HOME MISSION FESTIVAL

Nelson Evening Mail, 7 June 1917, Page 6

HOME MISSION FESTIVAL

LARGE GATHERING AT SCHOOL I OF MUSIC. A RECORD COLLECTION. The combined parishes of Christ Church and All Saints held a Home Mission Festival at the School of Music last evening. The building was packed to the doors. Archdeacon Kempthorne, who presided, said they were met to obtain some'information from speakers specially chosen and specially able to give it, in reard to tha Home Mission. It was a. happv thing that Nelson did not seem able to' face such a festival as they had in years past, and a greater burden had been placed on the country districts.- — j that was a happv thing. The Home Mission Service at Brightwater the previous evening had resulted in a sum of £54 10s being raised. Bishop Sadlier read a number of telegrams from other parts wishing that nieht's : festival success. The Rev. J. W. Bloyce. in charge of the Home Mission -Van, said that in the Grey Valley a great work had been done in the past, there was still much to do He would like to see two vans for a time. The seed sown in the past was Ringing forth fruit. There were 2S 'centres, but thev were not all visited weeklv. Some were visited only once or twice ~'a month—some only once a-quar ter There was amongst the children a deplorable lack of Christian knowledge In the Grev Vallev there were four Eo man Catholic priests, three Presbyterian | home missioners. and a lay reader, yet more than half the people belonged to the Anglican Church, and he was say that the people were gradually beine brought back to the church thev loved so well. He asked for pravers for the van and for the Grey Valley The work in the backbloc-ks would have to be helped from the Home Mission Fund. Both the future of the Grev Valiev and the future of the van were in his' mind. Was the work to be left to one man ? The future, he believed, was going to be different from that. . , , Chaplain Canon Taylor expressed pleasure at seeing such a large attendance. Mi«*ht he take that as an indication that they had the Master's work ac heart. He* thanked the Church authorities ior , asking him to come and talk to them on , the Home Mission Fund. The war had I eiven to him ah added sense of the responsibility of his life to others. He i appealed to 'the people to think more of the souls of the soldiers. Not enough wac being done in that respect. The soul was the part of man, and he asked them to think of the souls of their soldier boys. "Last Sunday he spoke to 1200 men at Trentham. It was a worn-out fallacy that religion could not be talked to men. The lads had to face not only shells and machine guns but dire temptations, and they needed spiritual guidance. The thing that counted was the relationship between God and boy. Last Sunday at Trentham he gave an address for an hour and ten minutes. Half-way through, he asked the men if they were tired of it, and there was a chorus of "No ! Men did not mind a long address—provided the speaker was delivering the real goods. I (Applause). During the whole time i they were at the Dardanelles they never had a man .killed or wounded at a | Church service. Was that not an inch- J cation "of providence? Work in the back- j blocks had taught him the value ot j souls, and if there was one soul 19 j miles away he would walk that 19 miles To win that soul. (Applause). Scattered all about the diocese there were souls t-o be saved, and they should get away from their parochialism. In an appeal ior -assistance for the Home Mission Fund the speaker said that millions of xnonejr had been given during the war and_ yet people still lived in luxury. What they crave would be for the.Masters work. In conclusion Canon Taylor made a ■strong appeal for prayers for the soldier boys, and resumed his seat amidst prolonged applause. The Bishop then announced results of collections and festivals held up to the present as follows : Cathedral £66 5s - All Saints', £3O 10s ; Colhngwood, £7 3s; Takaka, £7; Tahuna., £1; sundries, £s;' Brightwater festival, £.4 10s; Tapawera do, £2l; Stoke do £*s 9s 7d: Suburban North do £l9 Richmond, £25 4s. The collection at the Marlborough festival, he said, had totalled £53 10s, which was a record for the diocese. The Hon. A. T. Magmnity ,M.Lu, wished to emphasise two matters. was the Clergy Pension Fund. Theie was a large staff of clergy in the Diocese and they had not by a long way made sufficient provision for those clergymen and their families when the time arrived for them to retire from active work. That was not a creditable state ot at■fa'rs There was a grave responsibility upon them to see that the clergymen* retiring allowance was increased lo do this the fund must be increased. the other matter was one of Diocesan importance. Since 1890 he had pa*sedjip and" down'.Hardy-street, and there was not a time when he had passed across Trafalgar-street when he had not looked up at the Cathedral clock Even now : he looked up, but the whole thing had Sine! clock and spire. The appearance of Trafalgar-street had been spoilt, and , it was not proper to leave such a splendid site as it was. They wanted from rhe people of Nelson the sum of £40,G00. There was a responsibility on the people that there should be a church worthy \oE. the site and the city. Should not. Nelson subscribe handsomely for the section of a suitable edifice? Nelson was a citv. and one of the first considerations in a city was a suitable Cathedral Both the matters he had mentioned, deserved the very earnest thought of church people. * "' *y, 0 Bishop Sadlier announced that the collection that evening had put up a record—a record that would take a great deal to beat. The collection was £lo7 7s 8d (Loud applause). Need he say how thankful he was for that generous response. He thanked the ladies who had arranged the meeting especially the secretaries, Mesdames Sclanders and Eastcott: and Canon Lucas for much good work. He also thanked the All Saints' Choir and Organist (Mr Tart) and the Cathedral Choir and Organist (Mr Williams) for their part m the evening s programme. It had been decided that Sacfi place should this year carry out its festival according to its own idea and the results showed that the people kned the work. In 1913, when the first festival was held. £384 £367, in 1915 £399. *" d "\ l9l ?£*Z b ' while this vear, with festivals at Wake-, field and Motupiko still to be held, the total was £6BO 12s 3d. made up as foU I™ .-West Coast £94 2i; 6c; MarTborough. £180; Waimea £382 lis Bd. (Applaud). In regard to the Pension Fund the Bishop said an actuarial investigation en ' Tnade T h^c f nort had been received. the actuary Snot to do anything till the war was over A new Pension Fund Act would ho introduced at. the next session of the Svnod and carried to the second reading, When he would withdraw it. Thepeople would have time to think over the matter? and in 1919 an adequate pension «-heme would he brought down. Referring to the Cathedral the Bishop aaid thev might not be able to put up a complete building, but let them put up a part which would be lasting and a credit. The Bishop dealt with the■ Po«t«>n of the clergy as affected by the wax, and said he o> did not intend to institute any new clergymen till the war was

over. They had some clergymen at th.e war, and if every place was filled what were they going to do with their clergymen who returned from the war'.' The Bishop' thanked the people for their response and their inspiration, and trusted they would go on with the great work of the Master. During the evening anthems were given by the All Saints' and Cathedral Choirs, "and several hymns were. sung. The Bishop apologised for the absence of the Rev. G. H. Gibb. The gathering concluded with the National Anthem, and the Benediction, pronounced by the Bishop.