Effect Of Church Union On N.C.C.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32393, 4 September 1970, Page 9

Effect Of Church Union On N.C.C.

The main hope for the future 'of the National Council of Churches in New Zealand lay in the desire of the present, churches to continue and maintain the deep fellowship which existed between all the active churches in its membership, the general-secretary of the council (the Rev. D. M. Taylor) said in a report presented to the council’s annual meeting in Christchurch on Wednesday evening.

The report dealt with the council and church union, with emphasis on the council’s role after the possible union of the five negotiating churches in New Zealand—the Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, the Congregational Union and the Associated Churches of Christ

Mr Taylor said that if the proposed united church came into existence on the present membership, the result would be a council which had one member church with a huge number of adherents and five other churches, tiny by comparison. On the 1966 census statistics the united church could have 1,692,238 adherents and the five other churches—the Baptist Church, the Salvation Army, the Society of Friends, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Cook Islands Christian Church—a total membership of 83,872. On these figures the ratio of adherents would be 21 to one.

Measuring by census adherents, however, bad never been accepted as a fair way, said Mr Taylor. If the statistics on which the financial contributions were calculated at present were used, the ratio would be eight to one. If it was measured by the financial contributions undertaken by the churches in the year to June 30, the ratio would be 13 to one. Mr Taylor said that the final factor was related to

other churches which were not members of the council at present. If the Roman Catholic Church were to join,

: the ratios would change considerably. Other churches which conceivably could join included, ! the Russian Orthodox Church, ; the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Apostolic Church, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand, the Assemblies of God, the Ratana Church, the Liberal Catholic Church and the Church of the Nazarene.