NEW MINISTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 932, 27 March 1930, Page 7

NEW MINISTER

e i INDUCTION CEREMONY AT ST. ANDREW’S o! REV. IVO E. BERTRAM L * The Rev. Ivo E. Bertram, the newl\ chosen minister of St. Andrew s * j Church, the mother church of Preshy j terianism in Auckland, was formally i inducted to the charge by the Presby r j tery last evening. i The church has been without a ° I settled minister for more than, b J months. The previous minister, the Rev. J. Lamb Harvey, resigned in June, j 19L’S. and l'or the past year Mr. Bertram ' has been filling the vacancy. ! The Rev. J. H. Bredin presided ov« i a large attendance last evening, the induction ceremony being conducted by the Rev. D. D. Scott, who had beer interim moderator of the vacancy. "The first thing I say to you in eonj nection with your public service is bo j brief.” said the Rev. W. J. Comrie, to i whom it fell to address the newly-in t | ducted minister. "Risk being misunder => | stood.” It was better to send people away - asking for more, rather than feeling e that they had been overfed. The tendency of the age was to be wordy, and t this tendency should be guarded e against. a The Rev. D. C. Herron, addressing o the congregation, said the whole Presbytery admired the courage of St. Ant drew’s congregation in continuing its - work in the face of difficulties. St. s i Andrew’s was not a “down-town" - ; church in the usual sense of the term. J . but was surrounded by a thickly-pope. j lated area. He suggested that the present da decline in church-going was due chiefly to the fact that there was not enough I difference between those who were , called Christian and non-church-going ! people to make the Christians attracti ive. The problem was outside and not ; inside the church. Prayer and regular i church attendance were necessary . , concluded Mr. Herron, in appealing to I the congregation to stand behind its .? minister in every way. The spiritual power :md purpose of - the church was the subject of a sermon e preached by Air. Bredin. The domint, ant factor of the church, he said, was v not external organisation, but inward r life. 3 At the conclusion of the ceremony - members of the congregation were introduced to their new minister.