CALLS TO MINISTER

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1933, Page 7

CALLS TO MINISTER

“GRASSHOPPER” SYSTEM.

PRESBYTERY DISCUSSION.

The question of the number of years that a member of the Presbyterian ministry should be required to serve in any one district before being called to another district was discussed by the Christchurch Presbytery at a meeting last week. Several members stated that they were opposed to calls being made on ministers every two or three years, it being held that a minister’s work did not show effective results until he had served five or more years in his district. The discussion arose out of a call made to the Rev. D. N. Pryor, of St. Andrew’s, South Canterbury, by the congregation at Leeston, who are seeking a minister to take the place of the Rev. J. C. Young, who was called to Rotorua in December. It was stated that Mr. Pryor had served only two years and three months at St. Andrew’s. The Rev. T. Paterson said that, in view of the short time that Mr. Pryor had been at St. Andrew’s, it was timely that the presbytery should express its views on the matter of calls. Ministers should not be asked to change their locale every few years, and congregations should be educated up to that fact. The Rev. T. W. Armour said that it was not desirable that the Presbyterian ministry should become a grasshopper ministry, for that was neither good for the grasshoppers nor for the grass. No minister could prove himself in two years, and it was only after five years that a Presbyterian minister became an influence in his parish. Mr. J. Boag, one of the Leeston commissioners, said that if the call were not sustained there would be grave consequences in the parish of Leeston. It was decided unanimously to sustain the call. It was stated that a stipend of £315 and a car and car allowance were offered with the call to Mr, Pryor.