TRAINING OF MINISTERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18551, 10 November 1934, Page 5

TRAINING OF MINISTERS

THEOLOGICAL HALL WORK DISCUSSION AT ASSEMBLY (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. At the Presbyterian General Assembly yesterday, the Rev. D. C. Herron, speaking to the Theological Hall report, said that there was no doubt in the minds of the church that Dr. Dickie taught the true Christian doctrine. He urged all to buy-and read his published work, and pleaded for fairness and Christian foroearance in all these matters. No period in the history ot Theological Hall was so.bright as the present. Men of intellectual gifts and earnest devotion to the work of _ the church were offering, and the committee m charge of the students was able to make a choice of the best men. A seri;:us master was the drop in interest on investments, which made it impossible to give adequate scholarships to needy students. This must be faced bv the assembly. The matter of Theological Hall students boarding in Knox College was carefully considered. The whole question was one of finance, but holders of scholarships worth £4O must reside in Knox College. Mr. Herron urged ministers to keep the claims of theological students before members of the church. Increased income was needed.

The Rev. Douglas Smith stressed the small cost of students to the church, and argued that this was the reason for the small assistance given, He asked that gilts for scholarships he left to the committee untrammelled by conditions. The Rev. James Steele asked that emphasis should be placed on the point ilint legacies for the training of ministers be expressly left to the Theological Hall committee. He said that many were confused between -Knox College and Theological Hall, and must know that money left to Knox College was not used to help students for the ministry. The Rev. George Budd spoke of the excellence of the students, and the worth of their work, who were coining through Theological Hall. The church could congratulate itself and the ministers trained by Dr. Dickie and his colleagues. Stress was laid by' the Rev. E. J. Tipler and Dr. Herrington upon the need of all theological students residing in Knox College. Dr. Herrington pointed out that only £3OO, or a little more, was required to give them scholarships adequate to pay board in Knox College. He urged that such a church as the Presbyterian could surely raise that sum. /