A PARNELL CHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19405, 13 August 1926, Page 13

A PARNELL CHURCH.

SEVENTIETH ANNIVERSARY. CENTRE OF THE METHODISTS. EXPANSION IN LATER YEARS, It is seventy years since the Parnell Methodist Church was built, and on Sunday the congregation will celebrate the 70th anniversary. The church has been completely renovated for the occasion. Erected in 1856. it was the first church in Auckland to be founded on what is known as the deed, upon which all subsequent Methodist churches in Auckland were settled. .In those days there was a largo influx of immigrants from Britain, and Parnell was a very important suburb. The congregations were large and flourishing and included many families who are well-known in the city to-day. Nowadays Auckland's Methodists are served by a chain of other churches and the little Parnell Church has been somewhat neglected. The first minister of tho church was the Rev. J.' Fletcher, afterwards principal of Prince Albert College, which stood in Upper Queen Street. In 1865 the late Rev; Dr. Morley was appointed and he was followed in 1880 by the Rev. George Bond, with the Rev. J. Girling as junior minister. In that year, too, a schoolroom and caretaker's house were added to the church property. The minister in charge of the church to-day is the Rev. T. G. Carr, who is in his 81st year. He has given Jong and devoted service to the Methodist Church in New Zealand. Born in Nottinghamshire, and educated at Richmond College, near London, he was admitted to the ministry in 1871 and came out to New Zealand two years later. He had his | first charge at Whangarei and followed it with terms spent in charge of no less than 16 churches in various parts of the country. They included Balclutha, Blenheim, Cambridge, St. John's Church (Ponsonby), Grafton Road Church (Auckland), Hamilton, Pukekohe, Lower Hutt, Hastings, Rangiora, Richmond (Nelsou), Marton, Birkenhead, and Waihi. He then retired, after having served 43 years in the ministry. It is eleven years'since he became a supernumerary and during the last three years he has had charge of the Parnell Church. The church will be reopened next Sunday, when special services will be conducted. The morning service will be taken by Mr. Robinson, superintendent of the Sunday-school, the afternooir children's service by the Rev. W. T. Blight, and the evening service by Mr. Carr.