PREACHING COMPETITIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 112, 19 August 1910, Page 6

PREACHING COMPETITIONS.

OBJECTION TO PRESENT I ;« ~ PRACTICE. ■•!■ ,~~ A movement is on foot amongst the eaders of the Presbyterian Church to iffect an alteration in the existing rule 'overning the selection and l appointment of ministers to charges (says an iiuckland message). A. committee from the Auckland Presbytery has lately been considering various suggested modifications, and has reported to the Presbytery. Two amendments were recom-'i mended. One deals with the selection of a minister by a congregation. The modus 11 operandi in regard to making the call is | regarded as satisfactory, but exception is taken to a congregation hearing sermons from more than one candidate for] a vacancy at a time. "That method," explained the Rev. I. Jolly (convenor of the committee), "produces nothing less than a preaching competition, and causes ] iivisio« amongst a congregation." He said that only one preacher should be heard, and then, the congregation should vote definitely on him before asking another minister to preach. "We must eliminate the degrading element of competition," he added. The Presbytery agreed on the advisability of recommending the General As'sembly to limit congregations to one preacher at a time. The second matter relates to ministers changing at freqaient intervals, the intention being to curtail moves as much as possible. The recommendation was to restrict candidates for a vacancy to ministers who had been in one charge for five years, excepting by special per : mission of the Presbytery. Mr. Jolly argued that if frequent changes were countenanced the public confidence in the ministry would be shaken, and the opinion formed "that we are in the ministry for what we can get out of it." This , recommendation was also approved.