CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 224, 19 September 1894, Page 5

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR.

CONVENTION IN AUCKLAND.

«.'.* __tron2 hold which the movemenb TBB .. the "Christian Endeavour." has kD??DJun church circles in Auckland, was ■r&S .hown by tho immense gathering rtS&SS Tabernacle last night, on ,n X,f.ion Of the second annual conven--18 ZZ S Cie Jin Auckland. At the T «Ln convention in Wesley Hall, Pitt*L W ? the Roy. J. Blaikie 'President! S'^ld a' hearty greeting, on behalf of rf Auckland Christian Endeavour Soi^tfS a membership of oyer a thou''Timbers, to the 17 Christian EnXvouT counbry societies with a member■T* «f nearly a x hundred. Mr W. b. ;Sie° (E-ewa) responded and exSd his thanks for the cordial greeting &ed to country societies. cX n wanection with tlio Convention, it Jvbee*P*Bined thab the f,r,'Soc"ty of rßan Endeavour was started on,i ebruSffi «81, in bhe Willisbon Church, ffltland, United States ef America, by the E' E. Clark. It has now aboub ■9 MO 000 members. At the last Convenin in July in Cleveland, there were 40,000 SS present, and ib was stated that the pi number of societies in the world was proceedings at the j ßaptist Tabernacle were very largely attended, and ware of the mosb enbhusiasbic nabure. Ab ,ix o'clock * tea was given in the schoolroom, at which about 600 were presenb. At half-pa** seven o'clock the united confecrabion meeting took place in the Tabornjcle fully 1,500 people being presenb. The delegations of bhe various societies Marched* into the church with their kahnew, and took up the places assigned to taem. Ia » very Bhorb tima bhe lower parb of the building, as well »s the gallery, waß tilled to overflowing, and even standing room was aot available. The interior ofthe church ffai tastefully adorned with motboes and the banners of the different societies. The Rev. J. Blaikie, president of the Contention, presided, and a number of ptber. clergymen were also presenb on bhe The societies sang several Endeavour hymns very pleasingly, Mr Enoch Wood presiding ab the organ. The secend annual reporb was read afber Jhe opening devotional exercises. The reporb stated bhab there were 49 societies in the Union-52 in Auckland, including two juniors, and 17 in the country districts. They are—Wesleyan Methodist, 14; Presbyberian, 9; Bapbisb, 7 ; Congregational, 5; Methodist, 5 ; inberdsnpininational, 9. There were nine intordeneminational societies in sparselycountry districts, the members ef which belonged to three or four, and in one case six, denominations, working hand lo hand. During the past year there was an increase of 532 active members, 214 BBBOciales, 132 honorary members, giving a total increase of 878 for the year. During tho bwo years 243 had joined bhe churches, and 106 associates bad become active members. Although only 19 societies had joined the Union daring the year, the membership kjd'nearly doubled. Testimonies were gften from city and country ministers as to usefulness of the societies in deepening the idpiritnal life of the churches. In addition fo the work by committees such as Jook-oub, prayer meeting, tract, Sundayschool, '/--hospital, temperance, flower and sunshine, cottage meebing, church debt extinction, social, music, there were two- missions in this city conducted entirely by Ehdeavourers. Practical help hid been given bo both Homo and Foreign missions by gifts of money, clothing, liberators,and one Endeavburer bad gone bo tho ftljl>ior**S*ld.'"'-' Another was on her way preparing for bhe work. The labe board of Haoagement of the Auckland Chinese Mission recently approached the -Christian "jEndoavoui. Union with a view of their taking the wbrki and they had unanimously Voided to do so, and so have some definite work as a Union. The Look-out Committee bad established five Christian Endeavour Societies, and introduced nine into the Union, and visited all the town and many of the' country societies, and conducted evangelistic services in many cotntry districts. The town representatives of country societies had done good service in keeping tho country societies in touch with the movements of the Union. Other Christian Endeavour Unions in bhe polony had been approached as to the advisability of starting a Christian vEndeavoor paper for tho colony, also as to to the formation of a National Union, bub nothing definite bad yeb been arranged. The Presidenb had gone bo Wellington to represent Auckland at the recent Wellington Convention, and they were thankful for the ■plendid reporb they received of those gatherings, and of the Wellington provincial societies in general. The reporb concluded with giving a lisb of officers for the ensuing year, and with an expression of thanks to the officers of the Auckland Tabernacle for their kindness in giving the use of their Chnrch for such gatherings as these. The balanco-sheeb showed receipts to bo £36 10s 5d ; after defraying all charges a small credit balanco was lefb.

Tho President said he felb honoured by having been the President of the Union, as he looked upon the sea of faces before him. if. he said, the Christian Endeavour movement had done nothing more bhan bringing the various sections ot the Church to work harmoniously and lovingly togobher, its existence' was justified. When he took office they had only two hundred members, now they had close on two thousand, so thab he envied his successor, the Rev. G. *. Monro. As a Vice-President, however, he would still be in touch with the Union, and fie retired from the chair with the more pleasure that Mr Monro was his personal fdend, aad a man who was respected and •itdemed by the whole Christian com-B-anityof Auckland. (Applause.) Mr Blaikie then moved the following re•olution which had been carried by acclamation at the afternoon meeting :— -y 'That the Auckland Provincial Endeavour Union, representing a membership of 1,856 young people, in its annual Contention assembled, views with deep regret tho steps being taken to secure the running w Sunday trams in this city. Thab bhis invention desires to lift its voice agninsb «uch -work, because it would greatly de"r °y the qaieb of bhe Sabbabb, is a breach w God's command bo reverence that day, deprive man and beasb of bhe needed Uod-giran rest, and would introduce a "ate of things opposed to tbe moral, social and religious well-being of the community. •*-h '» Convention, therefore, on these ■pouodß would ask the City Council tore* wee permission to run trams on Sunday ; "n*l that this resolution reauesting the 'Mac be senb to the Mayor." ' rpL° mot*°n was carried unanimously. ■Hie Rev. Mr Monro was then inducted *8 President for the ensuing year. He said «o felb his election to be an honour. Ho •ynpathiwd strongly with the Christian andoavour movemenb, which bridged the ,!(?! between the young and the Church. Vii <? ro^ °* societies was then wUed, each delegation rising and repeating KB.mofcto texb for bhe year and singing a "wo of a hymn. Mr Takle, Secretary to ">8 Wellington Christian Endeavour .t,) loni: said some words of greeting on mail of tie Wellington Endeavours. : u'8 dimmer, who represented Helensville, ;»i*fi; "Beholdl Stand ab the Door" very eolmgly, the Chairman making a call for those J™o intended to volunteer for mission work ""nog tbe year, a large number of Enusurers Btood up. A collection amount,nS to £1215s was taken up to defray exR, 8' The singing of the hymn •• Blest -« The Tie That Binds " and tbe Benedic* Mon an<l Doxology closed the meeting.