ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 112, 13 April 1936, Page 2

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ASSOCIATED CHURCHES OF CHRIST. The Associated Churches of Christ are holding their annual conference iu Invercargill during the Faster . recess. 'lke president, Mr JB. P. Aderman, 8.A., opened the proceedings on Thursday afternoon. Reports were read and considered of tue church extension publication, committee. At the evening session Mr Aderman spoke to a large congregation on the Churches ot Christ and their spiritual relationships. During the proceedings short inspirational messages were delivered by Mr E. Ray Vickery, 8.A., iHr atuart Stevens ancl Mr Godfrey Fretweli. The Churches during the last quarter of a century have gone, forward by leaps and bounds. A. humble mission (started by Mr John Sherriff, a New Zealand stonemason who taught the boys his trade and the Gospel) has now become so great that the Churches find it growing almost too much for their financial possibilities. The New Zealand Mission is situated in Southern Rhodesia. The report presented by the executive told of the wonderful results achieved. Mr and Mrs Garfield Todd, who are supervising the mission, speak very higflly of me services rendered bv their fellow missionaries and especially of Mrs Mansill and Miss Hazel Mansill, no.w on furlough in New Zealand. During the year no less than. 1072 persons have declared their own personal faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. ■ln addition to Gospel work, day schools and medical work .is undertaken by the missionaries. The chairman of the committee in New Zealand is Mr S. G. Lamb, of Nelson, and the secretary, Mr Percy Bolton, also of Nelson. A public foreign mission gathering was held in the evening, when addresses were delivered by Miss Hazel Mansill and Mrs Mansill and by Mr R A. Youens, of Auckland, the newly elected president ot the conference presiding. „ , r - ' The report of the Home Mission committee was presented on Good T nday afternoon. Special mention was made of the missions conducted by Mr A. Hinrichsen at Lower Huttand Beckenham and it was recommended that the new board continue to use this gifted evangelist for mission work. During the- year 243 persons had been added to the _ church on their own confession of faith and baptism. Members on the roll (Communicant members) stood now at 4725. Home Missions or subsidised churches reported well, the evangelists being well sustained by the local churches. Following the Home Mission report, the College of the Bible report was presented. The principal of th® college" in Dunedin is Mr H. L. Haddon, M.A., and from the college have come during the last few years a good number of trained men as ministers of the Word. . Mr W. T. Wilson is the chairman and Mr E. P. Aderman, M.A., the secretary. Saturday was devoted to the discussion of youth work, under the guidance of Mr W. R. Hibbert, the leader of the j-outh work. Mr G. P. Adermnn presided at the Communion service on Sunday. The conference sermon was preached by Mr George Mathieson, of the South Wellington Church. Mr J. C. Parker is representing the Palmerston North Church, and Mrs Minchin and Mr Godfrey Fretweli th® Wanganui Church.