WORK OF CHURCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 14

WORK OF CHURCHES.

PLANS FOR CO-OPERATION.

A WELLINGTON EXPERIMENT.

PRESBYTERY DEFERS DEBATE.

Proposals for closer co-operation between tbo Presbyterian and Methodist Churches were placed before the .Auckland Presbytery last evening. They were raisfcd in tho form of a report on an experiment in co-operation between these Churches that has been organised in Wellington, but in viow of tho importance of tho issues involved full discussion was doforrcd until next meeting of presbytery. Tho Rev. W. Lawson Marsh, convener of tho publio questions committee, explained that the proposals arose out of a, practical experiment, in co-operation in conducting seasido services at Plimmert.on. 'J'hoy might bo regardod as a step in tho direction of closer co-operation with their Churches, making ultimate union more possible. Tho three proposals wore: (!) To establish a joint comrnitteo of representatives of tho Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, four from each. (2) That in any case of Church extension in areas worked by the two Churches, the matter bo roforred to the. joint committee for consideration and advice. (3) That in districts where only one of the Churches could supply services, the other Church recommend its members to link up with the existing Church. Mr. Marsh said tlioro was a great deal that needed to be thought about before they could say "Yes" or "No" to any of these proposals. While it was perfectly easy to agrco to a scheme of that sort they could see how it would work.out only by applying it to concrete cases. Mr. Marsh illustrated the difficulty of accurately defining "Church extension," and said tho committee had found that that was tho real difficulty. Local conditions varied so much that it was undesirable to tie the hands of congregations by the action of joint committees. "There are elements in the proposals pregnant with disaster as well as of great promiso," he said.

With regard to the linking up of members of one' Church with the other, the committee found that the formal adoption of the Wellington proposal would merely give official recognition to what was more or less the common practice in those 'circumstances. Difficulty arose, however, in outlying districts where prominent members of a Church were occasionally visited by a minister of their own denomination from outside. The committee felt that the proposals had elements that commended them, but there was lacking something sufficiently specific to give them value. The committee was of opinion that no good purpose would be served by making steps toward union .it present. Recent proposals of a federal council seemed to provide the most promising basis for present discussion. At, the suggestion of Mr. Marsh it was decided to postpone discussion of the matters in the report until the nest meeting of tlio presbytery. *