CURIOUS CHURCH RESOLUTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 257, 29 October 1937, Page 2

CURIOUS CHURCH RESOLUTION

BLOEMFONTEIN (By Mail). The General Synodical Council of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Orange Free State has decided to appeal to the organisers of the proposed World Sunday-school Convention in South’ Africa in 1940 not to hold the convention in this country. The council which has been sitting in Bloemfontein, has adopted a resolution which states that: “Whereas the proposed world convention with its international, inter-racial and inter-denominationai character clashes with approved missionary enterprise and policy of our church and with our national character and its historical background, and whereas such a convention, tending as it will to propagate the policy of doing away with differences of race and colour and bringing to us speakers who are not adequately conversant with views and circumstances in our country, will without doubt endanger the sound development of extensive missionary endeavour of the Dutch Reformed Church and the propagation of Sun-day-school activities and will also unjustifiably disturb existing relations of races in South Africa to one another, this council therefore, resolves that we cannot participate in a world Sunday-school convention and —for the above-mentioned reasons and also because nobody in South Africa can guarantee the desired friendly treatment of all delegates at all places and at all times in our country—request all people and organisations concerned to abandon the proposed plan for the safe of delegates as well as for the cause itself.” This resolution has brought forth dissenting protests from several of the church denominations; and it is stated that the convention will be held in South Africa despite the Free State resolution.