CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 18618, 16 August 1919, Page 2

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

FROM PULPIT AND PEW. Under the ministry of Mr R. Taylor, Home Missionary at Athol, the work of the Presbyterian Church in that parish has received quite an encouraging impetus lately by the liberality of the people. Mrs Wraytt, Garston, has presented the Presbytery with an acre of land as a site for a church —a gift valued at something like £lls, including cost of transfer, etc. Very substantial subscriptions have already been promised towards the erection of a church building, several residents promising £2O and one £SO for that object. Mr Morgan Price, Five Rivers, has also presented the Presbyterian Church with half an acre of land as a site for a building at Five Rivers. Liberal donations are expected from local residents to carry through, in the -near future, the proposal for a church building there. Every praise is due to pastor and people for their devotion and generosity in the extension of God’s kingdom in this practical manner. The Methodist Maori minister, Rev. Rakena Piripi, who resides at the Rapaki Pah, Lyttelton, and who has the oversight of all the Methodist Maoris in the South Island, will be visiting Southland next month. His visit will extend over six weeks. As Home Missionary Deputation, besides visiting the Maoris at Bluff and Colac Bay, he will preach in all the Methodist churches of Invercargill. He will also conduct weeknight meetings in several of the country districts. Mr Piripi is a young man with a fine presence, and special gifts for the work to which he has been appointed. The Knox Church choir, under the leadership of T *P William Lillicrap, paid a visit to the Red Cross Convalescent Home on Thursday night, and gave a concert for the entertainment of the patients. Items by the choir, solos, duets, a quartette and mandolin selections formed the programme, in addition to which one of the nurses and one of the soldiers contributed songs. The evening’s entertainment was evidently appreciated for a request for another visit was cordially supported by the “boys.” Supper and the singing of Auld Lang Syne brought the proceedings to a close. “Do the heathen get no comfort whatever from their religion?” a missionary was asked. “Yes,”. he replied, “the same kind of comfort you get out of a narcotic. Buddhism, Brahminism, Taoism, Confucianism, Mohammedanism, are opiate religions. Christianity, on the contrary, wakes up the soul with a new life. “The fruit of the Spirit is ... . Joy,” and must find outlet in singing.—From the Missionary Review of the World.

A choral service was held at the Methodist Church, Leel street, on Sunday last, and was largely attended. The choir under the able conductorship of Mr W. Stewart sang several anthems with fine taste, while the solos by Mrs Undrill, Messrs Murray and King were excellent. It is intended to hold these services monthly? The Rev. A. Peters delivered a very interesting and able discourse om “National Decay.” Mr Peters has been giving a number of addresses on every day topics, and will deliver the last of a series to-morrow when the subject will be' “National Perils.” A deputation of friends from the congregation of Queenstown Presbyterian Church waited on the Rev. R. C. Hunter last Monday evening and presented him with a purse of sovereigns of considerable value, as a mark of their appreciation of his labours while minister of that parish. Mr W. H. Holloway, who will speak in four of the local churches to-morrow, comes from the far north of Auckland, where he has been engaged in the Home Mission work of the Presbyterian Church. Mr Holloway is now occupied in raising a capital sum of £20,000 to permit of the work in the Home Mission districts being more effectively carried out. The unoccupied fields and the inadequate salaries paid to Home Missionaries in the fields occupied have been a reproach to the church, and it is now sought to rouse its members to make a serious and united effort to meet the situation. A few years ago over £12,000 was raised for the development of the mission work of the Church in China. Quite recently. £25.000 was contributed to provide for a better retiring allowance for ministers. Now this effort is being made to meet a need quite as urgent as existed in either of the other cases. It must be very encouraging to the Rev. Hector Maclean to see so many “Diggers” attending the services at Knox Church. The fact that Mr Maclean before he became a padre was just an ordinary “digger” appeals to the men. As a “digger” he shared all their discomforts and as a padre he was ever willing to help and do what he could for the men. As a returned man put it: “If a padre can become a ‘digger’ and make good, it is up to us ‘diggers’ to show our appreciation by attending his churchy Last Wednesday evening the St. Andrew’s Band of Hope visited the St. Peter’s Methodist Church and conducted the 8.0. H. meeting there. The programme was of a very high order and was greatly appreciated by, the large number of people present. Next Friday the St. Peter’s 8.0. H. will pay a return visit to St. Andrew’s and provide the programme at the meeting. # . As in past years the Junior Christian Endeavour Society in conne with the Don Street Methodist, Church # arranging a sale of work to raise funds i. assist Foreign Missions. Arrangements are well in hand and this year’s sale promises to be as attractive and helpful as previously. At the evening service in Knox Church to-morrow Rev. Hector Maclean will take las his subject “Landmarks in the religion lof the Old Testament.” Thin is a subject that should be of considerable interest to students of the Bible. A party from Don Street Methodist ! Church together with a few friends are visitling the Riverton Methodist Church next Wednesday evening. A splendid programme has been arranged, so that Riverton friends (should be present in large numbers, and (thereby assist in augmenting the funds of their church. 1 “The biggest thing in ths world is the world. The greatest challenge in the world is the spiritual need of mankind. The most powerful lever is Christ’s programme of world-redemption.” —The Outlook of Missions. . The latest demand for higher wages comes from the clergy. A Synod member talked of the wisdom of “meeting trouble half way,” and though “direct action” was I repudiated there was a whisper that “we 'might form e, union.” Well, why not? The clergyman, his wife and children, have to he clothed and fed, and in these days ' that cannot he done on the slender cheques I that arc called “stipends.” The journalists have just been to the Arbitration Court, iand the bmik officers are clamouring for a j hearing. Who is to say that within another year the clergy won’t also be working ! under an award.