CHURCH & YOUTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1939, Page 6

CHURCH & YOUTH

METHODISE ANXIETIES. INFLUENCE OF MARXIAN’ TEACHING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 24. A series of decreases, specially in youth work, was reported to the annual conference of the Methodist Church of New Zealand today. The conference view the position with grave anxiety, and Mr R. C. Clark contended that the Church was being out-thought by the disciple of Marxism. Statistics were presented as follows: —lncreases in schoolrooms, 4; ministers anc! probationers, 6; home missionaries, 1; members on probation, 25; junior members, 60; infant members. 480; communicants, 175. Decreases; —Churches, 3; other preaching places, 6; local preachers, 5; class leaders, 50; members on roll, 147. Sunday school membership declined by 787 and young- men’s and women’s Bible classes by 1446. ‘.‘We are materially minded. Till Christianity is shifted on to a different plane there will be no hope of making up the leeway,” said Mr Clark. “Nothing has been said at this conference about the unity of churches; there is no more pressing problem in: the world today. We are being out-thought. The Marxists have the gospel and the platform, compared with which our Gospel is a milk and water thing altogether.” More and more he was coming to the opinion that unless the Methodist Church rethought itself within 30 or 40 years it would cease to exist. More careful supervision of membership rolls was urged by several speakers.