CHURCHES OF CHRIST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25473, 1 March 1944, Page 3

CHURCHES OF CHRIST

DOMINION CENTENARY By Principal A. L. Haddon Three years after the settlement of Nelson, the first Church of Christ in the southern hemisphere was commenced there in March, 1844. This event is to be celebrated by the Associated Churches of Christ in the Dominion on Sunday next and the week following, and a Centennial Dominion Conference is to take place in Nelson at Easter. Pioneering Work The organiser of the first church was Thomas Jackson, of Glasgow, who arrived in Nelson in November, 1843. With him became associated John Batt, Charles Nichol, George Taylor, John Griffith, Thomas Magarey, James Barton, and their families. The church began on March 2, 1844. In the depression following the Wairau massacre and the collapse of the New Zealand Company’s plans many settlers left Nelson. Among them were members of the infant church, who carried their message wherever they went. Seme removed to Auckland, where a church was commenced in 1845. Mr and Mrs Thomas Jackson, George Taylor, James .Barton, Captain Rattray, and Robert Laing were prominent in the pioneering work. Thomas Magarey went from Nelson to Adelaide, and was instrumental in founding the first Church of Christ in Australia. John Griffith became the foundation •member at Spring Grove. Other arrivals from Scotland started the church in Dunedin in 1858. James Buttars, David Dewier, Alexander and Andrew Bremner, David Colville and their families were amongst the earliest members. This church became, at one time, the largest in Australia and New Zealand, and from it commenced several suburban congregations. The same year services were started in Invercargill, w here Mr and Mrs John Taylor, Mr and Mrs Samuel Elborn, and S. Beaven were pioneers. In 1867 Wanganui Church was founded. The following year, through the influence of Captain Stewart, of Dunedin, services commenced in Christchurch, and 1869 saw the beginning in Wellington, with Mr and Mrs C. Reynolds, Ivor James, George and Elizabeth Gray as first members. Petone and Wellington South congregations were founded in the nineties, and others have followed in all parts of the Dominion. First Dominion Conference

In 1884 there were 20 churches, in 1909 there were 40, and at present just over 50 congregations are associated. The 193 ff census gave the membership as 11,19/ — an increase of 42 per cent, in 10 years. At first co-operative effort was carried on through the Auckland, Middle District, and South Island' conferences. In 1901 the first. Dominion conference was Held, and others followed at five-year Intervals. Since 1921 they have been held annually, except in 1942. The presidents have been:—Messrs M. Vickery, H. P. Leng, D. Cairns (all of Wellington), J. I. Wright (Dunedin), E. Vickery (Auckland), G. Day (Wellington), T. Pryde (Invercargill), W. D. M. Glaister, T. J. Bull (Auckland),’ A. L. Haddon (Dunedin), W. G. Carpenter. R. J. Dick (Auckland). J. Crawford (Christchurch), G. Fretwell (Invercargill). Dr L, G. Drury (Auckland), E. P. Aderman (Dunedin), G. Moyle (Auckland), A. G. Saunders (Wellington). W. T. Wilson (Dunedin), A. Donald (Auckland), J. K. Robinson (Nelson), Dr J. F. G. Richards (Auckland), and G. Fretwell (Wanganui). The Executive Committee is located in Wellington, where a central office has been established. Mr M. J. Williamson is chairman and Mr R. W. Simpson executive secretary. African Mission In 1905 it was decided to commence mission work in Africa. A field was secured near Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, and John Sherriff and F. L. Hadfield were the first missionaries. The early stages were not passed without the loss of valuable lives. But to-day there are 30 churches with about 3000 members, a boarding school with 200 students, and an extensive educational and industrial work. R. Garfield Todd, formerly of Invercargill and Dunedin, is the present superintendent. Government inspectors report the mission at Dadaya to be one of the most efficient and successful In Rhodesia. Tt> replace earlier district publications, a Dominion Church paper, the New Zealand Christian, was started in 1920 with Ira A. Paternoster as editor. He has been succeeded by R. Gebbie, F. W. Greenwood, and the present editor, A. L. Haddon. For the past five years the magazine has been published in Dunedin. Prior to 1927 men were trained for the Ministry mainly in the United States and Australia. The majority of New Zealanders who entered colleges in these countries remained abroad. Consequently a Dominion theological college was set up in Dunedin, and during its 17 years of work has trained 70 per cent, of the present New Zealand ministers, besides missionaries and some who have located in Australia and America. A. L. Haddon came from Sydney to be the first principal, and still occupies the office. Chief assistants in lecturing have been E. P. Aderman and E. R. Vickery. About the same time the Youth Department (now the Department of Religious Education) was organised. It has been successfully led In turn by W. R. Hibburt and the present director, G. R. Stirling. * World-wide Connections Throughout the century of their existence the New Zealand churches have maintained close connection with those in Great Britain and the United States (where they are known usually as Disciples of Christ). Considerable help has been received from the visits of leading ministers of both lands. World conventions were held at Washington in 1930 and at Leicester, England, in 1935, at both of which New Zealand was represented. Churches reported from 42 different countries, having a communicant, membership of 2,000,000 and a census strength of about 5,000,000. One of the vigorous new groups to report was that of Poland, which had 75,000 members before the war. Churches of Christ were amongst the earliest to affiliate with the World Council of Churches. They have taken active part in recent ecumenical conferences and in the formation and work of the New Zealand National Council of Churches.

The main aim of Churches of Christ from the beginning has been Christian unity. The movement grew out of a background of sectarian bitterness and denominational exclusiveness at the opening of the nineteenth century. With the conviction stated by Thomas Campbell in 1309. that " the Church of Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one." they have urged that Christians should manifest this unity by overcoming sectarianism and division “ that the world may believe.” “No Creed but Christ”

These churches have often been known as the Restoration Movement because of their plea for the restoration of the essentially catholic Christianity of the New Testament in preference to later theologies and institutions which have caused divisions. It is their contention that the Church should concern itself with declaring the historical facts of the faith—the acts of God in history. Explanations and interpretations of these facts should not be made terms of church membership nor enter into the basis of union between communions. A slogan that has' been influential throughout their history is " No Creed but Christ.” It is argued that men should accept the Christian facts, pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ in all things, and that interpretations and philosophies should be left in the realm of individual liberty. This distinction between facts and opinions which is now widely accepted in tlie religious world, is considered to be one of the important contributions 1o Christian thinking. Churches of Christ ate democratic In church government. Congregations decide their own affairs. There is no court or Official to legislate from outside the local church. This does not mean that congregations do as they like. Their position requires them to act in obedience to Christ as head of the Church, to hold unifying convictions on Christian essentials, and to live in loyalty to the universal Christian body. Democracy Is never the easy wav. There is need for ever fresh determination to maintain democratic liberty and spiritual unity, freedom and uniting fellowship. It is in the adventure after an essentially catholic church, universally united, democratic, spiritually regenerate and loyally active, that Churches of Christ find their reason for existence and the guiding spirit of their witness, worship, and work.