CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONVENTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 March 1910, Page 1

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONVENTION.

The lilTeemh annual Christian EnI deavoitr Convention was held yesterday alternoon and evening in the I’uldic Hall. There was a much larger attend,Time than on any previous occasion, and an added interest was lent to the proceedings by the presence of three missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Kerr and Mr. Hugh Patou. The Rev. J. Jamieson, of Hokitika, presided. The programme opened with the wellknown Alexander hymn “There's j Power in the Flood.'' followed by a I prayer by a member of the Rlaekspoinr Christian Endeavour Society. A member o| the Hokitika Society contributed a sol,, with pleasing effect. Mrs. E. Ruml Ie presided at the organ. The TTeasuivr (Miss White) then stated t lie linaneial position, which showed matters in that direction to be satisfactory. Ibe President then called upon the Seiretary to lead bis annual report, which was as follows :- - “D will be remembered I>v those "b" v.eie present at the last Coiivent i"ii that it was decided, owing to a marked .decrease in Endeavour work daring the year, to make a great forward movement to endeavour to in-

crease our membership and the nu tuber of societies on the West. Coast. ‘Mo gain ibis end. we were instructed by the Executive, to circularize all the ministers and home missionaries in whose charges there were no societies, and a-k id their eo-operat ion Hi the movement by forming societies vvhetever possible in their district. ■■-As a result of the effort we are pleased to rep, it a substantial inere.T'-' ni the membership and number of s>,- ' AA e commenced the year with four senior and two junior societies, with a total membership of sixty four a,-live members, thirty-one associate ineniheis and eleven iioiiorarv members among the senior societies, and twenty active i and ihiity eight associate .members among the juniors. Tlie total amotin! raised for missionary and other purposes being £ls 5s sd.

“The ret in ns fer this year shd" that we have at present, live senior societies and live junior 'ocicties. thereby showing that we have gained one senior and three junior societies, namely St. Andrews ITrsbv ferian Westport. Re,TT.>n Methodist. W Istoek Presbyterian and i ! rev nieiii h I ’resbyi erian. The total ne-mbrrship at present is a, follows- Senior 95 active. 31 associate. 17 htuiorary. The total amount collected for missions and other purposes being £3O 11s 2d. Juniors- 67 active. T2 associate. ■ml2 b- a -arv members. Amount collecte.i £1 7s 4d, showI ing an increase 31 active senior i members and -17 active and 4 associate , j tile in bt ts in the jn iiiors. The to! ali n- j ,-rease l-mg £l6 9- lid. It might I.e | | we! I to mention i bat most of ibis! money is being a ait ribul.M missjoi s, I ■\A’i would espeeja 11 v draw your at lemit u t" the fact (hat seventeen associate members have bee, Tile a'Tive members during the year as again-' none the previous year, thus showing j that the work of grace is going ■ n | ann mg Ihe si H-iet ies. 1 ■Rv comparing returns we find that | j we have not only made up the decrease I jof last rear lull show an imu ease on I the 190 S >e: urns I -The full Executive n.a oi.ee during - 1 the year. ,m November Gth, 1909. in 1 ihe Me! Ta dis. i 'hurcb. Iveefl<m. “There were also several informi.it | meetings to ait, nd to business eoiieerni ing the Dominion l.’hristian Endeavoiir

I' 11 i, a a ( , aivent i. m. which wa- held in) Wi-Hingi'-M. and to make prtliminaiv a i rang, ments f,, r Field I >ay and lhe j t'. .nvent i>,n. “T he annual Field Day was held at . R.elTon "ii November 9lh. 3909 1 here j was a g, ,'d at tendanee. although the { Hokitika and Westport Societies Were I Hot repo esellted, the distance being teo | far to travel. An ■ pen-ail service was held in the ; afternoon and a short testimony meeting in t tie evening, which was held in ihe Methodist 'Tiureh. In the ab | sence of the President the Vi.-e-Pr.-i dent. Mr. Watson, of Flack's Point j soeiciv, presided. ' 'll i ,;v jewing lhe report w,- are of I i he ■ pine n i hat we need to lilt up ~nr i ioari- m i imnksgiv ing unto Hod lor the sea on of prosperity with which llei ha- I, iv■ >N I’.-T ii'. •' AA e are e. mlident Iha I with ea rnest i I i a vers > lie vv,.ik will < >.ni i line to pro i gress and also i fi.it next year's relnrn-i. will siiovv a fu Hln i iinpn -veim ni rn ile.se oi iin s year; owing to the fact. Hint mme of ti.,- converts win, hav- ; Leen brought into the Kingdom | I iirough the missions which have been ) ,- .|,| .-Jl along 11.- I' ~1,-1, ar, in, bided ! ni lie i,Tunis. • ■ AA’e would urge Ml lookout cminll j If, S 1,0 be alive to their resp.uisi bl 111 les ] m this great work that, the converts

might he drawn into the societies and fed on the milk ol the Wt.nl, t hat they might l.eei.me si rung in the Bold. ••\Vc desire |o thank tlit- secretaries of ihe various soeielies i• >f the prompt .*lll e 11 1 1 o n given I*. ITlioii hlisiliess and v,c trust licit 11 will colli inne as it makes the work of the I'nioii secret - aides Considerably easier. d im ..Hirers for the ensiling year arc a-, follows- IVe-idelll, IteV. \N ilsoll. Heeli.a, ; vice-presidents. Mr. Mi-Near anti Mi. Most, n ; secretary. Mr. W - Milne; treasurer. .Miss White. M,-. W. Milne (seen tary ) spoke up'-i. - Idle Secret ol Sneei taking !;i , siihjeet form Kph. 6 and 10. Dim-.,: ids short address lie brought out many points. upon which Intnre speak.•! i-nlargi d considerably. hi a short address of welcome, til. (’resident expressed the pleasure ol

I ho I 'll list ian Kndoavoiir I 'on' i-nl i-m at jho presence in ' heir midst ol Mr. and Mrs. Kerr and Mr. Hugh I’aton, "Invile just no" busily engaged in conduct jng an evangelist ie mission oil 111'’ \\, st Coast. Mr. Jamieson then call ed upon Mr. Kerr to say a lew '.olds. Mr. Kerr, in briefly responding, said he was an endeavourer from Hlasgovv. ! 1,, was please.l to be present and to hear the subject "I low best to malm ;( hl ist ;;iii endeavour work sueeesstul. ! There were two points he emphasised in eoiuieel ioti with the ( hristian I’.u I ileavoiir pledge: Ii i st. the (dinsl ian I must eel rigid in his or her personal | relationship with the Koid •. ( ‘ s "' Mdnist, restint; ami trusting in Hun, ! retid x..iir P.iiile, study His work, it l ' l j well aetpiainletl with Biblical 1 1 n t lis |as il is when He is precious in I lien ; hearts, and then only , .’ire they able to I ,j,, His work. Secondly, cultivate Ihe j spirit of prayer. The man win. enters | into Christ’s service must be a person 1 of prayer, and to enter into the secretI of success in endeavour work conceit- ! t rate voitr efforts on ymir own | Church' and warm them up, upholding , \mir own ministers in your prayers and I t |,ev will help yon all they can. Spirit i ual work can only be done by servant f 1 of Cod. if not, the work will drill dovvi j 1,, sawdust. Therefore, keep t lie spir ii mil tone in the forefront and success will be achieved. He emigratulate, I ||i. Society upon Hie sal istaclory re ] port presented by its secretary, am j hoped that, there would be a still grout ici increase in membership of the vat ions societies to report next vein. A solo Wits then contributed by Mis: Vealio (Orcy Methodist Society.) Mr. MeNeur, (Woodstock), fully on dovsed Mr. Kerr's remarks. It tin Societies were to succeed and inercus. | everv member must be given somethin! I to do.

A solo was then contributed by .Mrs. T. 15rown (they Presbyterian Society). The retiring President congratulated (bo West Coast Union* on its substantial increase. He knew a place, with many difficulties, that had a society which had developed from a membership of twelve to seventy. A school teacher was its president, and at first was somewhat daunted, but he advised the Society to keep on, which they did with the above mentioned result. It would be possible to increase the mini-

j her of Christian Eudeavourers to live or six hundred. Let every associate j member go home and resolve to become an active member. No member should remain m the junior ranks after fifteen years of age, but pass ~n into the senior tanks. Mr. lave Hole (Chinese missionary) then engaged Ihe attention of lus hearers, and by way of a farewell address, said a few Words about the West Coast, Chinese Mission, with which lie ha, ■been connected f.<r a number of year-, ..nd who is about to be transferred to the Auckland district. He felt that j his Work had been fruitless, but there | v.i re dillicnlllies to contend with which wire a direct hindrance to the work if [ evangelising ihe Chinese. He would I like see Christian Eudeavourers ail over the Coast take more interest in ! his countrymen, because they were despised by some folks —a direct hind- ! ranee to Gospel work. Another drawj back was the fact that the gambling ) dens were fostered by Europeans, who, j be>ng born in a Christian land, were | looked to to set a better example. Mr 1 ...ie concluded by thanking the local Eudeavourers for their help, and hoped they Would still support the mission. Mr. Hugh Palon followed with a shot t address ~n “Consecration" Iron; Romans 12 and i- and 'what an adI dress it was. Pithy, full of meaning I and full of character hardly describes I lie subject matter of the message delivered to lus hearers, and, we guarantee. made more than one professing Christian feel that the very best lilo to live was one fully ami unconditionally surreiideied to tin Lord Jesus Christ. The afternoon meeting here ended and an adjournment was then made for tea. Idle evening proceedings com-

I iiii need at 6.50 with a hymn, after j which lie- r,.1l call took place, when the j Hokitika (senior and junior), Rla.-k---j point Woodstock. Grey Methodist . (-, ill 1 r and juniorT. Grey Presbyterian (senior and junior;, and Westport 5.,. 1-Me! ies respectively responded with a text and hymn. Mr. .MeN.mr (on behalf of the 5,.-1.-ielies outside Greynioiith) moved a beany vote i Hianks i„ the local En- ’ deavoiirers f..r their hospitality in at- | lending to their various re.piiienients, j which was earned by acclamation. Mrs. K-rr (allot hi i •! the Mission.-rs) limn addressed the large gathering present, taking as her text Matthew 7 and 15. "Euler ye in at the strait gale, for vv id-- is tin gale, and broad is lhe way. that lea-let hto destruction and many tie re be which go in thereat ; R.v.ause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth into life, and few theie bn that find it.” During a discourse ~f a little over thirty minutes the speakers vividly contrasted the ways ~j the sinner and the Christian, and concluded an interesting peroration by saying that this life had its iron tiles and struggles, and even supposing there v. is n- leu *aft r r n vas better le take the nan,.v wav and have Jesus |.. guiiii you and bear V "ii up in (im, sof tiiai and temptation. At this juncture the Hokitika loll: took their departure for homo, carrying with them tlm good wishes oi their friends for another successful year. Ihpelosed llu Convention of 1910.