BAPTIST ONION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9976, 13 November 1895, Page 5

BAPTIST ONION.

[Br TBLEQttAFHi— ASSOCIATION',] Napier, Tuosday. The fourteenth annual session of the Baptist Union .commenced this morning. Tho following delegates wore present:— Auckland Tabernacle, Rev. J. Blaikie; Ponsonby, Rev. A. H. Collins; Hew Plymouth, Rev. W. Drew; Thames, Rev. W. R. Woolley: Wanganui, Rev. H. Peters, and Messrs. G. Carson and C. A. Gaze ; Wellington, Rev. C. Dallaston, and Messrs. A. Hoby and W. George Ashburton, Rev. A. Ayer; Caversham, Mr. J. Wright; Ohristchurch (Oxford Terraco), Rev. J. J. Dolce; Dunedin (Hanovor-streeb and Branches), Rev. A. North, Rev. E. Richards, Mejsrs. Driver and Calder; South Dunedin, Mr. W. Ings; Nelson, Mr. J. Robertson; Oamaru, Rov. A. Dewdney; Napier, Rev. G. D. Cox and Mr. R. T. Walker. Tho report showed the addition of 316 new members, but 256 had died or left or bden struck off the rolls, leaving a not balance of only 60. The present number of members was 3095. The Sunday school teachers numbered 576, and the Sunday-school scholars 4910. There was a slight decrease in the number on the rolls, but an increase in the average attendance of 200. There were 91 local preachers, and 24 preaching stations. The societies of Christian Endeavour and Christian Bands showed a satiifactory increase for the year, the total membership being 1117. of which 776 wore active, 100 associate, 2fi9|honorary, and 158 junior. The increase in membership appoars at first sight disappointingly small, bub the report stated that this was mainly due to the flovero revision of the church roll by several of the churches. While commending this, the report urged more perfect supervision of tho rolls by church officers. The erasure column was largely represented by tho special circumstances of the colony, and the frequent removal from place to place of church members, the result of depressed trade in the towns and depressed agriculture In rural districts- lb frequently happened that these membors removed to districts where no Baptist Churches existed, and in other cases those least influenced by denominational esprit dt cor pi broke the link which bound them to Christian fellowship, and drifted into the considerable army of the unattached.