VALEDICTORY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 4

VALEDICTORY.

-. REV. C. PORTER,

The law of the Methodist Church in tho Dominion requires its ministers who may happen to be "moving," in accordance with its itinerant system, to be iu their new circuits by tho third Sunday in April. Wellington Methodism loses Beveral ministers by this process this year, among them being tlw. Rov.. C. Porter, who has laboured for tha last three years at Thorndon, but who accepted an invitation, which the oonfereeico honoured, to tho Mastortdn Circuit. . On Thursday ovening a congregational social was held in tho Molesworth Street Schoolroom, to bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Porter and family. Tho esteem in which the guests of tho .evening wore held was evidenced by the largo attendance, and the gathering was presided over bv the Rev. S. J. Scrpoll, ■superintendent of the Wellington (Taranaki Street) Circuit. . , Representatives of the different organisations connected with tho church—Messrs. W. Walton (trustees), W. W. Moxham (con-gregation),-and T. Sims (Sunday school)— voiced the regret of the Tlromdon Methodists at losing Mr. Porter's services,-and wished' him and his family every success in their new' sphere. Mr. Hwang (Chinese Consul), as one' of tho'newest members of the church, oxpressed his pleasure at having met Mr. Porter and his,regret at his departure. The Rev. J. J. North spoke energetically of Mr. Porter's work with the Evangelical Church Council. The senior circuit steward (Mr. W. Dimock), in a happy speech, asked Mr. Porter's acceptance of a purse of sovereigns as' a token of the goodwill of the congregation. In reply, Mr. Porter prefaced his remarks by .informing tho gathering that more reassuring news .had been received with regard to the health of»Mrs. Fee, wife of the president of the conference, who is to succeed him in charge of Thorndon, and stated that that gentleman would be able to keep his engagement and preach the anniversary sermons on* April 18. After dealing various aspects of the church's life dining his minis-iry, and assuring those present that he would continue to take an interest in the doings? of the church and its members, Mr. Porter concluded by thanking them,'on behalf of Mrs. Porter and family, for their tangible expression of goodwill. During the evening a varied musical programme was contributed to by Miss Reeve, Mesdamos Tanner and Gladding, Messrs. A. lTobtnan (who had to respond to an insistent encore), Brown, and Thompson,*, and Miss lilanchnrd Moxham accompanied the singers. \f)-\e Indira of the congregation provided suppof'. It is understood that Mr. Porter and family proceed to Masterton by tho afternoon train on Tuesday next.