PRIMITIVE METHODISM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13290, 20 May 1907, Page 6

PRIMITIVE METHODISM.

FIRST CENTENARY.

The Prindtive Methodist Church throughout the world is juit now celebrating it-- first cenU-naiy. and the Tituiu'u circuit began their part of the memorial with a "Camp Meeting" at Wainiataitai yttterday afternoon- The meeting was he-Id in a vacant well-grassed section at the corner of Hobbs street and tire Mitin road, and about one bundled auulLand a good many children took part in it. The weather was all that could be desired for an oat-door service. The choirs of the Timaru and Waimataitai Churches. assisted by an organ, combined to lead the singing of hymn.", and they sang also ;> t-ouple of anthems. An express served :c; a speakers' platform, while the congregation stood or sat on the grass. The Rev. J. Olphert led the meeting and read and expounded a passage of Scripture—th story of Zaccheu.l in Luks 19. Ihe speakers were Messrs J. Boothroyd, Chiles (who also conducted the choir) and Weir.

The Rev. J. Olphert- made it few allusionto the purpose of the gathering as part of the celebration of the first- centenary of tlie- church, but the- historical reference? were- +ni rusted to Mr Boothroyd. The former mentioned that tin.' church now. apart from it* missions, had 210.0Q0 m mbers. and including these, about 600.00 C adherent.-*, and that the late Mr ijpurgcon. through whom inuny thousand? had been cojiVei ted. was :i convert of this church.

Mr Boothroyd reminded his h>-arers that that day was Whit-Sunday, the nnniversary of the <l»y of Pentecost, the day on which the diiciples received the- power which made them Apostles, preachers of the Gospel of Christ with unshaken courage an ! with power. It was. he thought, a happy omen that they were holding the anniwr-.-.try of the first Primitive Methodist Camp Meeting on the anniversary of that gie.v day. He described the circumstance ••likh led to the holding of that histori-..-Camp Meeting a hundred years ago. A man named Hugh Baurne. one of We.iey\} followers, -was working quietly at a t'aco <-,dh>d Harriseht-ad. in Derbyshire. \\l I. a i.Lcivi i:an'..d Sliub:>Uo!:i. The latter, a hannn.scarum son of man,

was converted and became a changed man and a zealous worker. Many were brought into the little fold, and their meetings oncoming large and lasting long, Shubottom suggested holding an all-day meeting in th» = open air. Xhey had heard of great Camp Meetings in America, and desired to emulate them, and at all events to - see what could be made of a Camp Meeting in England. A meeting was decided on, preachers were obtained trom other places; many people attended who would not have gene" into a building, and thus it was found that the open-air meeting was a good way of reaching people with the Gospel. The success of that first- Camp Meeting on Mowcop in 1807. fixed the Camp Meeting as one of the agsucies of this branch of the Christian Church. Xo record had been kept of the sermons preached that clay a a century ago on Mowcop, but he though; it- very probable that one of the texts used was Paul's declaration: "If any man be in Christ Jesus, lie is a new creature; the old things have passed away, and all things have become new, and all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us unto Himself by Jesus Christ '; —for that was the teaching of the Primitive Methodist Church then and ever since.

Id was not till 1810, Mr Boothroyd afterwards told our reporter, that the I'rimitiv-? Methodists were constituted a separate organisation, and this was done chiefly beeaus? the Weeleyans (established in 1784) objected to the Camp Meeting, and Hugh Bourne and his friends started a " connexion "of their own. The meeting of yesterday was the celebration of the centenary of that first- Camp Meeting. There will no doubt be celebrations also of the founding of the connexion, in 1910.