CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2736, 15 February 1910, Page 3

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

SITTINGS AT AUCKLAND

TPer Press Association. I AUCKLAND. Feb. 14

The Council of the New Zealand Congregational Union resumed its sittings to-day.

Th© .Rev. R. McNaughton spoke strongly regarding the need for creating more interest in foreign missions. The Rev. A. E. Hunt quoted statistics to show that the Anglicans, with 368,065 adherents, raised last year for foreign missions £4734; the Presbyterian Church, with 203,597 adherents, £3795: the Methodists (including the Primitive Methodists), with 89,038 adherents, £2915; the Bantist Church, with 17,747 adherents, £2OOO ; and the Congregational Church, with 7360 members, £ISOO. That showed that the Congrcgationalists in New Zealand contributed per capita more than the others.. At the same time there was no shutting out the unpleasant fact that while last year five churches in New Zealand raised £17,000 for foreign missions, the sum of £1,900,000 passed, through, the totalisators of the Dominion. A good deal of monev was being raised for home mission work, but whsn they learned that the London Missionary Society showed a deficit last- year of £40,000, surely it was time to make an effort to raise more money in the Dominion. The Rev. W. J. Smith was reappointed organising' secret- - ' ry for the London Missionary Society for the ensuing year.

The Reference Committee recommended ‘'That the New Zealand Union will not recognise nnv ministers coming to the Dominion unless officially transfe~red, and trusts that other Unions will am- similarly towards men leaving New Zealand.” This: was adopted on the motion of the Rev. Mr. Saunders. A deputation from the Auckland Ministers’ Association waited bv appointment upon the Council for the .purpose of extending fraternal greetings. The Rev. Crnv Dixon referred to the similarity between the P r esbvterian md the Congregational Churches in their aim?, He f°lt ror'e that in the weaving of tb.p web of the religious life of flu's voung dominion, the strands supplied bv the Congrogationalists were a necessity for the completeness of the whole.

The Revs C.Vmk and Cocke- also said ft. few wo r ds ."? welcome, after which the Rev. W. J. L. Close. 8.A.. briefly replied on behalf -f tlm Council.