PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 21811, 29 August 1934, Page 13

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND SYNOD RELATIONS WITH PROPERTY BOARD DISCUSSED The Rev. A. C. W. Standage was unanimously elected Moderator-Desig-nate of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland at the annual session at First Church yesterday afternoon. With a view to securing a closer community of interest between the Synod ami the Church Board of Property in all matters relating to the selection, appointment, or removal of professors of university chairs, so that the Synod’s concurrence might be given with full knowledge, a special committee submitted suggested lines of procedure for the appointments by Synod of representatives to meet the board and act with it.

The report and the suggestions were adopted. The Rev. D. C. Herron complained of a lack of co-operation and contact between the synod and the Church Board of Property, and emphasised the need for a readjustment of the relationships which existed. He thought, for instance, that the factor of the board should attend Synod meetings and that tiie Synod should be acquainted with changes in the personnel of the board as they occurred. At present there was no point of contact between the two bodies, and the Churchy Board, being a self-appointed organisation, did not regard it as necessary to consult Synod, in any way. Personally, ho thought it was time that the Cnurch Board of Property was elected by the Synod. (Applause.) THEOLOGICAL HALL WORK.

The report of the Theological Hall Committee was presented as follows by the Rev. D. C. Herron; —Twenty-seven men were now in the hall, ten of whom would finish this year. _ About fiftyseven men were at various stages of their university studies, and there were quite sufficient vacancies to absorb all the men coming out. While men were coming forward freely it would be a mistake to let the impression go abroad that they had more offering than were required. However, care should be taken by presbyteries to select care-" fully. If men were sent to the university whose intellectual gifts were not up to the required standard it meant that when they dropped out scholarship money was lost, and the meA themselves were disappointed. On account of reduced interest on investments the committee had handled less revenue than last year, and practically all scholarships had been reduced. An anonymous donor had instituted an Innis Fhu Arran No. 2 scholarship, and for this purpose had paid over a capital sum of £I,OOO to the general treasurer. A bequest of £lB6 was also received from the estate of Albert Edward Hunter, of Mosgiel. The general treasurer had also received £l2O interest on the bequest of James Wilson, of Timaru.

During Dr J. D. Salmond’s illness the other members, of the Senates had undertaken additional work to make up for the loss of his lectures. He was pleased to be able to report that Dr Sajmond was improving, Mr Herron moved the adoption of the report, and a vote of thanks to donors of scholarship funds, and commended, the work of the hall and its students to all congregations. He also made an appeal to those able to provide summer work for the students to do what they could to obtain for them remunerative employment during the summer vacation. The motion was carried, and the following Theological Hall Committee was elected:—The Revs. J. J. Cairney, J. G. S. Dunn, S. C. Francis, G. H. Jupp, J Kilpatrick, T. Miller, H. A. Mitchell, R. G. M'Dowall, _ J. Pringle, H. J. Ryburrt, J. D. Smith, W Trotter D. C. Herron, Professor T. D. Adams, Messrs W. Allan, F. Foote, J. Moil-, H, P. West, and A. H. Williamson. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE. On behalf of the Judicial and Ecclesiastical Committees Dr Gumming reported, with satisfaction, that no business had come before either committee since the last meeting of Synod. CHURCH EXTENSION. Tlie church extension report stated: The whole of the income from the jubilee fund has been paid, as in previous years, into the Assembly s Home Mission fund. The committee recommends that th© income be disposed of in the same way’at the close of the present financial year. The sum of £l4 13s 5d was received as interest on the Christina Clark© legacy fund. Th© clerk of Synod paid 10s to each of the twenty-six home missionaries labouring within the bounds, and added a small balance to the account in. the Dunedin Savings Bank, increased by tb© sum of £3 6s received on suiv rendering the old debentures and taking new debentures issued by the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board. The decrease in the interest on these debentures will lower the annual income of the legacy fund hereafter. Work has been carried on in camps for the unemployed within the bounds. The sum of £57 3s 6d, contributed by nmo congregations in the Presbytery of Dunedin, was added to the balance of £25 14s 4d carried forward a year ago: and grants were made tq eight ministers and to a student-assistant to enable them to provide services in outlying camps. The total expenditure amounted to £6l, leaving a diminished balance ot £2l 17s lOd in band. The committee recommends that work be continued along the lines pursued this year, and that the scheme bo set before our congregations for sympathetic consideration. , The report and its recommendations was adopted, and the following committee was appointed:—The Revs. J. Kilpatrick, R. G. M'Dowall (joint conveners), AV. Trotter, D. C. Herron, G. L. Taylor, Messrs W. H- Adams, G. F. Booth, A. A. Campbell, J. M. Dick, J. Russell, corresponding members to be appointed by the respective presbyteries. RELIEF CAMPS FUND. Mr Dick reported on relief camp funds as follows: At Inst Synod I reported a balance at the bank of £25 1-ls 4d. To this Ims been added £57 3s 6d received from congregations during this last year. As in the previous year, the whole of the money has come from within the Dunedin Presbytery, although none of it has been spent m that area. The committee, after hearing the reports of the students who had worked in the camps _ in the previous year, decided thftt it vcftulu be wiser to grant assistance to resident ministers, thus enabling them to give greater services to camps within their own areas. Allowances for extra expense of transport, etc., have therefore been made to eight ministers, while £lO has been paid on behalf of one student assistant. That this help, is greatly appreciated is indicated by letters re-

ceived from ministers. The committee feels that more information regarding work done in the camps generally should be sent to it from time to time, so that the funds at its disposal may be used where the need is greatest. It is noted that two important camps are being established, one on the JSglinton Valley road and tbe other on the Kingston-Queenstown road and the committee hopes it will be possible to assist in giving services to these. If assistance is to be given so ’far afield, the committee feels that other presbyteries should co-operate in the matter of sup-' plying funds, and not leave it to the dozen or so congregations in and around Dunedin to supply the necessary funds. The committee thanks those congregations whose contributions have made it possible to give £6l in much, needed aid to ministers whose transport allowances are inadequate for ordinary parish work, to say nothing of extra travelling. Some discussion ensued on the subject of the administration and supervision of the work in relief camps, more than one Southland member stating that each presbytery should look after the work in the camp within its bounds. Such a policy was objected to on the grounds that camps were not evenly distributed throughout presbyteries. One or two woula have to carry the whole burden while others would have no responsibility whatever. It was decided, after further discussion, that funds for such work should be centralised in a synod fund which could be disbursed through presbytery committees.

FOREIGN MISSIONS CAMPAIGN. The Rev. H. H. Barton moved the adoption of the Foreign Mission Committee’s report. He said a good deal of consideration had been given during the year to the holding of a missionary campaign in some or all of the presbyteries of Otago and Southland. The Assembly Foreign Mission Committee asked the Synod Committee to undertake the principal task of organisation in connection with the campaign. The campaign, however, had been deferred till next year, and it was now proposed to plan for a period of from four to six weeks following Easter, and it was hoped that the Assembly Committee would see its way to fall in with the suggestion that the whole of Otago and Southland should bo covered by the campaign. He recommended the appointment of the following committee: —The Revs. J. D. Smith, G. L. Taylor, H. H. Barton, Messrs J. M. Dick. D. S. Beath, and J. Farquharson, and representatives from the Y.M.0.A.. Y.W.C.A., and Sundry School Union. The report was adopted and the committee elected. EVENING SERVICE. In the evening a service was held in First Church, when an address on a pioneer missionary, Rev., Peter Milne, was given. r At the close of the proceedings Mr W. M'Caw moved a comprehensive vote of thanks, with special reference to the Moderator, the speakers for the. evening, and the Press.