UNION OF THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13648, 16 January 1908, Page 6

UNION OF THE CHURCHES.

Opinion on the question of the union •of the evangelical Churches in New Zealand and Australia is ." still much unset'tied, and churchmen seem to find it very .difficult to arrive at a satisfactory basis of unity. An interesting experiment is to be tried in Timaru. A conference of representatives of the Baptist and Congregational churches in that town has decided that these two churches shall unite, for a, time at least. Particulars of the "programme of unity," which came into force on the first day of the new year, are as follows: —By the Act of Incorporation under which the church property is held in trust the Congregational rights over the buildings, etc. , are carefully conserved, and the same Act also provides that the ministry of the church must be Congregational. In all church polity, local organisation work, and finance, the churoh will be organically one. No distinction will be made between Congregational and Baptist members, save that the latter will be recogniced as Baptist upon the church-roll and in all official statistical returns. The question of baptism is left to the individual conscience, and for those who desire it, arrangements will be made for their baptism by immersion. Purely denominational funds, such as Home and Foreign Missions, have been amicably arranged for No change will be- made in the name of the church for a tentative period of two years. At the end of that time, should the permanence of the union be assured, the question of the name will be considered, and it will probably be known as "Union Church." ■■•