CENTENARY GIFT

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30481, 1 July 1964, Page 20

CENTENARY GIFT

£2200 From St. John’s

The money received during the St. John’s Church centenary celebrations to provide a mobile evangelistic unit for Victoria Nyanza, Tanganyika, had. reached £2200 3s 5d at the final thanksgiving service on Sunday night. The vicar of St John’s (the Rev. D. D. Thorpe) said yesterday that more money was still being received, and these contributions would be sent to Tanganyika to be added to. the total sum.

At the thanksgiving service the money was handed to the Rev. H, F. Thomson, general secretary of the New Zealand Church Mission Society, by the people’s warden of St. John’s (Mr O. A. Michel). Mr R. Wiggins, son of the Bishop of Victoria Nyanza (the Rt. Rev. M. L. Wiggins) attended the service.

Commenting l on the response to the centenary appeal, Mr Thorpe said: “It is a very humbling thing when people give so much quite anonymously. I know that many people—including pensioners and children—gave really sacrificial amounts. We received a cheque for £2OO and at least two for £100.” In the Victoria Nyanza diocese, he said, there were only five European and 15 African ministers. In contributing to this response, I feel that we are able to help others, in the way. that we received help during those early days when St. John’s was just being built. “This spirit of giving is better than the Golden Kiwi —these people, aren’t looking for material reward.”