CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15124, 13 October 1909, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY

A meeting of the Chris'tchurch Presbytery was held yesterday; present —the Revs T. Tait (moderator), Dr Erwin, T. M'Donald, J. A. Brown. J. S. Reid, J. J. Bates. J. Johnston, B. J. Westbrooke, A. Begg, J. Craig, R. W. Jackson, R. Wood and W. A. Kydd, and the following elders, Rev N. M'Callum and Messrs D. Carr, J. Reid, D. B. Carruthers, J. M'Cleery, J. Boag, E. M'Rao and W. Wills. The Rev W. H. Howes, of Clutha, was also present, and was cordially associated with the Presbytery. A motion of sympathy with the Rev D. J. Steele in his illness was passed. The Rev C. Murray moved, as a remit to the Assembly, that it was the bounden duty of the Church to make as adequate provision as possible for home missionaries; that the stipends of some wore most inadequate; and that there was no uniform scale of payment. The proposed remit asked that the Assembly should appoint a commission to deal with the whole question. The mover said that in one case a home missionary was paid £BO a. year, and another was paid £125. and another £156. H« had heard from a- North of Auckland missionary, who was a married men, that he only received £l2O per annum. When he had paid his expenses in con. nection with his horse and other matters he had only 7s 8d left for himseH and wife to purchase boots and clothing. That was not very creditable te the Church. There were other case? which presented equally unattractive features.

Dr Erwin seconded the motion. He said that the Church Extension Committee would reply that if the Presbyteries contributed the' money it would pay larger stipends. The churches were contributing so little that the committee could not pay the stipends. It was agreed to forward the over ture to the Assembly, the mover to ap pear in support of it. It was resolved to recommend th» Church Extension Committee to grant £25 a year, and the trustees of the New Century Fund a loan of £l5O, towards the erection of a cottage house for the Scargill missionary. The Hornby Commission stated that the St Andrew's session was willing to accept the oversight of the Hornby congregation, but that at present it was unable to accept any financial responsibility. The commission recommended that the request of the Hornby congregation to be placed under th« St Andrew's session should bo agreed to, and that the Church Extension Committee should be requested to make a grant of £25 a year, and that efforts should be made to settle a student as soon as possible. The matter was held over.

The annual report for Assembly on the Presbyterian Social Service Association was adopted for presentation t« the Assembly with the following recommendations^—That Mr Frank Rule' should be ordained to the ministry, and have a seat in the Christehurch Presbytery and in the General Assembly ; that the Assembly should instruct 'the Associations in the various centre* to consult during the year as to- sphere* of influence,- methods of work, organisation and proposals for the future, and report to next Assembly. Dr Erwin presented the Youth ofth* Church statistics for the year. The report, in conclusion, stated that it was evident that in almost every parish very much more strenuous efforts required to be put forth before the work that ought to be done amongst the young could in any real sense be overtaken. The work" was difficult, but it was also fundamental, and it should claim the closest attention of 6essioni and ministers. Dr Erwin presented the report of the commissioners appointed in Great Britain to select candidates for the Chair of New Testament Exegesis and'Apologetics at Knox College, Dunedin. The report forwarded the names of the Rev AY. Law, M.A., 8.D., the Rev John Dickie, M.A., and the Rev David Smith. After consideration, the Presbytery passed a recommendation to the Assembly that Mr Smith should be appointed. It was stated that Mr Smith was in charge of Blairgowrie, and was well known as an author and writer, The New Zealand candidates for the Chaw were the Rev Dr Dunlop, Ph.D., Knor Church, Invercargill, and the Rev A. White, Havelock. _ The request of the Rev B. J. Westbrooke to be placed on the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund was recommended to the Assembly for favourable, consideration. _, •__,„ . The applicatibn of Mr SV. Wilbtc bo allowed to remain for a furtnei twelve months at Little River was granted. , .. The Rev C. Murray presented the Foreign Homo Mission report. whioJi was received. It, slated that thc'Wctorian Church had offered to accept lit Bowie as the missionary of that Uiurcn, and appoint him medical supenntendent of its hospital at Vila. The Vetorian Church would compensate the New Zealand Church for anv expense in closing the Ambrim Hospital. Negotia. tions were still proceeding. Dr Bow a reported that medical and evangelistic work at Yila was too much for one man. The outlookfat Ambrim « hopeful. The. sum of £127 Us Sd had been received from the .settlersi in.the New Hebrides for hospital purposes in connection with Ambrim. \* l ' v . cn ; couraging reports had been, received from the New Hebrides mission. The reproach "Dark TMna" was g thing of the past, and Mr Watts s work there had resulted in the dawning.of a new era. The question of increasing allowances to missionaries would be «>*"<*• ered by the Assembly. Mis-s Henderson, from India, was to do deputation work in Canterbury after the Assembly in aid of the Indian Mission Fund. The following grants from the Church Extension Fund were recommended to the Assembly :-Ashburton wtfleHj £2O, Hanmcr £3O, Hinds £25, Mayfield £ls Oxford £2O, Springburn Mu, Scargill £25. PapMiui £2O llotukarara £25 Cheviot £25 and Malvern £25. , The report on general and financial ; statistics was adopted for transmission to the Assembly. Tt was agreed to support the nomination of the Rev J. H. Mackenzie ot N° sen as Moderator of the Assembly.