A DIFFICULT GENERATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 61

A DIFFICULT GENERATION.

PROBLEMS OF THE CHURCH.

AUCKLAND, June 15. “The churches are faced with new problems in a generation which is no logger content to accept unreservedly what in tne past was taken for granted, which claims new liberty, which has ideas of its own and is infinitely more critical and Headstrong than its forefathers. These words were used by the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) in his address at the laving the foundation stone o. the Methodist Trinity Theological College and “I suppose there has seldom been in the world’s history a time which has given rise to more anxious thought than the present,” said his Excellency. “We are living in times of great changes. We are trying to adapt ourselves to new ideas, new schools of thought, a new psychology m this rush of new ideas, and it is of the future and of all this college will mean to it that we are thinking. The churches have a difficult task, and infinite tact and wisdom are essential in dealing with the problems existing. “People nowadays can be led, but they cannot bo driven Leadership requires men not only with knowledge, wisdom and education but possessing personal qualities of sympathy, understanding, and vision. It is useless for a church to-day to say, ‘You must not do this,’ or ‘You must do that,’ unless it has established such confidence as to retain public opinion on its side and unless it has gained such influence as will draw men to it and not repel, them. The question has often been, asked in late years, why has the church failed? What is wrong with the church? It. is, at least, as reasonable to ask. What is wrong with the people? Why have they failed? In any case, such questions ignore the fact that people themselves constitute the church and imply that there is some distinction between the two. So long as such a distinction is made progress is impossible. Morality, which often means little more than conventionality, must not be confounded with holiness. The one is negative—not doing wrong—the other is positive—trying to be good. I think it is possible that sometimes in setting too much store by the former we- are apt to forget the essential nature of the latter.”