CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24632, 13 June 1941, Page 4

CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE

NO OFFICIAL RECOGNITION STATEMENT BY CHURCH LEADERS (P.A.) ■ WELLINGTON, June 12. Stating that ■ considerable misapprehension and • misunderstanding existed concerning a proposed Dominion conference for the. Christian reconstruction of New Zealand, church leaders in a joiht statement issued to-night said theyhad given no official recognition to the conference. The statement, signed bv the Archbishop and Primate of New Zealand, the Most Rev. C. West-Watsoh, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the Right Rev. G. H. Jupp, and the President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev. W. A. Burley, is as follows: “Invitations to a conference have been widely circulated over the signatures of certain leaders of the churches to ministers of religion and leading laymen. This has led to the belief that the conference is being summoned by the authoritative heads of the churches. While sympathising with the underlying thought which has suggested the idea of calling a conference, we must state, as definitely as possible that the churches we represent have given no official recognition to the conference, and, therefore, have no responsibility for it. This further fact, moreover, should be made public—that the whole idea of reconstruction is to the fore in the- counsels of the churches, and a committee of the National Council of the churches has already been considering a line of action which will be suggested to the council at its meeting in July.”