JUBILEE CONGRATULATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19800, 27 May 1926, Page 7

JUBILEE CONGRATULATIONS.

PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE. MESSAGES FROM MANY LANDS AND CHURCHES. An interesting and largely-attended ceremony in celebration of the jubilee of the Theological College of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand took place in the Allen Hall yesterday afternoon. The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rev. J. Kilpatrick, presided. After all had joined in singing the Doxology. the Rev. Professor Hewitson offered prayer of thanksgiving .AJnd confession. The Chairman intimated a large number of apologies for absence from the gathering. Speaking on behalf of the Presbyterian Church, he said that the church thought a great deal of ite Theological College, and little was needed to assure the senates of the hearty support of the church. The college was their baby, and they could not get on without it. It had proved to be well worth nursing. The church was possibly not altogether awake to the very great importance of its Theological College. The college cost the church nothing in the way of professors’ salaries because that cost was borne by the Synod of Otago and Southland, and for that reason less interest was perhaps aroused in the college. At the present time an appeal was being made for a capital sum of £IO,OOO to assist the students in their studies.

The Rev. Dr Gumming, representing the senatus of the college, as its president said that the senatus was not a very ancient body, having met for the first time February, 1910. It at first numbered three, but now Four members. The importance of the work of training men for the ministry depended upon the importance of the church itself. It gave him great pleasure to speak of the high standard and worth of the men who had passed through the hall in past years. It was the work of the college to send out men to proclaim the same Jesus and to set ihe old truth in a new’ light. They still said, “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Looking back on the past 50 years they did well to thank God and take courage. Mr J. Wallace, representing Otogo I niversit.y. conveyed the greetings of the Universitv Council, and said the University greatly appreciated having the theological students among their students. The council much appreciated what the Presbyterian Church did for the University, but the University also did, much for the church. He congratulated the Theological College on the attainment of its jubilee. The Very Rev. John Walker, of Ballarat, an ex-moderator of the Commonwealth General Assembly, representing the Presbyterian Church of Australia, said he had been commissioned to convey the hearty congratulations of the Presbyterian Church of Australia to the Theological College. There ought to be much more going and coming between New Zealand and Australia. They did not know enough about each other* Ho spoke of the three thoroughly equipped Presbyterian colleges in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. In Adelaide there was a union college, and in Western Australia there were lecturers. lie hoped there would be a greater flow of Scotch Presbyterians out to these lands. He believed the Theological College was only at the beginning of great usefulness. He hoped that there would be many fathers and mothers questioning themselves whether they had done their best to contribute to the strengthening of the ministry of their church. He wanted to see entering the ministry men of vim and grit and go and gumption, who could tackle hard jobs enthusiastically. He offered hearty congratulations and the earnest desire that their college would go on from strength to strength. Dr Richards. Bishop of Dunedin, on behalf of his church, prefaced his remarks by saving that during tne last six months Dunedin had been Exhibition-intoxicated, and it was somewhat difficult to adant their minds to a gathering of that kind. They had learned much, and seen many processes at the Exhibition, but it was a defect that they were not shown a Presbyterian minister in the making or a sample of the finished product.—(Laughter.) In the early days the Scotch settlers, with characteristic foresight, gave them'selves to the task of providing men for the ministry. All the churches were finding difficulty in getting a sufficient supply of men. It was not easy to get the right kind of man from overseas, and they were likely to fret far better men if they' trained them themselves in this country. That training was a most difficult matter. The most important thing in the college was its teachers, and he had felt it on honour and a privilege- to be associated with some of their teachers. Ho brought with him the hearty congratulations of the Church of England on the great work they had accomplished for the Kingdom of God* The Rev. A. C. Lawry, representing the Methodist Church of New Zealand, expressed his pleasure in bringing the greetings of his chnreh to that "Teat gathering and its congratulations on the attainment of its jubilee. Their own college had recently attained its jubilee. They strove as a church to combine intellectual equipment with fervour of tho hofirt rind the sanctity of the home. The Presbyterian Church had similar ideals and was working along parallel lines. He wished the college every success in its present endeavour to perfect its achievement. He gave thsm cordial congratulations and warmest expressions of goodwill. The Rev. W. Saunders, representing the Council of Christian Congregations, bore hearty congratulations, and said they all gladly rejoiced in this day of jubilee. It had been his privilege in past years to have the friendship of Professors Salmord and Dunlop. He wisher! to make Sneeial recognition of the hospitality that had been shown by their college, whose doors were thrown open to students of other denominations. Such hospitality was surely the characteristic of a great and large-hearted church. He only regretted that there was a tendency among other churches to set up residential colleges of their own, and his own church was a sinner in this respect. He hoped that in the _ next 50 years their Presbyterian Theological College would grow into a great united one for many churches which would be an excellent thing for the students. He desired also to congratulate them on the splendid building in which their college met and on the fact that their students mingled there with men of other faculties. If he knew anything of the interior of a large residential college it was a place where angles were rubbed off. He trusted their future would crown their past, .and that more and more they would send out worthy men to do noble work for the Kingdom of God. The Rev. Professor Dickie spoke as representing the University of Edinburgh, where he was at one time assistant professor to Professor W. P. Paterson. He conveyed hearty congratulations from the University of Edinburgh and from its Theological Faculty. It was the one university in Scotland in which Presby teriahism had been taught from the day of its foundation in 15bu down to the present day. Dr Dickie gave an illuminating review of the history of Edinburgh University, and referred to the work of Professor W. P. Paterson. He hoped that before long they would have tho privilege of congratulating Professor Paterson as tho first moderator of a United Presbyterian Chnreh of Scotland. He thought it, was well that they should remember in these days of difficulty and dangers greater dangers that, had been snccefisfnllly surmounted in the past. Tho Rev. 11. Maclean spoke as representing the University of Glasgow, and referred to distinguished ministers of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand who were graduates of Glasgow. He bad been commissioned to convey to them the very heartiest congratulations of the University of Glasgow and to wish the college Ihe very highest and best in the future. Ho expressed his great debt to the University of Glasgow, and said that nothing better 'could be done for their students than to send them abroad to study in other centres of learning and to broaden their experience. He had several dreams for the college. The first was of overseas scholarship; second, a lectureship to encourage our Now Zealand men to go in for first-hand study; and thirdly, a proper librarv. Tho-e were his dreams, and though he might not see them they would come, and he trusted they would come soon.

A reference by the Moderator to the presence with them of Sir John Boss, who did so much to promote the establishment of Knox College, was received with cordial apnlattse. The Per. T. Yi’illc. renreecnting the Glasgow College o? the United Free Church of Scotland, wa« the last, speaker. He said that in his day as a student there were gathered in that college four of the greatest professors, and h» gVs'ied in that, privilege.

He was convinced from hia own experience that the place for any church to train its ministers was in their own land. Let them build up their own theological hall in their own way, and lot them not bo hide-bound by the ti editions of an old land. Let them make their own traditions. ‘'lf Hebrew is a disadvantage toss it out,” he said. His message ’.(as that they should build nji their own hall and their own men in their own way. The formal proceedings closed with the singing of verses of Psalm cxxii and the benediction, after which afternoon tea was handed round and opportunity for social converse enjoyed. During the afternoon Mr G. W. Johnstone, who instructs the students of the Theological College in voice production, gave great pleasure by his rendering of two solos _“The Lord is My Light” and “The Meetince of the Waters/’