CHURCH OF OLDEN DAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14325, 22 March 1910, Page 6

CHURCH OF OLDEN DAYS.

AN HISTORIC BUILDING. I MAORIS AND SELF-RELIANCE. \r. ";2- .: ■ "~~"~"~'•'■'•;■ [BY TELEGHArH.—OWS COHnESrOSDBST.] , . Wellington, Monday. . •Yesterday was a great day amongst the Maoris. They, had come from as - far North as Rotorua and Kuiti, and from various settlements in the South'" Island to be present at the reopening of the historic church at Otaki. v There must have been more than 1000 visiting Maoris, and as most of them arrived last Thursday, and will stay until to-morrow, accommodation was taxed ,to the .utmost. "Raukawa," the big whare in the centre of the town, which serves as the main caravansary on such occasions, has been occupied nightly by some 400,. sleepers, tents and marquees are erected on neighbouring sections, every Maori residence has' its full quota of guests, and all sorts of improvised dormitories afford some sort of accommodation for the overflow. . Nearly ' all the . chiefs of the Ngatikalvu-; ngunu, from Wairarapa Lake to '■ Mahia, the chiefs', of the West Coast, as far as Waitotara, and others from further off were among the visitors. Mr. ■H. W. Parata, "as chief of the Ngatiraukawa, Ngatiawa, and Ngatitoa, led the proceedings at the ceremonial welcome on Thursday.' There was more speech-making yesterday morning, when the Hon. J. Carroll, Minister for Native Affairs, was welcomed. Mr. Parata, in 'an appropriate Maori oration, told how his people looked to the Church arid to. the Government for help. Mohi Atahikoia and Rawiri also spoke,, while Waotu Te Ua and Purakau stood by "japproving. The speakers recalled old memories of the builders' of the church, and 6poke of the great changes wrought by ' the light of * Christianity, which dispelled the gloom and darkness in which the, people dwelt in the days when human life was lightly .valued, and the tribes were torn by wars. The central event was the solemn service in the forenoon for the reopening of the church. The quaintly beautiful building, with its Gothic windows and its Maori structure and decorations, was filled .."with a numerous congregation. Almost nil the worshippers were Maoris, and the service was conducted entirely in their language. Those who could not gain admittance settled down in groups on the grass outside. , Twenty-seven clergymen, Maori and European, were present. The Rev. A. O. Williams conducted the service... Bishop Williams (who recently resigned the bishopric of Waiapu) preached, an impressive C sermon from I. Cor. vi. 19-20, "Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the living God." The afternoon service in the church was largely attended. The Rev. F. ;A. Bennett, of Rotorua, preached from the text, "Build up your battlements" ; (Deut. xxii., 8). Thore had been, lie said/two churches which could have ; been . looked • upon as •national churches of the Maori people. One was the church at Manutukei and the other was the one in which they wore gathered that day. Both were churches that the Maori people took great pride in, and both [contained . characteristic Sproductions of Maori art. ; The church at Manutukei.had been burnt down, and now the Otaki church only was left. One reason for that largo gathering was affection for the work of the old people of past generations. A church, however, was of no use Without a congregation, and it was to the Maori Mission work that they looked for the special efforts that would make full use of such buildings. The 100 th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity; into New Zealand by the Rev. Samuel More den would soon be here, arid he hoped that one way of commemorating it would be to place the Maori parishes on a basis of self-support, and to adopt also the principle of self-expansion. Already,, Some of the parishes in tho. Waiapu diocese" had accepted the principle of making themselves self-supporting, and he hoped that very shortly all the others throughout New Zealand would do the same. ; He suggested that Jthe Maoris of the Church in New Zealand should ; send a representative to work in the islands under the Bishop of Melanesia. Already ft suitable Maori minister in the diocese: of Waiapu : had ' volunteered for this service, and now help was wanted so that ho could be supported entirely by the Maoris of New ; Zealand. - The proposal had been well taken up during a tour tKat he (Mr. Bennett)' had recently mado through the East Coast districts. ■■ ' \