HAMPDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23118, 18 February 1937, Page 13

HAMPDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

INDUCTION OF REV. A. R. CHISHOLM The Presbytery of Oamaru met at Hampden Presbyterian Church last week to Induct the Rev. A. R. Chisholm, 8.A., recently of Waitahuna, to the pastoral charge of Hampden. The following were present;—The Rev. J. Badcock (moderator), the Rev. H. H. Barton, the Rev. H. O. Bowman, the Rev. E. Andrews, and Messrs W. H. Johnson, H. Craig, and O. C. Austing. The moderator of the presbytery conducted the service, and the Rev. H. H. Barton preached the occasional sermon, which was based on Moffat’s translation of 1 Timothy, chapter 3, vez’ses 1 to 5, Mr Barton spoke chiefly on the phrases “ The church of the Living God ” and “ The pillar and buttress or bulwark of the truth.” The speaker stated that in our day we had not to face the persecutions of the early Church, but in our time the Church was called on to deal with supreme realities. While that was so, however, there was sometime a tendency to deal with trivialities. Indeed, ii. was evident that many were shutting their ears to the question; “What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? ” In the presence of this attitude of comparative indifference it was both good and necessary to take a wider view of the effectiveness of the Church. This could be done by remembering that there were churches full and overflowing as well as half empty and almost empty. The same note of optimism would result from the repeated stimulation gained in the reading of church history. There was also the wide influence and activity of the church in social and educational spheres where her greatness was so extensive and difficult to estimate. On the mission fields of the world the church was supremely powerful in her witness to things of abiding worth.” The Rev. J. Badcock addressed the minister, and the Rev. H. O. Bowman the congregation, the latter referring to the need for close and affectionate relationship between the people and their minister. A welcome social to Mr and Mrs Chisholm and family was held immediately after the induction service, and the interim-moderator of the charge (the Rev. G. E. Andrews) presided over a large gathering representative of every social interest in the surrounding district. Speeches of welcome were made by the Rev. Mr Andrews, the Rev. Mr Barton, the Rev. Mr Badcock, the Rev. Mr Bowman, the Rev. A. W. Stace (Anglican), and Messrs Johnson, Austing, Walker, Mrs D. J. Ross, and Miss Dunbar, to which Mr Chisholm suitably replied. During the evening enjoyable Items were rendered by Messrs J. D. M’Kechnie, N. F. Sansom, Miss Barbara Henderson, and the Church Choir. Mr Austing and Miss Anderson played the accompaniments. The interim-moderator’s services were acknowledged by the gift of a cheque which, Mr D. J. Ross remarked, could not be expressive of the valuable service rendered by the Rev. Mr Andrews during the vacancy. , The Rev. Mr Chisholm is the successor of the Rev. J. Harkness, who retired from the ministry in November, 1930, after having rendered loyal service to the Churcn in several districts, for a good many years.