THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 4 May 1923, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

FOUNDATION z?7 AtrCBXASD AN LXTEKtCSTING HWTOKY. Xext Monday evening at the Tow Hall there is to he a gathering ..■!' tlios connected with the I'resbyterian. Chure! in Auckland, a meeting having been ai ranged to cplebruie the Siith anniversar of the foundation of that Church in thi city and province. As a matter of fac services for Presbyterians, were iirs held in Auckland in February. 1840. ii the Supreme Courthouse, near the come of Queen and Victoria Street?. Whel the ships .lane Gifford and Duchess o Argyle arrived in October. 1842, wit I 552 emigrants from Scotland, it wa found that there were no adequate ar rangements for religious services. Th Rev. W. Comrie, (undo of the Rt. Rev W. J. Coinrie. Moderator of the Genera Assembly of the Presbyterian Church o New Zealand) continued holding service in the courthouse. hike true Scots thi emigrants wanted a kirk of their owi so on May 4th, 18-17. a meeting was heW in Mr. W. Gorrie's house, Shortlam Street, nearly opposite Byeroffs mill, a which it was resolved to build t>' Andrew's Church in stone at a cost o £-2000 and also to send to Scotland foi a minister. The sum of £750 was sul) scribed at the meeting, and a week latei £1120 had been promised. The site fO] the church nl the corner of Symonds Street and Alten Road was donated b\ (lie Governor. Sir George ("Jrey. win nistlo similar grants in other religionliodies. St. Andrew's Church was completed and opened for divine service i.n A)iril 71 h. 1850. It is of interest 1.0 note that the opening service was at (ended by the Governor, and that at tlif 50th anniversary in the Town Hall or Mordav evening. Governor-Genera Lord .Tcllicoe is to be present. The lower was added to the Church in ISRS it a cost of CtOOO. OLD TIME INCIDENTS. While the pioneers of the Presbyterian rhureh in Auckland have passed away there are still a number of people whe ittendcd St. Andrew's Church when they .vere children. One hardy old gentlennn in Ponsunby reared recently how ie used to gather chips when ihe church ,vas being built. Another old resident ,vhose father attended I lie first auction sale of land in Auckland in 1840. when •een by a representative of (he "Star' irst stipulated that on n<, arenunt was lier name to be published, and then urnisli".! some interesting particulars. nciilentlv it may be stated that {he and bouehi in 18-10 has not vet passed ml of the hands r.f the family. She ■emarkert: "People wetv not nfraid t» •oino a long distance to Church in those lays. There were families that came. 'egularlv each Sunday from Tamaki. They thought nothing of the ride of even miles each way to and from serice. There wns (i road between Auckand and Tamaki in those days, but ot •nurse it had no metal on it. and was >nd travelling in the winter. 1 can ememher my father taking us for a lay's picni' , to Rcmuer;i in a dray. It van all covered with ti-tree then." It s quite evident that in the early days ; he Church had a bigger grip on the j >enple, for now when trams and trains ire running, the trouble of the city hiirrhes is to keep up a congregation, j "he Indy also stated that other families • ised to drive to St. Andrew's from the . ■Jnrp of Erin corner. Some old documents regarding the liurch in the early days have been kept >y the lady. One', dated as far back as S- r io. tended to show that there was omething like church unity in those lays, for the fact is stated that amongst he con'/recration were members of the Established Church of Scotland. Canironians. Haptista. and Independents. : '/yon the Hoard of Deacons was not ntirely composed ' of Presbyterians, for, n signing the usual formula on taking iffice, Mr. T. Forsaith added the proviso hat he preferred the Congregational onn of church government. Afterwards hat. gentleman was a member of the iovernment in what was known as the "lean-.-hirt Ministry, because it vvus ho! oon turned out of office. i The first minister, the Rev. O. A. Pan- ! ■.on, wns brought out from .Scotland to | be minister at St. Andrew's Church, but! resigned two years later and returned! home. During the time Mr. Puntoii had ! charge matters did not go very smoothly. This was owing to members of the j ihureli residin:.' at Tamaki and Onehunga \ wishing to have the services of (h<. Rev. ! •John Inglis of the Reformed Presby-> lerian Church at Wellington. Mr. Tanton resented this proposal and when a presentation of a purse of sovereigns was made to Mr. Tnglis matters came to a head. He said it was forming a j schism. Mr. Panton decided to return ' to Edinburgh and remit his charge to ' the Presbytery there. On the eve of 1 his departure Mr. Panton published a protest against any minister of any other denomination than the Free. Church of Scotland filling the pulpit at ! St. Andrew's. This was not effective, j for before another minister was ap- '. pointed the pulpit was filled by both i Congregaticnalists and Wesleyans. Re-! ferrins to this matter, the lady who had the document in her possession after : all these years, remarked, "'There was '■ a lot of trouble over the affair and T •' heard that someone was burnt in effigy . in front of St. Andrew's Church.'' She! added that Mr. Inglis went as a mis- ' sionary to the New Hebrides, in 1850. ! Before there was a new minister the ' ■Rev. Dr. Macdonnld, of the Congrega- ' tional Church, High Street, used to | often preach at St. Andrew's. The first j ofliee bearers of the church were Messrs. I A. Shepherd, J. Xis'nt, W. Gorrie W. j Hay. T. S. Forsaith, R. Mitchell, J.! liobertson, and W. S. Graham. AN ENERGETIC MINISTER. In 1852 the committee of the Free : Church of Scotland appointed the Rev. ' David Bruce to St. Andrew's, who ar- | rived in the ship Simla on .Tune 9. Mr. ! liruce found a debt of Cl.">00. -which j was a heavy burden for the church (o carry. A circular was issued in which . the congregation were asked what they j proposed to do about it. as the load was I toe biff for the nev minister to face. | In three months the debt was lifted, j and shortly afterwards a hall was built j i"or use as both a Sunday and day school. A Mr. Stables was brought from Scotland to take charge of the day ichool, and after him Mr. Far<|iihar i-lacree was sent for. Later this gentlenan was appointed to the charge of he Auckland Grammar School. The attendance at St. Andrew's Church rrew to such an extent that it was deeded to get an assistant minister, the Rev. James Hill. Mr. Bruce wjs a great >rganiser. and under his charge the Prcs->yte:-'ian Church made vapid progress in Auckland. In 1854 Otahuhti, Tamaki nd Howick, were constituted a senarato ihai'gc under the Rev. John Mackv, J.A. The same year the Papakura 3rury, and Wairosi were formed one >arish under the charge of the Rev. Thomas Xorrio. In ISSO Maliuraugi and

m ' llatakaua were placed under the Rev. R. McKinney. In 1857 religious services ; were conducted by Mr. Bruce in a little hall in Hobson Street A schoolheiise was built shortly afterwards and the Rev. Peter Mason was inducted to the , charge on August 5, IKC2. Later the j ':hurcli of St. James was built in Wel- , ! Ungton Street, to which the Rev. James i ill Hill was appointed. In 1801 the Rev. IQ. Brown (who still resides at Onehunaa. aged 02 years) was appointed to the <-.harge of that place in conjunction with , the AVh.au. St. Luke's Church was started at Remuera under the care of the Rev. G. 13. Munro, and one at Devonport under the fiev. Wallace. St. David's, in Svmonds Street, was formed under the Rev. T. \V. Dunn, and St. I Stephen's, Jervois Road. Ponsonby, I under the charge of the Rev. 1). \V. i Runeiman. I In October. ISS7. Mr. Bruce resigned j i the charge of St. Andrew's on account of failing health, and was succeeded by the Rev. A. Carrick. The first proeby- | tery was formed in Auckland on OeI to'bor 14. lSSfi, the members l>oin<x the. : Key. John Macky (Moderator), Rev. D. ; Bruce (clerk), Revs. T. Xorrie. R. McKinney. and Elders XV. Gorric and James Wallace. I It will be seen Unit St. Andrew's j Church really ranks as the Presbyterian ! Cathedral of Auckland, being the mother jof the others that have hived off: therefore the gathering on Monday evening I will lie an important one for the PresbyI terians of this district, nnd it is quite j fitfing thai it should be attended by the <Jovernor-<;cncral. I ho Prime .Minister, ! and (he Mayor, as it has had a great j : deal to do \villi (lie development of the | ! religious life of the place. I