THE CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 25341, 20 July 1935, Page 10

THE CHURCH

NEWS AND NOTES. FROM PULPIT AND PEW. The Rev. Lionel Fletcher is suffering a severe breakdown from strain of work. Mr John Smart, one of the elders of St. Mungo’s Presbyterian Church, Clyde, Central Otago, has been actively connected with the church for the long period of 56 years. Tlie Rev. Hedley Bycroft, the wellknown Congregational minister of Dunedin, is to address the Christian Fellowship meeting in Everybody’s on Monday evening. A fluent and eloquent speaker, he should command a large audience.

The Rev. F. E. Foot will be the preacher at St. Peter’s Methodist Church to-morrow morning, when the children’s story will be continued. The evening service will be conducted by Mr J. Malton Murray, General Secretary of the New Zealand Alliance. The first of a series of monthly services to be broadcast throughout the Empire was held in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, on Whit Sunday, June 9. The opening service, commencing at 2.15 p.m. (English time), consisted of hymns, an anthem, a short lesson and psalm, and a short address. The address was given by the dean—Dr. Matthews. The services are intended to be a spiritual link with the Empire. At St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church to-morrow the morning service will be taken by the minister. Mr Tocker will preach on “An O. T. Psalmist on Sin,” from Psalm 32: 1-2. In the evening the preacher will be the Rev. J. R. Blanchard, 8.A., of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Wellington. Mr Blanchard, who is a brilliant preacher, is president of the New Zealand Alliance, and is visiting Invercargill in connection with the forthcoming licensing poll.

Visiting ministers will conduct both services at the Central Methodist Church on Sunday. In the morning the Rev. J. R. Blanchard, president of the New Zealand Alliance, will occupy the pulpit. Mr Blanchard is . widely known as a preacher .and especially as an advocate of Prohibition. With another referendum on the liquor question so near Mr Blanchard s message will be of special interest. The evening service will be conducted by the Rev. A E. Waite, of Bluff. Anthems by the choir under Dr Stanley Brown will be given on both occasions. Attendances at the Esk street Baptist Evangelistic Mission have been increasing throughout the week-end and powerful gospel addresses have been delivered by the missioner, the Rev. Joseph Carlisle. To-morrow the mission will continue, when the Rev. W. E. Lambert will preach at 11 a.m. on “Leaven” Breaking of Bread at the morning service. At 6.30 p.m. the Rev. Joseph Carlisle will preach on “Does a Man Serve God For Naught? The Georgetown Baptist services will be held at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., the preachers being Mr W. J. Ward ana Mr E. Roberts. West Plains service at 2.30 p.m., when the Rev. Joseph Carlisle will preach. At First Church on Sunday at the family diet of divine worship the theme will be “Our Responsibility,” the first of a series in connection with the /sth anniversary of the church to be celebrated on August 18. First Church is the pioneer Presbyterian Church of the province of Southland, and the present building is the third, two wooden churches preceding the present Bysantine structure. The first communicants roll was compiled by the Rev. W. Bannerman in 1859. Presbytery sent to Scotland for a minister in 1859. Presbyterian services were inaugurated in Invercargill by the Rev. A. Bethune on November 10, 1856. The theme at the evening diet will be “As others see us.” The anthem will be “The PilGrims.”

Special interest centres round the Salvation Army meetings to-morrow (Sunday). A call to prayer at 7 a.m. and a Holiness Rally at 11 a.m. will be followed at 3 p.m. by a special musical afternoon when besides musical numbers Envoy J. A. B. Walker, who represented the band at the Wellington Bandmasters’ Council recently, will take charge and will give a resume of this most interesting and original function in the evening. The Crusade subject will be “The Law.” The singing will be a special feature and Crusade song sheets will be provided. This is the month of the Crusade of the Cross, and quite a growing enthusiasm is prevalent. Next Sunday Brigadier and Mrs Middlemiss, the newly appointed Divisional Commanders, will be welcomed.