ASSEMBLY OPENS

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 October 1946, Page 4

ASSEMBLY OPENS

LARGE GATHERING IN WANGANUI NEW MODERATOR INDUCTED St. Paul's Church, Wanganui, was crowded last night for the opening of tile 194(1 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. 267 delegates being present from ail Parts of the Dominion, in addition to many delegates who will attend the annual conference of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union, which opens in Wanganui to-day. Also in the congregation was a large number of people from city and district, the capacity of the church being fully taxed. The retiring Moderator, the Rt. Rev. J. W. McKenzie, opened the Assembly, and his final official act in that capacity was the induction of the new Moderator, the Rt. Rev. Herbert Davies. “My last duty as retiring Moderator is a very pleasant one, as it is to i tell you that by a unanimous vote you have been elected Moderator of this Assembly,” said Mr. McKenzie when installing Mr. Davies. “Your long and conspicuous years of service as a missionary have won for you the admiration, gratitude and affection of all our people. They reward you for the work of a lifetime with this high honour.” Very few people had come into office as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand with so much of the people's trust, enthusiasm and prayers. “I congratulate you and wish you good health and great, joy in the Master's service," Mr. McKenzie added. “It is with a grateful heart that I accept the position to which you have called me," said the new Moderator. "I realise that it is the greatest honour that the Church can confer on any of its members." The Moderator added that his service had been a very small contribution to the work of the Church. He had been associated, however, with men and women who had been an example to him of what Christian service should mean. One of the most heartening things had been the splendid work of the Young Men’s Bible Class Union. They had stood by him all through the years and this had been a splendid inspiration to him.

Taking as his subject, “Building a New World," the Moderator subsequently delivered his inaugural address to the Assembly.

Before the installation, a service was opened with prayer by the retiring Moderator, followed by the hymn, “Lord of All Being, Throned Afar,” Scripture reading, and the hymn. "The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want."

Before he retired from office. Mr. McKenzie gave his final sermon as Moderator, taking as his subject, "Prayer and Preaching." which he described as two essentials to Christian life. Prayer was all the more necessary in these days when people bad so much to occupy their attention. The preacher quoted the life of Peter and described how this great saint found that prayer was necessary to direct his energies and sustain his courage.

“Prayer is the esssential move of a man who is a Christian. With prayer we steer our lives by God as a ship steers its course by the stars,” Mr. McKenzie added. "Enlightenment comes when we turn to God in prayer, just as daylight comes when the world turns toward the sun.”

This morhing delegates taking part in the Assembly will attend a Communion service in St. Paul's Church, and this afternoon the business of the Assembly will begin.