BAPTIST UNION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 941, 7 October 1910, Page 6

BAPTIST UNION

ENCOURAGING STATISTICS. ■ A RECORD INCREASE. ■ ;, IBy Telegraph.—Press ■ Association.) ■■■• ■ . ; Dunedin, October 6. The twenty-eighth'annual conference of the- Baptist Union opened to-day. The session.from 9.30 till 11.30 a.m. was devotional. -~"-.'"

, The Rev. R.' H. Knowles' -'' Kempton !(Auckland), in'the course of an interesting address, emphasised the relation :of Christ to the Church, and of the Church to Christ. 'Other speakers on the subject wore: The Revs. ;J'.,T. Hinton, A. S. Wilson, A. North, A. Dewdney, S. Jenkin, J;. J. North,.'and G.". Macdbnald; Messrs. J. G. Eraser, J. Spedding, and Wratt (of Peilding).' • ' • The Rev.. A.' ■ North deplored' the lack of. aspirants to the ministry of tljeir Church: This he considered was an indication of weakness. ~;.».

- The Rev.' A. Dewdney said no man could read tho signs of the .times and be. particularly joyful.. However, theirs was not.au outlook, but an uplook. ■ ■ : The Rev. J. J; North regretted that Mr.. Dewdney had got a.slight doseof the prevailing pessimism,' which was , particularly /noticeable in' Wellington..-He insisted. that a tremendous change, had come over the people in regard to charity, reverence,-arid their'knowledge of things spiritual.-,! What was needed .was that orthodoxy should ,'be uttered' in. '■ modern !s'peech in terms understood by tho masses.

!!•:. The Annual Report. •; ' In the'afternoon the Rev.-R'.,S.:Gray, of Christchurch (hon. Secretary), read: ;the annual report, which contained the. following ; information:—Twenty-five years ago; the membership of' the union stood at 2588,!!. distributed ..amongst' 'twenty-four 'churches.. In "the interval .the number, 'of. churches -.had . been almost: doubled, tbere being' fortj'-four,. with more., than double; the 'membership."; The were "as follow:—Membership, August; 31, 1909, .1877; received ,by'baptism during .the year, 290; by'transfer, 264; by other methods,. HOj/totali 5577. Removed, by-! death, 7.48; by-transfer,' 197; :by ..revision: and-other methods, 167; leaving • a mem-! ;berehip',at August:3l,'l9lo, of 5165, a;net increase: of 288; ' The net. increase; is tho 'largest'fecorded in' the history of tho union. ; .The -definite.''forward., policy adopted' some years ago \ would havo to be steadily pursued until; in: every tof n and district, they : : wero;suitably.' represented. 'The'growth- of'settlement!in the northern districts- afforded.ani.exceptional' .opportunity! for," the establishment of, preaching stations'and'Sunday, Schools. : .There had'been a.niarked-increase'in.'baptisms, and good results; from ■■■ evangelistic . missions. ;A. splendid, spirit) of.: advance .was displayed '-. in;the! northern-,' district, where ,it:was : reported there had : ,been' during : the 'year "an■■.-•incieast•;of '■ ;2Bß' members,, . the •■largest' ■-'. recorded;/ ->.'ia : the ; : history of'v. : :tKe , ;;iuniohv> 1 ! There':.' were.■•' .not enough ..churches: ■-, in,, 'the ~Dominion; to meet demands,'and a!!definite forward policy;; would' -lia've,, to:, be-. adopted.. The, general ■ work .of-:the -churches seem-; ed' to ; ;bave, been carried on 'with- fidelity, most of - them': reported '•' the organisations as 'being in''a, healthy;;condition,,"and in several, cases 'considerable'accessions' of .members 'had occurred, or.were "expected 'as the.result of special pastoral, efforts or: -luhitea,' The' ','second ",\Austfa-, ;lasian.Baptist.Congress.would be held, in Melbourne in .'March,-..and: the union was; asked: to, send! ;as ; strong'': a. delegation 'as Sossiblei. :!The! World Congress, at" Phila!: elphia! would'.nieet in! June; and the .as : ! !sembly would .be!',asked,to'appoint repreJsentatives;-':, The: financial aspect; of ".their work""'demanded', considoratibn.'!";, : Sbme. system 'should <be:•adopted.'-'^^whicli! v would' reachdhe•non-subscribing!portion 'of:the; -church:! membership',., and induce .'the' • whole;; of;, the, members.--tov adopt : some 'form; of .systematic ,-'•' and ■'. proporti6riate : ;giving.; ! ',; : .: , !":, ; ; ' ':'.■';;!..'-;■ (,: : .S'-~.- •!; :!!-" ;.:'-/; Anti-Gambling Legislatioh. ..•:; - A-> motion • was 'adopted as .follows: 'That!,tho'!New Zealand-BaptistsConfer-ence, desirp'-resiife'btf ull^ 1 to, Te'mih'd''!' 'the Government ;;bf the''.Extreme' nrgohcy'- for! anti-gambling'legislation this session, in, view pf the fact .'that -we: have been ..assured -that' we:, have •■■ 30 .times as - many, race days' to: our .population as England has,■.'■ and. 50.'.per ■■ cent., more!' than New SbutH' : >ValeS; in!.view, also of tho!fact that -! we;' gamble ■ 100 per cent, .more', per capita : on ■ the : .totalisator than Sbiith - Aus-, -'tralians; ihiView. .also !of : ' the .'national outcry and recent resolutions,.in;.Parliament.? The'.conference -believes- it! will be,;tt,real' calamity!.if the.session!passed .without '.drastic .legislation! being: placed upon the Statute Book." ■'/'• ;',:•.:.:,

;VAY Subtle-and Misleading 'Tendency." .' (The Rev.' W. Hay: delivered.,the: \.presidential address to-night,"his subject, be-' : ing:. "Spiritual. Conscience," which; he; interpreted - as. conscience .' dominated' ;by, ! spiritual ideals.. The 'Baptists stood firmly- on this' '-principle,. * and' ; ..'nothing. ;=o adapted itself: to change,.of "years,nlt .was.the.seal set.by God and man,to the supremacy ■;' of' the: Christian "■ ideal.,- -Next to ; Christ -there had been.'no .'truer spiritual conscience I than that of the Apostle Paul, whose doctrine,;after,nineteen centuries,''', was the unshaken;and. authoritative- exposition .of . the being ,'and -attributes of Christ,', despite the subtle: philosophy, of .to-day :.that begged the!: question -regarding' the divinity of , ; Ghrist,' while still claiming that 'mahwhs diyincY Mr'. Hay: also; dealt' with the: reaction from an extreme cast)ron:.theology .giving birth to a, subtle arid,misleading, ten-; dency to - go. back -to Christ as ,ah academical ; teacher ■ when human hearts sought not- a pedagogue' but '■' a ' saviour; ■' :The thing essential; to Christianity.was l some--.'tl/i.rigl more■''■ than, ethics, and ;on 'that ground alone it was peerless.. .Religious sentiment without a strong ' commanding spiritual conscience; must -be utterly • -ineffective.:. without religion was. humbug.:. Mr,, Hay; also; spoke -on (jlaims of Christianity,', .and' the missionary' spirit that; had..'even' been the genius that:.had welded,:'impelled, and' multiplied the Baptist ranks. "■".-;