VIEWS ON BAPTISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21827, 14 December 1932, Page 8

VIEWS ON BAPTISM

CASE OF THE REV. A. A. MURRAY SUSPENSION AND REINSTATEMENT. V (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 13. The echo of the case of the Rev. A, A. Murray, which aroused widespread discussion in Presbyterian circles 12 or 13 years ago, was heard in the Auckland Presbytery to-night. Mr Murray was for some years minister of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, but when he expressed views on baptism at variance with those of his church he was suspended in August, 1920, from the ministry by the Auckland Presbytery. Mr Murray was subsequently instrumental in forming a new church, which he called the United Evangelical Church. Two years ago Mr Murray went to the United States, and to-night the Auckland Presbytery had before it correspondence from the Presbytery of Chester, Pennsylvania, concerning him. The clerk of that presbytery stated that Mr Murray had renounced the views once held by him on baptism, and had gone back to the historic Presbyterian position. He was applying for admission to the ministry, and the clerk asked as a matter of courtesy that.the Auckland Presbytery should give the Chester Presbytery full authority to deal with Mr Murray’s application. Tiie presbytery discussed the matter in committee, and afterwards reported halving adopted the following rcsolution“ The Presbytery of Auckland, having been informed that the Rev. A. A. Murray is prepared to subscribe to the standards of the Presbyterian Church, authorised the Presbytery of Chester, United States, to assume jurisdiction in the case of Mr Murray, who was suspended sine die. for some divergence from the views of baptism held by this church, and the Presbytery of Auckland agrees that the Presbytery of Chester may dispose of the case in such manner as to its wisdom it may seem best.”