Methodist Church President Inducted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31208, 4 November 1966, Page 14

Methodist Church President Inducted

"The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, Nov. 2.

The Rev. A. K. Petch, was inducted as the president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand at the Methodist conference in the Pitt street Methodist Church, Auckland, today. He is a former minister of the Durham Street Methodist Church, Christchurch. Mr Petch was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, and educated at the Christchurch Boys’ High School. He is also a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington.

He trained for the Methodist ministry at Trinity Theological College, Auckland, and was ordained in 1942. He has been minister of three of the historic Methodist churches of New Zealand; Wesley Church, Wellington, from 1942 to 1947; St. John’s Church, Nelson, from 1947 to 1952; and Durham Street Church, Christchurch, from 1952 to 1962. For the last five years he has been minister of St. Paul’s Church, Hamilton. From 1943 to 1947 he was secretary of the Inter-Church Council on Public Affairs. For 12 years he represented

the Methodist Church on the National Council of Churches, and for 10 years he was a member of the national executive serving a term as chairman:

In 1959, he served as a New Zealand representative at the inaugural assembly of the East Asia Christian Conference in Kuala Lumpur. For the last 18 years he has led church union negotiations as convener of the Methodist Church Union committee. He is also a member of the Joint Commission on Church Union.