GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 29

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

' PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

SERVICE IN ST. JOHN'S

NEW MODERATOR

In i the presence of a large congregation the 1935 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of.New Zealand was opened in St. John's Church last night. A short service was conducted by the retiring Moderator, the Right Rev. Principal John Dickie, D.D., of Dunedin, after which the Moderatorelect, the Rev. Henry Havelock Barton, M.A., of Lawrence, took office. PKESBYTERIANISM. Dr. Dickie took as his text the following:—"I will declare Thy , name unto hiy brethren; in the midst of my Church' Will I sing praise unto Thee." Dr. Dickie proceeded to deal with the history, traditions, and influence of the Presbyterian Church. The function of the Church^he said, was threefold. It was to. make Christ's name known1 to those who as yet knew Him not at all or inadequately; to- give articulate expression to what He had done for and meant to those who knew Him as Saviour and Lord; and also to carry through to its perfect fruition in His name and strength the work, of ..winning the world for Him. Presbyterianism was, so to speak, the soulof the Scottish people and a large part of its effective strength in New Zealand, as elsewhere, was due to the. fact that it had a great influential tradition and ideal behind it. In saying that Presbyterianism was the soul of the Scottish people, he did not forget that in the Church in New Zealand there were many good Presbyterians who were not Scots, even by descent or tradition. He was thinking rather of those of the people in New Zealand who had no connection with Scotland or Ireland. They felt at home amorig Presbyterians, otherwise '.Vl ;y would not be Presbyterians. But when every allowance was made for them, the fact remained that, broadly speaking, the Presbyterian Church, as they knew.it, was the religious impact on the mod-ern-world, and especially on the British Empire and the United States, of the' Scottish people." Surely that was rather a wonderful thing when it was examined. Scotland was a small country, and world-wide Presbyterianism was a very large and influential church. The reason was that they of the Scottish race and faith were the great colonists of the modern world; in many respects the backbone of Anglo-Saxon influence. In saying that he did not clam. any inherent superiority even as individuals over any other nationality. But he did claim two things, which between them, it seemed to him, abundantly justified what he' had said. There could be no real democracy .unless the.people as a whole had the capacity both for thinking independently and for acting unitedly and everyone was interested and eager to do his or her part. The Presbyterian Church had always tried to teach all its members to think independently, to act unitedly, and to take a vital interest in the weUbeing of the whole community. It had taught all three as a matter of religious duty. A FINE HISTORY. The Presbyterian r Church/ said Dr. Dickie, had a history for which they had every reason to be grateful. That history was closely intertwined with the ideals, the aspirations, and the life story of a strong and virile people. :• At the conclusion of'the sermon, the' Eev. J. H. MacKenzie, Clerk of Assembly, read the roll of the' Assembly, stating,that it'showed there were 132 ministers, 106 elders (who were representatives), and that it named 22 members who were associates and three elders who were associates. The roll was accepted. '"■Before leaving the pulpit Dr. Dickie said he wished to-thank all brethren in the ministry whom he' had led dur-

ing the past year for their unfailing kindness and courtesy. He paid tribute to the memory of the late Rev. E. J. Tipler and the late Dr. James Gibb. The late Dr. Gibb, he said, had grown old in the service of the Church and had exerted a unique influence in the councils of the church. Referring to his successor as Moderator, Dr. Dickie said he had known the Rev. Mr. Barton intimately for. at least twenty years. The appointment of the Rev. Mr. Barton .as Moderator was confirmed. He was called upon by the Clerk, and was welcomed by Dr. Dickie. Before delivering his inaugural address, which is reported under separate headings elsewhere in this issue, the new Moderator said it was with sonic fear and trepidation that he followed a very notable succession of men who had occupied the moderatorial chair, not least of whom was his predecessor the Rev. Dr. Dickie. He knew, however, that he could depend upon the forbearance and the helpfulness of- the Assembly and of the officials of the house. Following the Moderator's address, short business of a routine nature and a number of intimations to Assembly were taken, after which Assembly adjourned until this morning.