First Church of Otago Enters Second Century

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26842, 5 August 1948, Page 4

First Church of Otago Enters Second Century

“The First Church of Otago has stood through the years as a witness to the great, eternal truths by which men and'nations live,” said the Rev. W. Allen Stevely during his review of the progress of the church at the 100th annual meeting last night. Mr Stevely added that the world’s great need to-day was for co-operation, faith, and goodwill. These were energies inspired by God, and these* alone could bring in the new order which everyone desired.

The Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron, paid a tribute to the work of Mr Stevely who, he said, had always taker, a great interest in civic enterprises. He thought that the community ideal should be that of “ friendliness,” and said that the churches were doing much to foster this ideal. Dr H. W. West, the associate minister, expressed his pleasure at taking part in the work of First Church during centennial year. He had been impressed, he said, at the spiritual potentiality of the church as it faced the second century. Elders elected were:—Messrs M. H Brodie, N. T. Brown, A. Campbell, V/ G. Flux. W. R. Gresham, R. B. Ingram, S. F. Lambert, T. B. McGregor. A. A. McLennan. J. T. Smith, J. T Wilson,‘and Dr H. A. Stevely. Greetings were conveyed from the Green Island congregation, founded in

1855 as a branch of First Church, by the minister, the Rev. J. W. Olliver. The meeting, resolved to send a special greeting to Mr W. H. Adams, who was unabie to attend through illness. Mr Adams is now in his fiftieth year as session clerk. Mr S. G. Macdonald, moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, referred to the early days. His great-grandparents had been members of Dr Thomas Burns’s church of Monkton, in Scotland, and had renewed their acquaintance later with their minister in Dunedin, having arrived in Otago by the City of Dunedin. - ’ Mr F. K. McFarlane congratulated the congregation on the very successful financial statement. The two main sources of income both showed increases over last year. The expenditure had naturally been heavier in Centennial Year, but the congregation had responded to the extra appeal in a very encouraging way.