TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3072, 7 May 1917, Page 6

TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

SEVKNTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

The Terrace Congregational Church honoured its 75th anniversary yesterday. The. congregations wore large at both services, which were conducted by the Rev. J. Reed Glasson. The church was prettily decorated, and at tho morning service two members of the choir sang a duet. In the evening the choir sang an anthem. For his text at the evening service Mr. Glasson took the words from John iv, 37 and 38, "Other men laboured, and yo are entered into their labours." Ho spoke of the unselfish men and women who had laid the foundation of the Church and of thoso who followed and had carried on the good work down to our own time. The congregation owed much to 'the example and influence of thoso who had gone before. He reminded his hearers that no church could livo upon its past history, and he urged them to seek a broader view of the Gospels and its application to human needs.

The Terrace Congregational Church claims, to bo the oldest charcb in New Zealand. Dating back from May 1, 1917, three-quarters of a century had elapsed since tho first Independent or Congregational service was held in Wellington. The first service was conducted on May 1, 1812, and'at a. meeting on Juno 14 five persons, two of whom were ladies, formed themselves in a church, and appointed of their number Mr. Jonas Woodward to bo their pastor. Mr. Woodward continued the pastoral oversight until the arrival of tho Rev. Henry W. Scott in May, 1859, who was_ pastor until August, 1863, when failing health necessitated his ictircment. On April 4, 1894, a call was given to the present pastor, the Rev. J. Reed Glasson, then of College Park, Adelaide, who commenced his ministry "here on August 12, 1894. In tho scventy-fivo years the Church has had six pastorn, Mr. Glasson's pastorate of 23 years being the longest. Regular Sunday school teaching was commenced in 1844, under the snperintendency of Mr. Woodward, assisted by Mr. John Tomlinson, who subsequently took charge when' Mr. Woodward conducted services in tho suburbs. Two churches have branched off, C'otirtenay Place in 1877 and Newtown in 1898. The sites of both,and the original buildings wore the gift of one of the deacons, the latu Mr. Joseph Burne.

The church at first met in a rented room, and afterwards in the Mechanics' Institute. A brick building was erected on Tliorndon Flat, but on account of tho 1818 earthquakes, it was considered unsafe. A site in Woodward Street was purchased and a wooden building erected. In lime this was found to be too small, so tho adjoining piece of land was acquired on Maori lease, and a more pretentious edifice erected, the foundation stone of which was laid by Mr. Woodward on October 2, 1860. Shortly after a schoolroom was built. Theso buildings in turn were considered inadequate, and as the freehold of the leasehold portion could not then be acquired, another site was obtained at tho corner of Wellington Terrace and Bowen Street, and the present church and school buildings were erected. The new buildings were opened, on May 27, 1888, free from debt, and in 1894 the Manse property was acquired. The infant schoolroom was erected in 1899. Although numerically small,'the Church lias manifested an influence for good in tho city and the Dominion, its pastors have been held in the highest esteem by the community and by the ministers of other denominations.