CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 15 (Supplement)

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

SIX PHENOMENAL YEARS MINISTRY UNDER REV. WILSON. WIDE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH. BUILDING THE NEW ST. ANDREW’S The crown was set on the achievements of St. Andrew’s church in New Plymouth with the coming of the Rev. J. D. McLennan Wilson. A born leader of men and a man of vision, Mr. Wilson came to New Plymouth at a critical sta"e in the history of the church. Under his wise guidance, his energy and his gift for organisation, intensified by loyal and active managers, the potential strength of the charge flowered in a series of activities which culminated in the erection of the new stone church which is being opened to-day. To the lot of Mr. Wilson has fallen a picturesque career. In his time he has taken part in* business life, he has been a private in the army, he was the only chaplain in the history of the New Zealand Mounted Brigade to be mentioned in despatches, and he has been minister to three • Presbyterian charges. Born in Dunedin, of Scottish extraction, Mr. Wilson received his early education at the Kaikorai school.. Some time later he entered business life, but later decided to take up work for the ministry. He received his higher education at Otago University and Theological College. At the college he won distinction, taking the Ebenezer Prize for the highest student in his final year. St. Andrew’s is his third charge. His first ministry was at Western Totara, North Otago, from which he .went to the war, signing up as a private but eventually going forward as a chaplain. He saw military service for over three years on both the eastern and the western fronts, but mostly in Egypt and Palestine. No decorations were given to chaplains in the New Zealand Mounted Brigade, with which Mr. Wilson served, but he gained the distinction of being the only chaplain in the history of the brigade to be mentioned in despatches. At the close of the war he received a call to the charge of Waimate, in South Canterbury, and after being there six years, was invited to the charge of St. Andrew’s, New Plymouth, io fill the

vacancy left by the death of the Rev. Oscar Blundell. During Mr. Wilson's ministry the church has made phenomenal progress. The membership of ‘St. Andrew’s has doubled itself and the finances have been trebled. Though a new charge has been formed with its centre at Fitzroy the membership of St. Andrew’s still remains about 400. Three Sunday School halls have been built and strong Sunday Schools now exist in Fitzroy, Westown, Vogeltown and Moturoa. The work of expansion which had 'been cut short by the death of the 'Rev. Oscar Blundell was carried to rapid fruition under the leadership of Mr. Wilson. Sites for possible expansion had been selected in the suburbs. (Six years ago the feeling about the 'work bedame definite in a scheme which was duly submitted to the congregation, 'The scheme had for its aim three fully sanctioned churches in the town, the 'main church to be in the centre and the other churches in the Fitzroy and the western end of the town. Further extension work was to be undertaken in all the outlying districts about New 'Plymouth where the church had people desiring their own services. Ihe scheme included the building of a new cential church and Sunday School, and church ■halls at Fitzroy, Vogeltown, Moturoa and Wesjtown. The whole scheme was estimated to cost somewhere about £16,000. Already a considerable part of the scheme has been carried into effect. A separate church has been formed at Fitzroy, with its own church hall; buildings suitable for Sunday School worship have been obtained at Vogeltown and Westown; and the new church in Liardet Street has been built, though the Sunday School still remains a venture for the future. Considerable care was taken in the selection of the site for the new church. Observations were taken from .strategic points of the town, and the present site was selected because of its commanding position and because its closeness to the old church would conserve the existing congregation. Before the Venture was undertaken, a special appeal was made to the congregation four and a-half years ago, when promises were given of assistance to the extent of £5OOO. The church is carrying in <rreat measure the debt of the new edifice, but expects, when times right themselves, to clear itself of that by the sale or lease on. suitable terms of the Devon Street property.

In designing the central church the minister and the congregation felt that the building should be one worthy of the traditions of the church and its place as the first Presbyterian Church of Taranaki, as well as a building which might be of civic interest and pride. The building was designed to recall the associations of many of the congrega-

tion with the churches in the OH Country and with the best of the New Zealand churches. First Church, Dunedin, which gave the model for the spire o the new St. Andrew’s, is held to be the finest example of Gothic architecture in the Dominion.

It is interesting to recall that the •stone of the earliest church, which was destroyed by fire, was laid as the foundation etone in the new church.

“With the opening of the new church on April 16,” said the minister, in touching on the hopes for the future at the last service in the old church in Devon ■Street last Sunday, “we carry forward our flag of Christ to fresh fields of adventurous opportunity and activity. Our aim is to make this the Cathedral church of Presbyterianism in Taranaki. Our endeavour shall be to free it completely from any incubus of debt and all disabling association, past or present; to make it a temple where God will delight to offer the gospel of His grace, in the Word, in the sacraments and in such worship in the sanctuary as shall uplift our souls to fellowship ■with the Eternal; to make it a centre in the community for wisdom, goodness and Christian culture. To the church we would add a worthy Sunday School, Bible class and social rooms, a hostel to shelter young people away from the helpful associations of kinsfolk and friends, a rest home with medical ward attached for the care and comfort of the aged and ailing, where they might find peace and new health and be free from haunting fears of penury and debt, and possibly a college where our youth might gain something of our distinctive genius as well as mere knowledge and education. We should like the congregation to be a strong agency for the development of struggling suburban charges and to give help to isolated and neglected backblock areas.”