PRESBYTERIAN JUBILEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19510, 14 December 1926, Page 14

PRESBYTERIAN JUBILEE.

CHURCH AT NGARUAWAHIA, [by telegraph.—own correspondent.]! NGARUA'WAHIA. Monday. The Presbyterians of the Ngaruawahife parish are celebrating the jubilee of their church, which was established in 1876. Special services were held yesterday, the preacher being Rev. Geo. Budd. During the afternoon service a memorial tablet to the late Mr. Thomas Paterson was unveiled by Mr. S. L. James, an old member of the church. Mr. Paterson, who had been a member of the church for nearly 50 years, donated the section on which the present building is erected.

A reunion of old members of the church is being held this evening. In 1870 the Presbyterians held their services in a building erected by the military authorities for the use of all denominations, each denomination having its own organisation. The Presbyterian minister of those days was the Rev. Thomas Stewart, who had the Waikato for a parish and resided at Cambridge. In 1874 Eev. Thomas Scott succeeded Rev. Stewart. In 1876 the Presbyterians decided to build a church for themselves, and formed the Ngaruawahia parish. The church was dedicated in that year. The first minister in charge of the new parish was Rev. Adam Barclay. Since its foundation the church has done good work. The present. minister in charge is Eev. E. A. Eimmer, who has spent many years in India as a missionary.