PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19777, 3 November 1938, Page 6

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

ADDRESS TO ASSEMBLY CHINA MISSION WORK ASSURANCE FROM CANTON (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. The augural session of the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand was held last evening, the function taking the form of divine service conducted by the retiring moderator, the Rev. W. H. Howes.

The main address was delivered by the incoming moderator, the Rev. T, E. Riddle, of the Presbyterian missions in India.

Mr, Howes said that the eyes of the whole Presbyterian Church at the present time were on Canton, the centre of the church’s missionary work in China. For many months past there had been a lot of anxiety for the safety of their workers in that field.’ He was glad to be able to pass on to them the latest news from Canton received by cablegram only that afternoon by the superintendent of missions, the Rev. George Budd.

Safe and At Their Posts

The message stated that all their workers were safe and at their posts. For that the entire church would be thankful and he felt that they would all sincerely hope that a wise overruling Providence would finally bring the warring nations together in peace and amity.

At home in New Zealand the year had been an eventful one. There had , been many trials in the form, of epidemics and diseases among man and beast, and just lately there had been the upheaval of the general election. He was not going to say anything about the political nature of that event, but he thought that there was cause for deep regret that there had been disclosed a backward trend in the temperance cause. The movement was not making progress and it had been by small margins only that they had retained no-license in those areas which were not open to the trade.