PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17965, 10 March 1930, Page 7

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Saturday. 'The Presbyterian Assembly met again to-day. The Rev. John Collie, who yesterday was elected to the chair of New Testament studies, was chosen Moderator for 1931. By a close vote the Assembly decided to meet in .1931 at Wellington rather than WanganuiIt was resolved to approve of changes in the entrance scholarship examination to the Theological Hall and the syllabus of studies prescribed. It' was agreed to sanction the scholarship proposals for the session of 1930 and empower the committee to grant such additional scholarships as the state of the funds and the condition of the trusts might warrant. The following motion was passed unanmously:—“That the assembly draws attention to the serious reports in the correspondence of our missionaries of the prevalence of the sale of alcoholic liquor to the natives of the New Hebrides, contrary to the terms of the constitution of the condominium, and urges the International Labour Office of the League of Nations and the International League for the Protection of Native Races to exert their influence to induce the .authorities in the islands to enforce the prohibition of the supply of alcoholic liquor to natives.” The Rev. D. D. Scott, of Onehunga, presented the Home Mission report, which disclosed a year of further progress. It was decided that the three committees which have been dealing with church extension be combined in the Home Missions Committee, whose location was changed from Auckland to Wellington. In connection with the Foreign Mission report, the resignation of the Rev.' Oscar Micheiscn, for 52 years missionary in the New Hebrides, and the retirement of the Rev. J. W. Mansfield on account of age, were accepted. A new station is lo be opened at Makaru, in the New Hebrides, in place of the one destroyed at Wuro last June. Miss Ann Allen is to join the staff in the Punjab, in India, and Dr. Kathleen Pill the Canton Village Mission. An invitation is to lie sent to tiie Church of Christ in China to send a delegate to visit the churches of the Dominion. The Rev. William Mawson, who was appointed temporary Foreign Mission secretary at the last Assembly, was elected to offloa permanently. ■