CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1231, 13 February 1878, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY.

A Bpeoial meeting of the Presbytery was fceid in St. Andrew's Church schoolroom, Christeimrch, on Thursday, 7th February, and •was duly constituted with devotional exercises. Sederunt—The Rev. Messrs McCallum (Moderator), Hill, Cree, Eraser, Hope, and McGregor (clerk). m The Clerk read the Moderator's circular calling the meeting. On the motion of Mr Fraser, the Moderator's conduct was unanimously approved. Mr Fraaer said one of the objects of their meeting was to welcome the Rev. Mr Hope, the colonial secretary of the Free Church of Scotland, and he would move—" That Mr Hope be associated to take part in the proceedings," which was seconded by Mr Cree, and agreed to. The Clerk read the commission of the Rev. Peter Hope, 8.D., from the convener of the Free Church colonial committee, and the Moderator and brethren welcomed Mr Hope, and desired him to address them. Mr Hope said he brought with him the greetings of the Home Church to the brethren of this Presbytery, and as his medical adviser had desired him to take a sea voyage, it rseemed good to the committee that he should ■visit the Australian and New Zealand •Churches and see their condition and ascertain their requirements. As ho was personally acquainted with many of the brethren, he was especially pleased to meet them, and ready to forget that he was in a meeting so many miles from home. He wished the brethren not to think that they were overlooked by him as colonial secretary, because there were so few ministers sent out to assist them in the Lord's vineyard. f The great difficulty at homo was to find right :men, useful men, willing to come out to the colonies. At the present time there were very few probationers, not more than supply the home demands. The committee were ;always ready to send out a right man who was willing to come. Still the committee acted as ffar m possible on the resolution, that they would not send out a man without good reason to believe (hat he would prove an efficient and successful laborer j and for that season they declined those whom they deemed (unsuitable, and it was possible that they had sometimes been mistaken in those whom they had «ent. As tho committeo hud hud few probationers of late offering thomselves for •colonial service, they had thought to stir up some of tho ministers in the rural parts of Scotland who had been five or six years •ordained; but it was singularly hard to root them out, altbovgb o»py of t)a«m would, have

better congregations in the colony. Tho arrangement devised for bringing some of these out to the colony was that in the case of a vacancy the congrogation might through this Presbytery telegraph a call home, guaranteeing amount of stipend, and allowing the committee three or four months to look about them for a suitable party. By this arrangement several additions might bo made to the ministry. Another way in whioh the home Church m gh be able to htlp them would be to supply juung men studying for the ministry, if this Presbytery was willing to undertake the oversight of their studies. There were several young men who during the late revival had | been led to give their heart to the work in the Master's vineyard who were pursuing tlv ir studies with tho view of being educated for the ministry. If the Preshyt-ry could engage them as missionarits, to where there were no ministers, and htlp them forward in their studies, doubtless some of these would volunteer for colonial service. The committee was desirous to aid the Presbytery as far as lay in their power. The mombers of Presbytery thanked Mr Hope for himself and for the committee's aid already given, the interest taken, and the encouraging offers made to supply more laborers to aid them in the colony. The Moderator of Papanui laid a call on the table from that congregation, entreating the Rev. Mr Horner to become their pastor. On the motion of Mr Eraser, seconded by Mr Hill, the call was sustained, and the clerk was requested to intimate the same to Mr Horner.

The Clerk stated that owing to Mr Horner's aflliction, he was unable to be present, and had a letter from him stating that it was his intention to accept the call. After the letter was read, it vras unanimously resolved—" That the Presbytery meet at the Presbyterian Church, Papanui, for tho induction of the Rev. W. H. Horner to tho Church of Papanui; the Rev. Mr Waddell to preach, the Rev. Mr McGregor to preside and induct, the Rev. Mr Fruser to address the minister, the Rev. Mr Douglas to address the congregation, and the Rev. Mr Burnett to give an exposition of Presbyterian Church principles ; the time of meeting to be Thursday, 14th March, at 2 p.m.; further, that, the ordinary meeting of Presbytery be held on the same day nt Papanui, at 10 30 a.m." The Rev. W. McGregor, deputy to Wainui, gave in tho report of his visit on 21st December last. The following was the decision of the Presbytery :—" That the Rev. Mr Douglas continue to preach in the old buildiDg as heretofore, but that the family should be removed." The following explanation was given as the grounds for arriving at this decision: —The present building where worship was held belonged to both parties, and for the Presbytery to authorise Mr Douglas to hold service in either the Government or private school would be avowed opposition to one of the parties. Farther, the division among the settlers of Wainui arose and existed through the Government school being built where it is, and not on another site on which all were agreed. Although one party was satisfied with the school where it is, the other party feeling aggrieved have built a private school, yet neither party is to be blamed as the cause of the division. Further, it. did not come within the province of the Presbytery to heal the division. It was a matter that rested between the settlers themselves and the Board of Education. The remedy evidently was that the Government Bchool history of Wainui from the present back to July, 1876, should be deleted, and that the settlers unite as one man to petition the Board of Education to purchase the site, and to remove the school and schoolhouse to the site originally agreed upon by all; the owner of which, all along, been willing to sell and convey said site to the Board of Education for a school site. The meeting was closed with the Benediction.