TARANAKI PRESBYTERY

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 3

TARANAKI PRESBYTERY

REV. A. D. SMAILL. MODERATOR.

The Rev. A. D. Smaill (Fatea) was elected Moderator for the current period when the Taranaki Presbytery met at Stratford on Tuesday. The standing committees were elected. Mr. T; A. Bridge was re-elected treasurer, and Rev. R. S. Keenan “Outlook” reporter. The clerk advised that under the new constitution of Assembly’s advisory board the Presbytery was entitled to a representative. The clerk was appointed to represent the presbytery. The following congregations are to •be visited by the presbytery this year: New Plymouth, Waitara, Stratford and Manaia. Commissions were appointed to carry out these visitations. The Bible classes’ district committee desired that a representative should be appointed from the (Presbytery to the committee. The Presbytery agreed to the request. A remit from the assembly with regard to ministerial tenure is to be before the presbytery this year, which provides that ministers should remain only five years, and at most six years, in a charge. A strong committee was set up to consider this proposal and to report to a future meeting. The homfe mission superintendent informed the presbytery that the Rev. J. G. Wheatley had been, transferred from Opunake to Port Ahuriri, and that the Rev. H. J. Fletcher had been appointed to Opunake. The superintendent further intimated that with the approval of the presbytery Mr. Melville would be appointed to Whangamomona upon certain financial conditions. The presbytery agreed to the appointment, but not to all the conditions. The Rev. J. D. McL. Wilson intimated to the presbytery that the new church at New Plymouth would be opened on Saturday next. An appropriate message was directed to be sent to the New Plymouth people on this historic occasion.

The presbytery decided to urge kirk sessions to make a forward move on evangelical lines during the year, if possible, by their own members. It was resolved that “This presbytery regards with profound alarm the steadily increasing incursions on the sanctity and obligations of the Lord’s Day, and, in the absence of effective legislation on the subject, appeals to all our people in the presbytery to keep this day holy, both by precept and example. It also enjoins kirk sessions to enter their protest wherever necessery against the encroachments by sport or other committees on the saeredness of this day, especially where playgrounds are controlled by public bodies.” The number of permits for art unions being granted at the present time was brought to the notice of the presbytery, and after a short discussion it was resolved to protest against the granting of permits for art unions, believing that by so doing it will be for the advancement of the best interests of the community in the present economic crisis, in which the spiritual, moral and social elements must of necessity determine very largely the future welfare of the citizens. The Minister of Internal Affairs is to be written to, and other Christian. Churches of the province to be asked for their support. The kirk session is to be enjoined to consider the matter and take action in the respective congregations.