CHURCH PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 48, 20 November 1920, Page 5

CHURCH PARLIAMENT

A CONDITIONAL LEGACY GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SESSION The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Oiircli of Now Zealand continued its sittings yesterday. . The Moderator (t'i® Bev. S. A\ r . Currie) was in the chair. The Clerk reported that four Presbyteries had reported in favour of the proposal to establish a junior communicants' roll, and 11 against; and the proposal was therefore dropped. Fire Insurance Fund. According to the Fire Insuraneo Fund report on August 18, 1920, insurances were in force amounting to «£3G7,946. These were distributed over 331 churches, 172 nianses, 95 schoolrooms and other buildings, the property of 200 congregations find organisations. The amount to tho credit of the fund was .£1516 95., an increase of JJ759 ss. 3d. for the year. No claim for fire loss had matured during the financial year, but on August 16 St. Andrew's Church, Wellington, together with the attached hall and classrooms was almost totally destroyed by lire. This loss was believed to be the heaviest sustained by any church in New Zealand. From the insurance point- of view tho loss was a total one, tho amount on tho building and contents being Of this amount £400 was held by' tho Church - Fund, tho balance, <£6500, having been reinsured. A prompt settlement was effected, and tho amount was now held 'by the Church Property Trustees on behalf of St. Andrew's congregation for reinstatement purposes. The report was adopted'without discussion. ■ New Century Fund. The report of the New Century Fund Committee, which was adopted, stated that loans had been granted as follow:— Dennis ton .£SO, Hanmer ,£2OO, Richmond .£2OO, Titoki ,£3OO, Whangamomona ,£300; total, .£IOSO. A grant ot .£SO was made to Deriniston in aid of the purchase of a cottage for, the purpose of a manse. As usual, a considerable number of loans had been promised," and were waiting their turn, for payment when funds were available, and several requests had liad to ho declined owing to lack of sufficient .funds. To 'substantially increase this fund would be one of the surest means of establishing the cause in needy and neglected districts.

Church Property. I In its report, the Church Property Committee recorded that transactions in conneotion with Church property during the year ended September 30, 1920, bad been more numerous than usual, nnd were reported'as follow;— Eighteen properties were sold for .£13.987; nine congregations and one. college borrowed JOaa" on mortgage; titles lyere received for 15 congregational -'properties nnd for tho Rlaori Mission property at Nnliaka, and various documents were executed in connection with the purchase and oth'erwiso of .congregational properties. The sum of was received in repayment of mortgages and other securities, end .£27,W7 was invested in mortgages and debentures. Under the will of a former resident in Canterbury, the residue of the estate, estimated at about iSOOO, was left to tho Church, subject to. ft provision that a sum of not lass than .£6OOO should. be raised by the Church within five years after the death Of the last of the life,, beneficiaries. The last of the life beneficiaries died a fsw months ago, and it now behoved the Assembly to determine what steps were to be taken to comply with the terms of the will in order to secure the beauest. Provision should also he made for" the administration of the • fund. . • The report was adopted. • Foreign Missions. • The report of the Foreign Missions Committee was tabled during the evening session. The committee pointed out that, only three months after the meeting of tho last General Assembly the' critical situation then reported'.became bo acute that the committee had to decide at once whether it would retreat or advance. To stand still cut of the question; because the staffs in India. and China were opposing tremendous odds with deDleted numbers and failinz health.« They had either to be. rccalled J or reinforced, to have more funds or to close down much of their work. Tim committee decided that the Church must shoulder the responsibility of one or thn other. An appeal was at once made; the Church responded magnificently: by her combination of faith and good works she faced the crisis and won tfirmigh triumphantly. The gross income rose from <£12,174 in" 1919 to •£35.414 in 1920., and fhus the committee was enabled, not only to meet the enormous loss by monetary exchange, but also to send out s<im» of. the reinforcements so badly needed and' to provide for some necessary bilildirijrs. The current year would ha <utotlie- one of'heavy.outlay, it being estimated that the sum of ,£19..122 would bo' Tunuired Last year's estimatn wo» completely vitiated by the "wild exchange" TaTns of the first four months of. 1920: but it was honed that a fair degree of stability would obtain ;for some time to come. If the estimate made should b« »orified. then the amount of new con- j tributions required for tho year ondins '.Time 3D, 1921, was .£17,388,_ or HO «f cent, more than was givon in tho year J!)lR-10in. ...

By special resolution the Assembly recorded gratitude to God for the noble dnrvinn of its missionaries, .who, during a very trying year,- held on in tho face ' of depleted staffs and increasing work— pome of . them undertaking extra duty pvnn after furlough had been iong_ overdue; and who a'so, on their own initiative. cut down oxDenses in every way possible. Tim followinc recommendations of the committee were affirmed: — "The Assembly ,calls-t.ho attention of nil Presbyteries to the fact that, owing/ to continued unfavourable monetary exchange. the estimated expenditure for the current year is very considerable nnd again enioins all ministers to keep , the matter fully and sympathetically before their peonle." "Tha Assembly further authorises the Foreign Missions Committee as follows: . 0). To send out during the coming year those candidates who shall have completed their course nnd whose salarios are alreadv promised, with others as finances permit. (2) To make anv further necessary adjustment in missionaries' salaries and allowances." Women's Traininfl Institute. The seventeenth annual report of the Women's Training Institute stated that Sister Margaret took up her work as superintendent this session, with striking success. The reiort stated, inter nlia: "The question of making provision for the training of Sunday School teachers was submitted to us by the-Rev. R. M liyburn's committee.' Wo agreed to confer on the 'subject with a view of making a recommendation to the Assembly. Until the scheme of those who are interested in teacher training is somewhat more matured, wo can make no pronouncement, but it appears to us better to adopt an existing organisation to meet a now need, if that be than to start a new institution. Tho renort was adopted. The Assembly will sit again this morning.