METHODIST CHURCH

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13624, 23 April 1942, Page 8

METHODIST CHURCH

INDUCTION OF REV. A. A. BENSLEY

On Thursday night, April 16, the Rev. A. A. Bensley, of Greymouth, was inducted into the circuit left vacant by the departure of the Rev. Hediey White. The Rev. L. A. G. Brooks, of Te Aroha, conducted the service and preached the occasional sermon. Anthems were rendered by the choir and a solo by Miss D. Bulmer. At the close of the induction service, a welcome to the new minister was extended by Mr W. P. Styles, circuit steward, and Rev. L. P. -Bryan of the Baptist Church. An apology was received from Rev. O. S. O. Gibson and Envoy Jones. The Rev. H. Irving attended later in the evening. Supper was served by the ladies.

On Sunday Mr Bensley conducted both morning and evening services in th.s Methodist Church. At the morning service lie spoke on "The weapons of our warfare," and suggested that he had brought no new spectacular ideas. "Indeed," said Mr Bensley, "the short cut, streamlined methods have not availed to help us, for we find ourselves in low water to-day." He" suggested that full use of the sure, tried weapons of prayer and the knowledge and application of the New Testament teaching were the methods that could not fail. At this service Miss K. Turner gave a solo, and the junior choir sang "Walking with Jesus."

In the evening Mr Bensley spoke on John the Baptist's challenge to the people to repent; and stated that there was no new order that was really an order at all, save by creative repentance. He contended that for our sins we must crush the Axis system, and that if we succeeded in doing that and came out as we went in, it would only be to meet some more dreadful fate. "Christ stands at the door which admits into the New Order, and to enter in we leave outside everything which in its growth and uprising produces a chaos like the present. Once in the New Order we build on firm foundations and not on thosp of any socalled economic order." The choir rendered the anthems "King of Kings Break Forth into Joy" and "Sun of My Soul."