New Moderator

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 520, 24 November 1928, Page 1

New Moderator

AUCKLANDER HONOURED BY ASSEMBLY KNOX MASTER ELECTED By 132 votes to 114. General Assembly chose the Rev. George Budd, superintendent of Home Missions, of Auckland, as the Moderator for 1929-30 in preference to the Rev. A. B. Todd, of Northland, Wellington. After the ballot the selection made unanimous. the union of the churches 27 years ago. Auckland had previously had the honour of only one Moderator. Mr. Budd makes the second. The nomination of the moderator for the Assembly of 1929-30 was j»ait of the business of this morning's ses.-iorr. There were seven nominations, but the Rev. W, Trotter, of Dunedin, the Rev. D. D. Scott, of Onehungn, the Rev.

D. Mclvor, of Marton. the Hon. J. K. Gow and the Rev. John Collie, of Queenstown, were given leave to withdraw. The Rev. Geo. Budd, superintendent of Home Missions and the Rev. A. B. Todd, of Northland, Wellington, were put forward. A graduate of Otago University, the Rev. George Budd has been a minister for more than a quarter of a century. He has served at Milburn. Feilding, and Devonport. . Congratulating Mr. Budd, Professor Hewitson, moderator of the General Assembly, said that he had administrative ability in a marked degree. “With great humility I take up the task, and I hope to discharge it to your satisfaction, and to the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom,” said Mr. Budd. NEW MASTER FOR KNOX The election of a new master of Knox College, to take the pla.ee of Professor Hewitson, resulted in the Rev. Dr. Ernest X. Merrington, minister of First Church, Dunedin, being selected from three candidates. Knox College Council reported that it had thanked Professor Hewitson for 20 years’ service as first master of the college. The Assembly Committee put forward the Rev. Dr. E. X. Merrington, the Rev. K. J. Tipler, and the Rev. W. Bower Black, in that order, for the vacant mastership. Dr. Merrington, M.A., Ph. D.. was born in 1876, his father being a merchant in Xelson, and he is now minister of First Church, Dunedin. He took his M.A. at Sydney University and his Ph.D. at Harvard, U.S.A. He also attended New College, Edinburgh. He accepted the lectureship at Emmanuel College, Brisbane, and was the minister at St. David’s, Haberfield, Sydney, ami St. Andrew’s, Brisbane. He was a lecturer in philosophy, logic and psychology at Sydney. During the war he was a chaplain on Gallipoli, and in France and Belgium from 1914 to 1919. He has published a number of books Including treatises on casuistry, psychology and theological education. lu sport he was a rowing “blue.” A suggestion, at the last moment, that Dr. John Kirk. M. 8., Ch.B., FJFLc.S., of China, should be cabled to an 4 offered the position at £I,OOO a year was rejected. The ballot resulted: Dr. Merrington. 132; the Rev. Bower Black, 82; th* Rev. Tipier, 35, giving a clear majority to Dr- Merrington. The Moderator commended the new master, as having the power to “wink with both eyes and jump with both feet.” FIRE INSURANCE FUND The Fire Insurance Fund report presented by Mr. A. D. Thomson stated that insurance in force amounted to £83,679 —an increase of £66.866 for the year—distributed over 413 churches, 241 manses and 226 schoolrooms. The amount to the credit of the fund was £11,625. There had been two fires, i* church at Totara Flat having been destroyed and another at Henderson having been damaged. It was suggested that the committee might accumulate a larger fund, about £20,000. Assembly decided that the scholarships should be continued on the same basis as last year, the Moderator suggesting also that the committee might think about founding a scholarship fof a minister’s son at Knox College.