EFFECT ON THE CHURCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17335, 25 November 1916, Page 9

EFFECT ON THE CHURCHES.

. MATTER BEFORE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. T • . • * :jgj a coanniTEE’s report. [From. Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, November 24. Military service came under consideration of tlio Presbyterian General Assembly, its Home Missions Committee reporting that compulsory service was likely to raise a serious question for the Church in the next few monhs. ■ As for conscription, said Ur Gibb (Wellington), in the course of the discussion, he hod had the greatest diffi- | culty in coming to a conclusion as to what course the Church should take in the matter of applying for exemptions. If a minister or a missioner upon whom the lot fell desired to go to the front he would not raise his little linger Iti protest. If a man wanted to go should let him go. They had to bo very careful, because in the opinion of the man in tho street a minister pas a drone, useless to the community. Ho had finally decided that ir any ( homo missioner wished to obtain exemption ho should bo backed up by the Church through the Home Mission Committee. * S The committee’s report stated: — The Compulsory Service Act will doubtless reacii out to not a few unmarried agents, and unless appearances are misleading it is only too likely that tho lot will before long fall on married agents also. The question is this: Should the committee in either case approach district boards to plead, on tho ground of necessary work, for tho exemptions of those men from military service. This is a prol«m not only for tho Home Mission Committee but Pres-, byteries as well. A good many of our remitters of military age are practically certain to be chosen for service. Is every such man to determine for himself the question whether he will seek exemption or not?. Your committee is of opinion that if any intervention is to he attempted it ought to be, in the case of home missionanes, made by 'the committee, and_in the case of ministers by Presbyteries. The question is, should any effort of this kind bo made at all. We need not enter here y into a statement of the pros and cons, but the assembly should clearly face the facts and decide what course should he followed. Chir agents are going to tho front. Many of ouiV theological students and university students looking forward to the ministry have either gone or are going in large numbers. J. Chaplains at the front and in New Zealand camps account for twe]ya charges now without pastors—ten vacant and two on furlough—and four of our licentiates are also serving as chaplains. Three of our ministers apd licentiates are in the firing line as.pri- 3 vates or officers. Add to this the men who will yet volunteer and those. oH ~ whom’ the Conscription Act will fall, and the situation becomes manifest tin ' its grave seriousness. Wo have made some calculations, and to the best of our judgment, when March next comes, even if not another man should join tho military forces, the vacancies un hapie mission stations and charges will be between sixty and Decision on the matter by the assev ' bl-v was deferred.