PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19165, 23 November 1927, Page 12

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY. MISSION WORK, The General Assembly of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church continued in session yesterday, the Rt. Rev. J. Ait-ken, Moderator, presiding. The Rov, G. H. McNeur moved the following deliverance of the Foreign Mission Committee:— "Approve of the conditions of the transfer of control to the Kwong Tung Synod of the Church of Christ in China; undertake, if the freewill offerings of our people permit, to contribute to the Synod for five y?ars the same amount as heretofore for the carrying on of the work in the seventh district of the synod; commend to the sympathetic and prayerful interest of our people the efforts of our Chinese brethren to discharge these heavy responsibilities for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God in this district so dear to the Church in the Dominion, and heartily assure the synod of such continued co-operation by the persona) service of our missionaries as may be needed and as the New Zealand Church may find itself able to render; cordially invite Rev. Y. S. Tom, M.A., 8.D., general secretary of the Kwong Tung Synod, to visit New Zealand nest year, and, if possible, to be present at the Assembly of 1928." Mr McNeur, in speaking to the subject, expressed regret that there was no doctor in Canton in spite of many appeals in New Zealand. He referred in terms of praise to Dr. J. Kirk. who. he said, was regarded as one of the leading medical men in China, and who had been on the New Zealand mission staff for about twenty years. Indian Mission. j The Rev. H. H. Barton moved that the Assembly approve generally of the proposals for the undertaking of industrial work in connexion with the Indian Mission and thank the Rev. J. L. Gray j and tho donors for the successful estab- I lishtnent of the Industrial Work Fund to empower the committee to make such detailed arrangements for this work as might be decided upon in consultation with the Punjab Council. The motion was carried. The Foreign Missions Committee proposed that the sum of £IOOO should be transferred from the Foreign Mission Capital Fund to the general fund to make up a deficit in the Foreign Mission Committee's funds. The Rev. G. H. Jupp, who Fjjoke in support of the proposal, was opposed by Mr W. J. Comrie, who said the scheme meant only transferring £4OOO from one pocket to another. In his opinion it would lie better if the committee had the deficit on the Mission Fund as then they would have a reasonable ground for an appeal. Mr Comrie was supported by the Rev. Murray Bell, but the adoption of the clause was carried. I Visitation of Charges. The Rov. M. Thompson' moved that the Assembly should instruct the Foreign Missions Committee to arrange a more systematic visitation of charges by missionaries on furlough so that as far as possible each Church should in turn be visited once ©very (iye years at\ least. Mr Macky spoke of the fact that his people had not seen any of the missionaries in the past seventeen years and his congregation had not, been visited bv a missionary. The Rev G. K Aitken referred briefly to the good results of the first missionary visit to the church he formerly held. The motion as put forward was carried. On the recommendation of the Foreign Missions Committee the gathering recorded pleasure at the success of the missionary campaign carried out recently, and thnnks were expressed to those who had 'worked towards success. The "follow-up" campaign was recommended to the Assembly. The Assembly expresed thanks to those who had helped the missions Social Service. The Rev. J. Baird offered the report of the Presbyterian Social Service Association, and said there were fifteen homes with 495 children as inmates. In the Ross Home there were fifty-three old people. The report, as submitted, to the Assembly, went on to refer in terms of praise to those who worked at for the various homes. The Association further arranged for visiting prisoners and relieving distress. The revenue amounted to £12,150. The adoption of the report was seconded by Dr. J. Gibb, who remarked on the fractional percentage of moral shipwrecks who had gone through the homes. No new orphanages were needed in New Zealand, where there was a sufficiency. If any new homes were wanted by the Presbyterian Church they, should be provided for old people. , During the discussion reference was made to the bequest of the Dingwall Estate, which provided for the foundation of an orphamrgo within fifty miles of Auckland. The orphanage would have about £200.000 capital on which to operate. The Rev. F. Rule (Christchurch said there were two causes directly of poverty in New Zealand. The first cause was irrelision and the second was incompetence in dealing with money matters. The sneaker referred to young people who bad made good after passing through the homes organised *>Tid controlled by the Presbyterian Church. Semi-Jubilee Fund. Mr A. D. Thomson offered the recommendations of the Semi-Jubilee Fund on behalf of the Finance Committee. The proposal was to raise a sum of £250.000 and the speaker stated that with a membership of 50.000 that would mean only £] a year per member for five years. The recommendations were . 1. That the Fund be known as the "Presbyterian Quarter-Million Fund.' 2. That an effort be made to raise the sum of £250.000. 3 That the first £50.000 raised be allotted to the Beneficiary Fund. 4. That the remainder of the amount raised be allocated as follows: 25 per cent, to the Beneficiary Fund. 10 per cent, to the Youth of the Church Fund for Educational Work. o per cent, to John McGlashan College . o per cent, to Scots College. 5 per cent, for the purchase of sites. 5 per cent, for the reduction of deficits in Mission Funds. 5 per cent, for Sustentation Fund (with a maximum sufficient to raise the capital to £10.000).. 40 per cent, or the balance of the money, to form a permanent Loan Fund for 'b"ilrlin<rs. the income to be nt the disposal of the Assembly from year to year. 5. That no canvass be made for any of the above objects until this appeal has been completed. 6. That all legacies received during the time the special appeal is bein2 made, and not allocated to specific obiects. be placed to the credit of this fund. 7. That full preliminary arrangements be made and propaganda issued before general anneals are made f-;r subscriptions, and that, if desired, paymeans be spread over a period of five