Presbytery Declines To Back Radio Fellowship

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32219, 11 February 1970, Page 14

Presbytery Declines To Back Radio Fellowship

The Christchurch Presbytery decided last evening not to support the Gospel Radio Fellowship in Christchurch in its application for a private radio-broadcasting licence. The fellowship recently asked the presbytery to support the application, which will be heard in Christchurch on March 18.

The presbytery approved a statement from its .sub-com-mittee on radio and television, which recalled that the Presbyterian General Assembly’s committee on radio and television in its report to the 1969 assembly said of private radio stations in general: “Our Churcl should be prepared to take its part in ensuring that listeners to all stations are as well served in the field of religious broadcasting as in any other field.’’ The presbytery sees room in radio and television programmes for coverage of a wide variety of Christian viewpoints,” said the statement. “The presbytery notes with interest that the Gospel Radio Fellowship has applied for a private licence to broadcast. The particular stand'point of this fellowship, as

expressed in its statement of faith with which many members of the presbytery would not be in entire agreement, reveals a basically conserva tive aspect. “The presbytery seeks to be fair not only to those who share the fellowship’s standpoint but also to those who beg to differ. We uphold the right of the fellowship to seek suqh a licence, but regret we are unable to write in sup port of the application.” During discussion of the statement several members of the presbytery said they felt that failure to support the application could be read by some persons as meaning that the presbytery was against Christian broadcasts.

The Rev. N. E. Creighton said that he supported the fellowship as a conservative establishment and he would still support it as a liberal establishment.

The Rev. I. B. Wilson said that for several years it had been the official policy of churches within the National Council of Churches not to. support private radio stations of any sort in New Zealand.