METHODISM AT ISLAND BAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 8

METHODISM AT ISLAND BAY.

..- r '.V ■ ERECTION ;OF A . CHnRQH! r ' : LAVING 'THE FOUNDATION ' ST.ONES.;. The coremoriy 'of . laying "the .'foundation stones, of . tho new ."'Wesleyan - . -Methodist :Ohurch at Island, Bay ,was auspiciously .per)■.formed; yesterday, afternoon";in- the presence |Of.-.a Jarge- nuinber 'iof -pepple.'-The P. ! W'." 'Eaircloyg|i, F.R.AjS.-j- Chairman tho .DistWct,presided,' '.othbr.'.,mini'Sterß ,liij . latteiidSnce. wero JR«vs:"' ji. ! : (\Yel-. 'lington. Suburbs),. W.-.'';Willian)s .(Trinity),: :0.? Porter "(Thbrridon),! W; Crewos,- S;' Garlick (llutt), aqd-Douglas. .; • .; ' "'l'rayer. trnving been' offorcVl'by'" the l-jjtey! ,S. . J.. 'Williams, ,the Rev.- E.' P;. Bla:mires welcomed the ,Rev. 'P; "W/ -Fairclough). to 'whom 'he .said was (due, ; . humanly - speaking; ■the'credit of-initiating: in theiConferenco tho 'movement,which had' lwrt-o'the' eitonsion/qf .Mothoclift Church- work in: the - suburbs of Wellington,.-and 'the ,of;,, tliq. .new church, at .Island I Bay.' iA passage of -Bcrip-" ture was: theti read, by tho -Rev. -C.' Portdr. ADDRiESS BY REV. ,P. W. FAIRCLOUGH. : Tlio Rev.' P. W. Fairclougli said that the new; church:, .wa,s ' being, built /primarily for those Methodists who had' moved .out- to Island Bay from the .city, but others toot adr vantage of it they. would be tliankful. They jiad afio considered their duty to tho ft|ture, feelin»'confidqnt that, before many years had passed, _ island Bay ' would, have as large - a population as Wellington had when the Taraliaki Street Church was founded'. Although it. had fallen to him'jto'tako'tho initiative atthe Conforenco' in the matter of .this- Church extension work, the movement had begun ..earlior -at.Taranaki-.iStreetj 'and -he wished^to thank -the local' Methodists for - the encouragement ..they had-, /given • at;tlic outseti He-lad' fr'oni; the, first, been in favoiir: of 'send; iiig ■ an'esperienfced,'\mihistftr',m fuH' commisi sion, to this tHoy;:l)ad' s"uqh.:,'a' ; man.' A. 'timelyt'.inunditiqii'' had .prpvent'ed ' thom,. acquiring the site .they, first .had in view ; for this"church, arid then'a good friend,carao forwaird and offerod present' excellent' site.' as-;, a ,'gift. Speaking, in gerieral .term's.'.on'the'uses 0f.,; a'''.Church,; jlr:'Fairclough ■ said-, that: the ' Churches .' wore! "• 'the : ; citadel and strong-' hold of; the' Sabbath, 1 ,which,waa .a. far -riioro valuable : institution.: qyon: than, .the vaunted half-hblidaj-;-, Churches wore'-also 'the eehtres of.tho Fatherhood of GodJ- and :.of! brotherhood and the highest friendship r amongst "meni They-' -the, influeaces; that sanctified human life, i '~ They trained children,"'■-com--fqrtcd .thc .distressed,' built 'up,,the .souls 'that' .clung.-' tp VGh'rist,' and " persuaded "simitrs ' to tiirn....from, ' ways; and'"live. y;;v;; , ' MR.. Aiai£isij;"-.-fe; on christian} '. , ;unity.-. • •> " : Mr. Jr. G,- W. XitVen; 'if.P.,-, laid the.:first pf the,'c6mmqmorative .t'ablets:,;, Ho said that he" rejoicedivin :tho;;_fqundatibn-laying of;.; a church: of .any; deripminationvas;.another sign, that'.,thc. day l .was coming .when \Jesuß ,Christ ivouid bnter : ifito His own, arid.' the . whole would, belong to Hiin.'..- He. realised' thdfull-the ..absolute; iiecdssity': of'the; Mqthqr. (list -Church-: .extending.- its'. [organisation Island; Bay - orecting ; a - buiWing 'there. It .would: have beeri-.'al shamev to ;'the- Methodists I "if ■ thoy -.had not 'occupicd a fiold ;t!iat Was ready, fdr 1 -them,,,and- - grovf and 'estend uritil'tlie ;surroundingVhills'wefe ' , He' i ltfii's'';lookniig.. fqi? :wardto' tho' tinio -..when '■ all :- the - evangelical Churches; would -donas'some- of*-.the Methodist Churches 'had 1 already . done,''■ arid.^uiiite' into orie'grpa't body'., l.t be a ! g"rand Church 'proclairriihg. its' unity.: to;"thotwqrld, ;.aj>d !de.claririg'tbat, altliprigh'its;.members-.looked-at; some ■ things' -from. different points ■of '- view; thqy.; had: only : pne -Saviour, arid: one object-r, ■to*bring every man, woman, ahd : .child: .kripwledgo 'of 'Him... :. In 'century Christian -peoplo. seemed; to . he inclined .-to omphasise. their 1 , differences,'-, but; lie/.' hoped that in -the.twentieth century':that' tendency .would-.be revtfsed,':and that' they : would, de-,light-in .showing thoir. oneness. . .Mr. Aitken conveyod: apologies' for of ;tKe Revs.-Dr. Gibb and.Sherdr. ! Mr.- W. Moxham,.,wb.o was 'described' by the' Chairman' "as the revered-father of -Wellington Mothodism, :.tlie oldest' surviving- 'pillar of tho Church,;' .laid'the-setiond;stone. In a brief'speech,--he recallcd: the fact that the Methodist churches at' Thohidoni. at Newtown, and. now at Island Bay, ,had : all' originated as off-shoots fr.om' the Tnrariaki Street Church. . He, also longed f or : ; closer .-union aniong all -the. evangelical clulrches. A . ■ Tho third stone' was laid by Mr. Harry •Crump, senior ' circuit steward'. -.; • ; -. THE BUILDING FUND. ■' The' Chairman announced • that he received in! April last a legacy, of ;£lOOopnde'r tho is'ill of ' the late'- Sir Walter' Bullerj to bo . dcyotcd to the work of the Methodist 1 ; Church, . in memory of..the of "his". father,-'"tho Rov. Jaroos., Buller. He : (Mr. ; ; : Fairclough) .had' decided,, that the 'm'oneyj .-which.' now amounted'--.' with' interest 'to- £102' 6s'."---4d:j should .bo doyoted io-'the erection: of tho Ischurch." .-'Tljq Rev. E. /P. Blamires:read, messages of goodwill.:' froiri the. Revs. H. Bull,. (Ohristchur'ph) aid 'W. Kirk: (Petone). Ho : also announced' that' since-last May, whdu- the work of tho church At Island Bay was bog'un, £235; had been received in' response' t-o ■ circulars'.issued.' The collection that aftqrnqpn amounted to £'S3 10s. They'hoped, with the; legacy, of Sir "Walter Buller, to raisotho amountto' £oQO, 'and : theri, tho. architect (Mr. E.' W. Pethefick)' having giVen- his rscr--vices free, and the site being also a gift,-they would have a debt'of only. £iOO on.a property worth £2000; ' The Bdnodiction ' was • pronounced by t-he Rov."' E. P. Blamries, and ' most of those present tlien attbrided' a garden; party in tho grounds of Mr. W. Prince. Tea was provided, and in • the' evening there was. -a 'promenade concert-, in .which the, Central Mission -Band and Mr. Billirian's' glee party contributed to the progrmniuj. ■'. :. The new church will'be: of Gothic , design, and will moasura 86ft. by. 16ft,, exclusivo. of 1 pbrch '.'and - vestibule.... - It '- will be . tho' first ecclesiastical' building • ,in'- the ' Domiuion; composed of -ferroicdncreto.;/ The ;site,.- which .is tho : gift of : Mr. Harry"" Crumpi': of 'Island Bay, measure? 60ft.. bv .150 ft.,'" and', is at.* the junction of-Clyde arid Merspy 'Streets. , 1