PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20115, 28 November 1928, Page 13

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

WORK OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

SOUND FINANCIAL POSITION.

TRIBUTE TO THE TREASURER.

Tho General Assembly of tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealaud continued its sessions at St. David's. Church yestercly, the moderator, tho Rev. Professor W. Howitson, presiding. The morning was largely occupied with a variety of financial business. Tho assembly was reminded by the convener of tho bills and business committee, tho Rev. W. H. Howes, that a great deal of business remained to bo dealt with and that it was gradually getting behind. "Considering all tho conditions under which we have been labouring for the past year X think the result is an exceedingly satisfactory one," said tho Rev. W. J. Connie, of Wellington, in presenting tho treasurer's report. Thero was no need for talking retrenchment and no reason for their missionaries to be embarrassed with the thought that tho Church was not going to support them adequately in their time of need. Tho authorities of St. Cuthbert's College, Auckland, had declined to pay the assessment for assembly expenses, and asserted that the college was in no way controlled by tho Church. The present attitude seemed to be ' inconsistent with tho reports which had been made to the assembly from time to time sinco steps were first taken for tho institution of the college. lie considered this position very serious. Tho treasurer's statement was received. Control ol Institutions.

A report on trusts was presented by Mr. Connie, who expressed the conviction that institutions which did not admit control by the assembly should not be allowed to use the name o{ the Church in making appeals for support. A number of properties held by southern branches of the Presbyterian Social Service Association anti by individual congregations were not invested with the Church property trustees. This was contrary to the spirit and intention of the Presbyterian Church Properly Act and might prove to be both costly and unsafe.

Mr. Comrie moved that the report bo received and held in retentis and copies supplied to tbo committees concerned. This was agreed to and the matter of Church trusts was referred to the Church property trustees for consideration and report to the next assembly. On behalf of the whole Church the moderator presented Mr. Comrie, who is retiring from the position of assembly treasurer, after 23 years' service, with a cheque gathered in strictly limited sums from a,ll over the Dominion. " Absolutely Preposterous." The quarter million fund committeo reported that after making inquiry and giving consideration to present conditions it decided to postpone making definite arrangements for the raising of the quarter million fund.

Mr. D. G. Clark, Wellington, moved the adoption of the report. The Rev. L. 11. Hunt, in seconding, expressed disappointment that the idea of the fund had notbeen taken up more widely by the Church. The retiring allowance to ministers was a standing disgrace, and he believed that many of their ministers were below the poverty line. The Presbyterians of the Dominion were well able to put this fund on a solid basis.

The Rev. Dr. Gibb said he had char* acterised the setting up of this committeo for so largo a fund as absolutely preposterous. The committee had no doubt by this time found that he was fully justified. If they aimed at £IOO,OOO by direct giving he believed it was possible that they might get it. Mr. D. S. Beath, of Dunedin, drew attention to the fact that no provision was made for subsidising Sabbath school buildings from the proposed fund. It was decided to reappoint the corn- * mittee, with" power to continue its work. Foreign Missions. "The year 1923 will stand out for many years to come as one of the epoch-making years in the history of the missionary movement of the Christian Church and it will be associated in memory with the name of the holy city Jerusalem," stated the foreign missions committee's report. "To-day the Churches in both East and West have been stirred and great things are now possible." There were many gratifying features in the reports received from the Chinese Church. In India the Church was already affected by the Nationalist feeling and the impulse toward independence was growing; but with settled government the movement there was likely to be slower in development. The report was presented by the convener of the foreign missions committee, the Rev. G. H. Jupp, of Anderson's Bay.: Referring io tho death of Mrs. R. S. Allan, of Dunedin, ho said no other woman in the Church had had so keen and eager an enthusiasm and interest in the foreign mission work and, in all the work of the , Church. A ekiuso expressing gratitude for 11ir> of the International Missionary Council at Jerusalem last Master was moved by the Rev. D. C. Ilerron, of Si. David's, who was one of 'the Dominion's two delegates at tho conference. One of tho conclusions of the conference was that they could not conlinuo to givo ihpiv children a purely materialistic education and expect them to have a spiritual outlook on life. Tho Rev. J. M. McKenzie, of Canton, spoko of the influence of the conference on the work of Christian missions in China. It was agreed to ask Mr. Herron to arrange to spend a month in deputation worft in the principal centres, especially among students, spreading the message of tho conference. A resolution directing tho foreign mission committee to watch carefully developments in the control of tho Now Hebrides was moved by tho Rev. \V, V. - Milno. who said the eOiid OMlill 111 Lad hum iJtil Obstacles in the way of the mission worV, The debate on tho foreign missions re' port was adjourned. Tho assembly decided to hold its next, sessions, which will take place in March, 1930, in Dunedin. An invitation from the Wanganni Presbytery to hold tho assembly at Wanganni was deferred for consideration at tho Dunedin gathering.