee was asked to frame regulations to govern the oversight to be exercised by presbyteries in the call of ministers by such parishes.