THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1596, 13 November 1912, Page 4

THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

'::- MODERATOR'S ADDRESS"THE PRESENT PRESSING NEED OF ."- V; -rTHE CHURCH." BEV. G. LINDSAY ON THE TIUINING . OF.THE YOUNG. Tho Goncial Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of-New Zealand met in St. John's Church, Willis Street, lust evoni'ing.,/Divine service was conducted by,tho .rotirinj Jfodorator, tlie licv. G. Lindsay, .who chose as the subject for his address tho need for spiritual and religious training of the young. The family, he said, was the spiritual unit in society, and the responsibility for the spiritual training'of children could -..no'ver: be. shifted from parents to .strangers. There was a tendency, howover, for parents to discharge this duty either indifferently or not at ■all. It would be a cruel wrong to ullow .children to grow up without somu suuh Jocular education as was provided by tin) State,-but'it .was an equally gviovous wrong to ailiitt children to grow up without spiritual training. Nor wns it necessary, to wait until children'attained years;of complete uiulsrsKincline; before coin'uie'ncinK this training; training received in the plastic period of youth bore fruit all along lfc's pathway. Most of all, the young should be tuught curly, to acquire thehabit of attcmling church'; and the sarvices sho ulci be so schemed us to presout'soiji'o features to appeal to the youthful mind. There wero welcome signs Hint I the'Ciiurch of. to-day- was more a]ive than it Was -'-'n* .generation ago to the need for education of the young, but in spit© of this four out of .every five children passing through the Sunday schools were lost to the Church in'odulMife. Something nioro : mnst be. done.to retain these young np"i)!e within■'tbVipale of the Church. What was'needed was sonid organisation .with the object of promoting among tlic vouugi'-'a'deep living interest in-the service 'if-the'-sanctuary; so that the churohgoing liabit may bo.acquired iu an.early period of their career. Young -, people sliould he ' as they were in tho Anglican Cliurch. to enter into full membership '.when still of relntively-..len-der years. , To-day tho Church was at. a critical point 1 in her history. Thelproblem seemed to he—were tho young to be won to : grace, 'or were they to. drift; into carelefsnpss? . A cliildless Church was n -doomed Churdi. All who desired to see the Church flourish must unite in a strong, vigorous effort to.lead the young to grace. - .ELECTION OF MODERATOR... THE'REV. ANDREW CAMERON IN- ■■■•: STALLED. 'After, the Service -Assembly was consti- ' tuted, and the' Rev. G. Lindsay formally moved that the Rev.. Andrew Cameron, 8.\., of Anderson's Bay, Dunedm, he Jlodcratorof the Assembly for. this year. There were no other nominations, and Mr. Cameron .was elected.- and,duly installed- iii the chair by 'his predecessor.