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LAY PREACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
In its last issue “The Messenger,” of
the Presbyterian churches of Victoria
and Tasmania, writes:—“The Lay Preach
ers’ Board met at the Assembly Hall, on
Friday afternoon last. Mr W. H. Thom
son, the convener, presided, and there
were also present Rev. W. M. M. Alex
ander and Messrs Mackinnon, Watson,
and Nichol. The Rev. W. Alexander
thought the time was opportune to send
information to the Presbyterian authori
ties in Hobart, Tasmania, re the work
of the Lay Association of the
Victorian Church. He thought there
was considerable scope for such work in
connection with St. John’s and Chalmers’
churches. Already some men were doing
this work, and more could be done. The
Fellowship Union at Ballarat, through
Mr Dugala Cameron, hon. secretary, wrote
stating that a Lay Preachers’ Associa
tion was in course of formation in Bal
larat. The board cordially approved of
such a step, and resolved to send copy of
rules, with the suggestion that the' Bal
larat Association frame its constitution
on the basis of the Melbourne Associa
tion, which has met with the approval
of the general assembly of our church.
Further, the convener will ask the Bal
larat Association to furnish an annual
report, which could be incorporated with
our annual report, which is published by
the authority of the general assembly.
“We think the Ballarat Fellowship
Union utb proving their mettle in taking
this forward stop. The advisability of
doing so has been more or less under dis
cussion during the past 12 months. In
February of last year, at a quarterly
group meeting, Mr D. N. M'Lean read
a capital paper on “Does the Presbyterian
Church make sufficient use of its laymen ?”
The essayist thought, the church did not
make all this use it could of lay help,
and he advocated the employment in large
numbers of qualified 1 and earnest laymen;
though mission work and special evangs*-
listie work should not be undertaken by
evangelists outsiide of a trained ministry.
Considerable discussion, in which Messrs
Cameron, Smith, Carstairs, White,
Davies, and M'Kenzie took part, followed
the reading of the paper. Points noticed
were —-That the Methodists largely owe
their numbers to the work of their lay
preachers; that there was plenty of mar
terial for mission work in the. Presb
ytery of Ballarat; that in hospitals and
asylums a number of laymen could find
very serviceable employment. Wei wish
every success to our Ballarat brethren,
and feel confident that God’s blessing will
attend' their unselfish' and spirited' enter
prise.” _____________
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