BAPTIST UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 24

BAPTIST UNION.

DOMINION CONFERENCE.

The forty-eighth annual conference of the New Zealand Baptist Union and Missionary Society was opened on Thursday in the Hanover Street Baptist Church. The retiring president, the Rev. Joseph W. Kemp, of Auckland, occupied the chair. At the evening session the incoming president for the ensuing year, the Rev. W. E. Lambert, of Mosgiel, who was introduced by Mr Kemp, assumed the leadership of the conference. The day commenced with a ministers’ “ retreat ” in the Mornington Baptist Church at 10, and the remainder of the morning was devoted to committee meetings. In the afternoon the union executive met and considered a number of matters touching on the conduct of the conference.

The delegates, numbering over 100, have assembled from all parts of the Dominion from Auckland to Bluff. A welcome was extended to the visitors last evening, when they were entertained at tea. Representatives of the Dunedin Churches, the Rev. E. S. Tuckwell (president of the Otago and Southland Auxiliary) and the Rev. S. Jenkin -(lion, secretary of the Dunedin Conference Committee) delivered speeches of welcome, and the Rev. R. F. Fish, of the Caversham Presbyterian Church, extended a welcome to the delegates on behalf of the Council of Christian Congregations, of which body he is vicepresident. The Rev. E. Nicholls (Hastings) and Mr J. H. Barker (Mount Eden) replied on behalf of the visitors. Following the welcome tea, a meeting was held in the church, the Rev. J. W. Kemp presiding. The Rev. H. G. Goring ( Wanganui) opened the meeting with prayer, after which the Rev. J. Laird (Mount Albert) moved a resolution of appreciation of the services rendered to the union during the past year by the retiring president (Mr Kemp). The resolution was seconded by the Rev. Thomas Weston (Oamaru). The new president (the Rev. W. E. Lambert (was then introduced by the retiring president, and later addressed the meeting on , matters concerning the internal administration and development of the work of the denomination, a subject which will be discussed by the conference. The singing of the combined city and suburban choirs was one of the features of the evening. BAPTIST WOMEN’S MISSIONARY UNION.

The twenty-seventh annual business meeting of the Baptist Women’s Missionary Union was opened yesterday at tile Hanover Street Baptist Church. Mrs Collins (Dominion president) occupied the chair.

Mrs Anstice (North-East Valley) welcomed the delegates to Dunedin, and said they needed only the sunshine to see how beautiful this city was. Mrs Gadber (Wellington) replied.

A warm welcome was given by Mrs Charles North to the two missionaries, Misses Rice and Arhold, on furlough from India. These two both thanked Mrs North and the members of the B.W.M.U. in a short and happy speech. The roll was called of the different branches by Miss Gainsford (Dominion secretary), who has held office for 10 years. Then followed greetings from personal members.

The annual reports from the secretary (Miss Gainsford) and the Dominion treasurer (Miss Wilkinson) were considered.

The election of officers resulted as follows: —Dominion president, Mrs Anstice; Dominion secretary, Miss Gainsford; Dominion treasurer, Miss Wilkinson.

The afternoon session was preceded by a devotional meeting led by Mrs S. Barry (Auckland). A short address was given by the Rev. F. A. Parry on the “Needs of Christian Works in the Backblocks of the Taranaki District.” “ Christian Work in the Baekblocks of Westland ” was the subject dealt with by Mrs A. Stewart. Earnest discussions followed those two short addresses. Mrs Collins (president) reported to the conference concerning a day for worldwide prayer, which would be some time in February. Sixty-two countries were already taking part, a The budget was presented by Miss Wilkinson (treasurer). SECOND DAY. The Baptist Conference was continued on Friday. The session opened with a short devotional session led by Pastor Chant, of the Richmond Road Church, Grey Lynn Greetings were received from many friends, including a cable from the Baptist Union of Australia, the Baptist World Alliance, London, and messages from the Revs. E. W. Batts and J. Russell Grave, who are at present in England. Greetings from the conference were sent to many absent members. The Rev. C. W. Duncumb, of Timaru, addressed the meeting on the need to win new members to the Baptist cause. He deplored the church’s inability to advertise and appear in the press. They must interest their Sunday school scholars in the work and in the use of the eye-gate as well as the ear-gate by means of charts and. pictures. The Rev. O. Allright (Gisborne) spoke on the subject of “Retaining Our Membership.” Let them make their churches more attractive and give strangers a cordial welcome.

The Rev. A. W. Stuart, 8.A., then addressed the conference on “ The College and Its Opportunities.” Much in-

teresting discussion followed. The meeting then adjourned for lunch. At the afternoon session Mr Newton made a plea for greater interest and support for the Manurewa Home. Over 600 children had passed through the home. The speaker paid a tribute to the excellent work done by the matron (Miss Marks) and her untiring staff. Mr T. E. Whitton (secretary of the home) answered several questions in regard to the finances of the orphanage. Mr F. W. Gaze addressed the assembly on the subject of “ How to Improve Our Methods.” Christian giving was stressed as an act of worship. Mr F. B. Adams introduced the subject of the annuity fund. “It was their responsibility to see that ministers were not haunted with any fears for their old age, and for their widows.” He outlined the present position of the fund, and made suggestions for its improvement.

A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Adams for his advice. The afternoon business session closed with the singing of the doxology. evening Session.

The president (the Rev. W. E. Lambert) occupied the chair in the evening. He stated that the evening was to 'be devoted to the work and policy of the Missionary Society. The subject was introduced by Mr S. Barry, of Auckland. He advocated a missionary box in every Baptist home. We are faced with many candidates for our field. A report from Dr Hossain, aa Indian medical mar. in the field, reported that in his opinion they must give attention to the women and children’s work as well as to carrying on the medical work among the men. There were 220,000 children in the villages of that part of Eastern Bengal which constitutes the field of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. Very few of these were touched by their teachers. The Government was unable to overtake the educational problem and was glad to take advantage of the missionaries for this task. To give a smattering of Christian teaching without a foundation of education was to build badly. They hoped to send Miss M. Bush and Dr Nola Ivory at the end of next year. God was challenging them to find the finance to send out the candidates who were applying for work in the field.

The Rev. John Ings reminded the audience that it was on the site of the present church that the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society was formed in I*B6. The first year some £386 was contributed ; this amount increased to £lOOO in 1896. From that time on it continue! to grow until last year it reached £6165. The ladies of the Baptist Women’s Missionary Union greatly contributed toward this amount. The Young Women’s Bible Classes had helped considerably. The speaker mentioned the debt of gratitude which was due to the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle for its generous gift. In 45 years the mission had received £133,369. ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. On Saturday morning the delegates reassembled. Discussions took place on the questions of ministerial settlement and the annuity fund. The Rev. J. S. Gilbert (Feilding) was elected president of the union for the next 12 months, and the Rev. N. Garlick (Morrinsville) was re-elected secretary. In the afternoon an excursion was held to Larnaeh’s Castle, the home of Mr and Mrs J. Jackson Purdie, on the Otago Peninsula, between 700 and SOO taking part. The visitors were conveyed to the castle in about 70 private cars and 10 buses, and were entertained at afternoon tea. They were then shown over the castle and grounds, Mrs Purdie’s antique gallery attracting considerable attention. The Anderson’s Bay Orchestra, under the baton of Mr J. Clark, attended and rendered an enjoyable programme of music during the afternoon. The proceeds from this entertainment, amounting to about £BO, will go towards defraying the expenses of the conference. The combined Baptist choirs, assisted by several leading local artists, gave an extremely enjoyable concert in Burns Hall on Saturday evening, when there was a very satisfactory attendance.

The programme, which w-as a fairly long one, was opened with a selection by the choir, “ And the Glory of the Lord,” which was very effectively sung. Two part-songs were presented by the choir in the first part of the programme. They were “ Sweet and Low ” and “ Old Mother Hubbard,” the harmonised work being excellently rendered. In the latter half of the programme, the choir’s first item was the chorus “ Hallelujah,” which was probably the best number of the evening. The negro spiritual, “ Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” was also very acceptable, the Rev. L. A. North taking the solo part with excellent effect. The entertainment was concluded with another selection by the choir, “Jerusalem,” which was also nicely sung.

Songs were sung by Messrs E. G. Bond and Alfred Walmsley, Misses Lettie de Clifford and Mary Pratt, and the Rev. L. A. North. Master George Coxhead contributed a cornet solo, and a trombone solo by Mr Rayment was very well received. Miss Ethel Wallace was heard in a violin solo, and Miss Sybil Baker gave an enjoyable pianoforte solo. Mr H. P. Desmoulins conducted the choir, and the accompaniments ■were played by Miss Rita Holmes SUNDAY’S SERVICES. Ministers from other centres who are delegates to the conference filled thb pulpits in local Baptist churches on Sunday, and some responded to invitations from other denominations. At the Hanover Street Baptist Church the Rev. H. Knowles Kempton delivered the annual missionary sermon in the morning, and the Rev. J. J. North filled the pulpit in the evening. Mr North also presided over and addressed a combined Bible class rally in the afternoon.

THE MISSIONARY SERMON.

The Rev H. Knowles Kempton, in his missionary sermon, took as his text I John i, 3—“ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” This, he said, formed the basis of and contained the motive for, missionary work. It was the unchanging and unassailable argument, yet untouched by the storms ot the centuries. Title deeds to a wide and wonderful estate were given, though it meant costliness. Hanover Street Baptist Church was truly a missionary, church, for there the great missionary society was founded. From there also many had gone to the mission fields. The speaker reminded his congregation that their giving must not only be sacramental but also spiritual. BIBLE CLASS RALLY.

Members of the Baptist Bible Class unions of this city to the number of’ almost 250, with friends, gathered in the Hanover Street Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon. After hearty singing, led by the Rev. Lawrence A. North, the°Rev. W. E. Lambert—president of the Baptist Union—introduced the speaker for the rally, Dr J. J. North, D.D., of Auckland. As principal of the Baptist College Dr encouraged the members of ’ the Bible class by reasoning why they were ot the Baptist denomination.