OVERLAPPING

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 9

OVERLAPPING

"Pending the evolution of a satisfactory scheme of Church Union, it will be generally admitted" (writes the Sydney "Methodist") "that it is desirable to limit the wasteful and weakening overlapping that at present occurs only too frequently in many places in Australia So far, all proposals in this direction havo been brushed aside with no cercr mony and little courtesy in New South Wales. The plea is that the several Churches are to continue as 'going concerns' until union actually comes spreading themselves 'for all 'they are worth,' in the colloquialism of the dav Mow this is going lo preparo tho wav - to union, or to make the process easy whon it comes to pass, is beyond our comprehension. In our judgment, it can only intensify sectarianism ami multiply difficulties for future settlement We note, however, that in West Aufr trail a they are proceeding on other lines. They are not troubling much about organic union, but they have devised an agreement as between the C'ongrcgatinnftlist, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches in that State to minimise as far as possible, the evils of ovcrlapnin" . Jhe agreement has been passed by' l!m Methodist Conference executive committee, and also by the committee of (lie other Churches named, and is thcrefo-o now operative."