BAPTIST UNION

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1927, Page 10

BAPTIST UNION

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

VARIOUS ACTIVITIES

The New Zealand Baptist Church Union Conference continued throughout yesterday. This afternoon delegates attending the conference will be entertained at a picnic at Day's Bay. In the evening there will be a sacred concert in the Vivian street. Church.

Special services will be held in the Baptist churches of the city to-morrow, those in the Vivian street church being associated with the conference. In the morning the Eev. A. W. Stuart, 8.A., will preach the missionary sermon, and in the evening the Eev. J. C. Martin, from Australia, will officiate.

At yesterday's conference reports were received from the Young Men's and Young Women's Bible Classes, each showing healthy progress. The report of the Manurewa-Child-ren's Home was read by Mr. T. E. Whitton^ the secretary. Tl*e amount subscribed by the churches was 32 per cent, less than the previous year, which was less than that of the year 1924-25, and the attention of the conference was called to the matter. Mr. W. E. Bush, of Auckland, spoke eulogistically of the home management, and referred to the matter of extension, stating that there was a growing feeling in favour of a home on the lines of Manurewa being built by the Baptists, of the South Island. The children of the School had been very successful in the Sunday school examinations. The matron, Miss Marks, addressed the assembly, giving inside knowledge of the working of the home.

The Rev. J". J. North, principal of the Baptist College, spoke in warm terms of the work of the men under him as students, and expressed the hope that the college would produce men for the ministry and mission field with the highest mental and spiritual equipment. Two students, it was stated, had already gone to India.

The report of the Finance Committee showed a credit on every amount handled by the committee with the exception of the main union account which closed ivith a deficit of £66 7s dd. The total sum which had passed through the office during the year exceeded £11,500. The self-denial and thanksgiving returnß were slightly under those of the previous year, but having regard to the period of financial stringency experienced in the country, not unduly so. Mr. W. S. Bush, chairman of the committee, vigorously stressed the substantiation funds which were being overlooked by the constituents of tho umon. : He referred to the unsatisfactory state of the annuity fund and appealed to non-ministerial members of the assembly to make a determined effort to rectify this state of af-

This morning the Rev. J. In gs presided B|!-:VettXi c c^ w-stu^ After a brief opening address by Mr ?LTHf rehgr,8 s.entime°« to dominate their life and business in a manner unknown in these southern lands. Nevertheless, India needed Christianity with the flower of the Christian faith, a beautiful and separate home life. However, there was going on continually in India a marvellous penetration of Christian thought and ideals Their task was most urgent as India to-day was being flooded with rationalistic literature. The imperative need was to take to India not only a of life. Three watchwords of the Baptist enterprise in India were understanding sympathy, and organisation. A sacred conceit is to be held in the Vivian Street Baptist Church this evening, when Paul's Cantata, "The ' Holy L-ity, will be sung by combined choirs and special soloists under Mr. A. R. Don.