CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 19172, 16 February 1924, Page 8

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES

FROM PULPIT AND PEW. Mr J. W. Lopdell will conduct the morning service at the Esk street Baptist Church to-morrow. In the evening Mr J. 0. Saunders will officiate. The Rev. H. A. Sharp of the Central Methodist Church will be the speaker at both services at the First Presbyterian Church to-morrow. .The subject for the morning address is entitled: “A Wrestle With Doubt.” The evening talk will be on “The Destroyer of Death.”

The First Church Choir resumed work last Wednesday evening. At the close pi the practice supper was served and a discussion was held as to whether a recital should be given by the choir this year or not. The decision in favour of holding it was unanimous.

The Ven. James Herbert Strawley, D.D., vicar of Sutton, Ely, and Archdeacon of Wisbech, has been appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln to the Chancellorship and Canonry of Lincoln Cathedral, rendered vacant by the death of Dr J. O. Johnston. An appeal for £6OOO has been made by the vicar .and churchwardens of Stoke Poges, for the purpose of restoring the spire and stonework of the church, and also to purchase ten acres of land, which is in danger of being built upon. This is really an attempt to preserve intact the beautiful English scene which inspired Gray’s “Elegy Written In a Country Churchyard.” < Referring to the jubilee commemoration of St. Clement’s Bournemouth, the Church Times states: —It was a sight not easily to be forgotten when the churchwardens poured the bags and loose coin into a great hamper and staggered with it towards the altar. Their burden weighed nearly a hundredweight and a half, and proved on counting to be no less a sum than £457.

The Barnardo Homes have a family of 7000 boys and girls to maintain. A paragraph in the Christian Word is headed “New Zealand Is Always Helping,” and relates how a regular supporter of the Barnardo Homes died, but her daughter wrote stating she would keep up her mother’s subscription. Major R. W. Barnes, officer in charge of the Salvation Army Prison Gate Home, retires shortly, after 35 years’ service. Bom near Birmingham, England, he entered the Salvation Army Training Home, at Melbourne, in 1889. He came to New Zealand in 1908, and was appointed to the charge of the inebriates home at Pakatoa, and from there to Rotorua. About twelve years ago Major Barnes was sent to Christchurch, to take charge of the Prison Gate Home.

“The great danger in Wales to-day is to make the Church a preaching station, a place to go and hear sermons,” said the Rev. Thomas Phillips, 8.A., of Bloomsbury, when speaking at Llandrindod Wells, on the Model Church. He added that the Church was too much like an Atlantic liner—plenty of people lolling about and taking icecreams whilst the engineers were down below running the vessel. He contended that in the Church, first class passengers ifiust be turned into engineers and stokers. A Grand Carnival in aid of the Wyndham Catholic Church is at present being held in the Wyndham Town Hall. It opened on Thursday and was continued yesterday and will conclude to-day. The stall-holders are as follows: —Produce (Mesdames D. Tither, J. Morris and P. Walsh) ; plain and fancy (Mesdames J. McGlinchey, E. J. Traynor and Miss Foster); handkerchief (Mesdames P. McGlinchey and J. Walsh); sweets (Mesdames J. G. Shepherd and W. Sheehan). The Board room was converted into a large tea-room under the capable management of Mesdames Boyle, Burke, Morris and Dooley. There was a large band of assistants attached to each stall, and they gave valuable help with competitions, raffles, ,etc. Great interest centres in the numerous and novel sideshows which are being run, and good entertainments are being provided by outside talent. The Rose Girl competition is ; also providing a considerable amount of excitement.

At the Esk street Baptist Church last Sunday evening Mr T. Runcie Chisholm of Dunedin presided at the Pipe Organ. During the Offertory he played an “Andante in E flat” a composition recently composed by himself. His other contributions were an improvisation in A flat and an extract from Handel’s “Messiah” (And the Glory), and were much appreciated by the large congregation present.

A great worker amongst the young once said: “Orphan Homes have, already done the lion’s share in solving some of the vexed questions of ‘their day and generation, and what has been accomplished in the past should stimulate us to yet more earnest efforts in the future.” This great work in our Presbyterian Church in Southland is moving forward and from various districts a real spirit of interest and sympathy is being menifested. F. P. Campbell, Gladstone Orphan Home, would like to thank the people of Riverton for the sum of £92, this includes £34 interest on shares which one of the Riverton members gave us some time ago. Redan Mission Station £27 9/6; Nightcaps £35 19/6; and a few gifts of £5 each from interested friends. Thanks are also due to the people of Fortrose and Orepuki for their kindness to the children when they were on holiday. As a Church this work has the strongest claim upon one’s sympathy so that an indelible impress of character may be shaped out in the young inhabitants of the Homes.