PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD

Evening Star, Issue 20053, 19 December 1928, Page 10

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD

APPOINTMENT OF DR HUNTER The adjourned meeting ot the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland was hold iii First Church Hall yesterday afternoon. _ The Moderator, the Her. John Chisholm, of Knox Church, Invercargill, presided. The clerk stated that the clerk of the General Assembly had written stating that it had nominated the Rev. S. F Hunter for the position of Professor of Old Testament Studies at Knox College, Dunedin. The Rev. E. J. Tiplcr moved (1) That the nomination by the General Assembly of the Rev. S. F. Hunter, M.A., D.D.j to the Chair of Old Testament Studies bo agreed to, and in accordance, therewith, Dr Hunter be appointed as from March 1, 1029; (2) That the manner of appointment be by duo form of call, and that it bo signed by the Moderator, the Clerk, arid the Convenor of the Synod’s Theological Hall Committee; and (3) That the Presbytery of Dunedin bo requested to make the necessary arrangements for the jnduct.iou of Dr Hunter to the Chair of Old Testament Studies at a suitable date. .The motion was carried without discussion. DR HUNTER’S CAREER. Particulars of Dr Hunter's career showed that bo was an Australian by birth. Ho entered the Glasgow University in 1903, and four years later gained the degree of M.A. with secondclass honours in Semitic languages. For three years ho lid special work in Semitic languages, .and spout two further academic years _ in reading Honan’s Semitic alone, doing advanced work in Uiblical Hebrew, Rabbinic Hebron - , the New Hebrew School of Poetry, Palestinian Aramaic, Arabic, Syriac, comparative grammar of the Semitic languages, with the history of the peoples, religions, and literatures. He was then awarded the .John Clark Mile-end Scholarship for uost-gradu-atc study of semitics and the Glasgow University Oriental Society’s prize for distinction in Arabic. lie was elected a. member of the Glasgow University Oriental Society in which be did certain research work for Professor Stephenson. In 1907, Dr Hunter entered I lie United Free College, Glasgow, and studied Old Testament language and literature for three l years under Professor (now principal) Sir George Adam Smith. In bis fourth year lie was assistant to (bo newly-appoinled Professor Dr <f. F. M‘Fadyen. In 1911 be completed the theological course, thus taking an eight years’ course in all. For seven of these years be bad made a special study of the Old Testament with Hebrew and cognate languages. Notwithstanding a busy life as a working minister, Dr Hunter kept up his Old Testament scholarship, and bad endeavoured to strengthen and further it. in 1913 bo took out an ad oundnm JI.D. degree. In May, 1923, the Melbourne College of Divinity conferred on him the degree of D.D. for a thesis on “ Tim Hope of Israel and its Fulfilment.” Dr Hunter was a trained school teacher, and had had considerable teaching experience.

PRINCIPAL OF THEOLOGICAL HALL. The llev. E. J. Tipler moved E.at the Synod adopt the vcsohiiions agreed to by the general assembly, aneiit the office of Principal of the Theological Hall, and concur in the appointment of Professor J. Dickie as first principal. The Moderator ruled that as "o communication had been received from the General Assembly on f lie _ matter, the Synod was not in order in discussing it. After a discussion, the Rev. Mr Tipler said that, to put the matter in order, as it was well known that Professor Dickie had received the appointment, he would move—“ That the Synod convey to Professor Dickie its hearty congratulations on his appointment ns first principal of the Theological Hall.” in seconding the motion, the Rev. W. Trotter said that the Synod should add that it heartily approved of the appointment. The motion was carriccd. REVISED REGULATIONS. New regulations were submitted governing applications lor grants from Synod funds, for the building of churches and manses, and for the endowment of chairs in the Theological Hull, and in the University. The purport of several of the new regulations was to make it- possible to make grants for additions to churches, such as vestries and entrance porches, which were not permitted under the old regulations. After an animated discussion, the regulations were passed, ami became the law of the Synod. CHURCH GRANTS. Mr Kilpatrick moved that permission he given lor flic old manse at Naseby to be sold, the proceeds to go to the congregation for a new manse.—Agreed to. The Synod i\as asked to grant permission to the Winton congregation' to soil land which was not now needed, the proceeds to go to the congregation. —Agreed to. Mr Kilpatrick moved that grants of .Cut) for Tapnnni ami Waipahi for repairs to the churches there bo made. He explained that these grants should have emno before the April Synod, hut wore overlooked.—The grants were agreed to under tho old regulations. The Southland Presbytery aC:ed for a similar grant, under the old regulations, for the church at Athol.—This was agreed to. • On the motion of Mr .Kilpatrick, (he Synod gave synodical powers to the Finance Committee to deal with certain lands at Stewart Island. The Rev. J. J. Cairnoy said that in 1925 the Synod gave tho Ravemsbounio congregation leave to soli two sections, provided that it returned to tho Church Board of Properly tho purchase money, plus interest. Those sections had been in tho possession of the congregation for thirty-five years, and if the congregation ■ had to return to the Church Board of Property tho money it received, pins interest, it would mean that it would have to pay about £IOO to tho Church Board of Property. Mr Cairney now asked that the Kavensbourne congregation ho given permission to sell tho sections under the new regulations.—This was granted. Mr Kilpatrick said that sumo time ago some- land at Alexandra was sold for £6OO, and it was arranged that £2OO should go to_ tho Church Board of Property and £4OO to tho Alexandra congregation. When the matter came before the hoard, it considered that if had nob the power to pay tho money to the Alexandra congregation. Tho Alexandra people needed money to build a Sunday School hall, and he moved that the Church Board of Property be asked to pay the £4OO to Alexandra for the purpose of helping to bull’d a Sunday School hall.—Agreed to. The Svnod then adjourned till March 20, 1929.