NEEDS OF THE AGE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 24 February 1931, Page 2

NEEDS OF THE AGE

THE. CHURCH’S OPPORTUNITY

CALL FOR. UNITY

In liis address to the Methodist Conference a review of the times of the spirit of the age and a clear cal'i to all to secure the witness of an united church, lfev. E. I>. Patchett, the president of the Methodist Church conference of New Zealand, stressed the living church and her divine origin. “If there is one thing,” he said, “that condemns the Church of the past it has been her failure to keep Christ’s central law of Love. Never can the gospel of love make its full appeal to the world without until it is convincingly and conclusively manifested in the household of faith within. All harriers—and they are flimsy barriers today—are ready to break down ‘before the touch of the Auger of love. Surely as never before the world needs the witness of a United Church. My belief is that if the churches of this land would take their own cherished traditions and Church loyalties and lay them at the feet of Christ in a spirit of sacrificial love, in order that they might rise up as one, then the effect of their witness would he immeasurably increased.

THE NEW LIBERTY

“We live to-day in a world.” said the president; ‘•which confessedly has little love for the church. That does not mean that the world is to be roundly condemned, nor the church unduly pitied. Men to-day have fallen eagerly in love with the wonderful new life and liberty which are theirs. Hence their neglect of the church. Hut the church knows that her day is coming. Man’s nature is such that it is bound to come.” He added that while the outward conditions of life had greatly changed, the heart of man was still the same, and because the church of God thought long, -'long thoughts, it could afford to look with, a certain calmness and courage upon the present tendency. He urged that the church should hold on her highway or unselfish service to God and man and great would be her reward. The more her message was scorned, the more necessary it became; the more difficult her" day, the greater the call for her devotion. “Let us,” lie said ‘ believe in the future of the church as earnestly and hopefully as we believe Referring to the Methodist Ohuroh the speaker said that it was less than 200 years since the foundations _of Methodism were laid, when John YVesley, a fragile figure of a man, rode through England lighting the flames of the evangelical revival. And now, as was said by the Bishop of Plymouth, “the United Methodist Church was practically equal to the Church, of Etngland and the Methodist witness is of great value in an age of spiritual declension It supports the view that the heart of man is incurably religious. It declares plainly, not only as Goethe says, that ‘human history is the judgment of the world’ ; it also declares that it is the justification of the world. It shows the marvellous redeemability of human life.” Finally he said, “we think of the church in her witness today. She has an unchanging foundation. but she also has. an expanding life.' As a Irving organism she adapts herself to new conditions. “How can the Church best meet the needs of this modern world! and most effectively fulfil her high calling)?” said the speaker. “Well, for one thing, the whole trend of life suggests that she must carry out lier evangelism more and more by a process of education. And: the chief subjects of that evangelism and that education must he the rising generation. She must take the Gospel and make it a real way and life to the children. She must give to them a faith that is full of eyes and radiant with intelligence. This does not mean that she must let the great unchurched multitude drift by unheeded. The word of Jesus is imperative that she must go after those who will not come to her. He finally referred to the work of the Sunday Schools and Bible-in-Scliools League and in this connection here rejoiced in the concordat with the Roman Catholic Churoh and believe that this amicable understanding has brought the promised land in sight.” The way, lie said, to church union was pointed out by Christ Himself. “That they all may be one; that the world may believe that thou hast sentme. Ho we want the Church to shine with renewed splendour as a glorious Church? Well, again He has pointed i the way: The Glory which thou g a vest me, I have given them; that they may ; be one, even as we are one. The prayer, that we pray in this day, is that the ferment of a great love may so work in the heart of Christendom that Christ’s own prayer may come true.”

PRESENTATION OF REPORTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Feb. 23. At the Methodist conference the report of the orphanages in New Zealand showed that 200 children were being eared for and; provision was being made for an extension to the Paparrui orphanage to accommodate 80 boys. The report of the principal of the Wesley College, Paerata, Mr. S. O. Clark, showed that the college had had a successful _ year although prevailing financial stringency had resulted in a decrease in revenue for the year. At present 97 boys (70 European and 27 Maori and island) were being trained. During the year the dairy had been increased from 60 to 80_ cow® with the object of meeting falling prices with ; increased production. At shows during the year the college had been successful. particularly with pigs. The youth movement reports indicated that there were 22,057 Sunday school scholars, 3198 teachers and 7366 Bible class member® on the rolls. The value of camps in providing teachers and candidates for the ministry and church members was emphasised. Cordial appreciation was expressed of the work of the Rev. B. It. Hames as travelling secretary of the _ Young Men’® Bible Class Union dm’ing the past two years.