FORTY-FOUR YEARS’ MINISTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 14631, 29 July 1911, Page 5

FORTY-FOUR YEARS’ MINISTRY.

VETERAN PASTOR'S WORKA GALL TO~DUNEDIN. The liev. J- M‘{3bb» Uffen. who «■- rivt<i in Dunedin yertereUy alter noon to ti!l the pastorate of Lcrth Street Qrwrcrt. lias had an im usually interesting oaw*r during the 44 yarn of Iws ininistry. ,Vi Ihc early ago of 21, after eome eaoecat:ui v ears in the teaching //rc-feasion, Mr Ufi< i uiriertook the pastorate of the church at Snwston, a tnanafarturing village in Cambridgashixt'. The church at tiwt thi.inumbered some fifty member?, most them well advanced in years. Ilk yon si attracted t<> the church. a cfmpideraninumber of vouog men, who—it- teas befo't tine days of boar dschoofe—urged him t« begin a- night school, with a view to riernicting tricar. iu elementary subjects. This teaching, for wihdt they insisted on pa yins. was :i great success. and lad to many'"of the young won acsociating tfcousclves with the church. Oat of that night school ihm» came a number of Jaen who :,i are now occupying conspicuous positions in : J the niinistrv. in church life, and in tfcft j| business world. For sixteen yeans. Mr Uffen ministered at Sawston, and during that period the membership grew to needy 500. In 1884 he accepted an invitation "to Nottingham. Although there wok; ■ in the town many evening classes, Mr Lffen was asked to continue his edaotional work on similar linos to that at Saw.ston, and with excellent ranks. Though he was not an athlete, ho became associated with cricket and loothail dbihs,. and was able to traits form what he found to bo ilejiKuraiiohiy institutions into active , and influential evangelistic agencies of the church. Bo markod was this that, dnoc% ' the bolt of a neighboring church indicated V that, the hour for the week-night service | had come, stumps wore drawn for the day, and the young fellows attended the serviow in their flannels. In 1891 Mr Ufien at- i copied the pastorate at Dorchester, the town of Mr Thomas Hardy, Sir Frederic | Treves, and Bishop Mode. At Dorchester ho has carried on his edacatioroi work, though in a somewhat differed form, and is leaving behind a bond o! active young men who have attended his theological class. He lias in DondwctM taken an active part in public life in many directions. He has been known as an active Liberal and a strong Liberationist, i resolutely maintaining Free Church principles, but has always been on terms of pleasant relationship will; the Anglican clergy. Mr USen seems to haw learned the secret of perpetual youth, for dating the 44 years of his ministry he has kept in close touch with the young people of his various churches, and it is a tribute to his influence on the young folk that ho has hi every year of that period been asked to preach* the Sunday school anniversary sermons. He has devoted much time to systematic pastoral visitation, announcing every Sunday morning the streets in which he proposed'to visit on two or three days during the week. No fewer than 25 of his “sons" are in the ministry, either at Heme or on the foreign field, It is understood that the chief reason for Mr UflenV acceptance of tire call was a desire to join liis daughter, Mns E. Woodward, of tlik City. Dr Jovvctt wrote warmly commending the Rev. AT Clone Uffen, stating among other things that if ha were not himself a minister, and had the privilege of choosing. | a pastor, he would not seek further than Mr Uffen. Mr USen will take both set- | vices at the Leith. Street Congregational Church lo morrow. |