The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-06-12
Close by the Ministerial Con-
ventIon.
SUSPENSION OF ONE MEMBER.
Action Taken Against sunday Target
Shooting-Expresslons of Regret at
Sunday Concerts-Necessitv of Funds
tor Church Observation-Disclosures.

The annual meeting of the Associa-
ton closed with the morning session
at Kawaiahao Church yesterday.
At the session Saturday afternoon
the chief business was to determine
the ministerial standing of Rev. NJ.
Luteon, whose vagaries as prophet
have for a time disturbed the peace
and order of some parishes. AS no
agreement could be reached as to which
of the island associations had rightful
jurisdiction in the case. the General
Association voted, in view of all the
facts in the case. that he should be
dropped from the register of ministers
and his ministerial relations to the
churches cease.
In Monday mornings session the i'm
portant question was what TO do with
the weak churches, unable to support
in full a pastor. After lengthy dis
cussion the subject was referred to the
Hawaiian Board, with the request that
they would devise and put into opera
ton some substantial scheme that
would not pauperize the churches, but
draw out their energies and united eff
fort TO provide a proper support for
their own religious teachers and SER
vices, with the hope of aid and sympa-
thy from their sister churches, and
from generous helpers. 1t is hoped
that in this year of general prosperity
the Hawaiian Board will be able to Sc
cure an Emergency Fund large enough
to help every feeble Hawaiian church
to new vigor, not to pauperize any by
gifts unasked, but to stimulate every
struggling church to Independent act
ivity.
The question of marriage and divorce
came up in the afternoon session, and
a resolution was passed asking the At
torney-General to draw up a law, if
such a measure should be deemed adj
visable, providing for the legal divorce
of those afflicted with leprosy, whom
the sanitary laws of the Republic seq
regate and treat as if before the law
they were dead.
Yesterday morning the Association
took up the subject of lapsed charters
and imperfect titles to church lands.
It was resolved that this matter be left
to the Hawaiian Board to manage, in
view of the legal complications in al
most every instance. The plan was ap-
proved. if any individual church saw fit
to do so, to vest the title of the prop
erty in the Hawaiian Board, which is
regularly incorporated body.
When the doings of the kahunas
came up for discussion, it was very ev-
ident that the ministers, as a class,
had no sympathy with the kahuna, nor
any fear of his occult power. After
a full discussion it was voted that each
pastor do his best to extinguish re-
naming superstitions, fears and prac-
tees among his people. The Hawaiian
Board was requested to publish brief
treatise on the teachings of the Bible
in regard to the treatment of disease,
with a view to counterfeit erroneous
ideas and practices that have recently
been introduced.
There was a one-sided discussion in
regard to the preservation of the sane
tity of the Christian Sabbath, and
without dissenting voice it was voted
TO send request to the President to
O. ri the discontinuance OF the target
shooting on Sunday, as ne has full au-
thority and personal responsibility in
the matter.
Resolutions Of regret were also pass
ed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs
should have seen fiji to disregard the
well-known sentiments of old citizens
and residents in regard to public
amusements on Sunday, in his recent
order to the band to give open-air con-
certs on that day.
The secretary of the Hawaiian Board
was asked to make special effort the
coming season to send out the program
of the week of prayer.