CONGREGATIONAL UNION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2720, 15 March 1916, Page 6

CONGREGATIONAL UNION

CHURCH EXTENSION WORK. '• By Telccraoli—Prcsa Association. . v Dunedin, March. 14. At tlie annual meeting of the Congregational Union, the following officers were elected:— Chairman for 1917, Rev. W. M. Grant. Secretary, ltev. Mr. Bridger. Preacher of the Union sermon for 1917, the Rev. Mr. Saunders. . The following amounts were allocated t"o districts, and are to be raised in 1916 in the interests of the union and homo mission funds: —Auckland, £200; Wellington, £165; Canterbury, £70; Otago, £145. The conference unanimously decided that' the Government be asked to introduce a law closing the public-houses at 8 p.m. The fourth Sunday in August has been set apart annually as "Congregational Sunday" in all the churches.

A pronouncement was agreed to as follows: —Viewing with grave concern the awful waste involved in the overlapping of denominational interests in church extension work, and urging that steps be taken to arrange a conference of free churches, with a view' to avoiding this glaring evil. As a pledge of earnestness, the conference has set tip a committee empowered to confer with any representatives appointed by the various communions for this desirable end. A committee was then elected as follows Auckland district: Revs. Messrs. Craik and Sutherland, and Messrs. Smeeton, Fowlds, Hooton, Dykes, Moore, Danby, Potter, Ewen, Campbell. Wellington: Rev. Messrs. Hunt, Aspland, Hodge, ' Messrs. Lewis, Meadowcroft, Hunter. Canterbury: Rev. Messrs. Johnson, Sarginson, Job, Messrs. Richardson, Bull, Wade. Otago: -Rev. Messrs. Heighway, Ashford, Wallace, Messrs. Wilkinson, Leijon, Barr.