CONGREGATIONAL UNION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 120, 13 February 1908, Page 5

CONGREGATIONAL UNION

'ANN UAL CONFERENCE, i

THE,.SESSION CONCLUDED. ■ Tho annual conference of dologates from the churches of tlio' Congregational Union was concluded yesterday! / The,: morning devotional sorvico at 110 o'clock was conducted by the Rev. J.> H. 'M'Kehzie, council business, being'token at 10.30. ' " t The Rev. J. Reed Glasson intimated that !• tho Reference Committee had decided that time , would not permit olf further, discussion 1: on tho piper by tho llov: Mr. M'Naughton, entitled, "Wliat is tho'Greatest Need of the Church?" The Committee'recommended that .the question bo; placed on tho agenda paper \ for tho ensuing, conference. This , was agreed i".' to. ? ' ELECTION OE OFFICERS. ,• The annual election of officers resulted as ' ( follows: — • • . ,- Chairman—Rev. W. S. Forme. ' Secretary—Rev. G. Day. ■ Treasurer —Mr. W. 11. Lyon. .Registrar—Mr. Granville Hunt, vi Auditor—Mr. C. Campbell. > Editor of tho "Outlook" —Mr. A. J. Ileigh- , way, (Dunedin).:. • ' Exocutivo Committee of the Union for 1908 ■•i.-r'Wellington::;ltovs. W. A. Evans, A. M. Aspland, -J. Roed Glasson, B; L. Thomas, •and Messrs. A. M. Lowis and F. Moadow:croft. ,r Canterbury:- Revs. D. Hird, A. E. . Hunt; •:vl., Sarginson,- and Messrs. A.'.-W. ;!• • : Beaven,.rW. Ball, and A. Henderson. Otago:. ; ,; Rovs. 'Mii Grant, G. Heigh-, way, W.'-S.'tFermo,.and Messrs. R. Greig and 'J; H. uWilkius. i,: Auckland'. Rev. ; S.; Griffiths, : Messrs:. - A.: : G. - Lee, W. - Mitchell, H. -Ed- ,( monds, ,C.'-'E. Campbell, J. E.',Hall, A. T. Craig, S. .W. Smecton, J. P. Hooton, S. E. , Mooro, W. .8., Loyhind,.and W. M...Trigg; ; , the new minister at.-Bridge Street; Auckland,. . t'i be,addcd:toithc Committee;;,, i..... : ATlio -London; Missionary Society Committee : of Ifoferbnco;of tho .-.Union,: which consists of the Committee of the Congregational Union, ' with the Wellington members- acting as an executive (with ;power, to-addi to/their number),' was, re-appointedthe Rpt., A. E. Hunt - to act as'secretary/'aiid the' Rev. *A.,' M.' Asp- ■,• land as convener." " ! v" ' ' THe Revs. J| : Reed Glasson, and' W."' A. ' Evans wero appointed; to act as ; a subcommittee to examine into aiid report' upon Church' laws, v ■ The Committee on Church Uiiion was re- ' appointed. Its personnel'.' is as follows:— Revs. W. Saunders (convener); J.- Reed Glasson, D. Hird, J. Wilkins; and Messrs. W. H.' Lyon, A.' M. .Lewis,' A. W. Beaven, and J. • H. Wilkinson. The work of the Committeo ! is, to negotiate with tho committees of other .ChurcHes""pri''the ; quo'stibn of : a'-united' policy on certain points. _ . . . 'It.'was';.stated that''rio'report had. been re- •;

■ ■ ■. : ccived for 1907. THEOLOGICAL TRAINING FOR STUDENTS. - The Committee set up at'the preYious,conferenco to''deal with matters affecting the 1 theological training of students for'the Con- - gregational Ministry at the Theolegical College, Dunedin, was re-appointed-; the Rev. '3. 'Heigliway :to act as. convened: The mem-, voers of , the Committee 6. 'Heighway and. AV. Saunders, and Messrs. 'K'Barr, : and-J.-H. No was stated, had been re- , • ceivod from last.year's Committee. - , The Rot. W. A. Evans ,\jas of opinion that ■ the-Committee should bo made aware of , the ■ Council's desire : that something.-; definite" should be ascertained oil the point; ;If it was possible .to., utilise the Presbyterian .College as a training ground for their students, as : the i Baptist Union had already done, lie thought that .they-should act in the matter. OTHER BUSINESS ,• . Mr. J. C.- Port referred to thoso commit- . tees which had been appointed to deal with ■■■•• certain matters and had failed to furnish'a >.- report upon their work. They appeared to be inanimate.-- He thought 'that the 'ChairI man might -look into their "progress''.daring-, the year v ] :. -/ntir.-.- _ Tjie :<Chairman (Ber.-D. vHird)-! said that ■ it was -for -the conveners to- see that- theif 7committeeS'met. ; '- !V ' y'V The llev. G. -Hcighway, "on behalf"'of the*" Otago District 1 Committee, moved:—"That it be a ■ suggestion to all the Churches to set ' apart tho- third Sunday in October of each year as .y f 'Yonng People's Sunday,' a' day of .universal decision." It was decided that-the superintendents of ithe .Dimedm Sunday schools bo appointed as a committee to deal with the matter, and communicate with'the various Sunday-schools. • " - • Considerable opposition was met with in regard to'the appointment of "an organising secretary"to • supervise the work of church extension. It was pointed'out that "definite settlement of the question could not be made until ; the : salary: required, £250' for three ' yoar?, -had jbeen guaranteed; It was "decided ... to -further -discuss the • matter at' the; next • conferonco. • ■ -■ v

MOTIONS. ' : _ The -Rev. A. .E. Hunt moved :—"Tiirt this . Council desires to place'on' record'its gratiat- the progress of'Teraperance- rQform throughout the ivorld, and especially - at ;th'e'. great which'; has "attended the carrying-out of No-License in some.'parts, of the Dominionj and iii'yie# of' tho forth-' comui» No-License poll , this ; Council - urges lur-'iriinisters and churches tho lieces- ' "sii •'* P u^ln S forth every :eifort to bring abotri!«-as-speedily-as possible, the abolition' of 3 ' ra ® c which js one; of the, greatest obstacles, to. our social and religious life." lJiis was carried unanimously. •- -- I , .It was moved by Mr.'A. M. Lewis:—"That it be. a recommendation r froni this Council to the four District Secretaries: That a copy of . their district minutes}be "forwarded each' • editor- .of .• the-. 'Congregational Uut •>k as soon, after their meetings as The" motion was lost,, it' being stated'thatthe subject matter of the minutes was Lot, of sufficients importance fol-' publi--■'cation:.;;.U .. i . The, lollowing were appointed as delegates 1° Conference to bq at Jsdinburgh, Scotland.' • The Con-' ftreiico, wi|l sit from June 30 until 9 Tho • Itevs. _J. AVilkins, W.' Saunders, and '-H'ndsay, Spragg, and Gufteridgo,' Jitn ~pp«:er to .re-arrango: this , personnel of' ■ ®.? ; s?Pro?®Rtation; in anyway ,that', might; j>e. n«yessary. . . ' '• •;'< A, hearty vote, of thanks to tho local Press for,, its •■reports • of tho proceedings was ; car-' # nod--by: acclamation.-'./

THE EVENING MEETING. >ANNUAL SERMON. At the evening meeting the annual sermon was preached by the Ilev. W. S. Fernie. A full choir rendered anthem and other, saered' music, .and Mr. Horace Hunt, Mus.' Bach., : • - presidcd-at tho.organ.;. \ ' ■ '' . ;••• Tho preachcr took for. his tost' John xi, 23, taking ,the words "Could not'the, man who ■ sight .to the blind cause that this man should .not havo, .diedP.*',,-It'.was .frequently asked, said 'Mr. Fernie, ' why,, since Christ had shown that His LDivirie. power, could bo • used .to ameliorate tho of humanity, and to call, back to lifo those who had died, this power had not been ,m'oro' frequently • exercised. Jn sjjite 'of. earnest! prayers for . help and relief, Jt . appeared that Pro- .■ vidence paid, no heed—intense suffering prevailed ; men died undor . circumstances of acute misery, leaving the widow and orphan exposed to distress 'and.'poverty. Men failed in business, their failures involving others in ruin. _ Why was it, they had asked, that tho Divine Protector to Whom was attributed, the power to prevent' those things, did not use ; His power? It,had seemed to tlioso • enquirers that if there wero such a thing as Divine assistance, these wero occasions when the power, of thoir Protector might ; reasonably and _ successfully have been' invoked, nhy was it restrained? , ' The wisdom, of this restraint, might to ilt,. litstrated by analogy; 1 ! continued the speaker. . It was. not given , to them to?prosper for an unlimited time in a given, sphero. When a boy, passed his standard at school, lie was •' -moved to a class in which the work was more I difficult.Year by year his difficulties be--6 came greater. He was not kept in the same t ( olass for a_ second year, in tho hope of passing i., more brilliantly. So it was in the world 0 ; srithojit,/. Men developed , their highest and 1 noblest characteristics when involved in the I storms and stress of life. Difficulties and

trials were thrown in tlioir path as an incentive to fresh effort. It was'not the man whose path in life had boon mado easy for him who triumphed in the face of tho world. In tho same way God had seen fit to discipline the soul. Thoy wero called upon to jirovo thomselves in anticipation of higher things. " To-morrow evening the new church at Alicetown, Lower Hutt, will bo fonrxlly opened. ' : : - THENEXT CONFERENCE. The next conference of delegates from the Congregational Union Churches will bo held at Christchurch. ■ ' '