"PREACHING COMPETITIONS."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 892, 11 August 1910, Page 5

"PREACHING COMPETITIONS."

}■■■;■■'■■■■[ ■■, t - : ■-,; :•..,;:..' ,;<;.; CONDEMNED BY REV. ; I. JOLLT. (By Telegraph:—Special Correspondent) -,-;■'. Auckland, August 10.. An important report upon tlio subject of tenure of office by ministers, of the Presbyterian Church was presented -. at .; . the meeting of the -.Auckland Presbytery - last night. The committee appointed-to .-••; report on the matter recommended that .-;..■-.- in cases where a congregation-desired to ■■;. hear the minister, preach before they ~ ,-■ chose him the• congregation should vote,' -~;.. upon one man before they heard another,- >,: anil that a minister must bo five years in L' a-charge at a'tirc'o before, he sought -a. .; t cliauge. Speaking to tho fivst recomraen-' ; ■ elation, the Her. I. Jolly said he. consid- ■ : ..v ercd it advisable that' the church: should eliminate tho degrading • element- intro-V duced by preaching competitions/ and he. pointed out that one vile'effect of, the. ..;■ ' ; system iii vogue was that when'the vote - - was taken after two or three candidates had spoken the congregation- was. very ■■;■■■ often split up into factions., Inferring ■-'■ to the second recommendation ho' said that when a minister left a charge for , another after having only occupied the former one Soys, short period-it tended to shake the people's confidence in tbe ministers, and gave the impression that they.... wero siinplv there for what they could get 'out of it. The report was adopted, - , and will go on for consideration by the General. Assembly.