CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13833, 20 August 1908, Page 7

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

CONSTITUTION OF COUNCILS.

[FROM ocr OWN CORRESPOND ISN'T.]

London, July 10. : 'At Tuesday's meeting in Edinburgh of the international Council of the Congregational Church, the secretary announced that while gratefully appreciating the generous invitation given by the Australian Union, it was felt that the impracticableness of securing adequate representation at so great a distance made it inadvisable to accept the invitation. The recommendation of the committee was accepted unanimously.

As to the constitution of future councils, the following are among the resolutions that have been adopted: " The International Congregational Council shall consist of representative and national associations of the Congregational Churches, and, in countries where no national association exists, of representatives of Congregational Churches in such proportion as may be determined by the inviting association, and shall meet as may from time to time appear desirable. (2) The council shall consist of 400 members, allotted as follows : — U.S.A. 150, British Isles 150, the Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland 20, Now Zealand and Australia 32, South Africa 10, the rest of the world 23. Foreign missionaries at home on furlough shall tie honorary members of the council. (3) Each council shall appoint a president, 12 vicepresidents (including four U.S.A., four British Isles, oiio Canada, one Australasia, one South Africa), a secretary and three assis-tant-secretaries."

The lie v. H. O'Hara (Canada) presided at Tuesday's meeting, when Dr. W. H. Bennett (Loudon) spoke on the positive value of criticism to the Bible. Modern j criticism, he remarked, bad enabled the j Bible to speak for itself. Dr. Wadeney (Manchester) in an address j on " Sunday School Reform in the Use of the Bible" said foolish, antiquated methods of Bible teaching provided the soil in which ! the sceptical writer sowed his seed. He was strongly opposed to the removal of Bible teaching from the public elementary schools. That he would regard as a national disaster which the mass of the people would greatly resent. (Applause.)