Methodist merger

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 10

Methodist merger

ham Street was opened in 1864, and Cambridge Terrace Mission Church celebrated its centenary last year. Immediately after the amalgamation there will be a programme to strengthen relationships between the joined congregations. An Easter mission will be [held for a week to the preaching of Mr Bailey, and there will be other social [ activities until then. Morning worship will be [ at Durham Street, and the! evening service at Cambridge ■ Terrace. They will be mutually exclusive. The accent at both will be on informality, although the Durham Street [service often will omit [preaching, and discuss social : problems. Cambridge Terrace will keep to a more orthodox line, retaining the preacher, but concentrating on a ministry relevant to the needs of the inner city. Both the merging congregations will be encouraged to assist in the social service work, and the merger is expected to be an experiment in laity training. ■ Mr Bailey will be almost I solely responsible for preach-

It brings together the Rev. , 1. Bailey, who held one of j the top preaching positions , with the British Methodist Conference; the Rev. W. E. , Falkingham. superintendent [ of the social service arm of • the Cambridge Terrace Mis- , sion Church, and the Rev. B. R. J. Eagle, who will become [responsible for religious eduI cation. Messrs Eagle (left) and I Bailey are shown above. The merger will add the social service facilities at Aldersgate to those of the mission. Congregations will worship at both Cambridge Terrace and Durham Street, both of which will retain these names, although they will be known corporately as the Methodist Central Mission. The merger will join about i 800 persons in two of the; cities oldest churches; Dur-1

ing and pastoral work. Mr Falkingham will continue to have administrative control : of the social service work of the mission, and share counselling with Mr Bailey, and i Mr Eagle will have a clearly j defined role with young per-1 sons, the social and craft centres, and will be chaplain I to the Maori Trade trainees at Rehua Hostel.