A REORGANISATION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 116, 12 November 1935, Page 18

A REORGANISATION

PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONS

REV. G. BUDD SUPERIN-

TENDENT

Consideration was given .by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church yesterday afternoon to the reorganisation of Presbyterian missions. A motion to set up a missions committee in Auckland, proposed by the' Rev. J. Starnes (Dannevirke), and seconded by the Hew J. A. Thomson i (Remuera), was carried. The proposal is to unite the foreign missions com-] mittee and the home and Maori mis-1 sions committee with one administrative secretary. Mr. Thomson maintained that the enterprise of missions is one task. The | death of the Rev. W. Mawson, foreign j missions secretary, preripitatea a crisis ! which rendered action necessary. The | present proposals had arisen out of a desire to present missionary enterprise to the congregations in such a way as to arouse their interest and enthusiasm. The Church, he continued, must face wider horizons and consider more daring programmes. Extension and not retrenchment was the need. The committee set up is to be located at Auckland for two years. It is to assume the whole of the duties and j responsibilities at present carried out I by the foreign missions committee and the home and Maori missions committee. The Assembly is to fix the personnel of the committee from the North Island presbyteries, the committee to include representatives from the

Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union, the General Assembly, the Young Women's Bible Council, the Young Men's Bible Council, and Sunday School Council. On the motion of the Rev. J. Starnes, seconded by the Rev. John Paterson (Wangahui), the Rev. George Budd was appointed general superintendent of missions for two years. The committee is to nominate a successor to Mr. Budd at the next Assembly. The Rev. J. G. Laughton is to continue as assistant superintendent of Maori missions. The Rev. Mr. Budd was presented to the Moderator and addressed the house. He said he would do all he j could for the missions and appealed to all members for their support. Deep appreciation was expressed of' the seven years' work of the Rev., Frazer B. Barton (Gore) as convener of the foreign missions committee. It was decided to convey by a | deputation of four the Assembly's apI preciation of the work of the PresbyI terian Women's Missionary Union.