GROWTH OF CHURCH

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1932, Page 3

GROWTH OF CHURCH

THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. SOME* INTERESTING STATISTICS. CHRISTCHURCH, March 1. Interesting statistics showing the growth of the Presbyterian Church in. New Zealand over a period of thirty years were presented in a report to the General Assembly yesterday. In thirty years charges had increased from 194 to 268, the home mission stations from 38 to 102. There «ks always a little “give and take” from year to year where weak congregations hovered on the border line. In some presbyteries charges that had been manned by home missionaries tor years were still regarded as not disrated. Two hundred and sixty-two churches had been built and . 103 manses built or bought, .and in Taranaki the church owned a half interest with the Methodists in a little church. In 1908, the earliest record, there were 125,569 persons under pastoral care; now there were 196,899, a 57 per cent, increase. As the census showed about 350,000, there was plenty of scope vet for missionary work among the missing within the Dominion, especially in the congested centres.

ATTENDANCES. Church attendances did not keep .pace with tlie increase of population. A survey of the annual returns showed that there was a downward rather than an upward trend. The peak year was 1928, when the attendance was 83,869; to-day it was 79,753. The mid-week service was in an advanced state of decline. In 1905 the attendance wa-s 4012; this year it was 2497, and was growing less every year, although there were some well-attended meetings. The membership roll had increased from 28,000 to 52,755, of whom over 4000 were in Sunday schools and Bible classes. The influx of new members was drawn from three sources—their own church overseas, and sister churches. The average 'annual increase for thirty years was- 810. For sixteen years (1904-5, 1909-14, 1922-28) it ranged from 1100 to 1700, hut in 1907-8 and 1915, 1918 and 1921 it fell far below the average, and in 1919-20, after the war and the epidemic, tlie church was losing ground. Again, in 1929 and. 1930, there was a sudden drop from an annual increase of over 1400 to a loss of 141 and 187. It was decidedly encouraging to note that the gain had risen to nearly 1000 this year. FINANCE GROWS. Tn every ease, even that of the more stationary presbyteries, finance had grown tremendously. Stipends both, for ministers and missionaries had greatly improved, and conveyance allowance helped considerably. As was to be- expected in view of the economic conditions, there wa-s an mcrea.se of the total indebtedness by £5650 on 1930 figures, and it stood at £207,503. However, forty-six charges and thirty home mission stations were free of debt. The heavy end lies on the old northern section, where fiftythree stations carried £17,918, and 154 charges staggered under £154,243, while in the old southern part, tne stations had £406 and sixty-eight charges £34,936.

There was a shrinkage this year in ordinary revenue of £11,176, of £21,003 for buildings, etc., and of £28,021 in the gross; but tlie contributions to assembly schemes, etc., showed an increase of £2158, which might be due in part to the self-denial appeal at the end of October. The gross income for thirty years was £5,555,116.

r l'he Rev. F. W. Robertson presented a census return showing that the province with the highest percentage of Presbyterians was Hawke’s Hay. The percentages of all provinces vi»s as follows : —Dominion, 24.0 percent; Southland, 00.3; Otago, 47.6; Hawke’s Ray, 28.8; Canterbury, 22.6; Auckland, 19.4; Wellington, 19.4; Westland, 19; Taranaki. 17.5; Marlborough, 17.3; Nelson, 17. DIvI’TTTATrONS. As a deputation from the New

3 Zealand Alliance, the' Revs. S. Lawry i and E. •Drake and Mr Dobbs w-aited i on the Assembly. The following i j resolution was carried: “That the ae- - | putation be thanked, and that tne • Assembly reaffirms its- whole-hearted I support of the Alliance in its fight for i the cause of temperance. - A deputation from the Bible-m-----Schools League, comprising Colonel J. ! Studholme, Archdeacon P. B. Haggitt, and Rev, M. A. Rugby Pratt and Miss Saunders, waited on the Assembly. j After hearing the speakers, the following resolution was carried: “That , the Assembly thanks the deputation from the Bible-in-Schools League for its visit, and assures it of its cooperation with its efforts to secure its objective a-s developed in the Religious Exercises in Schools Enabling Bill.” I A reputation from the l'rusbyfctmn Womens^ Missionary Union waited on the Assembly and directed, attention • to tlie confronting missionary work. Suggestions were made for improving the position, -v. The Assembly assured the deputation that it would give -consideration to the points raised. SUPERANNUATION FUND. Regulations governing a superannuation fund for women workers were approved. The fund will be for deaconesses and teachers in the employment of the Home and Maori .'Mission.'Committees, deaconesses employed by congregations, and matrons, sub-matrons and deaconesses employed by the Social Service Associations. .

KNOX COLLEGE REPORT: The master of Knox College (Dr E. A. M erring Con) reported another, successful year in the life of the college. .Despite tne depression, the college opened the year with every availao’e p.ace uecup.ed. 3he roll stood at 716. Knox codlegs was assuming an iuturnauouai character, with students ivpresena-g ■the Maori, Fijian qnd Bantu (South .ilriean) races in residence. After careful consideration, the council accepted the offer of a 10 per cent cut in salaries for the period of stringency, and, with the help of economies effected, lee s for luod had been reduced 2s 6d per week. .

TRAINING INSTITUTE. The report of the Women’s Training Institute and Women’s Work Committee, presented by the Rev. G. Mi Her , , reported a year of progress. The aim of the institute was to train young women for deaconess work, foreign and home mission work, Presbyterian .Social Service Association work and youth work. •Student's weite/receiving a thorough and solid -training, iand most sat-siactory work had been done. ' HOME MISSION. The Rev. -R. S. Watson presented the home mission:, report, -which stated that the work had been veil maintained in spite of a trying year. The committee gratefully acknowledged the generosity of people who had responded to the urgent call for funds.

BENEFICIARY FUND. . The report on the. Beneficiary Fund Committee, presented by the Rev. It. J. iHowie, stated, that the capital of the lunti on November 18 1930, amounted to ±,177,019 10s sd. The income for the year had been £19,700 16s 10U. The expenditure! had been £13,176 9s’ 10 i,cs<)d £327 Os 9d had been paid to members withdrawing from tie 'nod. The-c lad been added to capital £6!9i 6s BJ,--aiiu the accumulated fund now Rood -at £183,216 16s Bd. At November 18, 1.931, the number of contributors was:—(a) To combined fund, 281 ; (b) to aged.and infirm ministers, 1; (c) to. widows’ and orphans’ fund, 2. The capital of the women’s fund was £10,402 7s 2d, In presenting the report on social service Jwork, the Rev. G. Bull said lha.i the number of children in their orphanages totalled 457. In Christchurch there were seventy-nine children in the homes. ■ .' V; :

* ./MODERATOR. - •The \Rev. D. D. Scott advised--that lit had pleasure 'in accepting office oi Moderator at the next Assembly. LIFE. AND WORK. The Church must be emphatic, in it. denunciation of evil, facilities tor which were being temptingly paraded with legal permission, stated the report o. o,.ic Life and Work Committee. The committee called upon Church members t. set the example by refusing to countenance evil in any shape or form. Tin committee wished to encourage tin reading of the both in privai. and in public. The committee makes tin suggestion that ministers should adop. the practice of having one Scripture ,esson> each Sunday read aloud by the ( in unison. That would enourage’ f ; he'l£ble in the. piew and familiarise the people witit' tlio-. great pasScripture. It might even he advfjlable for the Churches to provide a Bible as well as a hymn book for each worshipper. It would be money well spent. Jt wa s decided to exhort minister; and missionaries to extend the use », die Bible into the pew.