ST. JOHN’S CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 68, 14 December 1931, Page 6

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH

Young Men’s Bible Class

SOCIAL & SUPPER ROOMS

For some time past the present leaders of the St. John’s Presbyterian Young Men’s Bible Class, Messrs. W. J. Ferguson and R. D. Moore, together with their committee, have felt the need of social and supper rooms as an annexe to the class room. Despite the adverse financial conditions they have accumulated a fund, raised by class members and old boys for this purpose. The result is a well-equipped and tastefully-designed 1 annexe with every modern requirement. The plan was prepared by Mr. W. Gray Young, one of the old boys, and the total cost of erection and furnishing was over £3OO. So successful have been the efforts of past and present members that these rooms will be opened free of debt by Mr. G. A- Troup this evening, and dedicated by the Rev. J. R. Blanchard, minister of St. John’s. St. John’s Bible class began with five members, and its activities were confined to Bible study. Under the leadership of Mr. G. A. Troup, a new Bible-class movement was initiated. The principle of self-government was introduced, and the co-operative method, which gave to each member work and responsibility, was adopted. This new mode of Bible-class organisation quickly caught on, and the class in St. John’s became the norm on which all aggressive work of the denomination for its youth proceeded. As a result there are over 400 Presbyterian young men’s classes in the Dominion, with a total membership approaching 5000. - During the 44 years of its existence, many hundreds of young men have passed through St. John’s Bible class, many of whom occupy responsible positions both within and beyond the Dominion. The “old boys” are represented also in the ministry of the church at Home and in her mission fields abroad, while many have become leaders of Bible classes in other places. The policy of the class lias been to project itself into the community as is manifest in the part it has played and . still plays in connection with the Boys’ Institute. The institute originated in 1882, when Messrs. Aitken and Allen, elders of St. John’s, organised a class for lads in Wellington for whom little

or nothing was being done. Later this work was taken up by St. John’s Bible class, which soon set itself the task of providing a permanent home for the institute.

The class itself contributed £4OO, collected £lOOO from the congregation and friends, secured a gift of £250 from the managers of St. John’s, and erected a building in Arthur Street. zV further successful project which stands to the credit of this clafes is St. John’s hostel. One Sunday afternoon in June, 1919, the members resolved, on the motion of Mr. Gordon Troup, to establish a hostel as a memorial to members of the class who died in the Great War. The 33 members present promised the sum of £2ll/16/-. This was augmented by subscriptions from class members who were absent from the meeting, old boys, and friends. As a result the property on the corner of Willis and Aro Streets was acquired, remodelled and furnished at a cost of £4500, and opened in February, 1920.