FIRST SESSION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21185, 4 November 1938, Page 7

FIRST SESSION

Presbyterian Church Assembly Centenary Celebration By Televrnnh - Pre*' Awoclatloo DUNEDIN, November 3. The first business session of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand was held today, the Moderator (Rev. T. E. Riddle) presiding. The life and work committee submitted the following recommendations covering recognition of the Church s centenary:—That the General Assembly, due to meet in November, 1939, be held in St. Andrew’s Church, Wellington, in February 1940; That the Commission of the General Assembly meet in November, 1939, to deal with routine business; That special centenary services be held in all churches on the first Sunday in March, 1940; That Assembly approve of what has bqen done by the Life and Work committee to secure the presence of a delegate from the Church of Scotland at the Church’s centennial celebrations; That the Moderator be asked to confer with leaders of other churches; That a request may be made to the Prime Minister to set aside a day in 1940 for national thanksgiving with religious services as distinct from Sundays that will be observed by various churches for their own celebrations; That Presbyterians be enjoined to arrange such programmes of events within their bounds as they deem to be desirable for worthily celebrating the centenary of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand; That the action of the Life and Work committee and of the Public Questions Committee in securing space in the Centennial Exhibition to be held in Wellington in 1939-40 be endorsed. That the money required for this purpose be a charge upon the Presbyterian Centenary Thanksgiving Fund, and that the controllers be asked to make all arrangements connected with the utilisation of the Church's share of the facilities to be available for publicity, services, etc. Assembly learns with gratification that the Life and Work Committee has arranged with Dr J. R. Elder, to write an authoritiative history of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand. Mission Funds The treasurer (Mr V. G. Chapman) discussed the position of the mission funds, and stated that the average giving per church member over the whole of New Zealand had been 10/2 compared with 13/5 asked for. Mataura presbytery, with an average of 14/1 per member, headed the list of presbyteries. The three main working accounts in mission funds showed a deficit of £10,438. The beneficiary fund showed substantial additions to capital for the year, while trust funds held by the treasurer on behalf of congregations had shown a large increase, having grown from £31,865 in 1929 to £92,644. The total trust funds, which stood at £463,000 showed an increase of £13,000 and he was glad to be able to say that they had been able to weather the worst days of the slump without the loss of a penny piece of the principal. The insurance fund continued on its profit-making way, having shown a profit of £B2l for the past year. The report was received and Assembly assessments adopted. Dr. Gibb Memorial “I am ashamed of the church in this matter,” said Mr T. C. Brash, convener of the Gibb Memorial Committee when the report of the committee was being considered. "Assembly enthusiastically passed a motion for the establishment of a lectureship in pastoral theology as a memorial to the late Dr James Gibb, and now, after two years of effort, there is only £l3B l"/ 8 in the fund.” The committee recommended that in view of the poor response, no further action be taken at this time, the amount received to be held and the interest added year by year until such time as a favourable opportunity presented Itself for implementing the objective of the appeal.