DEPUTATION FROM THE PRESBYTERY OF CLUTHA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 22, 13 April 1870, Page 5

DEPUTATION FROM THE PRESBYTERY OF CLUTHA.

The Cromwell Church Committee met on the evening of Thursday last, to confer with the Rev. Dr Copland, of Tuapeka, and the llev, Mr Telford, of Teviot, who had been appointed as a deputation from the Presbytery of Clutha (under instructions from the Synod of Otago and Southland), to visit Cromwell and inquire into the working of Church affairs in the district. The members of Committee present were Messrs Mackellar, Preshaw (in the chair), Marsh, Fraer, Wright, and Reekie. The Deputation having been introduced to the Committee, Dr Copland explained the object of their visit, and also stated that it had some reference to the relation in which the Rev. Mr Drake stood to the Synod. Two years since, application had been made to the Clutha Presbytery by the Cromwell Church Committee for ministerial supply. In accordance with that applications the Rev. Mr Drake was sent to Cromwell ; and some time afterwards, as his services were acceptable, an application was made for his indue, tion as minister of the district. The Presbytery, after consideration, sent a reply to the request, stating that they were willing to make Cromwell a sanctioned charge, hut that Mr Drake’s footing did not admit of their taking steps for his induction. Mr Drake’s position was this he had been received by the Synod as a minister whom the Presbytery might employ, but not as a regular probationer. Since that period no communication had taken place between the Committee and the Presbytery ; and as the Synod considered this an unsatisfactory state of affairs, they thought the best plan would he to send a deputation to visit the district, meet Mr Drake and the Committee, and ascertain the views of the congregation. The Extension Committee of the Synod had employed Mr Drake, but not as a regular probationer, and the Synod had not seen fit to alter his position. The practical point at issue was, Were the Committee agreeable that Mr Drake should continue to labour under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, as at present ? He might state that if the congregation chose to retain Mr Drake as a labourer of the Synod, they came under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of the bounds, and were entitled to the privileges enjoyed by other Presbyterian congregations in the Province —one of those privileges being the erection by the Synod of a suitable residence for their minister. He recognised the fact that the Committee had desired to have Mr Drake associated with the Synod ; but the Synod was unable to place Mr Drake on that footing, owing to his not having gone through the regular course of studies required by the Church. The Deputation therefore wished to know it the congregation desired to be associated with the Presbytery of the bounds, and also if they desired to retain the services of Mr Drake. Perhaps Mr Telford would like to say something on the matter.

The Eev. Mr Telford could not say anything in addition to the observations Dr Copland had made. The district had his best wishes ; and he hoped the Deputation would be able to elicit and to give information which would be for the good of the congregation and the district generally. At present he could not say anything further, but no doubt during the course of the evening he would have a few remarks to offer.

Mr Mackellar : Dr Copland, there is one question I should like to ask you. You are evidently aware of a memorial having been sent to the Synod, asking to have the district declared a sanctioned charge, and also requesting that the Eev. Mr Drake be inducted as minister. Were you aware that a letter was subsequently sent to the Synod withdrawing that memorial ? Dr Copland said that he did not recollect the letter, as he had not seen it; but he remembered that such a letter was brought before the Synod. There was some ambiguity about it. If he remembered rightly, it was to the effect that the prayer of the memorial be withdrawn ; but as the memorial contained two distinct requests—one that the district he declared a sanctioned charge, and the other that the Eev. Mr Drake be inducted as minister—it was not considered advisable to deal with it. He remembered offering to telegraph about it, but it was considered unnecessary.

Mr Mackellar at that time understood that the Eev. Mr Eoss (to whom the letter had been entrusted) was the proper person to apply to for information, and the most ready means of bringing any matter before the Synod, being the minister in charge of the district. Dr Copland said that Mr Maokeller was perfectly right in his supposition. Mr Eoss had, however, only been in attendance at the meeting of Synod a day or two, and had then left for Melbourne. He had handed the latter to another member of the Synod for presentation, and it was owing to the former gentleman’s absence and the consequent want of information on the subject, that the matter had been left as it was. Mr Mackellar also brought before the notice of the deputation a report of the proceedings of Synod at the time of its sitting which appeared in the Daily Times, and in which certain charges were made against the Committee. These charges were clearly shown by Dr Copland and Mr Telford to have reference to the Church Extension Committee of the Synod, and not to the Cromwell Committee at all. Dr Copland further stated that the deputation had not come to make any charges against the Committee, or to lay any blame at their door. They simply wished to know it it was the desire of the congregation to stand on the same footing with the Synod as other Presbyterian congregations, and also if it was their wish to have the services of Mr Drake as hitherto.

Mr Mackellar did not wish to be pertinacious in tho matter, but he had a desire to clear the Committee from all blame in connection with the misunderstanding which had existed between the Synod and it. The letter withdrawing the memorial had been sent on tlfe 9th of January, and to this there had been no reply. He then telegraphed to the Rev. Mr Stuart to the effect

that the Committee were anxiously awaiting the Synod's decision in the matter. To this telegram he some time afterwards received a reply from Mr Stuart, apologising for having neglected to answer it, and stating that a sub-committee had been formed to attend to the matter, and that they would communicate with the Committee without delay ; but no communication from the sub-committeementioned had ever been received.

Dr Copland admitted that the Cromwell Committee had fair grounds for feeling annoyed. The Synod had great difficulty in dealing with Mr Drake’s application for admission to the Presbytery. It had been brought forward by the Presbytery of Southland without the necos sary information. In the cases of application for admission by members of the Presbyterian Church, they generally present their credentials from other Presbyteries ; but when the applying minister is of another denomination, particulars as to education, training, &c., are necessary. When Mr Drake applied for admission to the Presbytery, a sub-committee was formed to get the necessary information, and when it was found that Mr Drake did not possess the qualifications requisite for his admission as a regular minister, it was decided to employ him in giving ministerial supply to a district where a regular minister or probationer was not stationed ; and in reply to the application received from Cromwell, Mr Drake was sent, a regular probationer not being then obtainable. The decision of the Synod as to Mr Drake’s position was communicated to the Presbytery of his bounds, by which body the Cromwell Committee should have been supplied with the information.

Mr Mackellar continued that when Mr Drake was sent the Committee wss never informed that he was not a regular probationer, and when after a considerable period of time had elapsed word came up that he was not, it might be easily imagined how annoyed they were. Dr Copland admitted the truth of Mr Mackellar's remarks, and said it was an oversight that the Committee had not been informed of Mr Drake’s position at the time of his appointment.

A long discussion ensued upon a question as to which district .Morven Hills Station is in, Mr Drake having visited it from the commencement of his ministry, while it had also been claimed at different times by the Rev. Air Connor and by Mr Thompson (a probationer) as in their district. Dr Copland said that both Cromwell and the district which Mr Thompson supplied were new districts, and that therefore it could not be positively assorted which it was in. Air Preshaw also spoke at jiome length, referring to the unanimous feeling that existed from the first among the Cromwell, Bannockburn, and Gorge people for the establishment of Air Drake among them, and to the great reason the Committee had for feeling nettled at the apparent want of courtesy and consideration shown them by the Synod. He also referred to the interference by the Rev. Air Connor with a portion of Air Drake’s district, to the neglect of duty which had been exhibited by the minister of the Dunstan district in his relations with the Cromwell Committee, and to other matters which had been brought before the deputation. Dr Copland again entered into explanations touching the question as to which district Alor veu Hills Station belonged, and explained that it was no doubt on account of the bounds of Air Drake’s and Air Connor’s districts (which were both new) not being defined that the clashing arose. Ha must frankly say that, so far as he could see, ha considered the Committee here were justified in thinking they were treated in a somewhat curious manner. He was sorry so much trouble and annoyance had occurred. Had Air Ross explained in his note of the 30th June that Air Drake would not be a regular probationer, the unpleasantness would not have arisen; but Air Ross was then quite new to the colony, and, being so, had omitted to state the facts. Air Telford said that he, as well as Dr Copland, could see from the correspondence that there had been irregularities, and he certainly sympathised with the Committee with regard to their feelings in the matter.

Some further conversation ensued, when Mr Fraer said he should like to know definite as to Mr Drake’s present position, and as to whether he could be retained if the congregation was associated with the Presbytery. Dr Copland, in reply to Mr Fraer, said that if the congregation wished it, Mr Drake would still be kept in his present position. He would be kept as minister supplying the Presbyterian congregation, that is, in the event of the congregation coming under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of the bounds, and he would then have authority to dispense all the ordinances of the Church, including the Lord’s Supper. He would fulfil all the duties of a minister, and his position would bo only different from that of other ministers in that he would not be a member of Synod. The difference in his position would affect him personally, and practically would not make any difference to the congregation. Mr Fraer would like to know definitely why Mr Drake could not be admitted to the Presbytery as a regular minister. Dr Copland, in answer to the last question, said that the reason was one of two things, or perhaps both of them. In the first place no documents had been sent when-Mr Drake applied for admission giving the requisite information as to his qualifications ; and in Jhe second place there had been no information to what his training had been. Either the subcommittee appointed for the purpose had not got the information, or having got it, whatever his ministerial abilities were had found that he had not gone through the training so rigidly exacted by the Church prior to the admission of a minister into the Synod. After some further talk on minor matters, Mr Fraer proposed a vote of thanks to the deputation for their attention to explanations given by members of the Committee during the evening, and said that no doubt some decision in the matter would without further delay bo arrived at by the Committee and forwarded to the deputation. This was seconded by Mr Marsh, and carried t una ;irao' sly. d