CENTRAL MISSION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9514, 23 November 1916, Page 2

CENTRAL MISSION

MEMORIAL TO SOLDIERS

A HALL REQUIRED FOR WELLINGTON.

The report of the Wellington City Mission, submitted to the Methodist Synod yesterday, tv as the subject of some discussion, particularly in relation to a proposal that a hall for the mission should be erected in Wellington. The report, as submitted by the missioner (Rev. J. Knowles Smith), showed that since the commencement of tho war, the mission honour roll had increased to ninety-one, of which number only two had been lost Messrs Jenkins and Banks.

With regal'd to finance, it- was stated that the mission would have been quite- unable to meet even the reduced expenditure, but for tho happy circumstance of the request of the Kcv. A E. Hunt and the Congregational Church, . formerly worshipping in Courtenay place, to unite- with tho mission at Webb street until such time as their new church, in course - of erection, was completed. .The membership of tile mission now numbered 208, being an increase of eighteen for the year, while the Sunday school roll showed an increase of seventeen scholars. They were disappointed that tho Conference Commission appointed by the Auckland Conference had not resulted in any definite proposal for providing an adequate and suitable home in Wellington for this mission. It was believed that the mission contained all the necessary elemeiits to make it a self-supporting and successful Central Mission, providing it was properly housed; . It had uow been suggested that, as the conference would doubtless consider a suitable Methodist soldiers’ memorial, and as Wellington would be a- most* suitable place for such a .memorial, the erection of Central Mission premises in’ this city should form that memorial. It was also suggested that a returned chap-lain-captain should he appointed to raise funds for this object. In referring to the suggested _ memorial the. Rev. Knowles Smith said he felt that no organisation in the city was doing a greater, work than the Wellington Central Mission. Ho would not even give place to the Salvation Army, notwithstanding their fine work. The mission, however, was without a house- It was impossible to make it tho unqualified success it could be, if they had no meeting place of their own. They had a largo congregation, and conducted an enthusiastic theatre service, but that was as far as they could go. Tho members of their congregation had no place to go to during the week. Ho earnestly asked that Synod would recommend to conference that it should favourably consider the erection of a mission ball in Wellington as a soldiers’ memorial.; Chaplain-Captains L. B, Neale and Read-also strongly advocated That conference should bo asked to give practical consideration to the proposal. " After further discussion the following motion was carried; —“That the Wellington District Synod believe that the erection of an institutional mission hall in the city of Wellington for the permanent housing of tho • Methodist Central Mission would be a'fitting memorial to the noble sacrifice made by so many Methodist men jn this great war. That conference bq_asked to sot apart a returned chaplain-captain to visit all the chief centres in furtherance of this memorial.’’