BAPTIST DISPUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25047, 10 November 1944, Page 7

BAPTIST DISPUTE

I gI isPEKSION CONFIBMEI) „ u c REV. DR A. HODGE ' CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday Hi action of the executive committee tZ Baptist Union in suspending the Dr Alexander Hodge, minister Tabernacle Baptist Church, Auck- ) has been confirmed by the Baptist 1 «ihlv which has also accepted Dr i. 'resignation from its list of rPiiited ministers. . ,C *Lse decisions wore embodied in a it+fon carried by the assembly, rf? 1 , *his morning, in committee, com- « (, consideration of the position • "'m'- " li,m was also passed ottering the iSnacie an opportunity of reconc.lia- * the union. assembly authorised the follow- , ! atement on the part o the union arding the acceptance of Dr Hodge s resignation:— Procedure Approved uA decision has been arrived at by jornhlv presided over, by agreetb% S i)r Hodge, by Mr F B. ?fL of Dnnedin. Alter a full and 1 rlkfus«ion, and alter hearing I? 1 Wodsie «'ho addressed the assembly /considerable length, the assembly is tiled the executive comm. tee 13 r«-ith propriety m first appointing f i ti.in.vcslienle too .nnttqr: uV the commission conducted its intimation with care and discretion; ft the privacv observed in eonneetion I i?h its proceedings was necessary and j ! e in the circumstances of the I P . anrl that every reasonable opporSSty was affo^ lpd Dr f . Hod p a,K J al > X interested parties to submit Material for consideration by the cominission • , "Fair and Impartial" I "Thp assembly regrets that Dr Hodge j-A not take advantage of these oppor--1 ;£ and advised others to abstain £so doing. The assembly is also ♦ "flod that the subsequent proceedbefore the executive committee S conducted with fairness and imfrtialitv; that Dr Hodge and his two p L| 'while necessarily denied access 4! material which had been collected ■:"telv beforehand by the commission ,'e given full access to the material 32 was actually P laced the committee bv members of the SS.Tth»t Dr Hodse ,„d Ins Uo " 0 | were given every facility to Ser and discuss the material so Seed before the executive committee ' ffiffere fully heard thereon, and that : the decision of the executive committee : ; as based solely on the material placed I Sore it, including the evidence of I t)r Hodge and other witnesses called on j [i s behalf and the addresses of his I court so '- Reply to Allegations | "'The assembly is aware of the allegai fens "since made by Dr Hodge to the Zt that he was condemned on evii See secretly taken; that he was not r'ten sufficient time to prepare his ease; L that other irregularities were committed but is satisfied that these allegations are unfounded, and that the ex'tivp committee acted throughout with justice and fairness and with a full sense of its responsibilities, both to the union and to Dr Hodge. _ _ "Th? assembly is of the opinion that ro useful purpose would be served by | the publication of its discussions on i this matter and that, oil the contrary. M cb publication might only aggravate the damage already done by the publicity given to this unhappy affair, j Acceptance of Resignation the resolution with regard to Dr Bodge, which was carried without a Renting vote, read"Having considered the report of the executive Tritb reference to the suspension of Dt Hodge and also a letter from Dt Hodge tendering his resignation as i ministerial member of the mim, the assembly resolves as follows: lilt the decision of the executive in suspending Dr Hodge be confirmed; in at while completely repudiating the various statements contained in his ! letter by way of justification, Dr Hodge's resignation- be accepted; that Dr Hodge's name be removed accordingly from the union's official list of accredited ministers, and that the assembly records its deep regret over the circumstances which have led to the foregoing decisions.' " The motion relating to the tabernacle Cfctirch was. inter alia, that as the decision of the Tabernacle Church was arrived at before the position could be considered by the assembly, it was felt that the Tabernacle Church should be given an opportunity to reconsider its decision. It was accordingly resolved that the letter from the Tabernacle | Church be remitted to a special committee consisting of the Rev. _L. J. \ Bonlton Smith and .Messrs G. E. Burt and H. T. Falta in the hope that con- | filiation might be possible. J GAMING ACT BREACH I SHOP-OWNER FINED £25 | Charged with knowingly and wilfully | permitting premises at 43 \ ietoria 1 Street, of which he was the owner, to j lie used as a common gaming house, I Andrew Ted Yovich, aged 51 (Mr I Ewen), pleaded not guilty before Mr | ?. H. Levien, S.M., yesterday. I Detective-Sergeant Aplin said ac- | ensed leased a shop, at 43 Victoria j Street to a man who had been con--1 dieted of using it for gambling pur- | Poses. Detectives had found out that | tie conversation of men nt tlia back of we shop who were playing two-up I could be clearly heard at a distance, ! 'id it was alleged that accused, who I nved directly over the shop, must have •f " ee[l aware that gambling was going i JJI there. Accused denied the allega- | tion 1 After inspecting the premises during ! luncheon adjournment, the magis- | We said accused must be convicted. | « fine of £25 was imposed. j COMPENSATION AWARD 2 i.' n res P° n se to a petition of right of j J ! p7n Haley Williams, tunneller (Mr i f! 31 ?) a lump sum has been awarded to | J® "J Mr Justice f)'Regan in the Comi Pensation Court. The ■omponsntion was i claimed for an injurv that Williams I pttered by the Works' Department (Mr lin it Meredith) in the Waiheke | on April 7. 1913. An accident to Ij. ' liU ' 'eft him seriously and I fr rn,anp ntly disabled. Compensation at I »A ra^e Ci 10s a week had b°en paid | ii ,"? lls t 17, but the Crown preferred \f t nc - e ''. v the Court. S o'" p gan said the suppliant 1 in, . vp ars olrl and hp had been earnI CIS a week in the I Pfrtco+ : Undonbtclly the maximum eom--1 tte lon was payable in this case, but I ro not receive more 1 a! rp ,j • J" addition to what he had '1 tile recer, ed. lie would be awarded 1 2 , w'ance of £640 13s 3d, plus £l2 | witness S nn or a mof iical