CANON GREEN’S MISSION

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26510, 27 August 1951, Page 6

CANON GREEN’S MISSION

BIG CROWD FILLS CATHEDRAL

HUNDREDS OF EXTRA CHAIRS NECESSARY

More than 3000 persons attended the Christchurch Cathedral last evening to hear the opening address in a mission being conducted in Christchurch by Canon Bryan Green, rector of Birmigham. Diocesan officials said after the service that this was the largest crowd the building had ever accommodated. Canon Green said the attendance had been more than satisfactory, and it was a most promising start to his mission, which is scheduled to last nine days. “I was pleasantly surprised to see that about 65 per cent, of the congregation were young persons under 30 years of age.’ said Canon Green. People began to form a queue outside the Cathedral before the doors were opened, more than half an hour before the servfce was due to start. In anticipation of a large attendance, the chairs m the main part of the building were moved together to eliminate waste space in the aisles, and hundreds of additional chairs were installed. As the Cathedral began to fill, however. it became apparent that the seating accommodation would be inadequate, and a large staff of ushers was k?"t busy handing out spare kneeling pads to provide a measure of insuliation from the cold stone floor for those who had been unable to find chairs. These stiff, flat pads were of an ideal shape for distribution in the manner of deck quoits to those out of reach of the ushers. Between 400 and 500 people sat on the strip of floor between the seats and the north wall, and a like number was m the outer sanctuary and the open ?P.? ce ln front of the chancel steps. Other areas of which full use was made were the north and south transepts, the choir stalls, and even the steps of the pulpit and lectern. Comments overheard from the congregation appeared to indicate that all were favourably impressed with the improvements to the Cathedral’s sound system which Canon Green had affected. Echo was noticeably absent. .. Can ° n , Green’s text was “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light ” from St. Paul’s Enistle to the Ephesians. “The implications of spiritual sleeping and waking” were discussed by Canon Green, and three minutes' silence was observed immediately afterwards for consideration of the ideas put forward in his address. The Lesson was read by the Rev Raymond Dudley of, the Durham Street Methodist Church, and prayers were led by the Moderator of the Christchurch Presbytery (the Rev. Stuart C. Francis).