FIRST CHURCH OF OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 65

FIRST CHURCH OF OTAGO.

WELCOME TO THE REV. MR BALFOUR. The congregation and friends of First Church assembled in largo force in Burns Hall on the 17th to tender a welcome social to the Rev. Graham H Balfom, MA 8.D., the recently-inducted ministei of' the church. The Rev Vroieeeov Hewitson who. since the death of the Rev. Di Nisbet, has been the ad interim moderatoi of the church, presided, and amongst the audience were to be observed ministers and laymen of all the religious denominations of the city and surrounding district. The gathering was*in every sense a representative one, befitting the unique portion First Church holds and has ever held in the city and province since the beg.nning of the'Otago Settlement. T After an opening hymn, the Kev. d. Lymburn, of North Taien (Moderator of the Dunedin Presbytery) engaged, in prayer, and the Chairman read out a list of apologies, including letters from the Primate of Nov Zealand and Dean Fifehett. cordially welcoming Mr Balfour to Dunedin. and the Revs. Ponder and M'Kcnzie (Wanganui), fellow students of Mr Balfour. , , Professor Hewitson. in the course ot a short speech, said that everyone was deeply-grateful to God for the unanimous and speedy settlement of Mr Balfour as the church's minister, and he was sure the event had given keen pleasure to aid interested in tho congregation and all interested in the religious life of the city. All who knew Dr Nisbet during the last months of his life were filled with admiration for the silent fortitude with which he fought his losing battle, and all were impressed with the manner in which the congregation had upheld their late minister. Referring to the Rev. Mr Balfour, with whom he was a fellow student in Melbourne, the Chairman revived a number of reminiscences and stated some of the impressions which he then gained of First Church's new minister. He paid a graceful tribute to Mr Balfour's home, and recorded the fact that M'r Balfour was the crack tennis player of the college. As a student, a»d it as such that Mr Balfour's life at college and university was most marked, he was eager to get all from the university ho could. He was eager for knowledge, anxious to use his to the very limit of his strength, an--' equip himself for the work in which b •> now engaged. He had not had ma- opportunities of maintaining a close acquaintance with Mr Balfour since their university days, but he had been an interested observer of his steady and upward progress in tho service and councils of the Church to which he belonged. He rejoiced in Mr Balfour's coming to Dunedin. and he knew he had corne amongst a people who would support him very loyally and very heartily. Professor Howitson's remarks, which were warmly applauded, were punctuated with refreshing and enlivening humorous touches.

Mr Ewen Cameron, on behalf of Fhst Church congregation, welcomed Mr Balfour, who, ho said, was coming to a united congregation. Though in point of time Mr Balfour was still a stranger to them., those who had come into contact with him felt that he was a friend, and that friendship, he felt sure, would deepen and grow as time went on. First Church was of historic association, and ho was sure that in carrying on the traditions of the past Mr Bp'four would strike an individual note of h .; own.—(Applause.) Some people. r-"'d Mr Cameron, thought that to be a-""'" : ~ter was a very easy matter indeed, but ho was not of that opinion. Mr Balfour was coming to a difficult thing, and he (Mr Came.on) asked the members of the congregation to make the work of Mr Balfour as easy as possible—to try and share the work, and so lighten the burden.- (Applause.) The Rev. R. E. Davies conveyed a hearty welcome on behalf of himself, Knox Church congregation, and (he Dunedin Presbytery to the Rev. Mr Balfour. Presbyterians throughout New Zealand, continued Mr Davies, admired First Church congregation for the manner in which it had supported tho lato Dr Nisbet in hie

trying illness —a support which had caused a glow of pleasure throughout, the whole denomination. He reminded Mr Balfour that in joining the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, he was coming to a church which had a considerable amount of vigour and vitality, and that was particularly true of the Presbytery of Dunedin..— (Applause.) In concluding- a speech full of cordiality, Mr Davies mentioned that at its last meeting' the Knox Church session Unanimously decided to heartily congratulate First Church on its happy settlement, and also to record admiration of the attitude of the congregation during the trying period of the last two years.— (Applause.) The Rev. W. Saunders, on behalf of the Congregational Union and the Oounci' n * the Churches, also joined in heartily welcoming Mr Balfour to Dunedin. He referred to his happy associations with First Chuirch Manse during the past 21 years, and went on to say that to occupy the pulpit of First Church was to occupy a prominent plaoa in the life of the city. Mr W. H. Adams, session clerk of Firsb Church, then, on behalf of the ladies of First Church, presented the Rev. Mr Balfour with a handsome silk gown and cassock. The presentation was not a mere matter of form, said Mr Adams, but vias meant as a reminder to the minister whenever he flung the gown across h.l'9 shoulders, that he was born© up on the Throne of Grace by tho prayers of the church. The manner in which the people of the congregation had stood to their .posts in the last two years was evidence of the support Mr Balfour could look for in his pastoral charge of First Church.— (Applause.) The Rev. Mr Balfour, on rising, was greeted with loud and prolonged applause. He thanked the ladies for their great kindness and (generosity, and accepted the gown and cassock as an earnest of their co-operation in all that he should seek to do for the advancement of the Kingdom of God in this He regarded the congregation as an instrument by which he might work and by which God's purpose might be fulfilled. He therefore looked upon the members of his congregation as colleagues to work with him in the service of God. First Church undoubtedly had a great past, and he was perfectly sure he would not be able to fill the shoes of any of the great men who had been, his predecessors; all he could do was to try, to fill his own. —(Laughter and applause.) His first work would be .to get in touch with his environment,, to try to understand his congregation, to know his congregation, and possibly to know them individually. It would be his aim to get into individual touch with the members and adherents of the church, particularly with the young men and the young people, and then, after seeing what the material was and what position he was in, the plans for the future would gradually develop. He knew he hid a difficult task in front of him, but he was not afraid of it. —(Applause.) Mr Balfour concluded an impressive speech by cordially thanking all for the magnificent welcome that had been accorded to him. Professor Hewitson then, vacated the chair in favour of the Rev. Mr Balfour, after which the Hon. James Balfour, M.L.C. (Victoria), father of the Rev. Graham Balfour, delivered a short speech, in the course of which he gave an epitome of his son's career at Ormond College and the Melbourne University, the Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, and- of his ministry and travels in Egypt, Palestine, China, and Korea Mr A. Struthers, in the course of a speech eulogistic of his services to ih«> church, presented Professor Hewitson with a cheque on behalf of First Church congregation. Professor Hewitson, in acknowledging th<j kind gift, bore testimony to the y%oman services which had been rendered to First Church by Mr W. H. Adams (session clerk), Mr J. Wallace (clerk of the Deacons' Court), Mr James Dick (treasurer), and Mr J. Mitchell (church officer). During an. interval refreshments were served by a willing band of ladies, and; gentlemen, and the proceedings throughout were interspersed by enjoyable musical items contributed by the choir and Msss Sunderland and Mr M'Leod, the church o' ganist (Mr Jesse Timson) presiding at tko piano. The gathering, which was in every way hearty and enthusiastic, was brought to a conclusion by tho singing of the doxology and the pronouncing of the benediction by the Rev. Mr Balfour.