ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7003, 28 April 1884, Page 3 (Supplement)

ECCLESIASTICAL.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE AUCKLAND TABERNACLE. This ceremony was performed on April 14 by Dr. T. B. Kenderdine, in the presence of a large concourse of people. The site of the new building is at -the corner of Upper Queen-street and Karangahape-road. There were from 1500 to 2000 people present. On the platform we noticed the following clergymen :—Revs. T. Spurgeon, R. F. Macnicol, C. Carter, Kobertson, Woollgv, Fairbrother, Why took, G. B. Monro, Bayin, X. Hamer, and Messrs. Bell, S. H.- Matthews, Dewar, Chambers, Gaze, Kelsey, S. Brown, Shalders (Baptist deacona), and Jameß Edmiston (Secretary to Building Fund Committee). The Sunday-school children to the number of nearly 400 were seated on .benches laid along the boundary of 'the " site, extending back from the main road. They sang hymns at intervals during the ceremony, and also before aud after the storie was laid, Messrs. Blomfield and Theo. Cooper, senior, conducting. The day was beautifully fine, a brilliant sunshine prevailing the whole time. A prayer was offered up by Mr. Spurgeon. The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon gave an address standing on the stone. In the course of it he said :—lt is necessary to rejoice sometimes, and this should be a day of . rejoicing for üb. I have had some happy moments in my life, but I never felt happier than on this occasion. It is, I hope and' believe, the prelude to something better in the future, which we shall, I trust and pray, most of us see, namely, the opening of this building. I verily believe that we ha,ve had a manifestation of God's providence in the progress of thiß cause. I need not to tell you that we were driven bj pressure of numbers to erect thi3 place of worship... And the numbers are not lessening, -but increasing every week. Blessing comes with growth. Those who went before 'us obtained a blessing, and we by .following- in their footsteps may hope for a- blessing too. We are happy ta believe that the Gospel will be preached in this building—and the practical power oi the -Gospel will bo made manifest—a power great unto salvation. We have entered upon this' project not without earnest prayer. And having once begun it will be our duty to see the work through. Despite any difficulties that may arise, we are determined, if possible, to open this church free of debt. We believe that a church free of debt has greater means of doing good both inside and outside the building, since it can can carry out its objects without pressure of that kind. Here is a list of what is under the stone, so that you may have the whole without anything being missed :—" Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner atone—2 Ephesians, v. 20. For the worship oE Almighty God, and for the proclamation of the Gospel, the foundation stone of this Tabernacle, to be known as 'The Auckland Tabernacle, 1 in connection with the Baptist denomination, was laid by lir. T. B. Kenderdine on Easter Monday, April 14, in the year of our JLord, 1884, being the 47th year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, His Excellency Sir Wm, Jervois being Governor of the Colony. Pastor of the Church, Thomas Spurgeon. Deacons : Samuel Brown, Frederick Battley, Edmund Bell, Alexander Dewar, Charles Gaze, Charles Kelsey, Richard B. Shalders, John Chambers (Treasurer), Seering H. Matthews (Secretary). Sunday-school Superintendents : Frederick Battley and Gilber S. Rountree. Architect of the Building : Edmund Bell. Builder : James J. Holland. Building Committee: The above-named deacons, with Chas. Blomfield, Edmund Ellingham, James Edmiston, John" W. James, and Isaac Watts. Amount of tender for the erection of the building complete, £8239.—Auckland, N.Z., 14th April, 1884." The following articles were sealed up along with the declaration :— : A Bible, Constitution of the Church, last year's Church report, photograph of the Wellesley-street Church, photograph of the present pastor, complete set of the Tabernacle Builder. Monday's Herald, Evening Star, and Free Press, paper containing hymns snng at special services on Sunday previous (Easter Sunday). Mr. SptrEQiiON then advanced and presented Dr. Kenderdine with the silver trowel, upon which was engraved the following inscription :—"Presented to Dr. T. B Kenderdine by the .Wellesley-street Baptist Church on the occasion of laying the founda-tion-stone oi the Auckland Tabernacle." Dr. Kenderdine, in proceeding to lay the stone, was loudly cheered. Having performed the ceremony to the satisfaction of Mr. Holland, the builder, he said: " I declare the first stone of the Tabernacle is well and truly laid." The announcement was received with applause. The crowd assembled, led by Mr. Spurgeon and the clergy present, sang " Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow." Dr. Kenderdine, Rev. J. Robertson, Rev. Mr. Carter, Professor Aldis, Rev. W. R. Woolley, and Rev. Mr. Fairbrother then addressed those present. Mr. Spurgeon laid a cheque for £35 on the atone. He said that the greater portion of that amount represented the fees he had received for marriages. (Laughter and cheers.) A considerable number of ladies and gentlemen came forward and laid their offerings upon the stone. Collections were made amongst the crowd.

A tea-meeting in connection with the laying of the foundation stone of the Auckland Tabernacle was held at St. James's Hall in the evening. The tables were provided and presided over by ladies of the congregation. Tea had to be served in relays owing to the large attendance—6so people. After tea a public meeting was held, the Rev. T. Spurgeon presiding. The hall was crowded, and extra seats had to be placed in the passages. — The Chairman publicly thanked all those who had assisted in any way in connection with the proceedincs which had taken place that day. Mr. T. Peacock, M.H.R., then "addressed the meeting, and concluded by expressing a hope that the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle might be a tabernacle for the rearing of a vigorous, active, Christian people—a people who in their hearts and in their lives would be to the praise and glory of Him who is the King and Head of the Church universal.—The Rev. T. McKenzia Fraser read an address in verse appropriate to the occasion.—The Rev. A. Reid, the Rev. R. F. Macnicol, and the Rev. W. S. Potter aIBO addressed the meeting.—The Chairman announced that the amount in cheques, notes, and cash collected at the laying of the foundation stono amounted to £388. This had since been supplemented by a gift, bringing the sum up to £400. The tickets sold for the soiree, and cash taken, amounted to at least another £100—making the receipts for the day £500. Ho felt supremely grateful for what had been done. He thanked Dr. Kenderdine for assisting at the afternoon's proceedings, and also for a handsome donation in money. Mr. Spurgeon'again thanked all who had contributed or assisted in any way in helping to attain the object desired —namely, to open the Tabernacle free of debt. The proceedings were concludcd by Mr. Spurgeon pronouncing the Benediction.

The Salvation Army on Good Friday celebrated the opening of their new quarters. The building stands upon one of the'city allotments, having a frontage to Albert-street of 47 foet with a depth of 104 foet. The accommodation comprises a large assemblyroom (99 feet by 43 feet 6 inches), entered from a vestibule (27 feet by 7 feet) by three doorways, a central doorway (6 feet in width), and two Bide doorways (each 5 feet in width). The arrangements for lighting and ventilation are very complete, and are almost unique, and fully sustain the reputation of the architects, Messrs. Herapath . and Son, who have evidently made these points a special study. There are twentytwo apertures, exclusive of door openings, for the introduction of fresh ~ air from the external atmosphere, placed under immediate control and regulated by sliding panels in the walls of the assembly toom. The formal opening took place with special services, which lasted throughout the day. There was knee-drill at seven o'clook in the morning, largely attended; the service at eleven was crowded, there not being standing room; as also the afternoon service. The Salvation Army will now be in a position to carry on their mission work among the masses efficiently. A tea meeting in connection with the opening of the Solvation Army Barracks'was held at St. James' Hall, "Wel-lington-street, in the evening. .. A meeting of the Auckland Presbytery was held on the 2nd of April, at St. Andrew's Churoh, —the Rev. Mr. McKenzie Fraser (Moderator), presiding. Present Revs. Sommerville, Neill, Norrie, Mackay, Monro. Carriok, Bucciman, Dunn, KilleD, and Steele. Elders: .Messrs. Thompson and W. Dennison.—The Rev. Mr. Monro gave a ehort account; of the business trans-

acted at the late meeting of the General Assembly at Wellington.—Rev. ,Mr. Killen and Rev.. Mr. Sommervflle briefly, supplemented the statement.—The representatives at the assembly were thanked for their report, and for their services at the assembly. —On the motion of ■ the Rev., Mr. Sommerville, the following resolution was agreed to nnanimonsly: " That the Revs. T. McKenzie Fraaer, D. W. Runcimau, E. F. Macnicol, J. B. Monro, R. Sommerville, and Messrs. A. Bell, Thomas Macky, J. Buchanan, and J. M. Lennox be appointed a committee, with power to make what arrangements they may consider desirable with any local agents who may offer their services for the work of church extension, and failing a sufficient local supply, to apply to the home churches for such young men as may be required to carry on efficiently the work of church extension within the boundary." The anniversary of theßeresford-street Congregational Church was celebrated on the Sth April by a tea and public meeting. There was a large attendance. At the tea-meeting, which was held in the Beresford-sfcreet Hall, the following ladies presided at the tables :— Mesdames, Newman, Lyon, Steadman, Johnson, Lowe, and Davis, Misses Hoskins, Huckett, Hamer, .Keep, Warner, Johnson, Fisher, Pearce, and Potter. After tea, a public meeting was held in the church, the pastor (Rev. J. Robertson) presiding. , From the annual report, which was read by the Secretary, Mr. J. Milne, it appears that the church has now 409 members. There has been a large increase of members during the year—the largest for many years past. The receipts for the year are £1185, and the disbursements, £1118. The Rev. fl. J. Miller (of Onehunga), gave an interesting address on "Congregationalism" and "Independency." A testimonial in the form of an address from the minister and deacons, on behalf of the congregation, was then presented to Captain W. C. Daldy, and to Mr. S. J. Edmonds, on the occasion of their retirement from the position of deaconß. A valedictory tea meeting to the Rev. George Bond, Wesleyan minister, who is leaving the Manukau circuit for Christchurch, was held in the Public Hall, Otahuhu, on Thursday, April 3. The circuit steward (Mr. J. Bycroft) read and presented to Mr. Bond an address, neatly engrossed on parchment. Mr. Bond replied in very suitable terms. The Rev. T. G. Carr also presented, on behalf of the ladies of Otahahu and Woodside, a life-sized crayon portrait of Mr. Bond, mounted in a frame. In accepting this presentation Mr. Bond also suitably replied. A reunion of the members of the congregation of the Wesleyan Church, Grafton-road, was held on Wednesday, April 9, in the schoolroom attached to the church building, for the purpose of welcoming the Rev. Mr. Bavin, the minister appointed by the Wesleyan Conference to have charge of that circuit. Tea was served at half-past six by several of the ladies of the congregation. There was a numerous attendance. At the meeting which followed, Mr. William Burton was called to the chair. Addresses were delivered by the Chairman and friends.At the anniversary soiree of the Grahamstown Wesleyan Church, the balance-sheet of the Trust Fund Account showed the receipts (including £184 for the liquidation of the debt) to have been £234 19s 4d, while the expenditure had been' £273 IS? 4d, of which £150 had been spent in reducing the debt. The debit balance thus being £38 19s. The debt now stood at £100, but of this £50 had been promised, thus enabling the total liabilities, £SS 19s, which was less than they had ever been before, and it was hoped they would by next year have a balance-sheet free from debt. The Chairman said an additional £5 23 having been paid, and £10 offered, the debt was reduced to £50 at once. The finances were in a very satisfactory state.

A soir<se in connection' with the anniversary of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Sundayschool was held at the lower schoolroom, Pitt-street., on the 15th April. There was a large attendance. Tea was provided by the following ladies : —Mesdames Gunson, Markham, Wilson, Fronde, Woodham, Prosser, and Misses Smith, Shorland, Crago, Spence, Davis, Phillips, Blackburn, Grubb, and Bare. At the public meeting which was held after tea, Mr. R. Arthur presided, and in his opening remarks alluded chiefly to the history of the school for the past 20 years. Mr. Thomas Buddie (Superintendent) gave a verbal report of the school for the past year. The number of scholars on the roll is 495—an increase of 23 for the year. The number of teachers on the roll is 45, and the average attendance is 39. A large number of new books have been added to the library. A number of soholars, it was mentioned, had joined the Salvation Army during the year. Mr. "White (Secretary) read the balance-sheet, from which it appeared that the receipts for the year were £134 5s ; expenditure, £165 lis Id—leaving a deficit of £31 odd. The Rev. JR. Bavin delivered an instructive address on " The Music of our Sunday-schools." Mr. C. K. Button spoke of the progress and development of Sunday-schools. The Rev. Mr. Carr and the Rev. A. Reid also gave addresses. The singing was led by the Sunday-school scholars. The annual soiree in connection with the Parnell Wesleyan Sunday-school was held on April 22. Tea was served in the schoolroom. There was a large attendance, and the tea tables, which were most liberally provided, were presided over by the lady memberß of the congregation. The public meeting was held in the church. The Chairman stated that the number of scholars was 160 —72 boys and 8S girls, an increase of 8 on last year, and the number of teachers was 17. The anniversary soiree of the Wellesleystreet Baptist Church Sunday-school was held on the 22nd April. There was a good attendance. The tea was served in the schoolroom in relays. The after publio meeting was held in the chapel, the pastor, the Rev. Thomas Spurgeon, presiding. After devotional exercises, the Chairman called upon the Secretary of the school (Mr. W. Baker), to read the annual rsport. From that document we laarn that there are now 517 scholars on the books, there being 73 new scholars during the year. Only two scholars had been removed by death. There are 47 teachers, nine have been added during the year, five of whom were formerly scholars, and six had been lost through removals. Twenty scholars had joined the Church during the year. The young women's Bible class is under the conductonhip of Miss Cooper, having a membership of 39, and the young men's Bible class under Mr. E. Bell, with a membership of 34; the infant class, under Mr. C. H. Brown, numbers 170. The school missionary boxes contained for the year £34 7s lOd, as against £28 2s last year, half of this amount being devoted to general school funds, and the rest handed over to tho Maori Miasion. The school gave also a monthly collection to the Tabernacle Building Fund, wnich amounted for the year to £10 6s 2d, and made a present of a Rob Roy canoe to the Rev. Air. Fairbrother for his Maori Mission at a cost of £9 2j. The Treasurer (Mr. Rountree) read the financial statement, which showed the year's receipts to bo £212 6s 11-id, which was nearly equalised by expenditure, the balance in hand .being £1 19s Bd.