CONGREGATIONAL UNION CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 139, 7 March 1919, Page 5

CONGREGATIONAL UNION CONFERENCE

ADDRESS ON CHURCH UNION.

By Tdlegrapu-Prcss Association. Auckland, March (5. The Congregational.Union Conference commenced to-day. Seventy delegates are attending. A civic welcome was tendered by the Mayor. The Rev. J. Reed Glasson presided. The Rev. W. Moore, of Christchurcb, was received into ministerial status. In the annual report reference was made to the honourable mention won by these Island troops who are the product of the London Missionary Society e work. It was reported that the institutes at Fentherrfton and Tauhqrenikau would be dismantled, and the proceeds divided among the contributing churches. . •The military fund showed .8132 to. credit I Tn the afternoon Mr. W. A..Beaven read <i paper on " The Church in Relation to Civic Life," and the Rev. F. Uβ Lisle on "Church and Social Reconstruc'in' the evening the president delivered an address in regard to cli y/ ch " n ;° n : Ke agreed with those who alhmied that the greatest issue, of our time was the union of the divided Church. It held prioritv over every other issue, because in an 'atmosphere of the united church would be established social justice, international good will, and every other principle that had. to do with the common good. It was the bedrock of .national safety and perpetual sign and guarantee of international brotherhood. Tl: was no idle word to sav that the ttroiit Wnr should trv as by fire modern Christianity. Now that pence, of a kind had been made by the sword the Church w fl 'to bo put to the test of its greate nnporlunily. The critical question, of Hi,' hour for the. Church was whether nfln- the war Hit"'" would be a new epoch nf internntional Christianity. The subiect of the reunion of Christendom had token hold of the. imagination of Umt-f-in ueonle everywhere. The heart Ot the people was rCadv to respond' to the rail of the. times, but the people required leaders who were Church statesmen-men possessed of prophetic vision, and tno will to follow it. People were beginning lo see in true proportion the value ot doctrines, dogmas, and orgnnisationsthot benenth Hie varying creeds of organisations lay politics. These were the dnvi of great and growing unities. Wo were coming to see the unity of lunianitv. and were moving rapidly towards organisation nnd the federation of the world. Regarding the ways and methods hv which iho union of the various communions were to be consolidated into one great united church, thn sneaker snul none would be bold enough tn predict His details of the movement. \Vo should bn much more concerned about the snirit nf unitv Uian about the form. Once the snirii, of unity permeated the I'dnirehe? the. form would evolve materially.