LUTHERAN CHURCH

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 56, 8 March 1922, Page 8

LUTHERAN CHURCH

ANNUAL CONVENTION.

; The thirteenth annual convention of the Evangelical Lutheraji Concordia, Conference of New Zealand was held at Upper Moutere recently. The opening day was devoted to divine service, during which the Revs. Hoffmann (Marton), Appelt (Upper Moutere), and Te Punga (Halcombe) officiated. Visitors from the North Island, and also tho Moutere and Motueka districts, attended. The president (the Rev. Mr. Appelt) presided over the business session.

It is explained to The Post that the Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Conference is a local church-body, which is a branch of the Lutheran Synod of Australia, and has no affiliation whatsoever with the State Church of Germany, as so many people wrongly believe. The ministers and teachers are trained in Adelaide, South Australia, though three of the clergymen at present in New Zealand received their training in the United States of America. Three young men of tho New Zealand Lutheran Church are working in the foreign mission—Rav. Messrs. Bluess and Noffke in India, and the Rev. Mr. Nagel in China. Matters vital to the welfare of the New Zealand Lutheran Church were discussed, and the conference again voted support to the home mission work in New Zealand, and encouraged the establishing of church-schools. Competent teachers are to be placed in these schools, and the educational standard must at least equal that of the public schools. No grant is asked from the Education Department, lather does the Lutheran body oppose such grants. ' <

The election .of officers resulted as follows :—President, Rev. A. Appelt, of Upper Moutere (re-elected); vice-presi-dent and secretary, Rev. Mr. Hoffmann, of Marton;-treasurer, Mr. H. Wechsing, of Marton (re-elected).