CHURCH CO-OPERATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20690, 9 October 1930, Page 16

CHURCH CO-OPERATION.

OVERLAPPING DIFFICULTY. BETTER BASIS SUGGESTED. PRESBYTERIANS AND METHODISTS f ISV TKLF.r.n APIT. —OWN ( onnr.SI'ONItENT. ] rnniSTCHURCH. WednesrlnV. Proposals foi church cooperation between the Presbyterian and Methodist Chun lies were discussed at to da\ s meet iim of ilie C'hrisichurch Presbytery, when recominendat ions were carried which it was hoped would do away with a considerable amount of overlapping, but. which would not amount (o a union in the commonly accepted version of the term.

The Rev. ,7. I.awsnn Robinson submilled a report of the committee which hail disclosed the proposals for church union. There was some idea at the back of every mind of a reunion of Christian Churches in the world, said Mr. Robinson. Everyone was in favour of it in some way and although they as Presbyterians might like a union by absorption, that, was an impossible position. The union would in corporate tho best elements in all the Churches.

Mr. Robinson read proposals from (he Church union committee of tho General Assembly in Wellington, which had been a basis on which the local committee had investigated the subject. A union had already been tried in Plimmeiton, where the success achieved had resulted in n desiro to extend the scheme to other dis tiicts. "There is no suggestion of nny union of the Church as we understand it." ho said, "and for the time being only the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches are concerned The proposals might do away with much overlapping." The recommendations of the committee were then discussed and the proposals were adopted in the following form: —(P That a permanent joint committee of eight members be set up, four from each Church; (2) in cases of areas where both Churches are engaged in church extension no action toward union be taken by the joint committee unless representations liavo first been n ado by a majority of the people in the districts concerned; (3) that with the object of removing and preventing overlapping in sparsely populated distriots a committee be set up in each presbytery to consult with a similar committee from the Methodist Church; (4) that in districts where either Presbyterian or Methodist Church people find that they are unable to attend their own church, that their church recommend that they link up in communicant membership for the time beinc with the existing Presbyterian or Methodist church as the case may he.