TARANAKI. (From the Herald—11th inst.) New Wesleyan Church.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 974, 28 October 1856, Page 3

TARANAKI. (From the Herald— llth inst.) New Wesleyan Church.

This beautiful and commodious edifice was formally opened for Divine service on Thursday, in last week, under very favorable auspices. On Sunday, also, several sermons, appropriate and pood, were preached by the Primitive Methodist Minister, the German Lutheran Minister, and by the Wesleyan Ministers; the collections at each far exceeding the anticipations of the most sanguine. The crowning part, however, of this interesting affair was the Tea Meeting on the evening of Monday last, which was a most enthusiastic assemblage. The people began to arrive early in the afternoon, and belore the hour appointed ; and the old chapel, where the tables were laid out, was soon filled, upwards of 400 pers< ns sitting down to tea, while many were too late for either room or accommodation. After the Tea the meeting was transferred to the large new church, which was crowded almost to suffocation, and speeches of all kinds, grave and humorous, instructive and amusing, were listened to with great attention. The attractions,©? the Choir were, however, pre-eminent— the singing' was a great treat, and too much cannot be said in its praise. The total receipts from the Tea and Monday's collection amounted to £29 3s. 10|d., to which add the further sum of £90 38. sd. collected at the sermons, and we get a total of £119 7s. 3^d. ; an amount unprecedented, it is asserted, in New Zealand Church and Chapel opening. At the request of the meeting the chair was taken by J. Flight, Esq., who opened the business with an introductory address, appropriate to the occasion ; after which the choir chaunted the 122 nd Psalm — " I was glad when they-Tsaid unto me, .Let us go into the House of the Lord," &c. After prayer the Rev. J. Long, Primitive Methodist Minister, in a pleasing and instructive speech, proposed the following resolution :—: — " That this Meeting desires to render sincere thanksgiving to God, the Author of all Good, that under His gracious care the present commodious Church has been completed, and is now open for Divine Service." The Rev. J. Whiteley seconded the resolution, and spoke congratulating the congregation on the completion of the building, referred to the liberality of the collections, and mentioned with encomium that made by the Maories on Sunday morning in aid of the building fund ; and concluded by urging upon the parents present to awaken the interest of their children in the House of Prayer. Anthem by the Choir, 106 th Psalm — " Who can express the noble acts of the Lord," &c. received the enthusiastic plaudits of the audience. The Chairman entered into a business statement of the affairs of the church, from which we gathered that the collections already received amounted to upwards of £900 ; that the expenditure had nearly reached that sum, and that there remained still liabilities to the amount of £400 to be satisfied. The Rev. Mr. Turton proposed the second resolution, in a speech replete with humour, and sat down amidst shouts of laughter and applause. " That this meeting rejoices to hear that such a large amount of liberality has been displayed by the Christian Public of this settlement that in a building, which will have <rost some £1300, there will be a balance unprovided for L'Bs than £400, against which will be placed the estimated profits of the Bazaar." Corporal Marjoram, R.A., briefly seconded the resolution m a neat speech. Anthem from 60th chap. Isaiah, by the choir— " Arise, shine, O Sion, for the light is come," &c. The Rev. Mr. Riemenschneider, in moring the third resolution — " That this meeting pledges itself to use every exertion to secure the entire liquidation of the debt at the earliest possible period" — referred to the hand of Providence which had been over the Church, and gave some interesting reminiscences of his own missionary career. The Rev. Mr. Ironside, in seconding the resolution, acknowledged, with earnest feeling and in suitable terms, the kindness and sympathy the Church had met with from every quarter ; and particularly referred to the readiness with which the Choir of St. Mary's Church, at very short notice, had responded to his invitation, and called upon all present to attest the ability with which they had discharged themselves, — which was replied to enthusiastically. He then urged upon the congregation the desirableness and necessity of perseverance in their good work until the whole debt and liabilities were removed. At the universal desire of the audience the anthem — "Who can express," &c.~-was again sung, and was followed by a prayer by the ReT. Mr. Ironside ; after which, the Doxology was sung by the Choir and congregation. The Benediction was given by the Rev. Mr. Whiteley, any the anthem " Nunc Dimittis" closed the business of the evening.