MODERATOR’S ADDRESS

Southland Times, Issue 24685, 5 March 1942, Page 4

MODERATOR’S ADDRESS

SOUTHLAND PRESBYTERY In an address to the members of the Southland Presbytery on Tuesday morning, the Right Rev. John Davie, Moderator of Assembly, acknowledged ,his debt to Southland, where he began his ministry in the Dipton charge. He went on to commend the movement for Christian Order and to explain what it was. All the Protestant churches in New Zealand, conscious of the plight in which the country found itself, had united to proclaim simultaneously the Christian answer to the nation’s need, he said. Throughout the world there were movements for new orders, especially in enemy lands. As a Christian people it duty to direct this urge in our midst' into Christian expression. We must realize that man lived under three relationships. First, his responsibility to God; second, his relationship with his fellows; third, his relationship to material things. In the third relationship, science had enabled man to make tremendous progress. Unhappily for us, the first two relationships were now completely out of gear. The church of the future must expand beyond the narrow view of the first relationship and her impact must be felt on the political, economic, and educational spheres of life. Only thus could a Christian order replace the totalitarian ones.

It was stated that in Invercargill the churches were uniting for some months in an effort to proclaim the Christian message to the people in such terms that the spiritual life of the community would be transformed and fortified for the days ahead. The Presbytery expressed its pleasure that in many districts, including Southland, direct giving to patriotic purposes had largely replaced raising such funds by gambling methods. It therefore urged upon all church people wholeheartedly to support all such direct appeals. A motion of sympathy with the Rev. R. M. Lamont, of Athol, in the death of his wife was passed. Mr A. Fotheringham, the newly appointed home missionary for Athol, together with Mr J. Sands, appointed to Orawia, were welcomed. In honour of the moderator a luncheon was held, after which Presbytery assembled in First Church for the annual communion service conducted by the Right Rev. John Davie, assisted by the Rev. J. Newlands.