CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 18985, 20 November 1920, Page 2

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

FRIM PULPIT AND PEW. Owing to the Rev. H. C. Gilbert’s absence at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Wellington, the St. Paul’s pulpit will bo occupied by the Rev. R. C. Hunter at both services to-morrow. In a pastoral letter shortly to be issued by the president of the Wesleyan Conference (says the Times 1, attention is directed to the disquieting conditiqns in the present religious situation, and to the distressing signs of a renaissance of paganism manifesting itself in the passion for pleasure, senseless extravagance, distaste for work, defiance of authority, ready resort to violence, lamentable laxity in sexual morals, and flaunting disregard of the binding obligations of marriage and family life. Yet, in spite of these untoward and foreboding things, natural religiousness, intuitions of the nearness and reality of the unseen have come to , the service. Fatalism, occultism, and superstitition^may mintrle with men’s awareness of a spiritual order, but a persuasion which may be ripened into faith persisls that God is, and that death does not end all. This does not -indicate a revival of religion in the evangelical sense. The majority of those awakened by this quickening breath and dreaming of a new world order do not think of associating their hopes with the. Christian Church. Rather is it the reverse, and it is this attitude which forms the pathos of the present religious situation. Eighty out of every 100 of the young manhood and womanhood of the nation have no use for the churches because they consider that they are out of touch with reality, that their fellowship is cold and official, and that in the conflict of moral forces they are opportunist, taking easily the safe and popular side. The pastoral pleads for a wise, reverent, and genial use of Sunday as a day released from secular work and pleasure for higher spiritual ends, and commends to the Methodist people every opportunity of personal and corporate counsel with members of other churches who seek through reciprocal fellowship and goodwill to promote the cause of Christian unity. The Rev. T. W. Newbold will occupy the pulpit of Knox Church to-morrow. A meeting of the congregation of St. David’s Presbyterian Church, Auckland, was held in the Bible Class Hall on Wednesday, November 3, the Rev. D. C. Herron, M.C. (Moderator), presiding. It was reported to the meeting that the session and managers were agreed that it was in the best, interests of the congregation and parish of St. David’s i that a deaconess be appointed to visit the | homes of the sick, the need, the indifferent, | and especially of children attending our j Sabbath schooLs whose parents do not atj tend church, and generally to second the visitation portion of the minister’s duties. After some discussion it was resolved almost unanimously to proceed,with the appointment of a deaconess, and to carry out this object a Selection Committee of nine, consisting of three members of Session, three members of the Board of Managers, _ and three from the congregation, be appointed to make inquiries and report on a mutable person or persons at a future meeting. It was generally recognised that the appointee was on no account to take up anv duty at present voluntarily discharged. The meeting also appointed Rev. D. C. Herron, M.C., Messrs J. Fleming, A. Probert, T. McMillan, J. M. Elliffe, J. Banbury, to represent the congregation on the Council oi Churches now being formed in Auckland. The members of Chalmers congregation (Dunedin) have long wished to paint the exterior of their church and hail, but have been prevented by other calls which were more urgent. At the last annual meeting, however, the Deacons’ Court recommended that the matter be attended to immediately, and accordingly a special collection was taken up at a social gathering held recently, when the sum of £SO was given; this, together with a Synod grant and several gifts from friends outside the congregation, will make it possible to proceed with the work at once. At the social, which was a very happy gathering, addresses were given by Messrs Duncan Wright and John Reid, who congratulated the congregation on their enthusiasm, and expressed warm approval of the method adopted for raising the money. ' Miss G. Woods, who is leaving Invercargill, was presented by the members of the Central Methodist Church choir with a token of their esteem. Mr W. G. Stewart, choirmaster, spoke of Mias Woods's good work and complimentary remarks were also made by the Rev. H. Sharp and Mr B. A. Undrill. The Central Methodist Church will hold its anniversary service on Sunday week, November 28. The evening service will be held in Leet Street Church when a special musical programme will be given, including a solo by Dr Stanley Brown, the duet “Watchman; What of the Night,” by Mr J. E. Taylor and Dr Stanley Brown, and the duet * “Wondrous Cross” by Mrs Sharp I and Miss Leete. The choir will also render special music. The Central Methodist choir, assisted by St. Peter’s Methodist choir will specially assist at the Synod meeting to be held in Leet Street Church on Tuesday evening next at 7.30, and a special practice is to be held at 2.45 to-morrow afternoon.