CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 4

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS.The conference - resumed yesterday. A devotional service was conducted by Mr. A. G Loo at 10 a.m., Council business being taken at 10.30 a.m. COUNCIL BUSINESS. The Chairman (Rev. D. Hird) read greetings from tho Rev. Mr. Olphert, President of tho Primitive . Methodist Conference,, as follow"Congratulations oil past ' success. Best wishes for inspiring and prosperous yoar.'fTho Rev, J. W. Russell, from tlio Congregational Union of Scotland,'.was,'; on the recommendation of the Otago branch of the Union, received as a personal member. Tho Revs. Burgoyne, Burgess,. and Young' were also, appointed personal member's. ■; ' It was decided to receive a deputation fiom the Ministers' Association at 12 o'clock on Monday, and at 12.20 p.m. a deputation from the Presbyterian Assembly. Mr. Meadow Croft was appointed actingtreasurer at the. Conference meetings. FOREIGN MISSIONS. ' Further consideration -was given to tho question of foreign missions. The: Rev. A. E.' Sunt added a word of explanation to what , he had already said concerning the proposal of tho Rev. J. E. Newell, of Malua, that tho young Samoan studont, Seruka, should be given an opportunity of studying in New Zealand, English and other subjects appertaining to his training for.Native school work; . '. Tho teaching of the English language, shid; the speaker, ■; was forbidden in', the ■ schools and. colleges of .that portion, of Samoa,; which is under, the,mana of Germany. , ;. Thia Rev. Mr. Hunt then- submitted the : following motions,..which, wero carried unanimously:—"That -it,' bo a - recommendation , from this Assembly, to the district auxiliaries of tho London Missionary Society that, with ■a, ; viow to increasing the interests of our ;churches in foreign missions, a special Su.n- ---: day be set apart' for- the advocacy of the claims .of the .X'ondon Missionary Society ; and that, asvfa'r as practicablo, there ,be an interchange of. pulpits for ,tho \purpose." ' In tho discussion which centred about this motion, Mr. J. : E. Baker (Christchurch) said that there ,was, abundant; cause for renewed ;effort in the' mission field, , and there : were many young people in Now, Zealand; who possessed aptitude for the work,- and, no doubt,, would; be found ready to' volunteer for foreign' mission work if they were approached in ths right iway.;.'' ! "That, with a view, to the more systematic organising of the missionary interests of our churches, an honorary missionary organising secretary be appointed, who shall undortako tho oversight of this work; and that' tho generous; offer of Rev.-'W;- J. Smith; 1 to undertake this position, be gratefully accepted." • "That it bo a suggestion to,tho Committee of, the Union that, in" the arrangements' of the' programme of noxt ; year's meetings, a place, should be found ' for. tlie public ad-, vocitcy of the claims of' foreign ; missions. •. , ! r; MISSIONARY EXHIBITIONS. "Referring to the various methods in .vhich funds ' for' missionary work might be .raised, the Rev. A. E. Hunt said that the idea of holding "Missionary Exhibitions" had proved !very successful. ■in .England;.ln , Sheffield £1500 had' been " raised in this manner.'!' A similar undertaking in Manchester gave a not result of £1200, ! and at s Swansea they had raised £1000." It-was. intended to hold a big exhibition. in , theiAgricultura,l Hall, Lcn,don, to -be opened, it was . anticipated, by His .Majesty! the' King." Tho" Rev."' W. J. Smith;,rcforred -to-. a exhibition Tj'hich had been organised in Melbourne, where it had proved'ivery.'successful. ! - ; ' '' SITES' REPORT." '' ' ■Mr. IV Mcadowcroft,: on behalf '6f ! Mri'W.' H. Lyon,-who: is absent." from; the coilferenco,-read-tho Sites, Report:—/yi;! /j "It' is",with' a' good deal of regiret' that we. report that our section 1 at St. Alb'anS, Christchurch, has been sold:" The price : obtained added to the fund : a sum of £65,. but' the ! bale,marks the abandonment, for, the present, of a hoped-for! extension l of our ;denoimnation in Christchurch. Tho loan ,to the Devonport; pastorate has been , reduced by £106; tho , Napier .and.. 1 Timaru loans by, ;j£so, oaoli', and those to Raglan and Swanson ,by sfflaller pn-ures. 1 A loan, of £400 hasb'eeii advonced to tho church at Nowtown, . and : a temporaryloan > haSi also t been;, paid to the Ti ,Kuiti Mission. Inquiries havo been made. • by v the' Sitbs-; Committeefas t-o t-ho possibility of selling : or letting-'.the church oroporty at Oamaru, but nothing of a definite'nature'is reported. The; current,loans from', the, Sites Fund amount to £1928, and the amount of tho balance in hand is £291 3s. 5d." '! ~*