DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21199, 3 December 1930, Page 15

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

MONTHLY MEETING, The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery was held yesterday afternoon. The moderator (Mr J. W. M’Kenzie) presided. The clerk (the Rev. J. Kilpatrick) notified that the annual young men’s and young women’s camp was to be held at Masterton from December 27 to January 5. He expressed the hope that members would encourage their young people to attend the camp. . The clerk stated that the pageant held in connection with the Robert Raikea anniversary had not only cleared expenses, but a sum of £2O remained to be handed to the School of Religious Education,— (Applause.) Mr Kilpatrick said that the pageant itself, in his judgment, had been a great success and must have been of great value to the community. Mr J. M. Dick submitted a leport on the deliberations of the Budget Committee in regard to the allocations for budget funds. The assembly had asked the Dunedin Presbytery for £7200 as its quota for the year for home missions, foreign missions, etc. . The committee had gone into the question of the amounts which would be required from the various congregations, according to their financial strength, and he could only hope that they would approve of the allocations made and be loyal to the principles of the assembly. The response for the incoming year would be a guidance for the allocations for the future.—The allocations as drawn up were sustained. The clerk submitted a report on a presbvterial visitation to the Purakanui charge. The charge was found to be in a healthy, condition. A motion congratulating the office-bearers and people on their church fulness was carried.—The Rev. Mr MTJenzie also referred to the excellent condition of the church's affairs in Purakanui and to the capable manner in which Mr Marshall and his officebearers looked after the work of the church.

A minute appreciative of the work of the Rev. C, A. Kennedy, of the Mosgiel Church, who has . accepted a call to Temuka, was submitted by the clerk. The minute stated that Mr Kennedy had been in charge at Mosgiel for five years and a-half, and that at all times he had been zealous in his_ endeavour to present the claims of their Lord. —The minute was adopted unanimously, CHURCH FINANCE. Mr Dick submitted the following overture on church finance;— Whereas the growing deficits in the funds of the General Assembly hre a source of serious embarrassment to the church and a grave hindrance to future progress involving payment of heavy interest charges; whereas the expedient now being adopted of making transfers from certain capital funds to reduce the deficit on working accounts is making considerable inroads upon reserves; some members of the church contribute towards its work to the point of sacrifice, and many. are not shouldering their share of responsibility; and whereas there is good reason for believing that the expenditure of our assembly is well within the paying capacity of our church, the Presbytery of Dunedin hereby overtures the General Assembly convened to meet in Wellington on March 3, 1931, in view of these considerations, and in order that the unlapped resources of the church may be utilised, to instruct presbyteries as follows; —That each presbytery shall appoint a budget committee consisting of ministers and office-bearers, who will confer with deacons’ courts, address congregations, or take such other steps as may seem practicable for the purpose of making the work and needs of the church more. widely known, and of stimulating the interest especially of those not in close touch with the church’s activities. Mr Dick moved that the overture be adopted, and transmitted to the General Assembly. Mr J. Russell seconded the motion. He said they must recognise that the time had come when the church must either retreat or bring up reinforcements. Auy overture dealing with this question must recognise one, of two things—either that the revenue' must be increased or expenditure must be reduced. If the church was not prepared ; to retreat it must be prepared to find alternatives, and though there were many minor economies Which could be effected if the church’s budgets were to be balanced, it could only be done by a substantial increase in giving or an equally substantial decrease in spending. The supreme need of the church was increased spirituality, and there was nothing divergent between increased spirituality and improved business methods. Congregations required two things—they required inspiration and education in the matter of giving. The motion was carried. CHURCH UNION.

The Rev. W. Trotter spoke at some length on the matter of church union. He referred to the statement made on the question by the assembly’s Committee on Church Union, and said he thought they should approach the Methodist and Congregational churches to consider whether they could come to a satisfactory basis union. He thought . the presbytery should confirm the principle that it was desirable that they should seek this wider corporate union, and that they approved generally of the opinions expressed in the statement by the assembly's Committee on Church Union. He would move that a corporate union was desirable, and that the presbytery approve of the statement by the assembly’s committee. The Rev. Dr Merrington seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Trotter then raised the question whether they should only approach the Methodist and Congregational churches on the matter. In his own opinion they should also approach the Anglican Church. The Rev. J. D. Smith said he thought an approach to the Anglican Church at the present time was a Hopeless matter — not from their own point of view, but from the indications they had received from their contact here in New Zealand, and also from the discussions which had taken place at the recent Lambeth Conference. . There was no genial warmth in the attitude of the Lambeth. Conference to the Free churches. In his view the Anglicans had closed the door until the next Lambeth Conference. He thought it was simply beating the air to approach the Church of England at the present time. Mr Smith then moved that the assembly .be requested to . approach the Methodist and Congregational Churches with , a view to union.

The Rev. Mr Merrington said lie thought they should approach the churches that had the greatest affinity with the Presbyterian Church. If they could not succeed with them they could not succeed with the others.

The Rev. Mr Dutton said, he was thoroughly in favour of union. The matter was of such vital importance, however, that they must first understand the mind of their own people before they went in for any negotiations with the other churches. Some of them had spokep as though this was a new thing that'had come before the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand. That was not so. It was a very old question. They had been through it before, and their church had come to the last point time and again and had then baulked. The other churches had been deeply grieved at the action of their church, because they professedly were quite ready for union. He thought the first thing, they should do was to a pertain the mind of their own people. Mr Trotter paid he did not think the Lambeth Conference had shut the door on the movement for union. He thought the onus of refusal should be laid on the Anglican Church. He would move as an amendment that the name of the an Church be added to the motion. The Rev. Mr Jupp seconded the motion. Mr Trotter said that there were many people in the Presbyterian Church who would sooner link np with the Anglican Church than the Methodist Church.— ( Hear, hear.”) As far .as he was personally concerned, if he were not a Presbyterian minister he would like to be a minister of the episcopal church. It was decided to take Mr Smith’s motion first, and, with the addition of the. Anglican Church, as a separate motion next.

.The first motion was carried unanimously, Mr Trotter’s motion (including the Anglican Church) was carried by 19 votes to five votes. , Dr Cummings moved that first of all the mind of the people of the presbytery pt the Dominion should be ascertained before any approach was made to the churches named. The Key. Mr Trotter seconded the motion, which was carried. ' GENERAL ASSEMBLY. The following were nominated as voting delegates to the General Assembly;—Revs W. Allen Stevely, D. C. Herron, R. Fer-

guson Fish. Alexander Watson, J. W. M Kenzie, Alan C. Watson, T. Wilson Henry J. Fletcher, G. H. Jupp, J. D. Smith, R. G. M'Dowell, J. J. Cairney. . and Hubert J. Ryburn, Professor Hcwitsou, Dr Merriugton, Professor John Collie. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. The Rev. Mr Herrington moved ns folio"’ 8 on behalf of the Public Questions Committee;—(l) The presbytery welcomes the proposed Religious Instruction in Schools Enabling Bill as an advance upon the old Bill; (2)_ gives its general approval to the provisions laid down in the new Bill; (3) is of opinion that a genera] instead of local observance of the measure would be preferable to the proposals for area option. Mr Merrington expressed pleasure that the Roman Catholics had withdrawn objections to the proposed measure. The question of State aid to denominational schools remained, however, as it was before. Neither side was required to change its view on this question in consequence of the realignment by which the Koinan Catholics did not oppose the new meassure. Where teachers had an objeetion to carry out the religious instruction 0U j teachers could be brought in, and there was to be no proselytising. The theßifl re * errec * to other proposals in

The Rev. Dr Gumming seconded the motion He thought the new measure was tar and away the best one ever put before them.

The Rev. Mr Trotter said the fundamental objection, to his mind, was that they were asking the State to do what they should do themselves.-—(“Hear, hear. ) It was the function of the church to give instruction in Christian religion. He was opposed to a State-made system of religion. He considered that the Bill was utterly unsatisfactory and not nearly the equal of the Nelson system. . air Merrington, in replying, said .that the volunteer system of teaching appeared to he He held that the great majority of their teachers were Christian men and women. There was nothing to prevent the Nelson system still being adopted where it was at present in vogue, f *h rrotter: you cannot start it

Mr Merrington said that the State system of religion was to be drawn np by a meeting of ministers of the Christian churches. . It was a Christian system, not \ unitanan _ system, and the Christian churches would be adequately represented ln the arrangements made. The motion was then put and carried with two or three dissentient voices.