PRIMITIVE METHODIST SOIREE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 778, 9 October 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

PRIMITIVE METHODIST SOIREE.

A .some i-> welcome the Rev. C. E. , Barley, tin- newly-appointed pastor U) the Primitive MethodisVuhureh in Oamaru, . took place this evening in the now Teesstreet Hull. Over 200 persons sat_ down to ;i capital tea provided l.y Mr. MMvenzie, the tables being presided over liy Mesrlami'ri Amies, Bushateh, Wilson. Grey, and Grant, and the Misses Amies. Boyes, Foiv, and Percy. A public meeting was afterwards held, the chair being occupied by his Worship the -Mayor, while on the platform were seated the Kevs. Messrs. Barley, Dewsbury, Walker, and Ward. The proceedings were opened by the singing of one e.f~Bliss' hymns, after which the Rev. Mr. Dcwsbury read a portion of Scripture and the Bcv.'Mr. Walker offered up a prayer. The Chairman, after saying that he did not deem any apology from him necessary for .appearing in the position he occupied, expressed his pleasure at seeing a new, and what he hoped would prove a prosperous, ehiireh established in Oamaru. He (i,d not entertain the opinion expressed by sonic persons that there should i.o only one religious sect in the world, lie looked upon a healthy rivalry in religious matters as the very life of religion, so long as that rivalry was carried on in a loving and harmonious spirit. Having spoken upon several other matters, he proceeded to speak of the great progress made by the Primitive Methodist connexion during the (58 years it has been in exister.ee. Tt now numbered 1200 ministers, 15,000 local preachers, ISfi.OOO church'members, ."50,000 Sunday School scholars, and 4000 churches or other places of worship, this number being increased by 100 annually. He mentioned that the Rev. Mr. Ward's father was the first Primitive Methodist who crossed the Line, having come out to the colonies '.','> years ago. There were now 100 ministers of the church in Australasia. He then spoke of the progress which had been made by the branch of the church in Oamaru during the short time it had been in existence, and congratulated the congregation upon having j so soon obtained a minister, and hoped j that now they had obtained one they ! would treat him liberally. • • The Rev. Mr. Ward said that he had ■' hoped that the task of placing Mr. Barley i in charge of the 2ongregation in Oamaru I would have been imposed on some older member of the connexion, but having been appointed to perform the duty he accepted the position with, pleasure. There was great difficulty in obtaining a minister for Oamaru, as one could not be spared from any other part of the colony, while in Australia some twenty ministers were required. They had therefor* been compelled to send home for one. He wished it to be distinctly understood that in endeavouring to establish a branch of the connexion in Oamaru the Primitive Methodists had no desire to interfere with am' other church or to take from them anyone frequenting other places of wo'rship. They felt that there was plenty of work in Oamaru for them to do without interfering with any other church. They had come here not to fight against . those who were carrying on the good war, but to fight side by side with them. He

was sure he could promise Mr. Barley a hearty welcorr -to Oamaru. He spoke at great lene'l- -.-on the work which had been acci r>u-'.,>d through the instrumcntidi:- • :' Ihk gospel -she progress of ci\ih3ari. ■•. t!"- abolition of shivery, the :ninihilaii(. ;l of .•.■irinibalism. ami the ox-Tc-iision •■!' commerce, li-- concluded by inimduc:' <.- thy Rev. JY!r. Barley to tin-.•:,,:-/i'o<_>:. and t-xpro.-is- 'l a !">pe th:ij t!i. ,- ..-imrioii v,-.mld pi -- - a nappy ano

r t' : ,. I, , si:-. Dewsbuiy .-.-ngriituliiced the uie:u:..-rs and managers of the connexion upon the large attendance at the meeting, notwithstanding the counter attraction at another place. He had the greatest pleasure, on behalf of the \Vesleyan body, in welcoming the Rev. Mr. Barley and Mrs. Barley to Oamaru. He said Mr. Barley had a good field before him. He spoke of the necessity for Christian churches working in unison, and deprecated the feelings of jealous rivalry exhibited by some of them. They were all aiming at the same object, and though they might differ upon some minor points of religion, they were all agreed upon everyone of its fundamental principles. He had every confidence that he would be able to work harmoniously with the Rev. Mr. Barley, who he was once mora pleased to welcome to Oamaru. The Rev. Mr. Walker, in an interesting address, expressed tho pleasure he felt in bidding Mr. Barley welcome, and recommended the congregation, now they had obtained a minister, not to emulate the example set by the man who prayed, " Oh ! Lord, keep our minister humble, and we will keep him poor." Short addresses were then delivered by Captain Peat (of the ship Waimate), Mr. Amies, and Mr. Dumper (of Waimate), the latter of whom expressed a hope that when Mr. Barley visited Wrimate he would meet with as hearty a reception as that which had been accorded him in Oamaru.

The Rev. Mr. Barley said he must say that he was glad to be amongst his new congregation, and that he would be pleased to get once more into the real work of a Christian minister. When the question was first put to him whether he would come out to the Colony, he had taken some time to consider the matter. He had—or rather they had, fo- there were two in the question—decided to come, and they were not sorry for doing so. He would endeavor to work energetically, and in harmony with other ministers ; and in doing so he hoped for the assistance of the congregation. Votes of thanks were then accorded to the ladies for presiding over the tables, to His Worship the Mayor for taking the chair, to the Rev. Mr. Ward, and to Miss Smith for presiding at and lending the harmonium. The meeting, which throughoat was of a pleasant and profitable nature, was shortly afterwards closed with prayer and the benediction.