PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Witness, Issue 3291, 11 April 1917, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

SYNOD OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND

The Presbyterian .Synod of Otago and Southland assembled in First Church on the 3rd inst.

The proceedings opened with divine worship, followed by the communion service. The retiring Moderator (the Rev. W. Nichol, of Hampden) presided at both, and preached an excellent sermon, taking as his text the Apostle Paul's words: "The excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." The sermon was a plea for a more passionate conception of the love of Christ. He pointed out that generally the intellectual was considered to be quite separate from the emotional, but that should not. be so. In Paul the intellectual and the emotional worked together; the blending was complete. His writings could not be read without realisation of his strength and virility, and pervading all there was great emotional thrill and glow. The speaker found that in recent days there was too great a tendency to a more intellectual appreciation of the Master; the Church's mission would bo more fully realised were there a corresponding culture of the heart's affection to Him

These services were open to church members, and the attendance was larger than for several years past. A number of Knox College students were included. The Rev. A. Gray (Ravensbourne) was appointed Moderator for the ensuing year, and was welcomed to the chair by the retiring Moderator. Mr Gray made suitable acknowledgment. Routine business was transacted and necessary committees appointed. SECOND DAY. The Synod of Otago and Southland continued its annual sittings in First Church Hall on Thursday morning. The Moderator (the Rev. A. Gray) presided. The Rev. W. Gray Dixon was nominated as Moderator of the Synod for next year. The following were appointed the Synod's Church Extension Committee: —Rt.-vs. J. Kilpatrick, R. E. Davics, G. H. Balfour, A. Cameron, and Messrs P. L. Clark and Walter Gow. \ The .theological Committee's . Sport was adopted, and the following were appointed the committee for the year:—Revs. G. H. Balfour (convener), H. PL Barto» (secretary), A. W. Kinmont, R. R. M.' Sutherland, J. J. Oairney, R. E. Davies, A. Whytc, W. G. Dixon, W. Trotter, J. Kilpatrick, Messrs W. S. Fitzgerald, T. D. Adams, W. Gow, Drs F. W. Dunlop and J. T. Bowie. APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS. The following applications for grants submitted by the Rev. R. R. M. Sutherland were dealt with: —Cromwell, £75 for enlargement to manse. —Agreed to. Patcaroa, .application for leave to sell the old manse J and glebe, for leave to purchase certain sections at Wa : piata, and for a building grant. —Applications approved. Ravensbourne and St. Leonards, grants for repairs.—Approved. St. Clair, grant for church repairs and improvements.—Referred to Dunedin Presbytery, with power to act. Portobello and Allanton, grants for church repairs.—Referred to Durjedin Presbytery. Blueskin and Morton and Chinese Church, grants for church repairs.—Approved. St. Andrew's, applicat : on for a grant for building at Kensington. —Approved. Grant for manse for Rev. E. A. Axelsen.—Approved. Port Molyneux, grant for cost of new building site. —Approved. Waitahuna West, grant in aid of new- church. —Approved. Pucrua, Waitahuna, Ballcluthn,, Kaitangata, Hillcnd, Tokomairiro. St : r!ing, and Owaka, grants for church repairs.— Approved. Otautau, Waikiwi, Groper's Bush. Nightcaps, Limestone Plains. Drummond, D : pton, Woodend. Wairio, Fortrose, Stewart Island; grants for church repairs.— Approved. South R ; verton, grant for church site. —Approved. Columba, Oamaru, applications for permission to sell manse and site, to buy a new site, and for a grant for a new manse. —Approved. Duntroon and Hampden, grants for church repairs-. Approved. Gore, Riversdalo, Pukoran. and Mokoreta. grants for chinch repairs.—Approved. The Dunstan Presbytery, with the Finance Committee, was given power to deal with the appVcation for a grant from Ettrick. —Maori Hill applied for leave to soil a section and apnly the monov to the purchase of a new church site.—The comdid not recommend the s-alo of the section. After Mr Sutherland had made a statement as to the position of various Synod funds, the followins - resolution* was moved by the Rev. J. S. Ponder, and enrried: "That, in view of the encouraging statement of the Synod funds submitted bv iho convenor, a committee he npoointed to examine into these funds with the v ; pw of making grants for church nnd manse" purposes on more- cenerous lines than at present, and, also, that the rorriilations bearing on these grants bo revised at tho samo time, tho committee- to report to noxfc

Synod. The committee was made to consist of tho Revs. R. P. M. Sutherland, W. Trotter, Professor Dickie, Messrs W. Gow, P. L. Clark, and W. H. Adams. CHAPLAINS' COMMITTEE EEPOHT. ' Tho report of the Chaplains' Committee for the year ended March 31 contained details of the chaplains' attendance at Territorial and regimental training camps. In conjunction with the Y.M.C.A. and Methodist Church, institutes wero erected and equipped in each of the regimental camps, the Y.M.C.A. providing agents to assist chaplajus. Expenses were defrayed at tho rate of two-thirds by the Presbyterian Church and one-third by the Methodist Church. The report further summarised the work done by tho committee for men in detention camps, for sack and wounded returned soldiers, and in sending letters of condolence to the bereaved. Their thajiks wero due to the Headquarters Staff and to officers commanding for their -unfailing courtesy and help. Mention was made of the happy relations that had existed in all the camps between chaplains of different denominations and tho agents of tho Y.M.C.A. A list was appended of 15 ministers of the Synod who were serving either as chaplains, Y.M.C.A. field secretaries, or N.C.O.'s. Chaplain Major A. Gray, who presented the report, moved a deliverance adopting the report, thanking the chaplains for their services, and commending this most _ important work of the Chaplains' Committee to the prayers and support of the church. Arrangements, he said, had been made for Presbyterian chaplains to bo in attendance at every camp held within the bounds of the synod with two exceptions. In the regimental camps one thing that struck him with considerable sadness this year was tho smallness of the camps, which were only about half their usual strength, and also the youth of tho men in camp. He bore testimony to the excellent work done for the soldiers by the Presbyterian chaplains of Otago and Southland. The deliverance was adopted. The statement of accounts showed that the year began with a credit of £66 6s Bd, and ended with a credit of £l6 13s 2d. The income for the year was £l3O 8s 9d. Tho Synod recorded its most hearty appreciation of the very valuable services rendered by Chaplain-major Gray to the Chaplains' Committee and through the committee to the church. GENERAL. An overture was received from the Clutha Presbytery drawing attention to the inconvenience caused by v the Sustcntation Fund year and church year closing at different times, and proposing to make the Sustcntation Fund year close on June 30 also. Tho Rev. S. W. Currie moved that the overture be transmitted to tho Assembly for favourable consideration. —The Rev. R. E. Davics said that it was hoped that before very long the Sustentation Fund would apply to the whole church, and then there would be no difficulty about the close of the year. —The motion was accordingly withdrawn. The Moderator suitably expressed to Ser-geant-major Hector Maclean, of the Twentyfifth Reinforcements, its very high appreciation of his action in serving in the ranks and its earnest hope that he might safely return. Memorial minutes wero adopted with reference to the late Dr Salmond and the Rev. J. Chisholm, and it was decided to send a letter expressing sympathy with the Rev. T. Neave (Kurow) in his ill-health. On the motion of the Rev. J. Kilpatrick it was decided that in future the whole of the travelling expenses of members of Synod bo paid.