PRESBYTERIANISM

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 16, 18 July 1918, Page 9

PRESBYTERIANISM

"SOCIAL" IN HONOUR OF THE MODERATOR

At fho invitation of the office-bearers of St. Andrew's Church, a. largo number of the ministers and elders of the Wellington Presbyterian Churches, together with their wivos, attended*a' "social" at St. Andrew's Hall, on Tuesday oveninjj, to do honour to the Hon. J. G- W. Aitkea, Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly. Large contingents came from as far afiold as Khajidallah and Lower Hutt to join in expressing their esteem for the principal guest of the ovning.

After tho meeting had been opened by the singing of the J)oxology and pmyer, the Rev. S. Robertson Orr, in a brief speech, welcomed the visitors and stated that the objects of the gathering were to express pleasure at the election of Mr. Aitken to the position of Moderator, and, incidentally, to afford that gentleman an opportunity of bringing; forward the need of the Elders' Association for additional lay preachers. Mr. Orr threw out a sugfestion that a conference of laymen should c held to consider how best the churches could seize the opportunity^provided by the war for enlarging their 'influence and usefulness.

Mr. 0. S. Falooner conveyed to Mr. Aitkon the congratulations of his f ellow-office-bearers, and voiced their great pleaoure that h© had been called to the higheat office mi tha Presbyterian Church in Now Zealand. Incidentally, Mr. Falconer maintained^ that Mr. Aitken was, in fact, and also ecclesiastically, a bishop, in.that ha was veritably an overseer of the church. Mr. Falooner related many incidents to illustrate Mr. Aitken's great services to the church and the' community, and hia words. of appreciation met with tho hearty approval of the audience.

Mr.. Aitken, in reply, thanked _ those present for the expression of goodwill extended to him, and stated that .ho had only' accepted the ModqratorehitS because there was no ministerial candidate for tho office, and he was therefore faced with the unanimous wish of the General Assembly that he should occupy the position. Having done so, ho had striven to discharge .tho duties entailed to the best of his ability, and would continue to do so. He stressed the valuable work done by the Elders' Association in finding lay proachers to assist tho ministers in suburban charges, where • services havo to bo carried on at more than on« centre, ' and stated that the control and organisation of this work had for many years past been ably carried on by Mr. Armour Thompson, an elder of St. Andrew's Church. It was anticipated that additional preaching stations would shortly be opened in both Island Bay and Soatoun charges, and he asked all those able to assist to hand in their names to Mr. Thompson. Mr.. Aitken. stated that recent statistics showed that in the past ton ycurs tho Presbyterian Chm-eh in New Zealand had increased its communicant members by 16,000. The Sunday school* and all other branches of the churoh work had likewise progressed, except the Young Men's Bible Classes, which had fallen back to about tho level of ten years ago. This falling off was due to the war, and he thought the church should bft proud that its young men had enlisted in such ■number's.

During the evening .refreshments were handed round and musical items, _ given by Miss Jennings and Gilmoro and Macdonald,. were interspersed amongst tho speeches, Mr. Thomas presiding at the piano. The meeting closed with the singing of tho National Anthem and tho benediction, pronounced by Mr., Aitken, .