PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 8

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

OPENING OF THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE. The ceremony of opening the Theological College took, place in the library of Knox College on. Wednesday in the presence of a large gathering. lire chair was occupied by the Rev. E. J. Tipler, who as convener, very briefly addressed those present and complimented hia predecessor on the work he had done during the four years he had been convener. The Rev, C. J. Tocker, in the course of his address, said that the committee, while disclaiming any intention of putting words into his mouth, had expressed the wish that whatever the title of the address might be the substance would be “The Making of a Minister.” There was one point ho thought they should' have clear in their minds at the outset —namely, that the most important work the church had to engage in was the making of ministers, because on that everything depended. Her very life was concerned with it, and all her work depended on it. It underlay and supported every one of her great enterprises. The church’s hold on the mind and heart of her people in any generation, her power to transform tile spirit of the age bv tho spirit of Jesus, her appeal to the youth, and her influence over her missionary enterprise at home and abroad, all alike rested upon and were determined by what | kind of working ministers were staffing the parishes in city, town, and country. The working ministers in the parishes w.ere the spear head of the church. Scholarship was a splendid discipline and a priceless possession to a minister, and his people liked it if it were not of the kind that did not divorce him from the realities of daily life —a thing a true scholarship ought never to do They needed the highest and purest culture of the mind and spirit in their ministers. What they were aiming at in Knox College was the best possible kind of working ministers who would staff city, town, and country with the greatest effectiveness. -The work of informing the mind, organising the conscience, and inspiring the heart of lhe church concerning the making of its ministers which had been Dr Gibb’s great work was worth far more than the £lO,OOO he had raised to the church. Where were they to look to find their future ministers? Tn connection with this question, he referred to the importance of early helpful impressions received in the home from the parents, and church, the minister of the child, the schools, and the schoolmates. Then, when the young student came to the university, and later to the theological college., he would be not so much made as moulded and shaped during a plastic period for a few brief sessions of study and college life. He quoted Principal Denny as having said that he wished that they had more. men amongst the ministers whose preliminary training had been scientific rather than classical. Though his (the speaker's) natural prejudices were oh the other side, ho simply could not defend the present demand for a smattering of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, : as the sole requirements for a minister in a scientific ago. As a student of the Hall, with now 13 years of ministerial experience, he was glad of the opportunity of ' expressing his sense of the value of . tho ’ training he had received. The minister must make himself a minister. If he did . not, first of all a? a student and later in " the actual practice of the ministry, no I theological college and no staff of professors. though they were angels from Heaven, could ever make a minister of ■ him. The Rev. Mr Tocker then made a s few remarks to the students, and, in con- ’ chiding, was loudly applauded. J Professor Hewitson proposed a very J hearty vote of thanks to the Rev. Mr , Tocker, to whom they were aM grateful. 3 Mr Tocker had spoken appreciatively and • honestly of the training he had received in 3 the Theological Hall, and out of his ext perience had given an address full of s common sense and sanity. a The proposal was carried amidst apy plause. and the proceedings closed with the t benediction being pronounced by tho chaire man.