Rev. A. K. Petch To Lead Methodists

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30901, 6 November 1965, Page 16

Rev. A. K. Petch To Lead Methodists

One of the Methodist Church’s leading experts on church union was elected as the next president of the church at the annual conference in Christchurch yesterday.

He is the Rev. A. K. Petch, minister of St. Paul’s Church in Hamilton. For the last 16 years Mr Petch has been the convener of the Methodist church union committee, and he is a Methodist representative on the standing committee of the Joint Commission on Church Union.

He will assume the position of President of the church at the next annual conference, to be held at Auckland in November next year. Mr Petch said his election

was “possibly a measure of the strong support of our church for the cause of church union.

“Church union has been my major interest, and church relations with Asia have been my other main concern. “The Methodist Church is so deeply committed to the whole matter of church union —this, I think, was one of the factors underlying my election,” he said. Born in Taranaki, Mr Petch spent the greater part of his youth in Christchurch, and was educated at Christchurch Boys’ High School. He received his theological training at Trinity College, Auckland, and graduated bachelor of arts at Victoria University of Wellington. After his ordination in 1942, he was appointed minister of the Wesley church, Taranaki street, Wellington, and, after five years, minister of St. Paul’s Church, Nelson.

From 1952 to 1962 Mr Petch was minister of the Durham Street Methodist Church in Christchurch—the church ip which he was chosen yesterday for his new position. While he was in Christchurch, he was a member of the executive of the National Council of Churches, and in 1959 represented the council at the opening assembly of the East Asia Christian Conference at Kuala Lumpur. He has been in his present position at Hamilton since 1962.