A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1913, Page 8

A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS.

(To the Editor.) a lcuK time * have *een thinking about some means to stir U d the inhabitants of Avondale South .tl take a little interest in spiritual matters in general and attendance on public WO rShip in particular. The Rev. Harold Jeckrs, M__, keeps a service every Sabbath, but very few attend. Some do not come because they do not like the English Church service, and' others for various reasons. There is a.Presbyterian place of worship, hut services have been discontinued. The Rev. Marshall, Presbyterian minister, never to my knowledge visited the place to preach or to visit the district. The Wesleyans or others do neither visit nor hold services, there is often a great cry about forei<m missions and missions to the heathen, but no place, to my knowledge, is actually more heathen than this district. I have been about the world very much on sea and land, and on all the continents, and I have resided in many parts of New Zealand, but never was I in a place where the people neglected public worship as they do here. There are only two or three male heads of families that ever "0 to church. And the congregations, when there are any, are composed of women and girls. Hardly ever is there a vounoman present. Now, I learn the Chapman-Alexander Mission is coming to Auckland, and besides that for, three days they are shut out of the Town Hall. These days should be spent here if thay want to do good. By so doing they would be following Christ's example, who went to the country hillsides and lakesides. Where did he preach the sermon on the Mount, arid where did/he miraculously feed the multitudes? How many of a congregation had he at Jacob's well? ' Not in the biggest towns.- Was Paul only preachino- f n the biggest towns? On reading accounts of revivals, they began in some remote country settlement. What were Shotts. Cambuslang, Irvine, Stewarton (Scotland ), Antrim, Down (Ireland) ? They were then country districts and small villages. Where did John Wesley get a good stomach by. subsisting solely or 1 mainly on wayside - raspberries In j Cornwall. Christ's command was not to preach-in «ities and to large congregations, not to employ motor ears, choirs, etc., etc., .to make a great noise, but simply the Gospel—the necessity of. conversion—and to all nations. Paul had a-vision calling him to Macedonia. Here there is an invitation to a very necessitous district as far as things spiritual are concerned. I trust the licv. Jolly will urge their'presence here, while the Rev. Turner will be an active second. Some have often said in my hearing that the: ciiy ministers are supporting these missions for loosening , the purse-strino-s of their members and maintaining the collection plate. I could never subscribe to such an" insinuation. Still,' if Avondale South is not favoured with a visit of the Gha/pman-Alexander Mission I will be compelled to say there maybe some truth in the assertion.—l am, etc., FOR AVONDALE SOUTH.