DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 5

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

A meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery was held on Tuesday afternoon. The moderator (the Rev. R. J. Al'Dowall) presided. It was announced that the clerk (the Rev. J. Kilpatrick) was unable to be present through illness, and Dr Cumming was appointed acting clerk. The retiring moderator (the Rev. Ferguson Fish) was thanked for his services during the past six months. It was decided to send a letter of congratulation to the Rev. A. Greig (Portobello), who will attain his ninetythird birthday next week. The Rev. H. Ryburn stated that Mr Greig was the oldest member of their presbytery and the oldest minister of, their church in New Zealand. He had been ordained in 1867. The Rev. J. Al. M'Kenzie introduced Air N. H. Finch, formerly a Congregational minister at Port Chalmers, who was admitted to the Presbyterian Church by the assembly in June of this year. The presbytery decided to support the Bill to come before Parliament relating to the suppression of the publication of matter which may be considered injurious to the public morals. The presbytery decided to issue a circular recommending increased temperance education among the young, and also that there be an interchange of pulpits before the date of the general elections, so that the resolutions embodied in the temperance report of the General Assembly may be communicated to the people. Air J. AL Dick presented a lengthy report on affairs in the Seacliff-Warring-ton charge, and it was decided that "a committee be appointed to confer with representatives of the Waitati-Alerton and Seacliff-Warrington charges in an endeavour to bring about a fusion between the two charges. It was further decided that the committee which had been dealing with the matter should be reappointed, and that the names of the Rev. E. J. Tipler and Mr Magnus Johnson be added to it.

It was decided to hold the ordination ceremony of Aliss Al. J. Al'Neur at First Church on September 1. Professor Hewitson will give the address to the missionary, and Air 11. Davies to the congregation. Alessrs Robert Adair and D. N. Al'Diarmid were licensed as probationers of the Presbyterian Church.