METHODIST EXPANSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 221, 11 June 1908, Page 5

METHODIST EXPANSION.

NEEDS OF WELLINGTON AND SUBURBS. FORWARD MOVEMENT INAUGURATED. _ ; A movement for the extension of Methodism in this district was publicly inaugurated yesterday, when a tea and evening meeting, both of which were largely attended, were held at the Taranaki Street Church. The . immediate object of tho movement is the raising, within tho next three years, of a "Thanksgiving Fund". of £4000, which, it' is expected, will enable the • promoters to undortako enterprises approximating in monetary value to £10,000, and including the building of churches and acquiring of sites in some of the suburbs of this city. T'l® ®p v - W- J- •'Williams, President of the Wellington Extension Council, took the chair at the evening meeting. Prayer was offered by Mr. H. N. Holmes, secretary of the Y.M.C.A. ■ Chairman, in his opening address, recalled the generous resoonso of the adherents when it was necessary to rebuild the Taranaki Street Church after its destruction l r , e ,?? a J?y years ago. He trusted that the Methodists of Wellington were prepared now to come forward and enable their church to. do its rightful share in tho work of spreading the Gospel in the city and district. ' The Rev. S. ,J. Serpell warmly acknowledged ihe efforts of the ladies in connection with the tea, and commending the organising work of the Rev. E. P. Blamires. • He learnt that twenty-five■' years ■. ago the Methodists of Wellington raised £1500 in two days for a'new church building. Surely they could do' as well, or better, now. The public demand for religious ordinances and religious services was never more clamant than today. ; Wellington, as tho capital of the' Dominion, had a wide influence, and a revival hero would be felt .throughout tho , country. The speaker went on to say that the land around Taranaki Street would in the future be increasingly occupied by business enterprises, and tho people would more and more migrate to tho suburbs. The only way to keep them in touch with Methodism was! to build churches in the suburbs.' Something had. already been done. They had just built, a fine church at Island Bay, they would soon be holding services in 'the new church at Brooklyn, and they had sites at Wadestown and Ivilbirnie. He ur<*ed tbem to realise their privileges as Methodists and to embrace the opportunity of advancing the cause in a spirit of thanksgiving ana consecration.

The Rev. E. P. Blamires said the movement'was; not .evolved solely froni the minds and hearts of the ministers. Some very earnest laymen had stirred them up., If ever the Methodists of the capital had an opportunity, they had it now. If they did not take it, the clock would go back. Ho urged them to make the best possible use of it.

Mrs.' W. J. Williams also spoke of the need for church extension in Wellington. The Church stood for all that a man needed, and'-, its upward pointing spires were symbolical of its influence on the life of the city. 1 The object of the movement' was to make the church dear to the people by- taking it. to them. It was carrying out the plan ■of Jesus, and would be a test of theii conviction that the Gospel was the antidote for life's woes, and that apart from Christ thero was no hope for man. ■ Cards bearing a form of promiso of subscriptions were then distributed throughout thebuilding. Those present were also vited to stand up and publicly make their thank offerings by stating their special reasons for thankfulness .and the amount of their .donations. There was a large and immediate response. For about three-quarters of an hour'people were rising one after another in all parts of the building, acknow. lodging-blessings of many kinds, and pro. mising sums of money ranging from £300 to 10s., usually by way of annual subscriptions for three years. When the cards had been collected and tho amounts added up, it'was found that the money given and promised amounted to no less than £1673 13s. S)d. The hearty singing of the Doxology .fittingly concluded the meeting. . ,