CHURCH UNITY DISCUSSED

Southland Times, Issue 24368, 24 February 1941, Page 6

CHURCH UNITY DISCUSSED

METHODIST PROPOSAL (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, February 22. “We hail the response of the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches to our proposal that the question of union between the three Churches should be investigated,” said the Rev. W. A. Burley, in his presidential address to the Methodist Conference. “We trust that the negotiations to be entered into this year will go forward to a happy issue, and that the members as well as the ministry of all three churches will make opportunities of fellowship so that they may get to know and appreciate each other.” The hope was expressed by Mi - Burley that the negotiations would be carried on in the true spirit of unity. Methodists were not seeking the union because of the exigencies of the occasion, but because they firmly believed it to be the will and purpose of God. Difficulties there would be, misunderstandings to smooth out, but there should be no real or insurmountable barrier to success. Each church had a record of which the whole church was proud, and it would be hard to sink individuality in a new name, but strong as sentiment was, it must give wav to the progress of the Kingdom of God.

“Many have had a vision of a United Church of New Zealand where all the denominations will be fused into one Church,” said Mr Burley. “That may be in the dim and distant future, but we do well to cherish the dream of one church, embodying all the main emphasis of doctrine, policy and mode of worship, a church with a unity of spirit expressed in different ways. Such a church would be a power to be reckoned with in the life of our Dominion, and could cope with the spiritual needs of the country as the many comparatively weak separate denominations can never do. That day may be far distant; meanwhile the aim for each should be to preserve a strong church which will bring a worthy contribution into a united church when that church comes into being.”