DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3865, 10 April 1928, Page 16

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

The Rev. Dr E. N. Merringtoh (Moderator) presided at a meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery, held on Tuesday. CONGRATULATORY. The Moderator congratulated the Rev. Gray Dixon on the honorary degree of , D.D. of Edinburgh University which had been conferred on him. He said that Hot only had Mr Dixon been honoured, but also the Presbytery of Dunedin and the church in New Zealand and Australia. Mr Dixon, in reply, said that he appreciated the honour more particularly in that it came from the University of Edinburgh, in which cultured city he had spent four years. The Rev. W. Maclean (Oamaru),. and Mr T. C. Brash (Wellington) were welcomed to the presbytery. The Rev. John Kilpatrick moved that the Rev. J. J. Cairney be nominated for the position of moderator of the synod. A letter was received from the Hindon and Waipori Falls congregations expressing appreciation of the services of the moderator, the Rev. D. Campbell, of Outram. It asked the presbytery to extend their thanks to Mr Campbell, who had been granted six months’,- leave of absence to visit Australia. The Rev. J. Kilpatrick said it had been reported that the church services at Hindon were decreasing. It was decided that a report

be obtained from, moderators of vacancies of home mission stations regarding the position of the charge for the next meeting of the presbytery. A lengthy letter was received from the Foreign Mission Committee of the church, setting out the need for further funds, or retrenchment would have to be made. A deputation from the committee was received, and after a long discussion presbytery decided that its Foreign Mission Committee, in co-operation with six other members, should interview the various deacons’ courts during the month and report to the next meeting of presbytery, on the success or otherwise of their appeals for an increased budget allocation. An allocation was received from the Peninsula charge for a new manse. The Finance Committee reported in favour of a grant of £l5O being made, on a £ for £ basis. The application was recommended to synod. The presbytery was asked to approve of an application to synod for a special grant to the Green Island Church. Mr Gow, reporting on behalf of the; Finance Committee, said that the church was in need of repairs, and.it. asked for a special grant of £lOO. The committee had considered that the responsibility regarding the grant should rest with the presbytery. After some discussion it was decided to make a gi-apt up to £lOO, the church to make a £ for £ subsidy.

JOHN M'GLASHAN COLLEGE. The Rev. John Kilpatrick submitted the report on the work of the John M'Glsahan College for the past year. He said that the college was still labouring "under a heavy financial burden. The board had under consideration—indeed, more than consideration—the launching of an appeal to friends of the college. It would probably be made immediately after Easter. The balance sheet was not by any means promising for the future. The members of the board had put their shoulders to the wheel, and many had opened their purses. One member of the board had advanced £3500 to the school, and had then struck his pen through the indebtedness to him. Another member had followed suit in connection with a sum of £1670, and a third had given them £lOOO. The donor last referred to was perfectly prepared to hand over a very considerable donation to help the college. He could refer to quite a number of others. The college was not without friends, but it needed more friends and it wanted more boarders. Whatever their attitude to these schools might be, John M'Glashan College was a church school, launched with the blessing of the synod -and the blessing of the presbytery. : It had met with rough seas, , but it was not down yet, and they '..wanted to keep it up. He moved that the report and balance sheet be received, and that the following be, appointed members of the board For three years: —Professors Lawson and T. D. Adams, Mr J ; M'George, rfnd the Rev.. R. C. Watson. He was sorry he had not

a brighter story to tell. The school, however, he hoped, would always have the support of the church.

The motion for the adoption of the report was seconded by the Rev. W. Trotter, who said that they should not become pessimistic at all about the college. The institution had weathered some very severe storms, and he believed it would bring rich benefits to the church and the whole community. The school had a higher reputation now. H© knew of no school in the province which had obtained a higher percentage of scholars passing the matriculation examination. That was a point on which Presbyterians could congratulate themselves, and th© esteemed principal of the college and members of the staff were giving themselves most heartily to -the work. H© was retiring from th© committee only on the grounds of a burden of other work. He would not have resigned if the work had not been safely embarked on. They all uad responsibilities for the college, and they should advertise it to the best of their ability. The only way by which the <xllege could reach a sound financial position was to obtain more pupils; and the college was deserving of pupils. Th© motion was carried. It was also decided to congratulate the principal and staff on the success of last year’s efforts, especially on the high scholastic attainments, which compared well with the best schools of the Dominion. SCOURGE OF LEPROSY. The Rev. R. J. Grundy, of the Englisn Baptist Missionary Society, gave a short address on his work in India. He said that he had worked in India for 27 yea -s, and dealt with the scourge of leprosy. There were anywhere between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 lepers in the world, the majority of whom were to be found in the British Empire. This number was about three times the population of New Zealand. Usually their missionary organisations were not prepared to take up the work, and that was how the mission to lepers was born. It was founded in 1574 by a Presbyterian missionary, Mr Wesley Bailey, who was now the honorary superintendent of the mission. The mission had grown tremendously. It was now operating in 15’ different countries, and had 75 leper homes, owned and aided by the mission. If they took other mission institutions where they provided Christian teaching there were some 96 homes, and there were no fewer than 20,000 lepers in them. In the homes of hi© own mission were 10,000 inmates, some 1400 of whom were children, and of these children 900 were without leprosy, which was not hereditary. A great number of children free of taint entered the homes with their suffering parents. The children were separated from the diseased and were trained to take useful positions in the world. The work was of a widespread character. The English Baptist Society was working in co-operation with 36 different missionary societies in various parts of the world. One of the large homes in Korea was under the management of a Presbyterian missionary from Australia. The work among the lepers was worth while. On the medical side to-day was a day of hope in regard to the disease, which had been disregarded by medical science for many centuries. However, in the last decade discoveries had been made, and if a case of leprosy were taken in hand in the early stages there was almost a certain hope of a cure being effected The treatment was by hydrocarpus and chaulmoogra oils. He had ascertained that over 300 had been discharged cured from leper homes in the past 12 months. The number of cures was increasing rapidly, and he was given information that in 1927 upwards of 400 had been proved bacteriological’y free of leprosy. Speaking of the spiritual side of the work, Mr Grundy said the people responded more easily to the Gospel in the Eastern countries, where it was easy to make them realise under their old religions that they 'were under the curse of the gods. While a Hindu would argue from morning to night he could not get over the fact of the leper homes being there as a result of Christian work. In 192122. when there were serious agitations in India, missionaries were unable to walk down the roads or in the bazaars without being- insulted, yet he was treated with respect; because he was in charge of the leper -home. That was the effect of the work on the natives. On the motion of the Rev. G. H. Jupp, presbytery thanked Mr Grundy for his address, and expressed the hope that the work would have successful results. CHURCH EXTENSION CHARGE. The Rev. Kilpatrick reported that Opoho, which had been in the North-East Valley charge, had asked that it should be made a church extension charge. At a largely-attended meeting of the NorthEast Valley Church office-bearers an agreement had been reached that Opoho should go its own way; consequently the congregation at Opoho had met and decided to make application to presbtyery to be made a ■ church extension charge and for a grant towards the erection of a manse. Mr Kilpatrick moved that the necessary steps be taken to accede to that request. The Rev. E J. Tipler asked what was the membership of the Opoho Church, and for what reasons did they want to stand on /heir own feet. They would like to know what liability the change would mean on the home mission funds. The Rev. G. Miller said the membership was not very large—only ibout 45. The congregation at Opoho had practically been on its own for a number of years. Students had been carrying out the work. Their intention was to build a manse with the funds received from synod and to settle a minister, in the church, so enabling them to increase the

membership very considerably. Opoho was a growing district, and was expanding even more rapidly now. With a manse the church would advance in greater strides. The Rev. J. D. Smith said that quite a number of similar applications had been granted, <• and . after a short period th© charge had to go - back again to th© old district. It seemed to him that insufficient consideration was given to the applications and to the congregations* ability to meet the increased demands a© church extension charges. A fuller report of the Opoho congregation’s resources should be made to presbytery. He moved that the proposal be held over for © month.

Mr Kilpatrick said that all the information available had been produced, Opoho had been a mission station for 12 years. The amendment was defeated, and thq motion was carried by 15 votes to 11.