DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

Evening Star, Issue 22718, 4 August 1937, Page 16

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

MONTHLY MEETING The Dunedin Presbytery its monthly meeting last night in First Church. The Rev. S. C. Francis (moderator) presided over a full attendance. SOUTH TAIERI JUBILEE. Professor Collie was deputed to represent Presbytery at the seventieth anniversary proceedings of the South Taieri Church. M'GLASHAN COLLEGE BOARD. Presbytery approved of the action of the Board of Governors of John M'Glashan College in appointing Mr J. L. Hobbs to a vacancy on tho board caused through a resignation. FACILITIES AT GRANTS BRAES. The urgent need for church facilities at Waverley and the difficulties that were being encountered were reported to Presbytery by the Rev. G. H. Jupp, on behalf of the parishioners of the Anderson’s Bay charge. He placed plans for a proposed church at Grants Braes before the meeting, and explained that some years ago a service was held in the Glendining Home, and during that time children were accommodated there, though the service was really held for aged people. When the Social Service Association shifted its homes to a new rite the building in which these services took place was vacated, and representations were made to use it for a Sunday school, which had. previously been conducted in a Grants Braes home. When the change was made a quarteracre section was purchased for £SO, and now it was valued at from £IOO to £l5O. At the beginning of this year the Grants Braes home became vacant, and . the Glendining Home trustees planned to use it for the purpose of housing convalescent, aged people. However, the building was not suitable. Mr Jupp mentioned‘that services were held each Sunday evening at Grants Braes, and the average attendance ranged from 20 to 25 persons. One of the students, Mr Robertson, conducted these services. The plans submitted for a new church were modelled on tho lines of the Tomahawk Church. The estimated price (£510) was really an outside price for the erection of the building. In the meantime there was no building in which to hold the service. The Sunday school was at present being conducted in a private home. On the motion of Dr Cummings the matter was referred to the Finance Committee, with power to act in the direction of - submitting a report ,to Presbytery. QUESTION OF STIPENDS. The report of Mr J. M. Dick dealing with the financial aspect of the church’s activities concentrted on the question of stipends, which had been discussed by a specially appointed committee to inquire into the Assembly Committee’s report governing stipends. The committee’s report, said Sir Dick, favoured the practice of paying home missionaries not less than £2OO per annum, plus transport allowance and a house. An almost unanimous opinion had been expressed that the minimum stipend in sanctioned charges should be £3OO, plus manse arid car allowance. The committee had resolved-as follows : “That having dismissed the .administrative clauses in the report, the -committee favours the reintroduction throughout the whole church of the Sustentation Fund previously operating south of the Waitakias the more suitable means of obtaining the funds necessary to finance thq proposed increase of the minimum stipend to £300.” The committee therefore recommended that full-time home missionaries should receive a stipend of not less than £2OO, plus house and transport allowances. _ ’ Before presenting the committee’s recommendation. to Presbytery, Mr Dick said that the report bristled with difficulties. In the course of the discussion by the committee divergent views were expressed as to the effect of the Assembly’s fixing of a minimum, stipend for the whole church, and making a fixed levy as set out in the Blue Book on congregations paying above £3OO. It had been stated when the report was being framed that many congregations were finding it very difficult to meet their present obligations, and that the allocations for • the budget schemes of the church were more than their people were willing to meet. The committee’s recommendation was the subject of a motion, but on an amendment by Dr Herrington; and seconded by Dr Cummings Presbytery agreed that the whole scheme, for the payment of- the allocations unworkable. The report was accordingly received.