Queen Street Church.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 205, 2 September 1904, Page 2

Queen Street Church.

UNVEILING OF MEMORIAL WINDOW. TO COMMEMORATE FOUNDING OF SECT IN NEW ZEALAND. AN UNIQUE OCCASION. September Ist, 100<1, marks an ' interesting point in the history oi Primitive Methodism in New Zealand, and more particularly in its relationship with the rise and progress of the Provincial District of Taranaki.

Yesterday wag notable in that it witnessed the unveiling of amemoriul in the Queen Street Primitive Methodist Ghuruh to commemorate the beginning 0* the ministry of the late Rev.. Robert Wiard, who, on September Ist, 1844, conducted the lirst | setvices of the sect in New Zealand, in the open air, in what is now the hoai't of Devon Street. In the forefront and beginning of a new year, or a new era, as someone has said, by an everlasting Act of Parliament, a Magna Cliarta gramitod a nd passed before he began to be, man is bound to look forward and to look back. He looks backward perhaps with regret mingled very slightly—for he is a proud animal and reproaches himself but little with self blame to think lof what might have been and what is. He will rather scold the elements than himself—nay, even the constituent elements of himself and his fellows—df fault be imputed to him and praise given to others. The sullen answer sdid betwixt Not that the grounds of Hope were lixed—

The elements were kindlier mixed. It may be this is well, though in so d«i»g man does uot show at histoest, but it is well for action that the past is past, and that the dead bury their dead and are forgotten. There is so much to do in the day that it is well we wot not of the dreams of the past night. liut chiefly in the opening year man looks forward and gathers what there is of comfort hopefully around him afl he has need to do. For he is continually struggling with and overcoming difficulties, warring with nature, and oven in the midst of constant decay building up the highest of ideals. In some remarks wo have read in the lo<ng ago on ■" A viista of the golden years to come " it is asked : When will all our preachers, our pastors and masters, be so thoroughly in earnest that they will not care what they do so that it is well done, that they will lie glad to learn n.S' well as teach, that 'they will not seek the chief places in the synagogues—as they notoriously do, of whatsoever shade of opinion they hold in Dissent or the Church— and will not care for the outward garment so much ias the inward heart? When will a preacher use the same style und voice in the pulpit and out of it, and, having mastered the sublime litcnaturc he has 1 to expound, convey it unmistakeably by gesture and by tongue V This product of the "good time" will be contemporaneous with that when the clergy will find that all congregations "committed to their charge " will go to church or chapel earnestly to learn and pray, and so learn that they will not ibe e)bla to criticise bonnets' and to commiserate the "frights" that their neighbours look in public worship. Something' of this must have been in the niind, of the subject of most of yesterday's speeches, us on all hands one hoars nothing but the warmest praise for the life and work of the late Rev. Hobert Ward during his long Connection with the town and district. To those who were privileged to know him and to bo numbered i n his flock he w tt s always a true friend and adviser, one whose memory will over remain green,

THURSDAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Notwithstanding tho 'inauspicious state ot' the weather there was a fairly large attendance of members of the congregation and their friends at the service held for the purpose of formally unveiling the memorial. Rev. Johin Nixon, at present in charge of the circuit, was the officiating minister, and was assisted by the Revs. C. E. Ward and Woolloxall, Rev. J. Newman Buttle (Wesleyan), and Rev. S. S. Osborne (Presbyterian). There were also as official visitors the Mayor (Mr R. Cock), and Councillors Cliff and Wood, while in the general congregation were several gentlemen prominent in the town.

Tiie service was brief, but impressive, consisting oS suitable hymns, a lesson (psalm exxxii) read by the Rev. Iluttlv, and n prayer offered up by the Rev. Osborne. Before drawing the cord which released the Union Jack covering the memorial the Rev. Nixon referred in highly felicitous terms to the ' deceased clergyman, paying a tribute of praise to his life, character, and work amongst tho people. It was once considered that a church should ■! JO dull, gloomy, and ugly place ; but now that was changed, and it was realised thai aill that was beautiful was acceptable in God's sight, Therefore when the question of a new church came up it was resolved to have one as .beautiful as was compatible with the means at command. And while doing so it was thought fitting that there should be embodied in the church some outward symbol in memory of the man so intimately oonnectod with ;ts history. As a result of the gonerous manner in which the mattor was taken up the window was obtained.

Rev C. E. Ward, of Christchurch, SO® of the Rev. Robert Ward, then spoke briefly, thanking, the congregation for their touching remembrance ol his father. He also referred in terms of praise to the work of tho James Bollringer as a memoir ot tho connexion and as » citizen.

Mr R. Cock followed, in a reminis- ; ™°, o 'l recallln e many interesting incidents con'netitod with tho early days of the church in New Plymouth, and speaking feelingly 0 f the influence exercised <by the Rev. Robert Ward and others of the earlier clergy, wh. were, he said much more ,n touch with the peol file than was the case nowadays Jhe servioe concluded with the pronouncing of the Benediction by the Ruv. Woolloxall.

EVENING SERVICE. This service attracted a good attendance in spite 0 f the weather. 10 Rev. S. S. Osborno addressed a few remarks to those present touched in happy and inspiring language basing them upon the y ol !? s . saw one casting out devils tin Thy name, and we forbade him because he followed not us ; but not' S '' ,n! mt ° them ' Win , ' 110 speaker urgod that all church rC " lCln) ! )er tlmt duty of the church was to show loyalty to tftu/nivl I ( °, Wer t0 WO, ' k ' and charity munTty. othW SCCtiM,S 0f thc «»«- PRIMITIVE METHODISM—A RETROSPECT. In the year 1810 thei-e was at J I' f i° Ur , mileS from "emersIcy, England, a Methodist class, consisting of ten members. Tho v were not connected with any denomination at, that time, but were the resuli of he work of Hugh ilouroe, a local preacher ol the Weslo.van Church. Jluyh iiourjie hafri been expelled from the Wesloyan Church because he had taken part in a class of open-air meetings called "camp meetings" J ho camp meeting had been condemned by the Wesley an Conference ' as very irregular. This c l ass wus of . : lered to the Berrslein circuit 0 f the i Methodist Church, but the minister 1 could «ot see hisi way clear to accept it, except on the condition that Hugh Bourne should not be allowed to preach there, As this

condition coulil not. bo complied with, tltere was nolliiftg left but to stuia a new body. For a time thoy wore I known as fcho "Conip Meeting Methodists," ibjifc in the year 1812 a general meeting of tin; Ibody was held at Tu nistull on February 13th, and it wus agreed to take the name of "The Primitive Methodist Connexion." So rapid was the growth o( this new ibody tliaL in 1824 it numbered 35,507 members on the roll.

ESTABLISHMENT IN NEW ZEALAND.

The Primitive Motihodist Church of Great Britain hud its. attention drawn to New Zealand in 1841 by a request from some Primitive Methodists 0 f South Australia for a missionary. The Missionary Committee took the mutter up t and two men were appointed for Australia. During the pie|Miration for dc|>arture several missionary meetings were held. At one of those, a meeting held in Uramlington colliery, North Shield, ill November, 18' lii, Rev. VV. Uarland suggested sending a missionary to New Zealand, to be supported by yearly contribution of the Sa&bath■chool teachers. This was received so heartily by the teachers, and so promptly acted upon by them, that on May 24th, 1844, the Rev. Robert Ward sailed for New Zealand in the emigrant sliip Raymond, lie landed in a surf boat on the Moturoa IA-ach at the end of August. The missioner commenced his work on Sunday, September Ist, 1844, preaching, his first sermon in New Zealand on the old Huaitoki bridge in llevon-street. His text was :

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

Mr Wand laboured for nearly six years in the New Plymouth station. On May 11th, 1850, ho sailed for Auckland to commence work there. The Rev.. Joseph Long, one of the pioneer missionaries sent to South Australia, arrived in New Plymouth to take up Mr Ward's work on April Bth. Mr Lo*g laboured on the station for nine years, during which time he erected several churches. In 1848 the Omata block was opened for settlement, and several of the Henui settlers removod there, and in 1852 Mr Long had a church erected for them. A small church was also erected at in 1853. Soon after Mr Long's arrival in New Plymouth the Bell Block district was reopened for settlement. Mr Long held meetings In the houses of the settlers until 1855,, when a church was erected. It is also statedi that a small church was built at Tataraiiiiaka, but this was destroyed during the Maori war. In 1859 Rev. Ward returned to New Plymouth for his second term, and during this period the war broke out, making the work of missioning the people very difficult. The women a l "* children being ient to Nelson, and the men doing duty as militia, quite disorganised the church. About' this time, however, a reviival manifested itself among the people, and sixty persons professed conversion. A new church wus then erected in Queen-street.

THE PARENT CIIAPEL IN NEW ZEALAND. Prior to tihis the town congregation had worshipped in a little chapel handed over to Mr Ward by the Bible Christians!, early in. the mission. On this memorable occasion the opening services were eonducted by ltev. J. Long, on May itith, 1802, and it is interesting to note that tho account book records the collections for the day at £63 7s 2Jd. The population of the town was greatly increased by the addition of soldiers, and the settlers who were driven in by the Maoris. Mr Ward was a popular preacher, and his congregation soon provod too large for the new church, so it was extended at a cost of £3OO. In 1868 Rev. Ward removad to Wellington, and Itcv. Charles Waters succeeded him in New Plymouth. In 1871 tho Rev. John Dumbcll arrived from England, and commenced work at New Plymouth. During tho second year of Mr Dumbc'll's ministry the present parsonage was erected, at a cost of £695. The work in tho cir;uit became too much for one man, and at the district meeting in 1876 application was made for a second minister. In 1877 Rev. James Clover arriveU from England. The Rev. John Standrin followed Mr Duinbell,, 9.11 il he in turn gave ■jlaee to Rev. Joseph Sharp. During Mr Sharp's time several of the early settlers passed l away, among them Air Benjamin Wells, for some time editor of the Tarnnaki News, and author of "The History o1 Taranaki." He died in June, 1881.

In 1882 Rev. J. Long began a second term in New Plymouth, but after two years his healtJh gave way. Mo was followed by the Rev. J. Guy, but Mr Guy was removed by the district meeting to Christehurch. At the nd of the year Rev. Thomas Sadler was appointed to take charge of tho circuit, but his health completely broke down, and he returned to England. In 1887 Rev. James Clover took up the work here. During his term Mr Clover opened the Stratford mission, where ho is now stationed. The lonj? rides from New Plymouth to Kit ham over bad roads and in dirty weather brought on a serious illness, and the Rev. J. Nixon, the present superintendent, was appointed to succeed Mr Clover. The Rev. Nixon laibourcd in the circuit for five years, being followed by ReV. W. S. Potter, of Auckland, who remained for three years, Rev. Olphert succeeding him. In 1900 Rev. J. Nixon returned to New Plymouth, and is now in the fifth yeur of his second term.

SIXTY YEARS' PROGRESS. Since Rev. R. Ward preached his first sennoa sixty years ago, tho church ihaa made fair progress. Mr Ward had a chair for & pulpit, and, like the founders of Primitive Methodism, prcachki in tho open air. At tho present day the connexion is known from tihe Bluff in the South to Auckland in the North. Twentynine years after Mr Ward landed in New Zealand the first district meeting was held, when the official statistics were Ministers, 7 ; local preachers, 49 ; class leaders, 24 ; members, 440; Ba)>bath schools, 11 ; teachers, 116 ; scholars, 848 ; churches, 13 ; hearers, 1693 ; value of church property, £5420. At tho lost conference, held in .January, 1904, the oWciai returns showod Ministers, ; circuit missionary, 1 ; home missionaries, 5 ; local preachers, 159 ; I class leaders, 42 ; church mem* ! bora, 2449 ; Sabibath schools, 72 ; Sabbath touchers, 549 ; scholars, 5000 ; Bands of Hope, 85 ; abstainers, 5784 ; churches, 64 ; paisonag-es i and cottages, 30 ; hearers, 9804 ; ' value of 'church property, £53,538 j IBS' 8d ; present debt, £9548 8s sd. During the year £IOO4 8s was raised to pay off the debt. i

POLITY OF THE CHURCH. Nearly three years ago tho question of union with tho Methodist Church of Australia camo before the conference. The proposal wa9 rejected on the groun'ds that the terms offered wt'iv. not liberal enough. The Primitive Church polity is strictly democratic, laymen having equal rights with ministers, and it is also lawful for ~ woman to bo elected to the conference.

EXTENSION* IN NEW PLYMOUTH. Two years ago the officials of the Queen-street Church realised that as New Plymouth was growing the work was ilraoming too much for ine mnn, and decided to apply to conference for an assistant. There was not a man available at the time. However, las't year the oflicials renewed their rosiest, and gave the Rev. Woolloxall an invitation. The conference appointed this gentlcinan, who began his labours at Fitzroy last March. Last year, as the ild cluirch was needing extensive repairs, the trustees met together and agreed that it would bo fitting, to erect a new church to the memory of Rev. Robert Ward. Tho result is that on Sunday next, September 4th, the Rev. C. E. Wurd, a Son of the late Rev. 11. Ward will conduct the opening services.