ALBURY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 9 October 1926, Page 6

ALBURY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

..To tiie Editor of the. “Timaru Herald.” . Sii-,—-I do not know whether, tho report in .your journal of tho 6tli. inst, yo tlio Presbytery mooting, is .a correct ■ record’ of ; the • deliberations of thfi* ’mooting. If it is, 1 would like to "remove tho false impression that might • bo gathered by anybody reading the report bf 'tlifj Albury visitation. Of course, tho 'peoplo of the district are quite awaro -of tho erroneous improssions, but there aro many people residing in Timaru aud elsewhere who aro deeply interested in tho Albury Presbyterian Church and its welfare, jand.it is they 'whom I wish to enlighten on..tbe true position. I suppose there' is some excuse for , the wrong • impression, obtained by the ltcv. P. ! Gladstone Hughes on his visit, as our senior older, and biyself (senior . manager),. I both of whom might bo expected to know tiie answer to any questioirtaskeil ,by the visiting Presbytery, ' wero unavoidably absent, and those present were practically newcomers to the district or' wei'o. new officers, and could not be expected to know all tho past of. the ehargo. As for fostering a greater lovb lor the church, docs Mr Hughes know that Mr Alexander is giving us four services of a Sunday, instead of three formerly, having to travel forty odd miles to do sop' Are our balance-sheets not an indication of what the people of Albury-charge think of our minister and his work I think so. ; lii spite of the farmers’ adverse’ seasons, tlio finances of tho church improve. ?

As for Sunday Schools, ■ I am sur-: prised that wo have any at all. If I city folk wish to understand why, I would ask them to try country life and ascertain for themselves how much time and leisure there is, even. on Sundays, for adults to conduct. Sunday Schools. Of'course,' there are exceptions, in those, cases, who. are -suitable ones. The lady conducting Sunday School, from Tasmania, by correspondence, is more capable of imparting true scriptural lessons than many men in the pulpits. If Mr Hughes would, visit’ us again. I promise him a surprise'. The Presbytery are foolish sending ministers, ignorant of country charges, to report on same. It would further Mr Hughes’s education of human nature and the trials of mankind, and spiritually enlighten tho congregation of Chalmers Church, if he exchanged places with Mr Alexander for six months.-—I am, etc., TASMAN SMITH. Monavnle, October 8.