AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9268, 2 August 1893, Page 3

AUCKLAND PRESBYTERY.

The regular bi-monthly meeting of the Auckland Presbytery was held in St. Andrew's Church, Symonds-streob, and Alton Road, last night. Present : The Rev. W. F. Finlay (Moderator), the Revs. J. Hill, R. S. West, O. B. Monro, R. F. Macnicol, Norrie, Steele, Robert-son, Ferguson, Carrick, and R. Sotnmerville (clerk). There was also a good attendance of elders. Elders' Commission's.—The Secretary read a commission appointing Mr. A. Ramsay, of St. James', to represent Opotiki. church in the Presbytery, also a commission appointing Mr. J. C. Macky to represent) Devonporb. The Rev. Mr. Monro said he had forgotten to fill in Mr. John Grey'si commission as the elder to represent St. Luke's ; but Mr. Grey was present, and he might add that he was reelected. The explanation was accepted. Paeroa and Te Aroha.—The clerk intimated that at the last meeting a letter had been received from the Rev. S. .1. Neil stating that lie had not been able to intimate to the people that, their district had been constituted into a new charge. Since then a letter had been received from Mr Norrie asking that) someone bo appointed to intimate the decision of the Presbytery, as the people were at present in an uncertain state. The Rev. Mr. Norrie pointed out that the roads at present were in a very bad state. lb was agreed in the event of the Rev. Mr. Neil nob finding it convenient to proceed to Paeroa and Te Aroha thai; Mr. Norrie be appointed to communicate the decision of the Presbytery constituting the new charge Kkmuion and Moral;.—The Rev. Mr. Ferguson brought) up the report of this committee. Be said the committee had held a meeting that afternoon, and decided after consulting the report of Mr. Wood to send circulars to ministers in regard to certain clauses of the report. They also advised that on the first Tuesday of September this Presbytery .should meet as a conference on the subject of the latent power of the Church and religion at home, and they recommended that conferences be held every six months. They also recommended that the Presbytery should appoint ministers to go in pairs to stir up interest in spiritual matters and church work. They also asked the mind of the Presbytery aa to having an interchange of pulpits, and if they decided in the affirmative they re commended that the interchange take place on the 15th of October. Mr. Ferguson said the committee would first like an expression of opinion from the Presbytery as to having a conference at all. Air. Macnicol moved that it be arranged to have a conference between this and next ordinary meeting of the Presbytery to consider the matters submitted by he committee. Mr. West said the intention of the committee was that a meeting of the Presbytery should be held once in six months, not for business but for spiritual matters. Mr. J. C. Macky, in seconding the motion, said he thought they might adopt the whole programme set out by the committee. lb would not be hard to arrange for an interchange of pulpits, or for two ministers to visit the various churches on evangelistic services. ; It was agreed to hold the first conference of the Presbytery on the Ist Tuesday in September. Mr. Ferguson urged that the appointment of deputations of two ministers to visit the various churches and stir up interest in church matters, and tie proposition was agreed to. As to the exchange of pulpits on the loth October, Mr. Ferguson said the only difficulty was that of finance and whore the money was to come from. The Rev. Mr. Carrick said he saw no difficulty in the way. Each minister could pay his own expenses, and lie, for one, was willing to do so. It was pointed out that the expenses to Tailranga and other places would be heavy, and that ministers should nob be called on to defray them, and .Mr. Ferguson thought that) when the congregations received the benefit" they should pay for them. The Rev. Mr. West suggested that if left to the committee this matter could be arranged, but it must be distinctly understood that there must be a distinct change between town and country, otherwise he should make no exchange, lb was finally agreed to leave the matter in the hands of the committee to arrange.