CHURCH CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26633, 2 December 1947, Page 7

CHURCH CONFERENCE

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS Six hundred Adventists on Saturday attended the meetings of the annual session of the South New Zealand conference of Seventh Day Adventists, held in Christchurch. Pastor H. M. Blunden, of Washington, field secretary of the general conference, addressed the delegates during the morning. He mentioned the fundamental truths which brought the movement into being 100 years ago, and urged Adventists to maintain a keen spirit of expectancy for the second coming of the Messiah. Pastor R. E. Hare, of Sydney, secretary of the Australasian Union conference, described the present island missions situation, where Adventists now have 527 missionaries working in 12 Pacific groups. Delegates gave an offering of £IOOO towards the support and expansion of educational, medical and evangelical missionary work in the South Seas. On Saturday night a coloured -film on the Facific missions and the Church's world headquarters in America was shown. The film had been taken by Pastor Hare. Pastor W A. Townsend, home missions secretary of the conference, commended the women’s Dorcas Societies when he presented his annual report, which showed that more than 2600 articles of new and used clothing had been shipped to those in need overseas, and 574 food parcels, weighing 65151 b, had been sent to Britain. " Time is short, and we must organise to do a larger work,” said Pastor Townend. The final address of the conference was given by Pastor J. B. Conley, of Sydney, who is secretary of the Ministerial Association. He will conduct a three-day ministers' convention at Christchurch this "pastor A. R. Mitchell, the president, thanked all who had contributed towards the smooth running of the conference, and offered the benedictory prayer.