DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16399, 2 June 1915, Page 2

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

The ordinary mooting of the Dmiedin Presbytery was held in First Church hull yesterday morning. The lie v. A. Finlayson (moderator) presided. FORJSIIiN MISSIONS. A detailed statement of the present position of the foreign mission attains of the church with particulars of student volunteers offering was presented by the Rev. A. Don. In doing so he said that certain facts iri the report faced one as he picked it up. There was first of all the fact of the fields. They as a church ought to thank God every day that they had such fields of their own to work in. Then there was the need of the fields. In India, for instance, they had undertaken the care of 400,000 souls, and they had but four workers there. Then there was the fact of their missionary volunteers. They should thank God from their hearts that they had such a splendid body of young men and women offering. The finances showed an insufficient income, but what was desired \va.s not a special spurt in giving, but a steady ri.-:e in the regular incomc. The ignorance of the people about missions was still simply appalling, though it was not so bad as it was 10 or 15 years ago. The Presbyterian Women's Missionary Unioh was doing splendid educational work, especially through its magazine, The Harvest Field. The ministers held the key to the whole situation. He strongly contrasted the very large sums spent on gambling and pleasure in this country with the very limited amounts given for the extension of the Kingdom of God. "No wonder," he said, "that the Germans thought we were on the down grade." More money was being spent here on horse racing since the war broke out than ever before. It ought not to bo necessary for missionaries on furlough to engage in deputation work. A discussion ensued as to how far church members were implicated in this charge of undue expenditure on amusement, considerable difference of opinion being shown. It was eventually resolved to thank Mr Don for his statement and to urge congregations to increase their contributions so as to enable the Foreign Missions Committee to send out the volunteers who were waiting to go. chaplains' committee report. The Rev. A. Gray submitted a detailed Teport from the Chaplains' Committee. The large number of regimental camps held this year and the fact that they were often held simultaneously had made it a serious difficulty to find sufficient chaplains and equipment. At the request of the Y.M.C.A; a conference had been held among the representatives of the different churches working in the camps. All had agreed to a scheme of amalgamation with the exception of the Church of England Men's Society, which decided to visit only the camps of the B Battery and 14th Regiments. Chaplains were attached, and did duty in 11 camps, the only camp in which the Presbyterian Church -was not represented being that of the B Battery. In every case the union with the Y.M.C.A. had given satisfaction to all concerned, and both officers and men had been full of expressions of gratitude. Mr Gray explained the rea-son for the amalgamation of work among the churches, which had been a great success, and outlined the daily duties of a chaplain. He submitted the following report from the Chaplains" Committee: —That, in the event of any member of Presbytery going to the front, it will be necessary for the Presbytery to make provision for a locum tenens; that there are a number of chaplains willing to go if such provision is made." The report -was adopted, and after discussion a committee consisting of the Rev. Messrs Kilpatrick, Aitken, and Barton And Messrs Glasgow and Henderson was appointed to go into the question of financing a locum tenens for an absent chaplain. GENERAL. It was decided to record a minute expressing deep sympathy with the Rev. R. Fairmaid in the loss of his mother. On the motion of the Rev. A. Gray a committee consisting of the Rev. Messrs Barton, Adams, Lymburn, Dixon, A. Gray, and Mr Mears was appointed to consider and make suggestions regarding the services to be rendered by the Church to the Empire in the present crisis.