PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17171, 26 November 1917, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Tho sessions of tho General Assembly wore resumed in First Church on Saturday morning, the Moderator (the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, M.L.C.) presiding. Thoro was a largo attendanco of ministers and ciders. It was intimated by the Rev. Mr Barton, on 'behalf of the Business Committee, that the Assembly would probably concludo its business by Tuesday evening. NOMINATION OF MODERATOR. Tho clerk (tho Rev. J. MacKenzie) intimated that tho following ministers had been' nominated by Presbyteries for tho position of Moderator for next year:—Tho Revs. Professor Howiteon (Dunediri), J. A. Asher (Napier), J. Cumming (Khandallah), S W. Ourrio (Balclutha), and W. Gray Dixon (Dunedin). Tho Revs. Professor Hewitson, J. A. Asher, J. Cumming, and S. W. Currio withdrew their nominations. On tho motion of the Rev. Dr Gibb, seconded by the Rev. Mr Kinmont, tho Rev. W. Gray Dixon was elected moderator for next year. At a later stage, tho Moderator informed Mr Dixon that the Assembly, by unanimous vote, had olected him to tho office of Moderator. Tho Rev. W. Gray Dixon thanked the Assembly for conferring tho honour upon him. It was an honour tho parallel of which no other organisation had the power to bestow. CHURCH LIFE AND WORK. Tho Assembly resumed the de'bate on tho recommendation of the Church Life and Work Committee, that Mr John Bissott, of Auckland, bo appointed Assembly evangelist at a salary of £300, with travelling expenses and £50 house allowance, tho appointment being for one year, and longer if arrangements can be made. Tho Rev Mr Miller (Westport) supported the recommendation, and intimated that ho wished to move, "That Mr James Ournming be appointed an Assembly evangelist without financial responsibility, he to report from time to time to the Life and Work Committee." Tho Rev. Mr Budd, convener of the committee, regretted that personal elements had entered into this question, and urged reasons why Mr Bissctt should bo appointed. Mr Bissett was a strong man, and he had offered his services to the Church for a period. There was room for him, and also for Mr Cumming. Tho committee, having his offer before it, could do nothing but accept it with great gratitude and thankfulness that such a man was available to it, and it heartily commended him to tho church. The committee did not stand in Mr Cumming's way. The Rev. J. M. Simpson (Gore) supported the appointment, and said the Church had never before had the opportunity of calling a man with Mr Bissett's qualifications. The recommendation of tho committeo to appoint Mr Bissett as Assembly evangelist was agreed to. The Rev. Mr Miller then moved his motion respecting the appointment of Mr Cumming. He • emarkod that Mr Cumming had worked •on faith lines, taking two thank offerings each week, and supplementing the receipts by means of lantern lectures, and he had done excellent work for six years, visiting tho small as well as the large congregations. It vould be a fair thing to give him official recognition. "Without financial responsibility" meant that the committee undertook no responsibility for his salary; ho would go dn making his own arrangements. Several other members wished to speak, 'but it was decided to tako the vote at once, and the motion was carried by a large majority. SUSTENTATION- FUND. | The Committee on the Sustentation Fund Regulations reported that the proposed new regulations for the purpose of unifying the methods of tho northern and southern sections of the Church in regard to the maintenance of the ministry, and under which it would be possible eventually to have one Sustentation Fund for the whole Church, had' been sent down to presbyteries, deacons' courts, and managers' boards for consideration. The response had ■ been disappointing. Reports had been received from only six presbyteries—Dunedin, Oamaru, Southland, Clutha, Dunstan, and Wanganui,—and from only three deacons' courts or boards of managers—Kaikorai, Wallacetown, and Petone. The replies received were, however, distinctly encouraging. Tho Presbyteries of Wanganui and Oamaru approved unconditionally; those of Dunedin, Southland, and Dunstan approved subject to some modification, intended to more securely safeguard tho position of ministers of the Southern Church until the Northern Church fell into line; while tho Presbyteries of Clutha and Mataura disapproved apparently because tl-ey considered that no fundi existed in the Northern Church with which amalgamation might bo effected, and they appeared to overlook the fact that the proposals did not contemplate an amalgamation until tuch separate fund did exist, nor, indeed, until it had reached a satisfactory position, and that the whole purpose of the proposed new regulations was only to provide for a unification of method which would render complete amalgamation more easy when the proper time came. Of the reports from Deacons' Courts and Boards of Managers two approved unconditionally and one disapproved, setting out a similar reason to that of the presbyteries above referred to. The committee had therefore dimmed it prudent to modify the regulations in order to meet as far as possible the expressed views of presbyteries. These' amended regulations, the committee recommended, should be again sent down to \presbyteries, deacons' courts, and boards of managers for consideration, with ah injunction to report to the committee before September 1, 1918. The regulations were appended. They set out, amongst other things, that the purpose of the Church in establishing this fund is to provide that the duly ordained minister of every sanctioned charge shall receive an adequate stipend, which, as soon as possible, should be at least £250 per annum, apart from a manse or a house allowance. Every congregation . should endeavour to become self-sustaining until such time as it shall bo in a position to become aid-giving. Every congregation able to pay a stipend in excess of the pmcunt fixed as tho self-sustaining standard shall be considered as bound in Royalty to the Church to become aid-giving, and should contribute to this fund with such liberality as to ensure that its aid-giving shall be equal to £1 for every £2 which it pays to its minister as stipend beyond ' the selfsustaining standard. While aiming at £250 as the self-sustaining standard 1 , the General Assembly may from time to time revise this to meet circumstances.

Tho Rev. R. E. Davies (convener) in supporting the report, said that if a central fund were built up the Church would be strengthened. He had never met ministers who grumbled; they would rather suffer heroically than make complaint. He had met office-bearers who had not met the situation in as broad a manner as one might have expected. Ger "'•ally speaking, if the matter was placed before the congregation the people would rise to it. In view of the cost of living something must be done at once, for the £ was now worth only 14s 7d. As an example of poor pay he mentioned the case of a northern congregation with a gross income of £1037 paying the minister £210. out of which he had to pay £10 to feed his horse. Tho Assembly had heard about a dearth of ministers. In some of the great churches of Christendom, one of the squrces from which the ministry was recruited was the manse, but it was not so in this country. It was the exception rather than tho rule here. To one minister he said recently, " You have three sons, and why lias not one of them entered the ministry?" The reply of one of the sons was, " Some day I will be married, and I would not liko my wife to go through what my mother has passed through in my experience." That was one aspect of the matter. They had no right to ask men to endure, though they did it heroically, and he hoped the day would como when there would be a central fund, with an elder as convener. In the meantime, until that position was attained, he hoped to give all tho strength he could to tho work in order that the church might rise to what was its undoubted responsibility. He moved that the regulations be again" sent down for consideration. Tho Rev. Mr Ryburn seconded the motion. It was all-important that the closest attention of the church should be given to this scheme, and yet only ono reply had been received from the north. It was the north that would benefit by -the scheme. He believed they would do better if they had an agent to go' round and impress oh presbyteries and congregations the claims of such a scheme. In the south tho congregations sravc £855 in sustentation fund supplement. TTie grants to charges in oho north were £574. The charges were more needy and more numerous in the north, and yet they received £571. In tho south_ they gave nearly £5000 in charge extension, and of tihat one-ninth was taken t-o help the charges in the north. What he wished to show tvas that an united scheme would benefit tho north, and it was time tho

church gave its best attention to tho matter. Tho minister could not plead for his own salary, and tho presbyteries ought to help him. The Eov. Dr Gibb mentioned that tho average contribution to the fund per head in tho north was 2s Bd, and in the south 2s lid. . , Tho Rev. A. M. Finlayson said that tho average stipend north of tho Waitaki was £255 and in the south £259. After further discussion, the motion was carried.

ST. maegaket's college. Tho Council of St. Margaret's Presbyterian Residential College reported another year of successful operation. Tho health of tho students had boon good, the term and class examination results bore testimony to diligent and successful study, and an excellent spirit had pervaded tho institution. Students from all parts of tho dominion and of many religious denominations had lived and worked together in harmony and good-fellowship. Tho institution had been self-supporting, ordinary incomo having boon sufficient to meet all current expenses— bills, rates, taxes, repairs—together with interest on tho original loans, which amounted to £6050. Tho contract price for the new extension to buildings was £5650, and extras and furnishing would run it up to at least £6000. Subscriptions towards tho cost of these extensions to the amount of £4000 had been received, and at present a deficit on this account remained of £2000, which, added to tho £6050 already referred to, mado tho total indebtedness £8050. _ The subscriptions had beon obtained chiefly from Dunedin and. neighbourhood. Mr W. T. Fitzgerald, president of the College Council, who presented the report, said that so much had tho public been impressed with tho work whicli the institution was doing, and was capable of doing, that support had been given to it by people of all denominations. It was really a national work. The paying of interest hindered tho work for the students, and it was hoped to wipo off somo of tho debt before long. If "the assembly would consent to what tho council proposed an appeal would bo made to congregations for help, and he trusted that, when that appeal was made, the elders and the deacons would feel interested in the matter. Ho hoped, too, that tho laymen would get their wives and daughters to take an interest in this excellent work for the women students of New Zealand.

Tho Rev. R. L. Walker moved, and the Rev. Mr Rvburn seconded, the following motion: —" Express high appreciation of tho invaluable work which tho council are doing in tho interests of women students and of the dominion. Commend tho work to the liberality,of members of the church, and enjoin proKbyteries and deacons' courts to take such steps as in their wisdom they may deem advisable to organise collecting agencies, such as the Ladies' Committee in Dunedin, in order that a thorough canvass may be made to secure the funds so greatly needed to put the institution upon a satisfactory financial basis." The motion was carried.

The Assembly adjourned at 1 p.m. until 10 o'clock this (Monday) morning