ST. CLAIR PRESBYTERIAN HALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 34

ST. CLAIR PRESBYTERIAN HALL.

FOUNDATION-STONE LAID. Considering the co'd weather, it was quite a large and representative company mat assembled on the occasion of laying tne foundation-stone of the hall that is to form part of the St. C:air. Presbyterian Church property. The site is at the rear of the church. Mr A. Anderson designed the new building, and 'Mr D. Marshall is erecting it. The structure is in brick on concrete. The hall will measure 41 x 30 inside, and the height from the floor to the cove ceiling 17ft, the walk being 12it. Two guild rooms, one 14 x 19, the other 12 x 6, arc provided for, also a portico 12.8 x 8.6. The meeting was held in the church. The Rev. John Miller presided, and read apologies from the Revs. G. H. Balfour, Andrew Gray, R. Fairmaid, and A. Cameron, these ministers sending messages of congratulation and encouragement. The “Old Hundredth” having been sung, the Rev. D. Dutton read as the lesson the 98th Psalm, and prayed. Mr J. B. Waters, session clerk, said the Committee of Management, inspired largely by the Rev. Mr Miller,- made inquiries as to the practicability ot building a Sunday school Hall, and with the assistance of friends and members of the congregation, and the generosity of the Ladies’ Guild, they got together a subscription-list totalling anout £ISUU. They then called for tenders, and got a price for ±1650, exclusive of seating, but including lighting and all other requirements. (Ji that ±ISOO about ±l3O was now in, and the greater part ot the remainder was at call, so it was hoped to open the new hall practically, though not quite, free - of debt. It would give accommodation for about 200 children, also special accommodation, which was badly wanted, for the Ladies’ Guild, and also provide facilities for the development of Bible "class work. They were fortunate in Paving an energetic Building Committee, with Mr T. Fleming as convener. The Rev. W. Scorgie, who had piloted the church through its initial difficulties, congratulated the congregation on the progress made, and the growing powers of the church in the community. 'Xne day was the second red-Jeter day in the building era of Bt. Glair, the xirst being the one in which the foundation-stone of the church was laid. The rev. gentleman went on to speak of the historical idea that lay at tne • back of the hall and at the back of the church. Our Presbyterian institutions come from the synagogue" not the temple. During the hrst A) years of the Christian era Christianity had no home. It did not have a church so far as we could trace. Every congregation met in a private place —in deserts, in upper rooms, in crypts, in tanneries. This was because of their poverty —they were mostly slaves and broken people—and for privacy on account of persecution. Not till a.d. 230 were Christians granted the right to a place of worship in Rome, and that was against the protest of the tavernkeepers. Then the people began to build churches, and for 40 years churches arose on every hand, until Rome itself had more than 40. These wore all wiped out in the Diocletian persecution. In the fourth century began the great building era in Christianity Constantine led the way. Huge basilicas and cathedrals slowly came into existence all over Europe. St. Peter’s was the crowning glory. It covers 18,000 square yards—an area pretty well large enough to take in all the churches of Dunedin; it mok 1400 years to build; it cost 10 million sterling; 100 Empires were taxed through presents and plunder to provide its splendour. Milan Cathedral was another marvel. Here was a strange thing: that as the great churches were built religion declined. The era of cathedrals marked the rise of ritual and the decline of preaching. It was the ritualism of-tho temple. There was no education, no training, no preaching. Then came the Reformation, and the people went hack to the churches, and there was a revival of preaching and education. Our day was the era of halls. In the time of the Reformation there were no halls. Even 50 or 60 years ago no church had a hall. Now every church had its hall. What was the significance of the hall? It was the larger idea of the Church and the mission of the Church. It meant that we had gone back to the idea of the synagogue, with its preaching and teaching, rattier than to the temple, with its ritual and sacrifice. It showed that our modern idea of the Church was different from that of the Middle Ages, and wider than that of the Reformation, for we aimed at the training of the whole man —body, intellect, and soul. That was the use and the idea of the hall. It was the centre and symbol of our larger idea of the mission of the Church and of our wider interest in man’s intenser social life; it was an effort to train the young into all the activities, interests, and aspects of Christian life and Christian worship. The people then wont outside, and Mr T. Fleming, laid the stone, using a silver trowel presented by Mr Anderson. Mr Fleming remarked that the honour was not of his own seeking. He was, however, very pleased to bo present, and ho hoped that under God’s blessing the foundations of many true and noble Christian characters would bo laid in the new hall. The Rev. R. Scott Allan, Moderator of Presbytery, offered the dedicatory prayer. After the benediction the company reassembled in the church, where the -ladies served tea.

In the evening the Kcv. A. Wynne Thomas conducted a service which was largely attended. The choir rendered special anthems, and Miss Miller and Miss Anderson sang solos. The collections were liberal at both stonelaying and evening services.