LONDON GONCRECATIONAL UNION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 9

LONDON GONCRECATIONAL UNION

ANNUAL MEETINGS,

Further evidence of the new vilaKty j of the London Congregational Union I was manifest at the annual meeting at Whitcneld's on April 4 (says the Lnmtian World")- nt °" ! - v . wcro t!le at ' tendances larger than for many years but tbo whole proceedings were niarW by vigour and interest The eon crciice on "flic Essential Work of the Church was opened by Rev. K A. D«wsett, and continued by Rev. A. C. Hill, of Tol-lin-ton Park, whose contribution was exceedingly fresh and pointed. He said some plain tilings about preaching. During the last thirty years Nonconformist preaching, lie said, lias been far too metaphysical. There were people on whom metaphysical sermons hilliclo-I a headache. Then, too much of modern preaching was literary. Sermons wero not literature. There is the language of the literary and the language of tho populace, and preachers would have to pure their vocabulary and limit tlii'li phraseology, and be content not to usu many words with which they wero familiar, but which were unfamiliar to tlio populace. He objected to tlio assumption that sanctity implies limitation of intellect, and that whenever wo became holy wo became feeble-minded, and that dulness is a necessity concomitant of goodness, and that no sane man of the world aspires after the things that are puic and of good report. Mr. Murray Hyslop presided at the business' session. The annual report indicated an evcr-inercasins amount of work. The financial statement showed that.on tho Church Aid Fund tlio income was £110, including- £1009 from tho Women's League Bazaar, £1370 from 'Mr. W. H. Brown, and £1606 by subscriptions, donations, and collections. Tlio expenditure was mainly made up grants, amounting to £1322 —Claremont £789, Crossway £296—leaving a balance- of £038 to reduce the deficiency of £1097 on last year's accounts. Tho Chapel Building Fund showed an income of £1134, and a surplus balance .of £140. The Philanthrope Fund closed with a deficit, of £160." The subscriptions for this branch amounted to £3979. The cost of Media ml Hall was £1564 . Tho election oi vice-chairman_ for the current year, to bo chairman in 1912, was the "next business. Rev. Frederick Hastings was unanimously chosen with a cheer that lions tribute to his popularity. Rev. W. L. Leo reported on tho progress of the Central Fund as it affected tho London districts. At present £10,408 was promised, and ho suggested that they should aim at another £15,000.