AT THE CITADEL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 7

AT THE CITADEL

ARMY'S NEW LEADER

ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME

A hall' crowded in every part and a most enthusiastic welcome . greeted Commissioner Cunningham, tho new ■ leader of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, and Mrs. Cunningham, at the Army Citadel, Vivian street, last night. The hall was decorated with fern tree fronds, pot plants, and flowers. Col. Taylor (Chief Secretary) presided over the great gathering; and the massed bands, which occupied the orchestra, imparted great vim and verve to the proceedings. "This is a great day for the Salvation Army in Wellington and throughout New Zealand," declared Col. Taylor in his opening speech. "Our prayers have been answered; our leader and Mrs. Cunningham and family have safely arrived amongst us, and may God abundantly bless him and them." ("Hallelujah") The Commissioner would find in New Zealand, he added, a real Army of real fighters; &id he would find abundant evidences .oX the fact that there had been much toil and endeavour during the years that had passed, and that that toil and self-sacrifice had been greatly owned and blessed by God. Enumerating the many institutions carried on throughout the Dominion under the auspices of tn"e Salvation Army, he said that the success attending their efforts showed that God's blessing had been with the 'leaders and with the rank> and file right down through the years in their soul-saving work and in every department that made for the uplift and advancement of humanity. (Applause.) The Commissioner, could reckon on the loyal support .of the officers of all ranks and of the soldiers throughout the Dominion; and' they hoped that under his leadership I they would march on to still greater I victories than they had yet achieved. I (Cheers and "Hallelujah.") SONG OF WELCOME. A song of welcome to Commissioner and Mrs. Cunningham was then sung by the boys of the Wallacoville Home; and, on behalf of the assembled officers and of all the officers throughout New Zealand, Field Secretary Lieut.Col. Gunn extended to the new leader and Mrs. Cunningham "a very, very hearty and .very, very warm welcome"; and assured him that they would do all that lay in their power .to push on the great work, in the hope that God's kingdom would' come, and His will be done in a very marked way • as the result of his coming to their land. (Applause). The heartfelt welcome of the local gergeants, the other non-commissioned officers and the soldiers was voiced by Sergt.-Major Triplow, while Ensign Bennett welcomed them "on behalf of the young people in the new Army of this new country"; and Brigadier Harewood, Principal of the Training College, extended a hearty welcome on behalf of tho officers-to-be, the cadets. Orchestral and vocal items were rendered—the latter, of which included songs by the Cadets' Choir and the girls of the Owen Street Home. A GREAT OVATION. On rising to respond, Commissioner and Mrs. Cunningham received a great ovation. "Once more, dear comrades," said Mrs. Cunningham, ."a very hearty thank you for the great welcome you have given- us." She hoped, she added, that God would give them grace to stand shoulder to shoulder with the officers and soldiers of the Army in ! New Zealand in its great fight. When she woke that morning, tho words, "Lo, I am with you always even unto the ends of the earth," were in her i mind. Truly, it was so; and sho! hoped that God would continue His' blessings upon them, and that altogether they would work for the glory' of God. ("Hallelujah.") "Thank you very, very much for all your kindness and for the very hearty' welcome you have extended to us,": said Commissioner Cunningham. They ) were all delighted to be in New Zea-! land, he stated. They had had sun- ■ shine, sunshine all the way out, sun-! shine at every port of call, and at Wei- i Jington they had arrived, as one of I the stewards on the TJlimaroa had >aid, on "the sunnniest day he had? known in "Wellington for ten years." , (Laughter and applause.) What good weather they had had throughout the trip from the Old Country was shown by the fact that not one of the five Cunninghams aboard ship had missed a single meal. (Laughter and applause.) He detailed some of his experiences of Salvation Army work in •Mashonaland and other parts of the ■world, and gave a stirring evangelical address based on the incident of the casting out by Christ of a devil that His disciples' had failed to exorcise. That incident, ho said, showed the great need for faith and the wonderful healing power of faith in Christ Jesust ' That healing power, as in his work he had had good reason to know, was as great to-day as it had ever ; been; and the ever-present, everpotent healing power of Christ would be throughout his message to the people of New Zealand: His love for man- ; kind had never changed; ana His compassion, now as ever, went out to all without & single exception. A prayer by Col. Taylor, ana the song "Come Into My Heart, Lord Jesus," concluded the proceedings.