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CHURCH'S TASK

3IODERN WORLD FORCES PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY ADDRESS BY MODERATOR NEED FOR ZEAL AND COURAGE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, the Rev. H. H. Barton, of Lawrence, devoted his address at the opening of the assembly in St. John's Church to-night to a survey of the Church's campaign in the modern world. "There is a good deal of justification for the common remark that in our day the Church is 'up against it,' " said Air. Barton. "Church attendances have in many cases declined considerably. The religious observance of the Lord's Day is neglected by multitudes.

Some of the important organisations of the Church, like the prayer meeting, have a sad struggle for existence. Family religion, in the sense in which it was known in the past, has largely disappeared. There is not the same deference to the Church's authority nor the old-time fear of her rebuke." It was true that the religious life of the home and the community and the success of the Church's work must not be estimated too much in terms of outward observance, and allowance j must be made for the many competing interests of modern life. There was a distinct lessening of interest in serious things, but t.he essential spirit of I Christ showed itself in a host of activities of which the forefathers of the ! present generation knew little or j nothing. Inroads of Materialism j "Making every allowance that I can for these and other considerations," i continued 'Mr. Barton, "J fear that 1 there is only too good reason for ' anxiety. The position of the Church in ! this land is not so satisfactory as it once was. We need to give serious consideration to our own section of the ' battle line. The so-called trinity of i evil—impurity, intemperance and ■ gambling—still offer their deadly challenge; and it may well be feared that the Church is not offering these the stout opposition of the past." After referring to the Bolshevism in Russia and the anti-Christian spirit of ultra-nationalism in such professedly Christian countries as Germany and Italy, the speaker said that he considered even more serious the weakening of Christianity by the insidious inroads of materialism. Other religions, such as Mohammedanism, were even more open to this attack. If the religious conception of life was of supreme importance, then the onus of maintaining it under modern conditions rested largely, perhaps almost entirely, upon Christianity. War and Economic Troubles The world order within the framework of which the Church had for centuries exercised its powerful influence was to-day threatened with overthrow by the thrust against world peace and a related economic situation of acute difficulty. Had the Christian Church any message or hope and any duty of service in times like these? One of the greatest risks of the Church militant to-day was from the spirit of defeatism. However, she had in the past faced difficulties as great as any that she was now likely to encounter. The Church was an anvil that had worn out many hammers. Continuing, Mr. Barton said he believed that one of the great needs of the time was a clear understanding and appreciation of the real fundamentals of the faith. The' lack of this was especially a handicap to missionary work. There was need for a more determined and earnest endeavour to make known to the people Christian truth in language which they could understand and which would appeal to them. He was glad to know from experience that many New Zealandtrained ministers were doing this to-day. Misdirected Eflort One danger which seemed a very real one in the Church was that of attempting to hold a too-extended line. She had her own function to discharge and her own message to deliver. Personally, he felt that much of the splen•did energy and keenness which certain religioujs leaders devoted to some aspects of the economic problem was misdirected. While it was important that Christian men with expert knowledge and practical gifts and experience should endeavour to solve these problems, the Church as a whole should address herself to the crux of the matter—the man himself. The survival of war to-day was no proof that the Church had failed in her mission. How much would the European worid have been concerned a century or two ago by the butchery of some thousands of dark-skinned Abyssinians in a of territorial expansion ? No more significant evidence of the power of the League of Nations and of its essentially Christian ideals could be had than that a great European nation should be arraigned at the bar of international justice, arraigned as an aggressor and, by vigorous and adequate measures, bo forced to release its prey. In the history of the present economic crisis he believed that the Church, by her teaching and spirit of Christian brotherhood and by emphasis on the sacredness of human personality, would be found to have contributed the essential element to the solution.

Mr. Barton concluded by appealing to ministers, officers and people to concentrate more and more on their ereat task of stemming the tide of worldliness.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19351106.2.156

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22259, 6 November 1935, Page 17

Word Count
855

CHURCH'S TASK New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22259, 6 November 1935, Page 17

CHURCH'S TASK New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22259, 6 November 1935, Page 17