THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2191, 2 July 1914, Page 4

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

HALF-YEARLY SESSION

evangelism. Tho evangelistic of church life ■ was toneheii upon % the licv. . liodgfe (Napier). iic said ho took evangelism to mean' tho ' spirit; . and. nvotliod i>.v which t)ip church was striving at- a!) costs to save the world from sin and error. The nian-ru-the-strect fl ;«s the Church's great pioblem—particularly in New Zealand. How could tliqy reach the mSn-iu-thc-strcH? . If tho spirit of evangelism could grip them tiiey would lind a way, . Tho p.copla clamouring jtsorc) direct cvaii;;oiicaJ preaching. In tho course of the discussion -which followed, l).r. .Toiioj? said thai. Very ofum a preacher's failuro t<> obtain good results was. attributed to tho fact- that, 'ho doesn't preacji tho Gospel,': This. should 1m put down,, because so often people v.iyaut by the Gospel tho old iii- ' leTpreta.tJons and .theories of tho Bible. In thq course of further remarks, - Dr. ■Jones spid that tho experience of Mr, Moody and of others had been that tho greatest congregations had' : attended tlipio addrt'.s.H's which dwelt on tho doe-, trine of free graco, and that which was: neceswy to t!io indi\ldnal to live a good and true .Christian life. This was. found baiter than the old idea of dwelling on sin, wickedness, and the wretchedness of iiiou. "Tho individual fiisitiberi!'; Tllh Rev, AS A Evans read a paper ?'• ' 'The Value, of tho. Individual .Moiii-. o'er to the Church aud the : World.'' Ijiio-, he. said, is madb up' of trying, o» attempts ...;a;t seif-bcttcrmeut. 'l!bo oxorase of .this attempting makes for; individuality, which,-working 'in' socfetji ir.akes. personality possible.' ", As a .nicmbei of. a community each individual has rights and duties, and, apart from society, is ijoihiug biit. a bare possibility. Membership in a church dotshot change tho individual's, 'yfcist;. things. ■Environment; -acting oiv'a teiiv peramout may makeman', .religious.. The change is in that which-.brings man nearest t-o the Supreme Being, and thisis the primary feature of iir a -clitfrcJi-. ■ 'J/i.W imehibor his church with him in all his worldly : rMattnii's.. ■ - ' . '

INTERESTING ADDRESSES

Tiio half-yearly conference . of ih.o Congregational Union of K (; n Zoalai.ti t\\ etliiwten district) opened &i-Tues-day at tho Terrace Church Schoolroom/ .1 ho Wflv, J, Weed Giassim presided}- Slid delegates pro>,<.'iil besides the. Rei. J. l) r Jone* DD.veio Rev. A Hodge (.Iv'.apie.fj, &Vr A. 51. A:s]Tian:d...M AspUnd, Mi. pud Mrs Whitehead ( I aliiierston North)-, Rev. T. G. Butler iNelsou;, Kev. B. L. Thoiiia f . Olastcr- '«»), R?<-. ini'l Mrs. Gibson '0. vtown), Rev. \V A, Evans, llev A [Knit, and other Wellington delegates.' I)r Jones was hcartilj welcomed to t]io :co:iimi'eiice, and was ;also ; liiteij upon the recent conferment upon Win of the degree <j.f docto.r.

The ltevs, A. C. Hunt and B. L. Thomas ; s;pokc 011 tlie subject, and tho llov. Dr. Jones agreed vith the coneiusions of the. rcader.of the paper.-.' Ho said that quality of. tho. church - mem-, bfirs, not their quaniity, should be' tho ; bfc ; aim. of the olnirches.' . lio. agreed ! %V;th the test- of mcmbi>rship put- forward by Mr. Evans... ■ The value of (ho individual .momher to. tho world dependod 01.1 tho value of the nuunber to. the ■cMirelii' 1

THE FORWARD. MOVEMENT,

ADDRESS BY DR JONES

At : .tho evening, session, there was a

l'ftrgo congregation." Mr.. A.. Graff .pre-. Sided, and addresses weio given by Mr. W. J Lankshcarj, and IW> J D. Jodes, MA, DD, ulio each delivered an address on. "The Congregational .Forward Movement." ' • Mr Lai>lvslioar, ■whose remarkt were brief, said that. in eotmcctiou. witli tlio forward movement it had . been decided to raise.£lo,ooo. The Church- had beonreceiving sums from tho. Colonial Mission for' some tinie.vfor tho support of the weaker churches', and the. extension of the church work. The l foriiicr, movement had been organised, to develop, a self-reliant. policy, It" had .promised the .society that., .if they, could get air. advance. of £20110 they would go ahead'on their own account. The .money would bo invested and wduid return £450 or t,m aiitutally. They - .hoped aoon .to havo the .full amount. : (Applaii'se.)Tiio Vlllags Church.

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