OXFORD GROUP “HOUSE PARTY”

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 285, 29 August 1935, Page 10

OXFORD GROUP “HOUSE PARTY”

Wellington Meeting Begins

“LIFE-CHANGING” AND “QUIET TIMES” One of the first New Zealand house parties of the Oxford Group movement, initiated some years ago by Dr. Frank Buehman, commenced in lite Midland Hotel, Moilingion. yesterday. During the morning and throughout the day people were arriving from many parts of the Dominion to "share'’ and to co-operate ,iu "life-changing” one witli another for individual and corporate spiritual benefit. The objective is to bring about, from modest beginnings, a spiritual renaissance in this country.

Tiie hotel house party, which follows closely overseas gatherings of the movement, is to continue until Monday. Those who are attending are present by private invitation. The guests comprise about equal numbers of men and women and they have come or arc coming singly or in parties. The following places are represented:—Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui, Raetihi, AWakino, Nelson, Motueka, Christchurch and Oamaru. The guests represent man.'’ callings—the Church, the law, education, business, and other occupations. Some of those attending were present, at the Oxford Group house party at Oxford in 1933 and again in 1934. The atmosphere pervading the party is one of informality and friendliness. . The Central Personality. Although he claims no credit for starting the movement in New Zealand tiie Hon. Miles I’hillimore, a young Cambridge num, is taking a leading part in the organisation of it and in spreading its influence. Unassuming and self-effacing, this young man, round whose personality the house party obviously revolves, is very shy

of publicity and difficult to interview on a movement which is clearly his chief interest He emphasised that as yet the Oxford Group did not desire publicity. ' What was taking place at the party was private just now. He mentioned that the party at the Midland Hotel was definitely for “lifechanging” and was not merely a kind of conference to set in motion the machinery of routine organisation.

Discussing the actual beginnings of the Oxford Group in New Zealand Mr. Philllmore said'it first took root when people from New Zealand who had attended the big annual house party at Oxford in 1933 brought Its message to this country on their return. Small groups bad been started here and there. In January of this year a fairly large house party had been held in Christchurch, GO people attending from various parts of the Dominion. The present house party was on a larger scale and more representative in its scope. It was not possible, of course, to name those who were there, but many were people of influence and authority in their various callings. Purpose of the Movement. Mr. Phillimore. who had been found in the drawing room of the hotel, where .a “quiet lime” was in progress, .supplied Hie following reiiort of an Oxford Group service in St. John’s I'resbylerian Church: — “Life Began Yesterday’’—-the title of Stephen Foot's sequel to “Three laves" —was the keynote of the service. Led by a well-known Wellington business man, 12 of the team present took part in a concerted demonstration of a new-found solution for every problem of life. This team embraced the owner of one printing factory, an accountant in another, both agreeing as to the only way for business of to-day—“absolute honesty, aosolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love"; a clerk, a well-known Wellington lady, n girl in housework, a Christian .Scientist, an Anglican parson, a missionary recently of China, a business man and returned soldier, a teacher of music at a leading school, a young “British Aristocrat,” as he described himself, and the young wife of one of the previous speakers. It was a significant tribute to a way of life to which all had begun to subordinate every sphere ami every detail of their lives. It was bringing. as one speaker summarised it, peace, power and purpose to their lives, and making for a nw society under God’s dictatorship. News ofjlns new world order growing rapidly in other lands lias recently been claiming “first-class” space in the leading newspapers. Headlines from some of them will give a picture: “World Spanning Christian Revolution." “Oxford Obliterates .Norwegian Hatred of Danes,” “Canada's Spiritual Revolution,” are. a few examples from papers ranking with the London dailies, which have als> found room for the Oxford Group among their leading articles. The circle of the Pacific Ocean Is now the scene of a vital Christian fellowship raising its head nt almost every point, and beginning to link together in a powerful peace-bringing chain. Chino-Japan-ese house partes in Manchuria, the strike spirit quenched in Western Canada, a party to Oxford from Papua to be ttained in life-changing. island-changing, and world-changing, and a well-known comedian lending revival in Melbourne, are indications of the forces at work.

Next Sunday the commissioning of the Oxford Group hou.se party team will be Hie central purpose of what should be an impressive service nt St. Paul's UroCat lied rid.