CHURCH UNION

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 87, 9 October 1920, Page 9

CHURCH UNION

PROSPECTS NOT HOPEFUL

The prospects of Church Union are not regarded as hopeful by the Rev. Dr. J. Gibb, who returned to Wellington from Great Britain this week. "In saying this." he said, "I am thinking especially of the proposals for a union of the Anglican Church with the non-Anglican communions. As far as the Presbyterian Churches of the United Kingdom are concerned, the proposals are doomed to failure. These churches would unite with the Church of England readily enough, but it must be on a basis of absolute equality. The suggestion made by the Anglican Bishops' Conference that Anglican ministers should be recognised as Presbyterian ministers, by a simple declaration that this standing has been granted them, while Presbyterian ministers in order to obtain a similar standing in the Anglican Church must receive ordination at-the hands of a bishop, will be turned down by the vast majority of tho ministers arid people of the Scottish churches. There are a few very high ofiHichmei. hi tho Church of Scotland who would no doubt stoop to this, but_ while the world lasts, the churches of Scotland as a whole will utterly refuse such terms. There is much more hope of union betvv^eri the non-Anglican churches. In England there is already a successful federation of theso, and a scheme is under consideration aiming at di-fiwing the bonds still closer. In Scotland, union between, the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church in almost a certainty. I say 'almost,' for there is a- small but very resolute section of the United Free Church who are extremely dissatisfied with the linion as proposed. They contend that when all is done the Church of Scotland will still be the Ch'irch of Scotland, established by the law of the land, and with this union they say they will have to do. But the feeling for union is so strong that in all probability these protesters' will be overcome, and .in a few years' time the dividing walls will be levelled, and the Scottish people, with but few exceptions, will be found within the pale of one great National Church."