CHURCH POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 46, 18 November 1920, Page 6

CHURCH POLITICS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SESSION INTERESTING STATISTICS TABLED FALLING OFF IN MEMBERSHIP The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Kev." Zealand continued its deliberations yesterday in St. John's Church. . The 'Moderator, the Kev S W. Currie, ot Balclutna, presided V number of reports covering various activities of the church were dealt with, the sitting extending into the' evening.

Treasurer's Statement,

In the course of his annual statement tho treasurer (the Rev. W. J. Conine) said that contributions to the general funds of the church had again exceeded all previous records. This had been due largely to the special appeal which was mailo'to meet tho crisis in foreign mission work arising from the adverso rate of exchange. The liberal response to that appeal did not, however prevent other funds being well supported anil most of these showed an increased income for tho year. The special home mission appeal was to some extent overshadowed by tho more urgent appeal for foreign missions, and the amount received was considerably short of what was aimed at. The general home mission fund bad a larger income, and showed a larger credit balance than ever. That the Maori Mission fund showed a large credit balance arose from the amounts contributed for hospitals .at Nuliaka and Ruataliuna being included in tho general fund. If these amounts were deducted, tho balance .would be only £132 17s. 5d., not sufficient to pay salaries for 011 c month. Tho youth of tho church fund showed a larger balance, mainly because agents were not found to take up the work. The theological College Fund was in a most unsatisfactory condition, and, called ' tor serious attention from the Assembly. The income of this fund tvcls not only far less than was required: it \vns;almost ;CSO less than for th 6. previous year. All the larger presbyteries showod lessened contributions the falling off being greatest in AMelhngton, Christohurch, Oamaru, and Dunedm. One hun<lred~and twenty-twee ministers and home missionaries were insured agnmst accident and sickness, and premiums amounting to £182 ss. had been paid to the insurance company. Compensation amounting to • - ceil njiid to 10 ministers nnd homo missionaries. Through' tho unfortunate accident which led to the death of the late liev. W. W. Brown, a further claim for .£"SO fell nn the company after the closo of the financial year. In response to nn appeal for the starving children of Central Europe, X'ltl 19s .2d. was contributed and forwarded to what was known as the "Savo the Children pund. A considerably larger sum had been dealt with since that time, and it was known that, not nearly all the amounts raised by tho congregations had passed through this channel. The report was adopted without discussion.

Statistical Report. The statistical' report, for 1919-20 was tabled by the Rev. W. H. Howes, on behalf of tho Statistical Committee. Ihe report mentioned that throughout tho church tliero had been a decrease in membership of 274. To that number the North Island contributed 92, the .South Island 182. Tho largest decrease 111 the church was to* be nought in the Wanganui Presbytery, which recorded 114 m decrease. 11l Ithe South Island, the laTgest decrease was' in the Oamar|t Presbytery with 87, being closely followed by Mataurn Presbytery with 84. The larger decrease in. the> South Island might ba due to migration to tho warmer north, only that would not account for the decrease in the presbyteries of Wanganui and' Wairarapa, with 216 between them. Tho numoer of members received by examination showed ail increase of 368, but that did not equalise the decrease in membership by six. The greatest increaso by examination ' was in tlia South Island, with 222. The wart had been blamed for much, but in tho tfjister churches of Scotland, England, and probably Ireland, tho membership had increased considerably, though the church attendance was reported to bo exceedingly poor. 111 view of that they could not justly condemn the war for New Zealand Vreduction in •.membership. Indeed, it w<ls quito possible it might bo duo to the war that tho increase in members by examination was reported. In connection with pastoral care there had been ft large increase of some 1300. But ilncK<eas , ed pastoral care had not shown itself in increased niombership nor yet 111 increasoil church attendance. Tho results were intangible in theso directions. Tho increase in persons under pastoral care was confined to the North Island. Though the membership as well as those under pastoral care was very much greater in the South Island than in the North, the number of baptisms in the North Island was only 12 snorl of the baptisms in the South. The prayer mooting had just about held 'its own in point of numbers,' though there Had beon a decrease in the South Island.

Finance. Tho report went on to state that the total ordinary revenue showed an increase of ovor .£30,000. Of the total amount the South Island raised ,£105,315, while the' North raised 580.301, making the total leceipt of ordinary tovenuo to be ,£185,019. The average raised per head for ordinary revenue was for tho South Island £i 2s. Id., and for tho North .£4 18s, lid. For buildings, property, debt, or from rent, tho total raised was JE57.&47. Of that amount the Souths Island contributed ,£29,660 and tho North J37.887. Those,two lines of finance yielded X2-13.16I), or nearly onequarter of a million, which was by far tho largest revenue the church had yet raised, and it did not include tho special effort made last year for mlsisions. Of that large sum the South Islnnd contributed .£134,975, or .£5 ss. 2d. per member. The North Island raised .£108,191, or JIG 12s. ad, per member. The total debt on church property was -CIOS,3!H). Were each member in tho South Islnnd to pay only 30s. 8(1.. the South Island debt "would bo wiped out. The North Inland members, to accomplish tlie same thing, would have to pay .£1 65., which, after all, would .not bo a ruinous amount. The report was adopted after a short discussion. Social Work,' Tho report of the Life and Worlc Committee contained tho following recommendations:—(l) That the Assembly instruct tlie Auokland Presbytery to ordain 51r. Jno. Dissott at an early date. '2) That each presbytery take into consideration the matter of special evangelistic efforts in its different charges. (3) That sessions be urged to aim at fostering a- spirit of loyalty on the part of members to the, evoning service. (4) Thnt the first Sunday In July bo appointed for special services in connection with tho observance of tho Lord's Day. (5) That an effort be made throughout tlio wliolo church to proclaim tho Christian view of marriage, and that tho third Sunday in March be the day for that purpose. (0) That the Assembly set up a. committee to consider tho relation of the Church to the divorce laws, and that this committeo suggest instructions for tho guidjinco of ministers and others, and report to noxt Assembly. (7) That an appeal be made to.tho Education Department to publish carefullyprepared articles in tho School Journal ngainst the vice of gambling, that special instructions be [riven in all our Sunday schools, and that ministers be urged (o preach against rambling:

Sabbath Schools. The''Sabbath Selxipl?' Committee report montioned that the serious setback in numbers last yoar, which showed <i decimso of !),'> schools mid 913 scholars, after yfars of n steady increase, had, to n certain extent, been stemmed .year. The .returns shotved an increase of 12 schools and 241 scholars, which still left ample margin before they recovered lost ground. Tho loss Inst, yoar was reported from the North Island; this year tho South Island -was responsible for tiw shrink ago,

The staff of teachers showed a net decrease of 37, there being 23 more nialo teachers us against 60 female teachers less. The number of scholars joining tho church, and also Bible cIa6SOS, showed a satisfactory increase of 37 and 135 respectively. Tho finances were in a healthy condition, ,£7163 being contributed— ,£lo6i above last year's figures; tho contributions for "self-support and for missions having increased considerably. After paying a tribute to tho work of tho Sabbath school agent, the report went on to deplore the large decrease in the number ,of entrants in tho Sabbath school examinations. Only 1068 scholars entered—about 5 per cent, of the average .attendanco of those over nine years of age—and they were sent forward by 112 schools, or 15.8 per cent, of tihe total number. _ Even allowing for a deterring factor in the shape of the prevalence of sickness, Uie committeo pointed out that the lack of interest in tlio examination seemed to be growing. Considerable discussion 'lensuod relay tire to tho necessity for stimulating interest in the examinations, and included in a series of recommendations adopted were the following:—That itlie manual for Bible-class members and senior Sunday-school scholars be revised and reissued; thnt tho examination be held on Friday, Juno 10, 1921,' and the essay be written within a week thereafter. Youth Work. Tho last Assembly affirmed the desirability of appointing, a director of youth worlc, and referred tho questions of his duties and of finance to tho Youth of the Church Committee. The matter was gone into thoroughly during tho recess, und as an outcome tho committee proposes an oxpendituro of ,£IOSO, this amount to be. raised by the united efforts of congregations. Regarding tho appointment of n director, tho committee recommended the following objective:—(l) Director of youth work, salary and expenses, ,£525; Sunday school travelling secretary, salary and expenses 40250; oftico oxponsw, .£150; Bible class general secretary, salary and expenses .C 450; Bible class travelling secretary, salary and expenses, .£250; total, .£1625. (2) (a) That the Assembly appoint a director of youth work at a salary of ,C4flo with X 75 for house allowance, and .£SO for travelling expenses, who shall, under tho direction of the Youth Committee, seek to make known and effective the youth policy of tho General Assembly,* and shall co-ordinate tho work of Sabbath sohools and Biblo classes and all other activities amonj tho youth of tho chnroh. (b) Thnt further appointments be left to the Youth Committee to nmko them when deomcd advisable. •(c) That the headquarters of the Youth Committee bo in Christchurch. (d) That in the meantime a Bible class section of the Youth Committee in Wellington continuo to control the nfjent or agents of the B,C. work as hitherto, (e) That, the Rev. J. C. Jamieson bo appointed ns director. Aftor some discussion the recommendations were adopted, with the deletion* of the clause relo.tiyo to tlio appointment of a Biblo class general secretary, and the addition of a proviso thnt n second Biblo class travelling secretary miirht be appointed. Tho adoption of tho recommendations does not, it was explained, commit 'ho Assembly to actually making tho proposed appointments, concerning which further resolutions will bo moved today. At. thi* juncture an adjournment iras made'till this morning,