DR IRWIN’S WORK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16861, 11 October 1922, Page 7

DR IRWIN’S WORK.

PRESBYTERY’S TRIBUTE. The resignation of the Rev Dr Erwin as minister of Knox Church was presented to the Christchurch Presbytery to-day. Dr Erwin stated that the resiguatiou would take effect as from December 31. He asked that the Asi aembly should grant him the status of i minister emeritus with a seat on the i Presbytery. ! A commission from Knox Church ; congregation waited on the Presbyi tery in connection with the resignai tion. i Mr W. Goss said the commission ; from the Knox congregation acquiesced j in the resignation of Dr Erwin, coni sidering that they could not do otherj wise It was a sad duty on their part | to agree to it-, but it. was in Dr Er- ! win’s interests and the interests of the i church that the resignation should j take place. i Mr John Reid said the severance of Dr Erwin’s pastoral tie was a cause I of deep regret to the congregation, i but it felt that it- was an inevitable ! change. Particularly did the older j members of the congregation feel the 1 parting. He expressed the good wishes of the congregation for Dr Erwin s future. Mrs Foster said she had to thank I)r Erwin for many things. She wished to say how sorry the congregation was to lose Dr Erwin. She highly eulogised the ministry of Dr Erwin. The Rev \Y. H. Howes said the coni gregation had made Dr Erwin an ade--1 quate and satisfactory retiring allowj ance. He moved that the Presbytery • should accept the resignation, express ; its appreciation of the action of Knox j congregation in making Dr Erwin a rej tiring allowance, and commend to the General Assembly his application for I the status of minister emeritus with a i place in the church courts, j The motion was seconded by the j Rev C. Murray. ! High tributes to Dr Erwin’s work | and character were paid by members : of the Presbytery. The Moderator (Rev J. D. Webster) ; said the sentiment of the Presbytery was one of the deepest regret at Dr Erwin’s resignation, and that would be the sentiment throughout the church. They accepted the inevitable and acj cepted it as graciously as they could. ’ but their hearts were aching. Dr Erwin had always been truly helpful, in the fullest sense of the word. The motion accepting Dr Erwin’s j resignation was carried. Dr Erwin, iri reply, expresed his appreciation of the sentiments that had been voiced. He counted himself lucky. • ho said, in that he had come to the i church when many of its pioneers were ! still alive. As far as he could trace, j there was only one minister (the Rev ; N. M’Galium) alive to-day who was in the ministry when he joined the Presbytery. He had given deep thoughtj and prayer to the stop he had taken and had come to the conclusion that j it was the only action he could take, j The clerk was deputed to draw up ! the Presbytery’s minute of appreciot lion of Dr Erwin’s services.