BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 3

BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. .'. ■, PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH] , THD INDIAN " MISSION FIELD. .-The-first .public deliberative sittings of tho annual conferenco of the 'New Zealand Baptist Union wero held yesterday iiv the Vivian Street Church. Mr. A. 1\ Carey, of Christchurch, presided., • .-'..' : The .liev. Howard Elliott, who lately catno from Queensland, and is settled, at Mount JJilen, was welcomed as a ministerial member of tho union. Tho Revs. "A. Ager, and .F. F. Jones,, were. welcomed back alter a sojourn in Australia',' and reinstated as ministerial member?.■ Mr. CD. Gardner,, who! has been working as a homo missionary in.Canterbury, was ;rccognised as: a pastor. The Rev. J. K. Archer, .from ..England, and , now at Napier, was .also, welcomed. ... .• : . ■ Secretary's Report.: : The secretary (Hot.- K. S; Gray), in his report, remarked that the ■ attendance at tho present conference was a record—32 ministers, and 76 .- delegates being • present, .108 in all. Thirty-sovon churches- were represented, ' and eight were unrepresented. -The presence of 12 women delegates was- noted as a satisfactory Tcsnlt.,of. the',adoption .by .last conference of the'principle of the admission' of women delegates. .The., outstanding ■ feature, of-tho, past year had been the missions held in many of the churches, which had resulted, in several cases, in substantial additions to membership, and in a distinct spiritual uplifting in all cases. Such.missions might well form a regular fea-' .hire of the- work of the union. Under the heading of "extension," • the report mentioned the opening of a station at Morrinsville. The Rev. J. K.-Archer had. held or arranged fot services at Hastings every .Sunday afternoon, and spoko hopefully of the establishment of a strong cause there. The central auxiliary board had passed a resolution urging the placing of a man at Hastings. Work at Gore was also described in the report, and it was recommended that a man'should be stationed thero also. Proposals for a unio'n church at Timaru were also to be considered.

Thei Rev; Guy • Thornton ■ had done-excellent and difficult pioneer work at Ohakune. A sito for a church had been purchased at the .ipset pace from the Crown. The generosity of• an Auckland member made tho purchase of the land possible, and the work was warmly conimended to others of. like mind and,' ability. work of a similar character was being done by any'other free church jn the vicinity, ind the opportunity to establish a cause should not.be allowed-to escape. Tho Wanganui Church had purchased a site and erected a building in the Gonvillo-Smithfiolddistrict, «d hoped to commence services immediately. A Sunday school had been held for somo time, and there was every prospect of the establishment of .a strong branch of the church. Tho deeds of the property! had been handed to the union in trust Most of tho churches reported a steady year's work. The ' congregations seemed to have been well maintained,- though the addition of members had iu many cases been smaller than usual. Special efforts in the direction of new buildings and extensions had been made by a number.: of churches, whilo others had- considerably reduced their debts. Several churches contemplated new buildings, and had opened funds for the purpose. A steady diminution of debts on denominational properties was also recorded. The work of the Back-block Mission had received a distinct impetus from tho appointment, of Mr. Eric Evans ..as home missionary.. '■. Tho statistics for , the year were as Membership at August 31, 1908, 4648; admitted during tho year, 518 (including 155 by-bap-tism,'.27B by transfer, and 115 by other methods) ; removed during the year, 319 (including 30 by death, 157 by transfer, and 132 by other methods);. net increase, 229; membership at Augiist 31, 1003, 4577. This net increase badonljv once been exceeded, namely, in 1884/ when it reached 252. The-baptisms were only 155, and were fewer than the average for the whole period of tho unipn's history. . The transfers inward wort> larger than usual,, leaving a net gain.under that 1 head of 121. -' '

4s the'result of a. special effort, -C2oo.a' year had been promised in connection with the Bible Class Union. Tho vesting of the Eerauera Children's Home in trustees for tho denomination was noted with thankfulness. The succoss and progress of tho denominational paper, tho "Now Zealand Baptist;" was also alluded to, and the report'concluded with an expression of' thankfulness for the year's work, and a reference to fields'of endeavour still to bo occupied.; '• , .'. . The report was adopted.; \ • ; ■ " . . s -'- '■;' Finance; ' ■ The • balance-sheet- (which : was .adopted), showed'a debit balance of JClss' Its. lOd., the receipts. being .£620 "14s. 2d.,'and the expenditure XtmS fls. ; Peter's Memorial Fund showed a credit of X'S3 10s. Gd. The sum of j>1221 was the total,raised for home mission'work in the Dominion. -.■;.'■"

The Rev. J. J. North suggested that the cost of the Year'Bbdk(i£Go)' was excessive,' and on his motion the executive was instructed to take the'matter into special consideration. • On the metion of the Rev.. A. Dewdney, a committee was set up to report pn measures for improving the. financial position of the homo, mission fund. ■ : ' '

.' The report of tho Students' Committee,-which was read by the Per. J. J. North; stated that four replications for, the students'-course were made during'.the! year, and three of the. applicants had.been ask'eel to sit for examination. The recommendations! of the examiners (Revs. T. A. Williams and 'J. J. North)." would ,be transmitted to the incomiug committee. Mi\ H, B. Hughes, 8.A., ■ was - about. ■to finish hie course, and it was hoped that a:suitable sphere would be found for his recognised ability. The' training of young men for the ministry and for home mission work was further dealt with in ! th'e report, and satisfaction was expressed that the thoughts of numbfrs of young men were turning in this direction. ■..•''.-• '■■ ■ ■

The report was adopted and a vote of thanks to the supervisors and examiners of the students and home missionaries,'and to Professors Hewitson .and Watt, of the Presbyterian University Hall, Dunedin, were passed. It was resolved to miniito an expression of regret for. the.death of Professor Dimlop, who, for many years, trained.Baptist students for the ministry.- ■.-•-, ■ .- • : ■• .- Annuity Fund. The Rev. .W. Hav moved to .'amend the rules of the retired-ministers' and missionaries' and widows' .-. and orphans' annuity fnnd, by striking out words which cause an.annuity to cease if the annuitant resumes ministerial duties. The : motion was lost. '-~. , EVENING SESSION. THE PRESIDENT . ON : INDIAN MISSIONS. The evening sittingi'.which was,largely attended, ■ was f occupied by the presidential address of Mr. A.' IV Carey. . The ,Rev, W. Hay (Dunedin), tfho presided, delivered a'brief and effective introductory'speech. ' The president, who is a great-grandson of William Carey, : one of .the, pioneers of.lndian iuissions/devoted his address mainly to missionary work in India, where he had visited the Baptist churches a few. years ago. He suggested that models should be .'prepared of. mission station compounds and buildings, to be sent the rounds of the Sunday schools and churches with a view' of arousing interest and giving instruction. '•■ Be also .thought questions should be invited which returned missionaries would gladly answer. , He :did not meet a single missionary, in -. India who : was hopeless'or complaining.:' On the contrary, those who had- -been there longest "were the most enthusiastic. Yet he,could not help feeling impressed with tho loneliness and gloom that must fall to the lot .oV many, of them. He. suggested that might' bo • arranged, between missionaries and ministers in the home churches, and that lady missionaries should be given openings as deaconesses in the churches when: they required a change.. Such a scheme would create increased interest in'the work .in India ' on ' the : part of 'the home churches; while the new zeal of those who went from home pastorates to India would compensate, for the time of enforced silence ivhile the language'was''being mastered. The president described the spiritual and educational work of tho missionaries, and quoted figures to show ■ that tho increase of native Christians in India showed a greater percentage than the increase of population. It was true that tho growth was mainly in the pariah caste, .the human. debris of India; .but this was the very' miracle and splendour of Christianity, that it could take hold oi the classes which, werb the despair and scorn of civilisation and regenerate - them. Fifty millions of human beings in India wcro sitting abject on tho outskirts of Hinduism, waiting for the vivifying message of. the Christian faith. The Baptists of Now Zealand hnd undertaken to evangelise tho groat district of North Tipperah, with' an area of 1357 square miles and a population of 1,117,112. They had only soven missionaries there, who, with fourteen to sixteen nativo workers, were responsible for this great work. . . . ■ The conference resumes at 10.30 this morning. A tea meeting will be held at 6 p.m., and a public meeting at 7.30, when addresses will be given'by the Revs. A. North and D. S. Mason, and Mr. A. S. Adams " Tho. Rev. C. Dallaston \HII preside, and there will be. special. choir' music. . A picnio at Day's Bay will take place to-moiroWi ■■'.'■'.' ... .