MORAY PLACE CONGREGATIONALISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 4

MORAY PLACE CONGREGATIONALISTS

MEETING OF MEMBERS At a well-attended meeting of members of the Moray Place Congregational Church on Wednesday evening opportunity was taken to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs J. Arthur Wilkinson, who are about to leave for Palmerston North. The minister (the Rev. A. Mead), on behalf of the church members, Mr J. A. M'Call, on behalf of the deacons of the church, Mr J. R. Kirkham, on behalf of the Sunday school, Mr T. S. Searle and the Rev. A. H. Wallace all spoke of their associations with Mr and Mrs Wilkinson over a long period. They had been life-long Congregationalists, and Mr Wilkinson was an ex-chairman of the New Zealand Congregational Union. He had been an active deacon, Sunday school worker and lay preacher all his life, and had rendered valuable service to the Christian Church. During his year of office he had travelled through the country visiting the scattered churches, and Mrs Wilkinson, associating herself with his work, had established branches of the Federation of Congregational Women throughout the land. They would be greatly missed by their many Dunedin friend's, not only in the church, but in the P.S.S.A., the Bible Society, the Y.M.C.A. and other Christian organisations.

At this meeting an important matter affecting the work of the church was dealt with when, on the recommendation of the deacons, the meeting unanimously decided to grant leave of absence for several months to the minister to enable him to visit England. Arrangements had been made for an exchange between the ministers of the Moray Place Church and the Hendon Church in England for five months from April next year. The Rev. W. M. Isitt, of Hendon, will arrive here early in April to take up the full pastoral work of the church, and Mr Mead will proceed to England.