Dr Brash critical

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 2

Dr Brash critical

PA Wellington] New Zealand opposition to! I the World Council of) ■ Churches’ programme to I combat racism is a complex'; land an inexcusable one, ac-j: cording to the Moderator of) - the Presbyterian Church and]; former deputy secretary- |i general of the W.C.C. (the) Rt Rev, Dr Alan Brash). < South African propaganda, j he said, had been one of the'i most effective means ofli undermining the W.C.C. I i fund, while New Zealanders)] seemed unable to obtain the! facts of the situation, and)]

< their churchmen had not; ' bothered. ■ A number of New Zealand! ) church ministers had also) been invited to South Africa' las guests of the Govern-) iment. The result, he said.; (was their giving a one-] (sided view when they re-: 'turned home. ‘ “There are also certain) conservative theological people in New Zealand who) don’t trust the ecumenical) movement and are therefore] I inclined to believe criticism,”! I Dr Brash said. Of the programme to com-) bat racism which recently!

t igave an $85,000 grant to the' ■ Southern African Patriotic) I I (Front there was a bitter pill's >iwhich had to be swallowed!) ilby New Zealanders, said Dr|' •i Brash. .; They had to trust a black,: • ! guerrilla movement to spend ■ iits grant in the way it had) (pledged to do—for humanitarian purposes. The W.C.C. was in no! ■ (position to account for every 1 last dollar given to the; J,movement, but it had no rea- ' “son to believe that money I was not being spent on what j •jit was given for, Dr BrashT usaid. - '! . I