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IN THE CHURCHES
Great Influence
for World Peace
A week of prayer and world fellowship
organised by 10,000 associations of the
Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. opened yesterday
in 70 different countries.
In Melbourne it was marked
by a combined service at the
Independent Church, where
the congregation Included large
representations from the two
movements, and 18 new leaders
of the Y.M.C.A. were consecra
ted by Rev. Gordon Powell.
Certificates of leadership were
presented by Mr. E. B. Tomlln-
son, of the Y.M.C.A.
Preaching on "Peace Begins
With Me," Mr. Powell said the
Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A., with
their vast world membership,
should be a mighty positive in
fluence for peace.
The great-great-grandfather
of Princess Elizabeth — Albert,
the Prince Consort— was an
excellent example of a peace
maker, he said. Despised and
rejected as a foreigner, he per
sisted in the service of his
adopted people so that when
he died he was universally
mourned.
To-day we needed peace
makers In industry who would
make peace, not merely after
the trouble had flared up, but
before it began, by removing
the causes of friction and dis
content on both sides. ' ';
In international ' affairs
vision and courage : and
|strength of character were
needed to remove injustices
now, and to foster everything
that made for International
understanding.
"Modern Heresy"
No human society, no club or
charitable organisation, how-
lever worthy, could be a substi
tute for the church, which was
founded and appointed to do
the work of Christ.
Rev. Dr. A. H. Wood, prin
cipal of Methodist Ladies' Col
lege, said this at. Toorak Me
thodist Church last night, when
the church's diamond Jubilee
was celebrated.
Only a church of saints could
save Melbourne, or any other
city, he said.
It was a convenient excuse
for non-churchgoers to . taunt
the Christian Church with in
effectiveness, while those critics
refused to join with the church
in the battle for the nation's
soul.
It was a modern heresy that
a man could be a Christian
without belonging to the
church. In New Testament
times Christ and the church
were inseparable, and to-day
the church was still indispen
sable for a Christian.
Church's Progress
From a small beginning the
church had developed might
ily, and in its ever-spreading
branches millions of people
continually found refuge and
shelter.
This was stated by Rev.
A. V. Creed, at St. Pat
rick's Cathedral. The Spirit of
the Holy Ghost, which descen
ded on the Apostles on the first
Pentecost Sunday, was still
with the church. In its 2000
years of life the church had
been tossed about in tempes
tuous seas, and had been beset
by heretical winds, but it had
steered a safe course under the
protecting hand of God, who
had promised to be with His
church till the end of time. It
had been a true home for many
travellers on the way to hea-
von. It wo nd continue to go
forward on its mission to' bring
the Gospel to every creature.
Book for All
It was of vital Importance to
turn afresh to the Bible in
these momentous and difficult
days, and to rediscover it so
that It became a living force in
our lives.
Canon L. G. Mannering, of
Bristol Cathedral, said this In
St. Paul's Cathedral last1 night.
Canon Mannering is founder of
the Bible Reading Fellowship,
which began with a small par
ish group In his church In
South London 26 years ago, and
now has a world membership
of 400,000.
The Bible, he said, was
unique, and it would be difficult
to envisage life without it. It
was not, as some people, said,
"hopelessly out of date," but
was a book, for all humanity,
because it met man's deepest
needs.
The Bible was the. book that
would show us how to rebuild
our well-nigh shattered civi
lisation. Life must be rebuilt
on the foundation of the -Jaw
of God, he emphasised. )
"God Forgotten"'
"The 97 years since St. Ste
phen's Church, Richmond, was
founded have seen an era of
great development. What the
, future holds for our children
depends on us."
The principal of Ridley Col
lege (Bishop Baker) said this
last night In his address on the
; church's anniversary.
He took as his text Isaiah
XXI., XI.: Watchman, what of
the night 7
The answer to the question
—"The morning cometh, and
also the night" — he said im
plied that the future 'could be
made a further era of develop
ment or an era of deteriora
tion.
The trouble with the' world
to-day was that men had for
gotten God. It was God's plan
that a brotherhood of man
. should be built, but it had to
: be built on the foundation of
the Fatherhood of God.
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