SERVICE IN ARMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20635, 15 August 1941, Page 7

SERVICE IN ARMY

NOT BARRED BY CHURCH SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. A statement by a conscientious objector that the constitution of the Seventh Day Adventist Church required that he should not serve under a military officer, has brought a denial from the president of the New Zealand conference of Seventh Day Adventists, Mr. L. C. Vaden. In a letter addressed to the chairman of the Armed Forces Appeal Board, Mr. F. F. Reid, Mr. Vaden stated that there is nothing in the constitution of 'the church, either stated or inferred, to the effect that a member should not serve in the army or under a military officer. With the regulations amended and provision made for them to serve in a noncombatant capacity, the majority cf the boys of the church were only too happy to serve the King and country in this perilous hour. “I am happy to be able to report,” added the letter, ‘that wherever our boys arc serving at the present time, whether it be in the military camps in New Zealand or overseas, they are being treated wonderfully well and have no difficulty whatsoever in obtaining the service stipulated by the appeal boards and, too, their fears in connection with the observance of the Seventh Day Adventist sabbath have not been realised.”