CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3023, 9 March 1917, Page 6

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

ANNUAL DOMINION CONFERENCE

A MILITANT NOTE

The annual conference of the Congregational Union opened at 11.30 a.m. yesterday, Mr. George Fowlds presiding, in the absence of the Rev. VV. Saunders, who has gono into camp with the Territorials. The chairman, in his opening address, made an attack on the liquor trafno and the harmful effects it had oh our young soldiers. He pointed ont that in Capo Town, when any of our trooiiships arrived there, and before any of the men were allowed ashore, the pub-lic-houses were closed by order of tho Government, and were kept closed until the last soldier had returned to his troopship. Thus more. consideration was shown for our soldiers by the authorities in South Africa than the fathers and mothers of thoso soldiers as represented by the Government of New Zealand. A petition, very largely signed, was presented to the Government praying that the public-houses be closed at 6 p.m., but the Government declined to interfere in the matter, on the ground that it had no mandate from the people, but the same Government passed the Military Service Act without any mandate from the people. He advised the delegates during their stay in Wellington to see the conditions for themselves, and particularly on Saturday night, when tho troop train was leaving for Trent-ham, and then he was sure that More the conference closed the delegates would pass a very strong resolution on the subject. Mr. Fowlds then inducted tho new chairman, the Rev. W. M. Grant, who on taking the chair, roturned thanks for the honour conferred upon him. The report of the dealt comprehensively with the affairs of the Church. The headquarters of the Union are to be transferred to Wellington from Auckland, in accordance with the resolution carried at ths last council meeting. The Rev. F. Warner, of Melbourne, was granted a transfer to the New Zealand Union, and the Rev. Frank Do Lisle from tho South Australian to the New Zealand Union. The Rev. F. Werner is assigned to the church at Bercsford Road, Auckland, and tho Rev. Frank Do Lisle to Gore.

It was stated in tile report that tho legal proceedings in connection .vith the Rout bequest-had been completed, and tho transfers of mortgages and funds in tho estate, to tho value of £5000, had been received by the union treasurci.

At the afternoon sitting the Rev. (t. Heigh way read a paper on "Tho Churches After the War —The Religious Outlook." Awkward questions were boldly faced and dealt with. The paper was warmly commended by all_ tho speakers who took part in the discussion that followed.

Union Chairman's Address. ; When the union resumed in the evening the chairman, the Rev. W. M. Grant, delivered his address,-, choosing for his subject "The Past, the Present, and the Future." The reverend gentleman remarked that he had served for forty years in tho ministry, and he recounted the difficulties • experienced in the early days of the Church in New Zealand. In the Wellington district the first minister was the late Dr. West, and the _ only Congregational' Church in the city was a very modest wooden building in a back street, which building had connected with it a mission station at Te Aro. He also referred to the existence of other churches at K«lson and elsewhere, and went on to say that to-day several beautiful churches proclaim the living and active interest which the people at this end of the North Island wore ! taking in the work of tho Church. Referring to the present, tho speaker went on to say that wo wore living in times of intense interest, and the ages to come would look back with astonishment upon them, when systems and states and methods in every department of social, political, and ecclesiastical lifo were being put into the crucible and tried by firo. "When in the fine balances of time wo are duly weighed, may the impartial historian be able to say of us with truth that they were not only men and women who had understanding of tho times to know what Israel had to do, but that they were a peoplo also who had the courage to do it with all their heart and with all their soul." It would bo easy to bo discouraged by the outlook of the present. ' The greatest war of all ages was with us, our Empire had been called and had responded to_ this call to the most sublime sacrifice our people have ever made. Our men had responded so magnificently that practically every home was touched. Tho speaker then referred to the losses sustained by the Church through enlistment, "and wherever else shirkers may be found, it has . not - been in the churches of our land." He condemned the attitude of the people who indulged in pleasures. "In the trenches our men were pouring out their lives in agony and blood. At homo the peoplo who are willing that they should thus sacrifice themselves to secure their safety are indulging in a wild saturnalia of gambling and pleasure." He emphasised these points, and regretted that the people had not been led by Parliament. The only leaders who had had the vision and the courage to condemn this attitude of the peoplo were tho two men who had stood most closely to the stern' realities of the war —Sir David Beatty and Sir William Robertson, no thought the time had come when we had a right_ to expect some otttheso great questions to be bravely faced and such action taken as would teach us as a people to bear a larger part of the burden which presses with such awful weight on the men at tho front, and also upon many of tho loved ones left behind. The victory which we had Keen so long looking for still tarried. Was it possible that we ourselves were keeping it back? Father Bernard Vaughan, on the morning of his jubilee, said: "We shall certainly win tho war; provided wo supply the munition of prayer as well as-the munition of guns! We must stor.n Hoaven for suitablo aid." Referring to tho future, tho speaker said it was evident that in the new world upon which' wo were already entering tho power that would be most potent for good or for ill would bo that of labour. Many wcro looking forward with dread to this new development, but if it meant a moro equable distribution of the . world's _ capital amongst thoso who work for it; if it meant juster conditions from man to man; if it meant the lessening of the evils of drink and gambling, ignoranco and lust; if it meant the opportunity for everv child te have the best moral and spiritual education, why should it bo feared? We should not let ourselves be too much cast down by the cares and anxieties of the present dork days, in which we live, bnt look forward hopefully to a better and more glorious future. Mr. F. Meadowcroft presided, and the combined chorus rendered tho musical portion of the devotional services.