PRESBYTERIAN SILVER JUBILEE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 39, 21 July 1939, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN SILVER JUBILEE

' TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF PROGRESS HISTORICAL REVIEW OF KNOX CHURCH (Written for the Beacon by Mr Wm. McFarland)

'Whakatane Presbyterian Church thi lor it is the silver jubilee of the esti -charge here. During these years a -worshippers have worked steadfast! "tended their labours is seen by th? Many of the hardships and difficult • come, but the church is not satis! new fields which the progress of th exploi

" THE START. Presbyterianism in the Whakatane -district*received its real start when the Opouriao Estate was cut up fin • closer settlement in 1896. Whakatane was even then the business centre and shipping port for this and other settlements, and quite a number of the -new settlers were Presbyterian, several having come from Opotiki. The Opotiki session decided to take the means of grace to this new and for years the Tlev. C. Warboys, and Messrs J. P. Murray/ and J. B. Gow undertook the work, which meant an arduous 1 journey involving the crossing of tidal rivers and an arm of the sen, riding along miles of beach and following almost impassable tracks, the journey each month involving a three ■day absence fi'om Opotiki for one of these who took the work in turns. In 1902 the charge became a home jriission station under Mr E. Bathgate who, for three years, did good -work. Mr F. Jeffreys followed him, rand during- the few months that he was here a small chuich was built at Whakatane, where up to this time had been held in an old hall in the business area. For the next jseven years Messrs Madill, and Ravn were in charge, . and during Mr Ravn s service a church was built at Awakeri on the -edge of the Rangitaiki swamp which j ~»vas then in process of being drained. I MANY MORE SETTLERS. The draining and settling of this large area meant the large influx of many more settlers to the district, ■and the church felt that the time liad come to raise its status to that of fully sanctioned change. Th's was «done and a call sent to the Rev. A. R. Madill who had just finished his divinity coursie and was licensed to prcsach. He was ordained and inducted to the Parish"-of..Whakatane in ."March, 1914. In June Mr Madiili'oriii;«ed his first session of eight elders, four for Whakatane and four for r ?Taneatua. Two of the original ciders -for Whakatane, Mr Alex Allan and the writer, still hold office. ' There were then eighty names on the communion roll compiled for the whole i district.

A LARGE PARISH.On May 20, 1914, a further step in the settlement of the Rangitaiki fcame when, the new outlet for the Rangitaiki River was completed and the water level lowered ten feet. This meant success to the drainage ;schcme, and therefore many new settlers in the district. The parish comprised seven preaching stations. Th? roads were very poor and the rivers had to lie crossed by all sorts of ferries or by fords. The manse was at one end of the district at Taneatua, fltitr the only means of conveyance fop the minister was a horse, except cn a few roads where a gig could bi taken, vet in suite of all these difficulties Mr Madill did good work. ■ War, of had broken out in 191.4 and several of the finest young fellows in the congregation had joined the forces. Mr Madill waited for a „ year*, and then resigned , from. his - charge in 1915 and enlisted, as he felt that it was up to the church for one of ijts single ministers to go to the front among the men as one of them. He and many others of his fel_ iOw students gave their lives for the cause. Among those who died were Messrs T. Aitken and E. Prebble, who had assisted during the summers of 1914 and 1915. NEW MINISTER. The Rev W. T. late of • Sydenham, Christclmrch, who had been assistant to Mr Madill for some months carried on the work during the long vacancy of over a year. The * strain, told on his health, and shortly - after the vacancy was filled by the Rev W. McNeur he resigned. Mr McNeur, who had accepted a, unanimous call av:is ordained and inducted in January, 1917. It was now felt that with Whaka. tane's rap'd development a.nd central position, the time had come for the marise to be moved from Taneatua, - and in 1918 Mr McNeur. brought his ; .young_ bride to. the new home in, Wna-

" Twenty.fivc years of service to God are marked joyfully by the

is week-end with special services, ablishment of a fully.sanctioned noble band of ministers, elders and and the blessing which has athealthv state of the church to-day. ties of the past have been over. tied to rest on its laurels, and the i? district is opening will be fully ited.

katanc. With the help of his wife Mr McNeur did great work in the community. It may be recorded here that towards the end of 1917 Mr Alex Black, one of Whakatane's had passed away after a short illness. Mr Black for 18 years had been the mainstay of the church, and during the whole period had been superintendent of the Sunday School which he started on his arrival in the district. Men of his calibre are not met with every day, and the church was much thi poorer by his passing. FIRST CAR. The district had progressed so much, and the roads were so improved, that the church felt it was wise to obtain a car for the Minister's use and a new two-seater was secured which proved a great success. Mr McNeur during f the period to 1921 had the help of several students, including two of his brothers, the Rev. Alex and the Rev. David McNeur, also the Rev. C. Watt, now of Turathe Rev E. J. Orange, of Papa, toetoe, the Rev. L. Ker, of Wanga. nui and the Rev. R. Warnock of Palmerston. Later Mr N. J. Ravn took over the Whakatane outfields under Mr McNeur, and on July 1921, the Rangitaiki portion of the outfields became a home miss'on station under Mr Ravn. It was a great loss locally when Mr McNeur accepted a unanimous call to Westmere in October, 1921. The Rev W. Gow acted as supply during the vacancy of seven months which c mued.

TANEATUA "HIVES OFF.'" The Taneatua congregation now decided to have a minister of its own, thus creating two separate charges. The Rev W. Butterworth eventually became minister at Whaka.tane where he did fine work for three years. It was during his ministry that the Bay of Plenty Presbytery was'feinted. This has proved a great success in helping clEvuScltTk in the Bay. The Rev M. Bawden_Harris filled the vacancy when Mr Butterworth left, and he >*nd his wife worked devotedly until October 1928. For six vca/ns, as 'a rtesult of Taneatua 'hiving off' Whakatane had been an aided charge, but once again it felt strong enough to stand on its own feet, nnd g : ve the .full stipend to the Rev H. .T. Lilburn who had newly arrived from the North of Ireland, and who for six and a half years did noble work. REV. K. J. WATSON. When Mr Liiburn_ accepted a call to Hamilton East the congregation was fortunate in securing the Rev. K..J. Watson, his induction taking place on September 2, 1936. The work has grown considerably since Mr Watson came here, nearlj r three years ago. Development at Ohope necessitates a fortnightly service, and Mr Watson is also in charge of quite a promising Sunday School there. At Wainui, 12 miles away by a bad road, Mr Watson holds a fort, nightly service for the greater portion of the year. When the hall is built on the bible class grounds at Ohope the work there should be very much .strengthened. In 193(5 a new manse was built near the church at a cost of about £1000. this involving a debt of £720, but a 1 there has been,over £1000 promised to the centenary fund the whole of this debt will be liquidated and a useful sum sent forward fof some of the other branches of the fund. The church is thus financially sound.

This account tells baldly how the church, which had a roll number of eighty members twenty-five years ago, has developed now into three separate charges and an outfields, and is still left with 144 names on her own roll. Great credit is due to the wonderfully fine band of ministers and their wives who have laboured here in that periotf'. Some have gone forward to higher andooru r thoughts are, with their loved ones who are still with us. To those who ••emain we tender our heartfelt thanks'for the work Ihey have done.