THE CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 11680, 12 February 1902, Page 8

THE CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

The meeting of the Council of the Congregational Union of New Zealaad was resumed at Auckland yesterday. A motion by the Rev. C. H. Lyons, in favor of the extension of the Education Act to give greater facilities for teachirg the Bible to children attending public schools, was, on the- recommendation of the Reference Committee, not discussed, the ground of the recommenojation being that the matter had been discussed at length at previous meetings.

Tlie Rev. W. Day read the amtual report, which stared that the Committee had been approached by tlie Congregational Union of Western Australia with reference to the proposed federation of the Congregational Union of Australasia. The communication suggested that a united coherence should be called in order to bring this about. As no date had been suggested for the proposed conference, the Committee, while sympathising with the idea and expressing their readiness to consider any suggestion regarding the proposed conference, could not pledge the Urdon to send a representative. The Congregationalists of Queensland intended celebrating their Jubilee in Brisbane in 1903, and had; invited representatives of the various Congregational Unions to be present, with a view to holding a session of the Australasian Union in Brisbane* The ranks of the ministry had suffered no losses during the past year, and the immediate outlook of the church was financially hopeful; but it was hoped, if the denomination had any faith in. this direction, the facts disclosed by the Registrar-General should induce them to reconsider their methodfe, to complete their consecration, and to redouble their efforts.

The registrar's report stated that there were now connected with the union twenty-three churches, as against twerfcv-

•two iast year; 1,833 members were re-

corded on the rolls, as against i; 772; and 213 had been added daring the year.