WAIRARAPA PRESBYTERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1940, Page 6

WAIRARAPA PRESBYTERY

OPENING OF IMPORTANT CAMPAIGNS. HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Presbytery was held in Knox Church Hall, Masterton, on Tuesday, At the previous meeting the Rev J. Davie was elected Moderator for the ensuing year, and he presided over the gathering at which the parishes of Masterton, Pahiatua, Lansdowne, Carterton and Martinborough were represented by ministers and elders. Owing to being away on military camp duties, the Rev R. S. Keenan, of Featherston, was unable to attend, A matter of the utmost importance to the Presbyterian Church throughout the Presbytery and the whole Dominion is the present need for more effective organisation in relation to the raising of sufficient funds to sustain and advance the Union work in China, India, Maori, New Hebrides, and Home Mission fields of the church’s wide and growing enterprise as a part of world redemption from darkness, disease and degeneracy. The Presbytery realises as never before the facts arising from the contagion and consequences of Christian character in contrast witli the standards of modern rampant paganism. In order to bring the information and inspiration required by congregations to increase effort for Presbytery missions, the Presbytery, arranged for the Rev J. Davie, in go-operation with his church session, to be a special deputation to all congregations within the Presbytery. An order of campaign was arranged to begin on the first Sunday in March. All parishes are urged by the Presbytery to undertake the necessary advertising and organisation to make the greatest success possible of the visit of the Rev J. Davie, who will conduct the services in each parish he visits on behalf of the Assembly. The Rev A. A. Armstrong, Moderator of Pongaroa outfields, reported upon the work done by the student who had recently completed his term of appointment. He also reported on a campaign personally undertaken throughout the Pongaroa-Weber district, for the purposes of raising a Maintenance of the Ministry fund, in order that a regular Presbyterian ministry might be established. He had met with a very kindly reception and a substantial result financially. The people were desirous of the appointment of an ordained minister to work in the district in which there were many Presbyterians beyond the reach of the Moderator’s care. The Presbytery was gratified with the report, thanked the Moderator for his inspiring effort; and decided to recommend that the Assembly’s Mission Committee be asked to place an ordained married home missionary at Pongaroa and to make a grant from the general funds to supplement the local efforts. Presbytery decided to forward a letter of congratulation to the Rev J. Linton, a Wairarapa theological student, who has been ordained to the ministry in his first; parish. The Rev J. Davie agreed to continue the work in the Wairarapa outfields until a home missionary was appointed.