CHURCH UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17659, 24 June 1919, Page 4

CHURCH UNION

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. ABSOLUTE UNANIMITY. AN OPTIMISTIC TONE. mc °ting of the inon connected with Trinity Methodist, Central Mission, Moray Place Congregational, St. Andrews, ii j ■ rs^i r, wafi hold in Trinity Method Schoolroom last night to discuss tho question of church union. Some 40 representatives of these churches were present, and Mr E. Roscvear was voted to the ohoir. 1 he meeting was opened by prayer offered rr.l ->? /GV ' A- Rugby Pratt. 1 he Rev. Mr Pratt, in extending a welcome to the representatives of the different churches, said it was understood that it was a laymen s gathering. The subicct ot church union had come into tho realm ot church politics. Ho trusted that in ; joci 8 °™ n good time there would not only be a federal union, but a corporate union. -tile cha.irman explained how the meeting 9?"]° to be convened. At the request of tneir ot: Andrew's friends, representatives from Trinity Methodist Church met at St Andrews to discuss matters they had in common. The result of that meeting was that a committee was appointed—two members from the Methodist and two from the 1 resbytenan—and the upshot of that meeting was the mooting they were then holdu i ad arranged that there should be one speaker from each denomination to place the views of that denomination before the meeting, and leave it to others to follow up the discussion. Arthur Wilkinson (Moray Place Congregational Church) said he was there to spea.k m favour of union. He believed that every denomination and every church existed for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, otherwise the strongest church and the strongest denominations had no ZtLf , seek f . to exist. The speaker then referred to the co-operation existing between the Presbyterian body and the Congiegatjmialists in the matter of social service I hey "were all interested in that .work and as a Congregationalist he recognised that they were too small a body to carry out this work unassisted. The erecGildings alone was much too big for his church to undertake rX out t] ™ co-operation of the Presbyterian i J® f olf; that the whole of the mterested in social service work l • 150511 he lped by tlie very reason of having some very important work to do— W f J +1 T 33 tl i e benefit of mankind, and for the benefit of those in need. But o"° Peratl< ? 1 °, f - the Presbyterian Sp nffre f ahon '?V Ete not have themselves witl> such work as tho Ross Home at North-East Valley and the two orphanages at Anderson's Bay. Thev knew that m municipal affairs union was tfo^wJtl 1 ,Ilto,1 lto , ex * tence > and so in conneci work. The matter of AWh 6 ne P ro . m P t<!d them to unite. about Ll e \¥ n T h} : UHion should come 1 shortage of ministers. If "3 to ° k P », Sood number of clergy rr-i released for work elsewhere, lake Ravensbourne as ail examnlr* dist 16 t hqd three . c huTches-r-Metho" TlieW P L C : bytcrUn ' and Congregational. u ii no reason m his mind why these three should not be as successfully conducted if united as they were at present The same tiling applied the churchp dom,nion - Then aeaan, the churches whictywer e carried on by layT* bs tfNrfited by having the services of the pastors who would be set free of <um . on - All those laymen who had taken services realised how poorly they represented the Master's cause ft union was coming about it ought to come in J h <* mtereSte of the -mailer churches. There was an unrest because of union being in the air, which ought to be allayed as soon as possible. There JSf Practically no difference between the three Churches as far as church governS/*?, oon «® rn . ed - . He did not thi£k they should sti-ess. their "isms" so long as thev 3Sw? * t0 th6ir f^™.J?? 30 !? 31 spoke on behalf of the Methodist Church. He said that readers of last weeks Outlook must have ! been • struck with the apposite quotation from the ' reiwh Prime Minister's iiWgniral speech as of the Paris Peace Conference: We have come here as friends, we must pass through the door as brothers." They had come through the door as brothers, and their meeting there -that night was going to strengthen that brafcherhewd. iney gauged things comparatively, but he asked them not to gauge Methodism by m the city of Ihinedin alone, further, when considering the question of church union, they must not consider it from the point of view: "Whether it was better for the three denominations in Dun r edm to unite, but whether it was to the advancement of Christ's Kingdom for the whole of New Zealand.—(Applause.) When the Methodist Conference was approached by the Presbyterian Church in 1903 with a request for union, the Methodists were then attached to Australia. Since then they had been separated from Australia, and had " nlon r J" ti L the Primitive Methodist Church. The Presbyterians* hav£ liad experience of union' in the union of the Northern and Southern Churches, and no one could but admit that these unions, had proved a success. Principal Rainy said that separation was sometimes a duty, and union was sometimes a duty. In the latter case the true way was for those who were nearest to one another to see how their differences could be best dealt with. That wis why they had met there that night 'Union was demanded because there was much overlapping and an enormous waste of. Man-power and money. Important as this argument was, it was only secondary. The Economist was not their high priest. The irresistible _ appeal was on a higher plane. How did their divisions affect the Lord Jesus Christ? If the Spirit of God convicted the churches of the central sin of disloyalty to their Lord, through thoir divisions that would be a sufficient spur, that would generate a sufficient passion and remove, all the barriers to union. A united church would have magnificent resources'for the evangelisation .of New Zealand. The need, for it no one would deny. They did have union at one time in the form of a ■ united paper. It was tho Methodists that I broke up this arrangement. Personally, he ' was strongly in favour of union, and in the union of the churches he could see great \ possibilities in the redistribution of , their ministers in combating the evils of th£ day in a more pronounced manner. The man outside the Church must be brought within tho sound of the Gospel. Sabbath desecration must be attacked. The Church must take a different stand from what she was doing in industrial matters. ( The churches in England were doing this and speaking with no uncertain sound. He was proud of his Church. He loved it. His family was born in Mc-thodism. He knew its history and its traditions. Yet, notwithstanding all this, ho was willing, for tho sake of the needs of the hour, to give up his Methodism, as ho considered the advantages of a united church of the three denominations outweighed the loss they should experience in parting with the churches that were so dear to their hearts. By this uniting of the three churches he could see in his mind's eye the United Church of New Zealand—a national church in a new land and in a new era. The tasks awaiting the _ churches in the immediate future were gigantic, and only as they stood together and learned to speak and act as one, had they any chance of accomplishing them. The devil was a great master of stratan-v, and knew that 3 he could kosp their forces divided there was nothing in them that need be feared. They must, therefore, close up their ranis and present a united front, not merely. as a means of self-protection,' but in order to do well the work that had been committed to them. —(Loud applause.) Mr A. ■ G. Butchers, speaking on behalf of the Presbyterian body, said that in order to bring the subject within tho range, of practical politics there were three bases 5 to be considered—(l) property; (2) polity, or church government; and (3) doctrine. He did not think tho question of property was by any means the most "serious bar to union. I-Ie did not think for one moment that the various accumulated funds could not be satisfactorily arranged and adjusted. Neither did ho think that the problem of church union was going to bo a serious one at all. That was a question which they could very well turn over to their church lawyers With regard to church polity,-the three churches were as nearly alike as they could be. They were one and all democratically governed, and democracy had come to stay It would be" for their churches to extend rather than restrict the principles of democracy. In regard to union, there would bo a larger scope for their women workers. With regard to the question of doctrine this was the most important point. . It concerned matters which were very vital—matters for which their ancestors arqw the sword and shed their blood. They would not find their people wearing their hearts on their sleeves, but they would find them very stubborn.— (Hear, hear.) It seemed to him that the points of difference in the matter of doctrine had beoomo of less imcortance. and the points of resemblance had become more important. Tlie position had greatlv changed. He thought that the appeal of. scrvice was' more strong than the appeal of doctrine.— (Hear, hear.) With regard to tho men who bad returned from the front they had to

remember that there was no denomination at the scat of war. It seemed to him that not only must they bo prepared to sink their isms,' but they must also be prepared to ?{ * , , r " ologios.'' It seemed to him that the great principle presenting itself at the present time was the need of church movement, and for church union. With regard to communion the minister of any of the three churches invited any member o£ these churches to partake of communion. IJe thought the three churches should be quite frank with one another and restate their position. Their 20 articles of union that were set out were of such a character that only a man wno had been thoroughly trained could fully understand and appreciate them und give them unqualified assent. (Hear, hear.) For the ordinary man it was necessary to lay down a plain statement, it the basis of union in Australia and in Oanajda were adopted in New Zealand (hey should on an additional article, as a layman s charter, that membership of tho united church should be open to all who acknowledged their Saviour and Lord aa thoir teacher and guide through life.— Ulear. hear.) The acceptance of the 20 articles as sot out in tho Canadian union was a matter of intellect and study, and! was not essential to Christianity itself. Thev did not find it in tho teaching of the Lord Jesus. Ho taught simple truths : He was not a theologian in the sense that St. Paul T as 'u clarion call to-dav was that they should get back to Jesus. and in that proportion would their union bo blest to themt0 their °° untr y~( Loud a P" A general discussion followed, in which those present took part. , Mr A. Bums said he thought it would be "very good thing if their ministers were trained in the one college. He asked, for , wh / , 3t was necessary .to send their Methodist students to Auckland and for tho dSto d D I s£fc t0 send tinr!" r ~f" h' R ? I bit ! son urged the incorporaTimes Outlook and the Methodist te M jJ' + vl Vallac ? said tho y should endeavour takrf n n Jkf ran £ and file of the church to k* a -g Aterest in the movement.-. 1w7"~flt 0r B " r su Sgested that the mem- • eS J Allegations should be Aether and permitted to hear tho addresses of the Messrs Wilkinson, Butchers ' woti?°do VOar - • - H M thoUght the discussion wo il-i do gooo. ; Ho approved the idea of an \/r er enominational paper. Mr J. Clarke (Clinton) said that in the country districts union was vital. Ho did m i n In the oburch he w as connected with who was opposed to union. Air J. Stephens made a strong appeal for union. He suggested that an organising committee be formed. Mr Duncan Wright said he was an out-, and-out supporter of the union suggested, it was now 50 years since \he had taken part in the union of the United and Free Ohurehes in Glasgow. He thought further meetings should be held. The Presbyterian Assembly h&d remitted the question to the Kirk fcessions, and Knox Church had unanimously approved of it. The matter would also be referred to the congregations throughout all the Presbyterian ChurcheA in New Zealand i.- Mr ?' Farauharson suggested the formation of church leagues. Mr A. Burns urged the holding of similai meetings in tho northern part of the city. Mr M. C. Henderson favoured the idea of a union Sunday in all the churches of the three denominations. Mr W. 11. Adams said he thought that whatever meetings were held they should take place on a Sunday. A committee consisting of Messrs Rofovpar (convener) and H. Chapman (Methodist), J. Farquharson and A. Burns (Presbyterian), and P. Barr and J. A. Wilkinson (Congregational), was appointed to further the cause, of the union. Refreshments were provided by the ladies of Trinity Methodist Church congregation, and after the customary votes of thanks had been passed the meeting closed with prayer, Mr Duncan Wright officiating. „At St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch, on Sunday night a vote was taken on the question of a union of the Presbyterian Church with the Methodist and Congregational Churches. There was an unusually large congregation, but the majority of the young people refrained from voting. The voting resulted:—For the union, 95 members and 13 adherents, — total, 108. Against, 58 members and 2 adherents, —total, 40. ,