UNION OF CHURCHES

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1931, Page 7

UNION OF CHURCHES

PRACTICAL STEPS TAKEN

PRESBYTERIANS’ DECISION

OVERTURES TO METHODISTS

A COMMITTEE APPOINTED

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last Night.

Continuing the debate on church union, the Presbyterian General Assembly this evening agreed to the committee’s proposal for co-operation with the Methodist Church along the following lines: — (1) That a permanent joint committee be appointed, each church being represented by four members. (2) That in any case of church extension in areas worked in common by the two churches the matter shall be referred to the joint committee for consideration and advice before the church concerned determines on its action.

(3) That in districts where either Presbyterian or Methodist church people find they are unable to attend their own church, their church recommend that they link tip in communicant membership for the time being with the existing Presbyterian or Methodist church as the case may be and inform them that by so doing they are fulfilling their loyalty to their own church and to the Kingdom of God. The Rev. Norman McKenzie (Wallacetown) took the objection that the proposal overrode the rights of the kirk sessions.. Dr. Gibb regarded the proposal as an intelligible attempt to get rid of what had been a stone of stumbling and an offence. If a better propsal were put forward it could be considered. The Rev. J. R. Blanchard moved that the committee on church union be the Wellington Presbytery with power to add to its number. The proposal to limit the conversations to the Methodist and Congregational churches was felt to be the best step at present towards union, which would ultimately include the Anglican Church, he said. That was the spirit which inspired the assembly’s committee in church union. In accord with that spirit he sought from the assembly power to add to his committee if the occasion arose. In the event of an official invitation being received during the year from Archbishop Averill to converse bn union the church union committee could not, of course, officially accept it, for only the assembly could do _ that, but the committee could, make a. friendly gesture to such an invitation in a .way which the next, asembly could officially endorse. With the power sought the committee could add to its personnel a number of men resident in Auckland who could carry on conversations which such an invitation from Archbishop Averill would make possible. The assembly unanimously approved the motion.