DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

Evening Star, Issue 14511, 1 November 1910, Page 5

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

' 7 : Thd Ihmedin Presbytery held a special ffiaeMblJui First Chttrch this morn" ■ hewg ft the efipir, Ahopt thirty fflepffierp present . li® Rev. J. Lymbum. (North Valeri) was elated Mpderator at the Preahyteiy daring thf shjning «jtx months, The -Rot. |. AAxelstqi expressed thapka fqp the oonsideratioQ glVep him daring hia term* of office. The Hev. Afr Lynffiupi then took the Moder pate?** ch sir." ( ' Qaertion <j| itepeeaptation,— ; Sonia discussion foßowed the raking of the question pe to the appoffitmenit t° th' e General Assembly at Aapkland in plac? of representatives resigned- ft was intimated that Mr W? Qow {St. Andrew’s Chu?ch) had resigned, owing to t inability to go, and the session had nominated Mr Herbert Webb as substitute. There was a good deal of discussion o?er the matter, but it was eventually decided to appoint Messrs H. Webb and M'Cracken as representatives of St. Andrew’s and South Dunedin Sessions respectively, , —First Church Pastorate.— Hie Rev. Professor W. Hewitaon, Moderator of First Church, introduced to the Presbytery a deputation from First Churcq, consisting of Messrs W. H. Adams (session clerk), J. Wallace (clerk of the Deacons’ Court), and E. Cameron and T. ■ Scott (elders), who desired to submit a petition seeking the support of the Presbytery in the matter of offering a call to the Rev. Graham E. Balfour to First Church. Professor Hewitson explained that there was a technical difficulty in the way, owing to the Rev. Mr Balfour not being in a Settled charge, as required by the law of the Church. The Rev. Mr Balfour had re- . signed his charge in St. Kilda, East Melbourne, about eighteen months or two years ago, owing to ill-health. During the illness of the late Dr Nisbet he had supplied First Church along with others, and after the sad death of Dr Nisbet took place the congregation expressed their desire to send on invitation to Mr Balfour. They met with the difficulty he had mentioned, and they resolved to petition the Presbytery. The Professor mentioned that he could say authoritatively that a man of Mr Balfour’s standing would not accept probation. The stipend had been fixed at £6OO, and the question of appointing an assistant might be considered later on. The petition stated that 457 members out of a roll of 707 (including fifty office-bearers out of a roll of fifty-one) had signed an invitation to the Rev. G. H. Balfour to become the minister of First Church, and had also given him an assurance that they would sign a formal call to him if the Assembly* would grant the necessary authority. The petitioners requested the Assembly to take these circumstances into their favorable consideration. and devise such means as would enable them to secure the Rev- Mr Balfour ns tftc'r minister without delay. M; Adams said that it would facilitate matters if the names attached to the petition were taken as signatures to a call. He was quite satisfied that every member of the Presbytery would do his utmost to facilitate a speedy appointment. It was resolved, on the motion of the Rev. Mr Aitken, that the Rev. Q. H. Balfour’s application be submitted to the Assembly, with a strong recommendation that he be admitted to the ministry of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church at once, so that be would bo eligible for the call. It was further resolved that the signatures attached to the petition be considered signatures attached to a call —Special Prayer.— In accordance with a resolution of the Presbytery at a previous meeting, half an hour was devoted to devotional exercise, in which was sought God’s blessing upon the revival throughout the bounds of the Church, upon the General Assembly, which will meet next week at Auckland, ipon a forthcoming evangelical campaign, and upon outgoing missionaries. —St. Clair Church.— The Rev. W. Seorgia spoke in support of an application from St. Clair Church congregation to have their church made a church extension charge. He gave some interesting information about the progress made and the prospects of the church. The reporters, however, were requested not to publish such information, as certain arrangements might be influenced thereby. He moved that the petition be granted.— The Rev. J. Kilpatrick seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. —The Brighton Charge.— ■”’ie Brighton Church congregation ap--1 .1 to have their church continued as a church extension charge for a period of four years,—lt was resolved that the matter be held over until after the visitation of tfce Presbytery’s deputies. —Licensing of Students.— The Rev. J. Aitken submitted the report of the Licensing of Students Committee. The Committee had considered two questions —(1) What form the ceremony of licensing students should take this year? and (2) Was it possible to arrange anything in the nature of a retreat on the eve et licensing? In regard to the first, the Committee recommended that the service for licensing students be made an order of the day at the December meeting of the Presbytery.—lt was resolved that a service be held in a church in the evening, the service to include prayer, praise, an 1 an address. In regard to the question as to arranging anything in the nature of a retreat, the Committee felt that there was no time to make any arrangement for this year- They requested that the matter be sent back to them to report later. The Committee had nothing definite before them. There was no scheme. The Rev. W. Gray-Dixon gave it as his opinion that it would be a great boon if students at so critical a time retired to some quiet place for a day or two, and,' along with a professor and one or more ministers, spent the time in meditation and prayer.—There was much time spent in arguing about the matter, several ministers speaking at once on occasions. Three motions were considered. It was resolved to refer the matter back to the Committee for report. —General.— A letter was received from Dr Chapman stating that he would visit Australasia in 1912, and he hoped that he would be able to stay long enough to make the journey worth while. Air T. B. Bannerman applied to be admitted as a minister of full standing.—lt was resolved to forward the application to the General Assembly, with a recommendation that the Assembly consider it favorably. —Purakanui.—■ On the motion of the Rev. Air White (Port Chalmers), it was resolved that a cottage manse be erected at Purakanui, and that a grant be authorised for it. (t was also decided that the Church Roart) of Property be authorised to purchase 4j acres as a glebe at Purakanui.