CONGREGATIONAL SOCIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18510, 22 March 1922, Page 6

CONGREGATIONAL SOCIAL

MAORI HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The last of the gatherings in celebration of the opening of the new Maori Hill Presbyterian Church took place in the Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, last night. The gathering took the form of a conversazione or informal social, chiefly with the object of enabling members and friends of the congregation to spend a pleasant evening together and become better acquainted with one another. There was a large attendance, - and the proceedings opened with the singing of the Doxology, after which the Rev. A. M. Finlayeon offered prayer. The Rev. H. H. Barton, who presided, read messages of goodwill and congratulation from the Rev. TV. M'Donald, of Epsom, the first minister of the congregation, Mrs D. Borrie, widow of the Rev. D. Borrie, who is regarded as the “father” of the congregation, the Hon. G. M. Thomson, one of the original office-bearers, and the Revs. M. A. Rugby Pratt and Tullooh Yuille. Mr Barton said they were proud and thankful as they thought of the new church and the successful opening services they had had. They recalled with great gratitude the gifts of Mr R. Jamieson, who by offering £3600 at a critical time, had made the building possible, and he thought the same spirit had permeated the whole congregation. The completed result was more than satisfactory. They were grateful, too, to the architect and contractors and' to the Building Committee at the head of which Mr Walter Wright had done invaluable work. Mr Barton read the list of special gifts made to the church by various individuals and organisations. Personally, he felt that the church had been opened under the very happiest auspices. Mr W. L, Oraag, the senior office-bearer present, referred to nis coming to Maori Kill in 1904, and 1 to the circumstances of the foundation of the congregation there. He traced the rapid steps in the progress of the congregation, and particularly the history of the new church, more than half the cost of which had been contributed in various amounts by Mr R. Jamieson. The material and workmanship put info the building was first class, and he congratulated the architect and the builders on having given them a splendid job. They would be gratified to know that a sum of £540 had been contributed to the building fund at the opening services, apart from the envelope contributions. Later in the evening brief speeches were also made by the Rev. TV. Fairlie Evans, Moderator of Presbytery, and the Rev. J. Kilpatrick, clerk of Presbytery. Mr Kilpatrick, in the course of his remarks, showed a small block of wood having a most interesting history attached to it. He explained that it came from the arm of the pulpit chair of the floating church of Loch Sunuart. In the Disruption days in many parts of Scotland while the people clung to the Free Church the landlords were so solidly opposed to it that it was impossible for the Free Churchmen to obtain a site for a church. The people in the neighbourhood of Loch Sunuart overcame the difficulty by having their church built in the form of a ship in the Glasgow shipyards, and then towed round to the loch. It proved a commodious and suitable place of worship with accommodation for some 800 people. During the evening the church choir, under Mr G. J. Scott, with Miss A. George at the piano, rendered a number of glees ond songs, and other items, both musical and elocutionary were contributed by various ladies and gentlemen. Supper was dispensed during an interval in the proceedings by the ladies of the congregation, who had made provision on a lavish scale.