Christian Endeavour Conference.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 3, 28 September 1907, Page 8

Christian Endeavour Conference.

RETIRING PRESIDENT'S . ADDRESS.' Groat enthusiasm has attended the annual convention of tho Wellington Provinical Christian Endeavour Union, which commenced in Wesley Church, Taranaki Street, on Wednesday, was continued iu the Vivian Street Baptist Church on Thursday . evening, and reached a further stago with a' united consecration servico and the delivery of the retiring president s address 'in Wesley Church last night.. Four hundred and fifty children, members of the junior societies set. tho ball rolling with a consecration service,; tea,and demonstration on Wednesday.. A paper, written by Mr. H. N. Holmes, on "Endeavour in its Aggressive Aspects, , was the main feature'of a united con-, ference on Thursday,- and an annual re-' port of a highly. • satisfactory -nature, was adopted. There are now attached to the Union 2G senior .societies with a total membership of 930, three ..intermediate' societies (107), and 25 junior societies (SUS), or a total of 51 societies, with a'membership of 1002, being a gain of eight societies and IG7 members since last year.' The following are some special features of Eudeavourer's work in and around tho city :-Conducting regular services', at theOhiro Homo and Home for the Aged .Needy, regular visitatious to the hospital and distribution of flowers, visitation and assistance of tho sick and poor. A deep interest is'still maintained in home and toreign ■missions. Several Native teaehors and mission stations aro supported, and ,£l7B Gs. lOd. has been given to mission work. If returns were comploto this sum would' be much larger. / . Yesterday after a ; combined tea in Wesley Church, at which the tables represented' different 'nationalities, -the most important meeting of tho series •was, held. : - The Retiring President (tho Rev. J. J. North) in his address said that few things'had-been more significant in recent years than tho growth _of the Endeavour ■ system. Tho' badge was worn in all tho continents. Tho tongues of- all the great nations repeated its pledge To him the movement was groat'because it existed to "do noble deeds, not dream them all day long." The thing Christian men had to do was to conquer tho world. ' Ho proposed to direct their attention to a particular method which bur Lord Himself employed. Tbo method >in question was commonly called personal dealing. When it was considered that tho multitudes trod one upon another to hear Christ, His readiness to spend Himself in .the enlightenment of trio individual, as illustrated- in the cases of Nicodomus and tho woman of Samaria, was tho more wonderful. He mado conversation mighty for tho overthrow of sin, and the triumph 'of. truth. Tho Apostles also' used conversation quite as much as public address. But in our day personal dealing was regarded as enthusiastic if not impudont. , An exquisite amount of bungling accounted for tho present dislike. Every feeling somo things ho had seen at mission in his nature had rebelled against sendees. Delicacy and solemnity and tho rights of privacy wero often sacrificed to "results." To hinv it was an ovidenco of tho attractive power of the evangel that peoplo still' went to ovangelistic meetings. Ono of tho most annoying faults of tho nvorago evangelist was in regard, of salvation. Tho thing was reduced to a fcoblo argument. Tho mere intellectual assent to propositions was confounded with the faith, of a man's heart. Christ, believed in, saved. Nothing else would. Thero was a differonco between discussing intellectual and moral questions. There was something solemn, and privato, and eternal about conduct, and Christ, tho Lord of it, was not oasily talked of. He believed that those who felt this reticence and reverence had tho qualifications for the work ho" spoko of. Mou owed it to Christ and to tho world that they slio'uld speak of Him and His claims, and conversation was a great-method. The first requisite was something of an achieved character, tho second an absentee of dogmatism, and it was also necessary to have an acquaintance with current modes of thought. But the chief requisite was a groat devotion to tho Saviour, and a great lovo of ren for His sake. This was the open path which Endeavourers should take. The lieu- president is the Eev. M'.Donald Asphuul. The Convention will conclude with an open-aii' demonstration this afternoon at island Hay.