PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1928, Page 6

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

AUCKLAND, Nov. 22

The business sessions of the Presbyterian General Assembly commenced today.

MAORI MISSION

The Maori Mission Committee reported that the outstanding event of the year had been the opening of a. new Maori Girls College at Marton. where there were thirty-eight girls in residence. The total cost was €14,976, of which ,€4194 remained still to be raised. 'I he general fund ended the year with a credit balance of £Bl9.

The comittec. which has been located for the past eight years in Napier, under the convenonship of the Rev. J. A. Asher expressed the opinion that such work should not remain in the same hands for more than eight years. He referred to the recent visit paid to several of the mission stations by Lady Alice Fergusson, who had expressed much appcciation of the work being carried on there.

It was agreed to ordain Mr John Mann as a missionary to the .Maoris.

FINANCE

The Rev. W. J. Comrie, treasurer of flu 1 church, reported that there was no need for retrenchment or for withdrawal (Tom any branch of church work. There was need for constant Ava tell fulness to see that expenditure was warranted and that it was not allowed to increase heyoud the normal growth of contributions.

The Finance Commitce’s report slated that “The income of funds generally has shown an increase over that for the previous year. Congregations have contributed for missions and other schemes of the church, including assessments hut excluding special appeals for Indian industrial work and for the Maori Girls School building fund, a sum of £42,390. Compared with the previous year and excluding a special appeal for the jubilee scholarship fund that is an increase of £4698 from congregational contributions and sundry contributions The income for budget funds was over 99 per cent, of the amount asked for.” The committee recommended that the retiring treasurer, the Rev. \V. 4. ('oniric, should he granted six months’ leave of absence and a retiring allowance of £l6O a year in recognition of his iwenty-three years’ service in the position.

The proposal was opposed on tin 1 ground that it would he establishing a precedent and was defeated by a large majority.

A welcome to the delegates was given at the Assembly’s luncheon by the Mayor, Mr Baildon, and representatives of the Council of ( Ltrislian Con-

gregations

LICENSED AS MINISTERS

It was decided to license as ministers the following In,me missionaries:—A. 11. Norrie. \Y. Kearney. T. Knight, N. .). Ravin, R. It. Hill, J. ('. Harknoss and James I’arlane.

A proposal to reduce the representation of presbyteries at the Assembly to the basis ol a third instead ol a hall was rejected by a majority of about two to one.

It: was agreed by a large majority to bold the annual meetings of the Assemble in .March instead of November.

ADVISORY HOARD

The Assembly decided to set up an Advisory Board to discharge the functions of the existing Kinanee Committee and, in addition, to advise committees in regard to combined action and quest ions of policy, and also to advise officers of tile Assembly. A debate on a proposal that a general secretary he appointed, that Ids oliice lie combined with that ol home mission superintendent, and that he he located in Wellington, was postponed.