ANNUAL CONGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1939, Page 7

ANNUAL CONGRESS

BRITISH-ISRAEL FEDERATION. ADDRESS BY SIR A. RUSSELL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The tenth annual congress of the 1 New Zealand branch of the British-Israel-World Federation opened at the national headquarters of the organisation in Wellington on Saturday, and is expected to complete its deliberations today. It is the largest and most representative congress yet hold by the federation, delegates being present from practically all centres in both islands. The congress was opened, and the delegates welcomed by Mr F. B. Anyon, deputy-president of the na-' tional organisation, who tendered the warm greetings of the National Council to General Sir Andrew Russell patron of the New Zealand federation, who had visited Wellington specially to be present at the congress. Sir Andrew Russell emphasised the absolute necessity for national repentance, a return to the Bible and the laws of God. “I was particularly anxious to be present at this congress,” he said, "because, without referring to any international affairs, we know that things are working out according to our interpretation of the prophecies that we may look forward in the first instance to a period of' great difficulty, but that we shall emerge into a better world. It is in that sense that we are concerned with our duty, to promote in every way in our power, the coming of the kingdom. We know that we are justified by faith. What we have to ask ourselves, both in our work as a federation and as individuals, is in what direction can we best demonstrate that our faith is alive? Most of us are interested in organisations with different interests. At the moment I am trying to urge people to give consideration to a more adequate system of defence, or. as the Bible says, ‘to fill up the gaps.’ Then there are our present economic troubles. The members of the federation, who are as keenly interested as myself, know there is much amiss. We are not following the laws of the Almighty; therefore we cannot hope to escape from all our present troubles. In speaking on defence I have stressed three things as vitally necessary. The first is a definite and sincere return to the teachings of the Bible. Secondly, a solution of oui’ economic troubles. Thirdly, filling up the gaps of defence.”The annual reports of the president and national secretary disclosed that progress made during the past year in all departments of the national work. There had been an increase in the number of public and private meetings, and from all sides were coming requests for speakers. Plans for the forthcoming centenary were agreed on. Arrangements for display of pictorial and other matter were given consideration.' The acquisition of numbers of projectors for use in. connection with illustrated lectures were approved. Reports from the New Zealand branch of 'the Ministerial Association, prayer league, and women’s league were tabled, and future plans for the advancement of each of these integral parts of the New Zealand movement were approved. The sub-committee on national and international affairs brought down the following resolution:—“We, the National Council of the New Zealand branch of the British-Israel-World Federation in congress assembled aware that the Anglo-Saxon peoples of the world are Israel—God’s servant nation and company of nations—urge upon the people of New Zealand as a nation the necessity of national prayer, believing that in the return to God and His Laws will be found the only solution to the manifold problems confronting our nation today, and that the departure from these laws as given to Moses and the Prophets, and confirmed by our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount, has led to the upsetting of the balance between things spiritual and things material, resulting in the chaos that is apparent in our own country and throughout the world today.”