CHURCHES OF CHRIST CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 11858, 11 April 1903, Page 8

CHURCHES OF CHRIST CONFERENCE.

The eighteenth annual conference* of the Associated Churches of Christ of the Southern District of New Zealand commenced their sittings in the Tabernacle, Great King street, yesterday morning. Mr F. L. Hadfield presided, and the following delegates attended :—Christchurch : Messrs Thomas Manifold, A. Brockett, James Clark. Oamaru: Messrs James Gebbie, W. Kilgour, and Renwick. Dunedin: Messrs J. Stokes, J. Rontledge, A. Thompson, J. Inglis Wright, and J. M. Lines. Hampden: Mr T. H. Mathison. South Dunedin: Messrs Hadfield and S. J. MaJSson. Momington: Messrs W. Glaister and H. Wood. North-east Valley: Messrs Arnold, Hilliard, and Holmes. Kaitangata: Messrs F. Andersen, William Duncan, and J. Greenhill. Invercargill: Messrs Perkins and Alcorn.

The president (Mr Manifold, evangelist at Christchurch) was to have been present, but telegraphed that owing to a family bereavement he would be unable to attend. Mr M. Wood Green had agreed to accept the position of president, but was unable to be present until the afternoon. A telegram of sympathy was despatched to Mr Manifold, and greetings were exchanged with conferences sitting at Wellington, Auckland, and Melbourne.

The Acting-president (Mr Hadfield), in liis opening address, impressed upon the brethren assembled that -what was needed was the combined efforts of individuals. Every individual should work, but all with a common object and purpose. Much could be dene in this way, even though the individual effort alone might be small. Peter the Great, with an army of 12,000 men, sat down before a town fortified with a wall and moat. Not a shovel nor a wheelbarrow was there, much less an ingenious corps, but with 12,000 pairs of hands gathered earth, filled the moat, and crossing over stormed and took the city. The strongholds of sin must be tom down by the combined efforts in individuals, by whom, weak in isolation, but powerful in combination, great conquests might be achieved.

The report of the Executive for the past year’s work and the balance-sheet were received. Mr D. M. M'Crachell had been engaged to labor at Oamaru, and had spent some ten weeks there, with fair success. Mr A, F. Turner had continued at Kaitangata tfll June, when his engagement ended, and much to the Committee’s regret he had returned to the North Island. Mr James Green hill had therefore been engaged to work at Kaitangata, and had continued there, and the work in that place was now in a healthy condition. The Mission Tent had not been made use of by the churches as much as might as might have been done, and the Committee urged on them the advisability of adopting this method of spreading the glorious Gospel of Christ.

The treasurer's report showed an expenditure greater than that of past vears, and a credit balance of £9 12s.

The church and Sunday schools reports, showing a substantial increase, were read. - It to agreed by all that, though the reports were good, yet the churches should do much more than they were dome to spread the Gospel. . The question of evangelisation was next introduced. The Oamaru delegates informed the Conference that they "had been mstructed to apply for the services of Mr MCracheu for another twelve months, the church contributing to his salary in the same way as formerly. In order to obtain an idea of the amount which the Executive would probably have to work on the delegates of the various churches notified what their churches would likely be able to contribute to home missions and promises were obtained from the individuals present As a result, it was found that the Executive would be safe in assuming that least £330 would be collected working on this basis, it was decided to recommend to the incoming Executive that Mr D. M. M'Crachell should continue at Uamarn, m accordance with that church’s request; that Mr Grecnhill be engaged at Kaitangata for an additional six months, and for the other six months among the suburban churches of Dunedin. Mr J. IngKs Wright introduced the question of opening new fields of labor, and after debate it was decided—“ That it be a recommendation to the incoming Committee to take steps to hold a imsdon lus year at Gore or Ashburton.” A tea and public meeting were held in the evening, the latter being addressed hv