THE HUNTLY PRESS. PUBLISHED' WEEKLY AT 1 P.M. Friday, February 28, 1913.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 31, 28 February 1913, Page 2

THE HUNTLY PRESS. PUBLISHED' WEEKLY AT 1 P.M. Friday, February 28, 1913.

THE report presented on the 14th inst. to the Moth diet Conference by the Welfare of the Church Committee, while it showed an increase of about 950 members, pointed out. that the decrease in the number of adherents for the year amounted to no less than 3608. The causes operating against religious life and progress were tabulated thus : 1. Luxury and self-indulgence, consequent upon easier conditions of life, had produced indifference, as also had youthful absorption in pleasure, and adult pre-occupation in money-making; .2) Theological unrest, and the failure of the Church to provide I

sufficient answer to questions clamouring for settlement had resulted in a wide distrust of the . Church as a candid and competent teacher; (3) The overlapping of Christian activities by organisations outside the Church had led many to think that the power of the Church was weakening; and, (4), The standard of ministerial equipment had not kept pace with the wide diffusion of literature, the growth of culture, and the spread of education. .* While not fully accepting these as the reasons for a decreasing church attendance, the comniiti tee felt that they provided mat- ! ter tor anxious thought. There . ’ i* no doubt that the laity have , | made a much greater advance •’ I intellectually than the clergy i have, and it appears that the last reason includes the others, land, in a great measure, explains why so many pews are „ empty, and will continue to remain empty until the clergy of ! to-day recognise that they must j keep in touch with, and be in 1 advance of. the trend of modern j thought.