Church Congress.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1922, Page 1

Church Congress.

CHRISTCHURCH. July IS

At a large gathering of members of the Anglican Church to-night, plans tor the first New Zealand Church Congress to he held at Christchurch in -May, 1023, were discussed, and committees set up.

Archbishop Julius presided, and introduced Canon C'oursey of Westport, who made a powerful appeal on behalf of the forthcoming congress, lie said that he thought some chance should he given to the Church in New Zealand to express an opinion not only on theological matters, hut also on everyday matters. The Church, if it was to fulfil its functions, must he true to its trust: They found that the Mother ( hurcfi had to face the problems of the day, and she had faced them nobly, lor disunion had passed. If they judged a Church they should judge it as they would a man and not throw mud at it. He thanked God that they had not the spirit of party in the rhiirc.li as they had in the Old Country. One thing which the congress was out to show the. v people was that tin' Church still stood for the vital principles of Jesus Christ and the fellowship of man, iust as much as those who heat the drum and stood upon the soap box giving vent to angry denunciation. He di<l not think his hearers realised the terrible isolation and loneliness of some of the church people iri the hack blocks of New Zealand. There were Church foil; living out of touch with’the other people of the Church. It was to these people that he wished to take the message of hope from the con grass. The congress was to engage in research work, scholarly work.

“We were,” lie added, "living in a wonderful age, an age of discovery and transition. There was such a person as "the mail in the street.” The speaker preferred to c all him “the mail outside the church door.” There was a great deal of inarticulate unexpressed religion up and (town the country. Many did not go to church, hut they “believe in the business.” By means of the congress they wanted to get those people into the church. The congress would give ;m account of the church's stewardship, what it was capable of and what it was doing. He had sufficient, confidence to say that if they increased their social work ten times tin people would stand at the hack of it To-day they wore not standing by the work, for they did not know sufficient about it. The people in tic backhlocks wanted to know more about flic Church, whether it was going to sink or not, for some of them did not know..

Archbishop Julius in supplementin'! the remarks of Canon Cotirscy, sail that he wanted every man and woman in the Church to look upon the congress as his or her own, and realise that its success depended upon the individual.