A VACANT PASTORATE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 7

A VACANT PASTORATE

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.

A meeting of the congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was held last night to consider what steps should bo taken to fill tlio vacancy in the pastorat© caused by the resignation of the Rev. J. Gibson Smith. Tho Rev. J. Gumming, who is moderator of : the vacancy, presided. The attendance- of tho congregation was small. •

Mr. Cumming; explained tho procedure, that must be followed. It ia possible even at the 'first preliminary meeting; tp .havo tho name of somo minister' inserted, in a "call,!' which is the i name given to the invitation forwarded to a minister to accept a vacant charge. If this is done, tho members of 'the congregation may proqeed at once with the signing of tho call, find if sufficient flignatures are appended it goes through the proper channels to the minister to whom it is addressed. This oourso was not followed last night. The meeting ohoso the more uslial course' of appointing a committee to select from among the available ministers, in this country or elsewhero, one or more possible candidates for .submission to tho congregation at a later stage. The committee set up comprised the office-bearers of the church—the elders and the managers. The stipend to be offered was fixed at £400 per year, with the manse and with provision for a month's holiday in every year. The moderator announced that it had •been arranged, that 'the Rev. James Thomson, formerly fo Foxton, should carry on the work' of the pastor until the end of the present month. It could thon be determined whether it would bo necessary for him to continue longer. ■ .