CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1908, Page 7

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

THE COUNCIL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Congregational Union Council was resumed in the Terrace Church tQ'day; Roy. D. Hird, president of council, being in the chair. ' GREETINGS. Rev. J. Olphert, president of the Primitive Methodist Conference, telegraphed greetings from T imaru as follows ; — "Congratulations on past success. Best wishes for inspiring conference, and prosperous year. It was decided to receivo a deputation from the Presbyterian Assembly of New Zealand on Monday. Rev. J. W. Russell, of the Congregational Church of Scotland, was introduced by tho Otago District Union, and appointed a personal member of the union. Revs. H. W. Burgoyne, G. Burgess, and H. Young were received as personal members on tho recommendation of the Auckland District Union. AUCKLAND DISTRICT. The report of the- Auckland district committee showed that the Newton Church was still without a resident minister. The mission stations at Kawhia and Raglan with the districts associated recorded steady work, while at Te Kuiti and the surrounding villages it had made considerable progress. The new church at Te Kuiti promised to be a valuable acquisition to the denomination. Maungaturoto and district showed improvement, and the .Marigawae Church, opened by Hon. G. Fowlds, has been most successful, and the work very encouraging. Tho executive of the union had increased the stipends of missionaries to tho minimum of £150. Statistical returns showed no increase, either of church membership or Sunday school scholars ; but a larger membership was looked forward to in the- near future, and when ths new churches and other sphorei of work had been organised. FOREIGN MISSIONS. It was resolved to set apart a special Sunday for the advocacy of the claims of the London Missionary Society, and that, as far as practicable, there should be an interchange of pulpits for tho purpose. Mr J. E. Baker (Christchurch) made out a strong case for renewed missionary effort in New Zealand, for thero were, he said, plenty of young peoplo who. if approached in the right wuy, would be found to bo willing to contribute to foreign missions, and to offer themselves as volunteers for the foreign field Rev. A. E. Hunt (Timaru) impressed npon tho council the urgency for holding at next conterenco a public meeting I devoted to homo and foreign missions, in order that a strong appeal might be made to the churches on behalf of the heathen. Rev. J. R. Glasson (Wellington) denied that so much ignorance of foreign missions prevailed in the churches as some Drethren would seem to think. , •■ The proposal was adopted. A MISSIONARY EXHIBITION. Rev. Hunter suggested the holding of a missionary exhibition in either one or all ' of the chief centres of New Zealand similar to those now being held in tha United Kingdom, and which were so financially successful. Mr. Hunt was thanked for bringing the matter before tho conference. 'Left sitting.)