PRESBYTERY OF TIMARU.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 22 September 1923, Page 13

PRESBYTERY OF TIMARU.

There could be no more suitable introduction to this brief history of the .Presbytery of Timaru than a verbatim copy of the minutes taken at the first meeting, held on September 24, 1873. They aro as follows: “Within the vestry of the Presbyterian Church, Timaru, on September 24, 1873, a number of persons—clergymen and others —assembled to witness the constitution of the First Presbytery of Timaru The Rev. * Mr Alc-Gowan, Lyttelton, having first read the Edict of Synod authorising the constitution of the Presbytery of Timaru, engaged in devotional services. On the conclusion thereof it was moved by the Rev. George Barclay, seconded by MiHart, and carried, that the Rev. Mr McGowan be asked to preside as Moderator . pro tempore, Messrs Stewart and Hart, haying tabled their commissions from their respective sessions, were reoeived as Presbytery elders. Hie sederunt then was—- “ Rev. Mr McGowan, minister, Lyttelton. “Rev. George Barclay, minister of Temuka, Geraldine, etc. “Mr Stewart, elder, from the session of Temuka. “Mr A. Hart, elder, from the session of Timaru. '•“Mi- Barclay consented to act as clerk for the occasion. On the motion of Mr Barclay, seconded by Mr Stewart, the Rev. Mr .Fraser, and the Rev. Mr Douglas, minister of Christchurch, were associated. Mr -William Rickarby Campbell, probationer, and minister-elect of Timaru, having here entered, laid on the table a minute of his license, having date ‘Presbytery of Edinburgh, April 24, 1867,’ and also his commission from the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland, dated February 18 0 1873. Mr Barclay proposed, Mr Hart seconded, and it was resolved —That Mr Campbell be now taken, on trial, with a view to settlement in the charge rf Timaru. Mr Campbell, at the request of the Moderator, produced the Discourses and Exegeses required by the law' of the Church. The Presbytery, having no time to examine them, it was moved, - seoonded, and carried —‘That they should be held as read, and sustained.’ Mr Campbell, haying been briefly questioned on Divinity, Church History, Greek and Hebrew, it was proposed by Mr Barclay, seconded by Mr Hart, and carried—‘That the Presbytery, having taken a conjunct view of ; Mr Campbell’s trials and discourses, agree to sustain the same, and in the circumstances to proceed forthwith to his ordination as minister of the Presbyterian congregation, Timaru.’ “The Presbytery, having met again in the evening, and having been constituted in the usual way, after the reading of the requisite Edict, ordained and inducted Mr Campbell in the usual manner. At the service Mr McGowan resigned his moderatorship and Mr Barclay his clerkship, when Mr Barclay was appointed Moderator for the ensuing: year, and Mr Campbell clerk. To the latter was consigned the_ oversight of the Committee and Session at Waimate. It having been arranged that tho Presbytery was, to meet, again oh the 21st prox., the Moderator closed the proceedings by pronouncing the Benediction. , “GEO. BARCLAY, Moderator. “WILLIAM CAMPBELL, Clerk.” The second meeting of Presbytery was held on October 29, 1873, when it was agreed that the Presbytery should hold meetings quarterly. At tins meeting the Rev. G. Barclay and Mr Hart were appointed representatives to the General Assembly, but at the next meeting gave in reasons why they were not able to attend, thus leaving the Presbytery of Timaru unrepresented at the General Assembly of 1873. At the April meeting of Presbytery ,'n 1874 Mr Barclay leported that the foundation stone of the Presbyterian Church, Waimate, Was to be laid by him on March 12. In September, 1874, the Rev. W. R. Campbell resigned from the pastorate of Timaru Church, after a ministry of only one year. On April 21, 1875, the Rev. Wm. Gillies, West Taieri, was inducted. At the next meeting of Presbytery Mr Gillies was appointed Clerk of Presbytery, which office, he held for the next sixteen years. At Temuka on July 8, 1875, on which day the Presbytery met, it was agreed to take Mr G. Lindsay on trial for license. Messrs Barclay and Gillies reported that Mr Lindsay’s trials were quite satisfactory, whereupon the Presbytery sustained them, and prescribed trial discourses. A special meeting of Presbytery was oalled to reoeive the report on the discourses and to license Mr Lindsay. A call having been received from the Waimate congregation in favour of Mr Lindsay, the Presbytery ordained and inducted him to that pastoral charge on January 5, 1876. The Rev: G. Lindsay continued to he minister of the Waimate congregation till he accepted a call from the Otepopo congregation on April 18, 1882.. The development of the Presbyterian Church in South Canterbury was evidenced by the fact that in 1877, Otaio, afterwards known as St. Andrews, expressed a desire for a minister of their own, and in 1879 Pleasant Point wrote asking that they might be constituted a separate charge. This request opened the whole question of the division of Geraldine, Tertiuka and other districts. The Geraldine session were already considering the question. The Presbytery on April 9, 1879, fully considered the position and resolved that Geraldine, including the Mackenzie County he formed into one charge, and that 'Temuka , and Pleasant Point be formed into two separate charges. The Rev. W. Gillies was appointed moderator of Temuka and Pleasant Point.

TEMUKA. The Rev. D. Gordon, Clinton, Otago, Was inducted into the pastoral charge of Temuka on January 8, 1880, and continued in the charge for lour years until he accepted a call to Invercargill. He was followed to Temuka by the Rev. E. Mackintosh who was ordained and inducted on April 15, 1885. On November 9, the same year, Mr Mackintosh wrote asking for leave of absence on account of ill health, three months leave being granted, but on January 20, 1886, owing to continued ill-health he sent in his resignation as minister of the Temuka charge. The next minister was the Rev. J. Dieksmi who was inducted on September 7, 1887. Mr Dickson was afterwards Well and favourably known as a defender of the faith, as the w.ril.er of “Helps to Right Living,” and also the “History of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.” The “History” gives an account of the Church’s life and activities to the end of the 18th century. The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the Presbvf.erv held in Timaru ori July 10, 1899. “The Presbytery congratulaies Mr Dickson upon the completion of Ids ‘Historv of the Presbvterinn Church of New Zealand.’ which gives such evidence <>t careful research and painstaking labour and commends this valuable work to the members of the Church honing tllfl,t it may find a place 'd every I’resbyterian home.” Mr Dickson resigned

CELEBRATION OF JUBILEE. Early Days in South Canterbury.

(BY THE REV. G. D. FALCONER.)

the pastoral oharge of Temuka on July 22, 1902. On March 24, 1903, the Rev. C. McDonald was inducted to tho Temuka oharge where he laboured with much aecoptauco for nineteen years when failing health compelled him to resign. The Temuka congregation have decided to call the Rev. F. 11. Fell, Te Ivuiti.

PLEASANT POINT. Pleasant Point became a separate charge on May 1, 1879, and proceeded to call the Rev. A. Alexander, who was ordained and inducted on July 22, 1879, but resigned on April 14, 1880. The Rev. D. Gordon, Temuka, was appointed Moderator of the vacancy. 'Hie Rev. D. McLennan succeeded Mr Alexander as minister of Pleasant Point. He was ordained and inducted on November 11, 1880, in the Pleasant Point Church On this occasion the R«v. A. B. Todd, St. Paul’s, Oamaru, was present, and was associated with the Presbytery. During Mr McLonnan’s ministry Albury was disjoined from Geraldine and attached to Pleasant Point, and the manse at Pleasant Point was built. In 1885 Mr McLennan accepted a call to Akaroa. The Rev. Wm. White, the next minister, was ordained and inducted on November 9, 1885, and ministered to the Pleasant Point congregation till December 31 1890, when he received a call from Wallacetown, Southland. A call to the Rev. J. M. Simpson was before the Presbytery, but as Mr Simpson had written stating that he had accepted a call to Sydenham, the Presbytery accordingly resolved to fall from the matter and to intimate the same to Pleasant Point. The Rev. Joseph White supplied for three months, and at the end of that timo received and accepted a call, his induction' taking place on April 5, 1892. Mr White laboured with much acceptance till his retirement on May 10, 1908, taking an active part in tho business of the Presbytery and in the cause of temperance. Some of his grandchildren still reside i n the district. The Rev. G. King was ordained and inducted on April 13, 1909, and on the resignation of the Rev. A. B. Todd, Geraldine, succeeded him as Presbytery Clerk. During the Great War Mr King served for sixteen months as a chaplain at the front. On his return to his charge he was appointed convener of the Presbytery’s Chaplains Committee. During Ihis ministry the beautiful ohurch at Pleasant Point was built. Private business necessitating his presence in Africa, Mr King tendered his resignation to the Presbytery on September 30, 1918. The Rev. J. Gunn, Roxburgh, followed Mr King as minister of Pleasant Point, and was inducted on June 25, 1919, but died suddenly' on the fourth Sunday after his induction. The congregation, assisted by outside sympathisers, raised sufficient money to bund a cottage in Pleasant Point for Mrs Gunn and lier young family. The Rev. G. D. Falconer, Mount Ida, was inducted to the pastoral charge of Pleasant Point on February. 3, 1920.

‘FATHER OF PRESBYTERIANISM.’ The Rev. G. Barclay, the father of Presbyterianism in . South Canterbury, was ordained and inducted in St. Paul’s Christchurch, on *March 8, 1865. His district extended from the Rangitata to the Waitaki, and from the sea to the Southern Alps. The following paragraph from Mr Dickson’s “history,” gives a good description of the nature, of Mr Barclay’s work: “Few have more tales to tell of awkward predicaments in the crossing of rivers, than the Rev. G. Barclay, the father of South Canterbury Presbyterianism. The streams that flow out from the Mount Cook range were many a time nearly the death of him. Once when going from Geraldine _ to the Mackenzie Country with a pair of horses, one of the animals became restive in the flooded Opilii, and got his foot entangled in the wheel of the veliiole. No one was hear, and Mr Barclay after getting out, stood in the foaming torrent and did what he could to extricate.the limb. When this proved futile, lie held up the horse’s head as long as lie could, but was obliged at last to let him go under and drown. Detaching the' other horse from his dead companion, he mounted him and rode to lis place of destination as if nothing unusual had happened. On another ocoasion he went plunging over a steep embankment six feet deep into the river, and escaped himself, but horse and gig wore swept like brushwood down the stream. On still another, occasion his life was saved by his noticing just in time the danger ho was running, and jumped out as his horses plunged down a steep incline into a swollen river. Once he was found lying insensible in a paddock by the roadside with his horse grazing at a distance, after clearing a high fence and throwing his rider. Somefames it was the horse that went over the fence and loft the rider, and sometimes it was the rider who went over the fence and left the horse.. Though good enough friends on the whole, there was often a considerable distance placed between them. Such was pastoral work in those days. It was carried on under difficulties. Mr Bavalay often preached with torn garments and bleeding hands, and the water pumping up out of his boots as lie emphasised with his lower limb some weighty truth. Whatever may have been thought of the sermon delivered on those occasions the preacher was far from being “dry.” Mr Barclay took a deep interest in education, and , was for many .years a member of the South Canterbury Education Board, and for some years chairman. Mr Barclay at the first- division was relieved of part of his huge charge, Geraldine, Temuka, Pleasant Point and Mackenzie Country being left to him. Ho was inducted to the charge of Geraldine, etc., on January 21, 1872. In 1882 his eyesight failing, he was granted leave,of absence to visit the Dome Land, to consult a specialist. He returned in 1883, his mission having been up to a certain point successful —his eyos'ght was saved, and he was able to read with the aid of special glasses. In 1889 Mr Barclay found it necessary to retire from the active ministry, and tendered his resignation as minister of Geraldine. Temuka, etc. On accepting his resignation the Presbytery placed on record “its appreciation of the many laborious services rendered by the Rev. Mr Barclav during the twenty-six yoars of his mn'istrv in South Canterbury, and now accent with regret his resignation of tho charge of Geraldine, given in by him on the ground of the utter impossibility of anyone discharging all lire many duties and services of so extensive a charge with anything like satisfaction, as in his estimation l.liov should he done, and the Presbytery pray that in whatever sphere his future years and labours may be spent, the blessing of the. Groat Head of the Clmrcli mav accompany him.” After Mr Barclay’s resignation, Mackenzie Country was disjoined,’ and formed into a separate ('barge, thus reducing Geraldine considerable. The Rev. A. B Todd, son of the Rev. A. R. Todd. St. Paul’s, Oamaru, followed Mr Barclav as minister of Geraldine. Mr Todd was inducted on Juno 4, .1391), and, as already stated, w-as appointed Presbytery clerk i.u 1891. Mr l odd

ministered with. great acceptance to his congregation, and also took an active part in the business of the Presbytery. After a ministry extending to a quarter of a century, Mr Todd deemed it best to resign from the pastoral charge of Geraldine, and did so on August 31, 1914. Resolutions of appreciation were passed by the Geraldine congregation and by tho Presbytery. The Rev. J. C Tocker received and accepted a call to Geraldine, to which charge he was ordained and inducted on February 13, 1915, and in which lie laboured with much acceptance till he was oalled to St. Luke’s, Remuera, Auckland, on September .16, 1919. The Rev. J. D. G. Madid, the present minister, was inducted on March 25, 1920. WAIMATE. A Church was opened at Waimate on August 22, 1873, and the Rev A. Lindsay was ordained and inducted on September 5, of that year. Hewas succeeded in 1893 by the Rev. H. Kelp, who remained till 1898, when the Rev. A. S. Morrison took charge. He, in turn, was followed by the Rev. J. Clarke in 1918. Air Clarke laboured for loss than one year, when lie was overtaken bv tho illness which tenninated his life. The Presbytery, m its motion of sympathy, briefly outlined Air Clarke’s life, and stated that -He was one of our most highly esteemed ministers, and one of the best preacheis of our Church.” Air Clarke was the first minister of the Alackenzie Country charge. The Waimate congregation next proceeded to call their present minister, the Rev. J. D. Wilson, a returned chaplain. While doing service at the front, Air Wilson was mentioned in dispatches. The Waimate congregation has developed with the growtß of the town; whereas m 1874 there were •35 communist members, the roll now contains over 190 names.

ST. ANDREWS. Air Donald McLennan laboured in St. Andrews (then known as Otaio) from 1878 till he was settled in Pleasant Point in November, 1880. Mr George Gray Russell gifted five acres of land at Otipua as a site for church and manse, and promised £IOO for the Building Fund and £25 for four years for the Stipend Fund. The Rev. Joshua Mclntosh, late of Softon, was inducted on August 9, 1881, and resigned on October 2, 1883. On July 1, 1884, the manse at Otipua was sold, and the New Zealand and Australian Land Company gave the site and a donation for the manse at St. Andrews, October, 1892. The manse was built in 1896. The Rev. Robert Alaokie wasordained and inducted, on July 13, 1897. On the oocasion of his ordination and induotion tho Rev. W. J. Comne, or the Mackenzie County charge, presided and preached. Plans for a church at St. Andrews were submitted to the Presbytery for consideration on October 17, 1599. Mr Mackie received and accepted a call to South Dunedin on August 20, 1901. Air Morrison, of Waimate, was appointed Interim Aloderator, and at a meeting of Presbytery held on December 3, 1901, reported that the St. Andrews congregation were ready' to proceed with a call to the Rev. Air Lawrie, minister of Mackenzie Country. The Presbytery sanctioned the translation of Air Lawrie from Mackenzie Country' to St. Andrews, and lie was accordingly inducted. Oii April 22, 1903, however, he was obliged to resign the charge on account of ill-liealth. His resignation was accepted with sincere sorrow, Mr Stinson being appointed interim Moderator. Air Chappie was ordained and inducted in St. Andrews charge on September 10, 1903. The first Presbyterial visitation in 1904 revealed a flourishing condition of church work. On October 2, 1906, plans for a church at Southburn were submitted to the Presbytery. In 1907, however, it was found necessary to hold a conference with the minister and office-bearers of St. Andrews, and this was the beginning of a serieß of meetings between the Presbytery and the minister of St. Andrews regarding certain public utterances, of AL- Chappie. In 1908 Air Chappie, not having fulfilled his promise of resigning voluntarily', was asked by the Presbytery' what he intended to do. It was not until late in 1910 that Air Chappie, after giving the Presbytery a great deal of trouble and anxiety', sent in his resignation as the minister of St. Andrews charge, and also as a minister of the Presbyterian Ohurch of New Zealand. The members of Presbytery' are to be commended on the exceedingly brotherly and Christian manner in ■ which they' dealt with the whole case. Later, when Air Chappie applied for a credential as to character, the clerk was instructed to state that Air Chappie lmd been minister of St. Andrews for seven years, and left tile Church for doctrinal reasons. Mr Morrison, of Waimate, was appointed interim Alodcrator, and in 1911 laid on the table a .call to the Rev. F. Jeffreys. The call was sustained by the Presbytery and accepted by' Mr Jeffreys, his ordination and induction taking place on April 4, 1911. Just over three years after his induction Mr Jeffreys received an invitation from the Auckland P.S.S.A. to become their superintendent. The Presbytery released Air Jeffreys for this work, in which lie is still engaged; and on declaring St. Andrews vacant again appointed Air Morrison interim Moderator. A call was sent to, and acoopted by, Rev. Air Cuttle, who was duly inducted on October 27, 1914. In 1917 lie resigned from the charge, as he had reoeived an appointment as chaplain to the military camp at Featlierston. _ The Rev. F. J. Usher, the next minister of St. Andrews, was ordained and inducted on May 2. 1918. Air Usher labourer with zeal and acceptance till this year, when he received a call to Dargaville. St.. Andrews is at present without a minister.

MACKENZIE COUNTY. The Mackenzie County was supplied by' the Rev. G. Barclay, first from Timaru from 1865 to 1872, and then from Geraldine from 1872 to December 3, 1889, when Air Barclay resigned, and the Alackenzie County was formed into a sparato charge, a call being extended to the Rev. J. Clarke, a probationer from Scotland, lie was ordained and inducted on January 27, 1891. At this time the Presbyterians and Anglicans held services as arranged in a, Union Church. In 1891, Air D. AlcLean presented to the congregation a gilt of 20 acres on which a manse was built. On April 3, 1891, Mr Clarke accepted a call to Palmerston South. Before proceeding to call another minister the Presbytery instructed the Alackenzie County to arrange to take full control of the Union Church. On July' 3, 1894, the Moderator of Mackenzie County, asked for moderation in a call, and on July 31. ft call in favour of tho Rev. W. J. Conirie. of Kelso, Otago, was laid on the table. The c-all was sustained by the Presbyt-ef.v and accepted by' Air Cornrie. who was dul.v inducted on September 11. 1894. He took an active interest in' the .spiritual welfare of his own congregation, and also bis full share of Presbytery work till July 4, 1H99, when he accepted a call to Hastings, About five months’ after Mr Comrie’s translation to Hastings, ft call was extended to the Rev. n. KLtnvrio, is induction inking place on December 14, 1899. Mr Lawrie remained at Mackenzie till he received a call from St. Andrews, to which charge ho was inducted on January <• 1992. The Rev. AY. G. Black. LL. 8.. was next called and was inducted on Alov 14, 1902. Air Black's labours in tincharge extended over a period ol ion years uni.il. for family reasons, and because of tho difficulties attaching to the work in so wide a sphere, lvo lound ii necessary to resign. The Rev. J. Craig. Softon his successor, was inducted on August 15. 1912, and ministered to the congregation till ho accepted a call to Kurow, Oamaru, in February, 191 < ■

Tire Rev. A. C. W. Standage was thou called from Kelburn, Wellington, his induction taking place on August 9, 1917. Mr Standage continued to labour in the Mackenzie charge with much acceptance, till his translation to Maori Hill charge, Dunedin, early this j'ear. The Rev. J. C. Wilcox, recently of Owaka, is the present minister of the Mackenzie County charge.

WAITAKI. The late Mr Allan McLean having given 30 acres of land in Waitaki for Presbyterian Church purposes, and the ‘session of Waimate having made application to the Presbytery, Waitaki district was erected into a separate charge jn October 10, 1896. The Rev. G. K. Stow ell began work in February, 1897, and a manse was erected near \vaihao railway station in 1898. In April, 1900, Mr Stowe-ll had to resign on account of his wife’s health- At a meeting of the Presbytery on July 12, 1900, Mr Morrison, Moderator of Waitaki, reported that the congregation were about to hear candidates with a view to a call. On October 30, 1900, a call was extended to the Rev. J. Watt, Hu literviilo. who was duly inducted on January 'B, 1901. Mr Watt, as. the first minister of the new charge, immediately set about organising a session, and lief ore the end of the year was able to report to the Presbytery that he had succeeded in doing so. In 1903, Mr Watt accepted a call to the Waiau charge in the Christchurch Presbytery... The Rev. R. Dickie, a probationer, accepted a unanimous call to Waitaki, and was ordained and inducted on December 8. 1903. A site for a church was purchased at Morven. and in due course, a building, capable of seating 100 people was erected, and was opened for divine service in Juno, 1906. A site for a manse was also purchased at Morven on which a modem manse has recently been built. The Rev. A. Dickie was called to Springburn in August, 1922, after nearly nineteen years work m the Waitaki charge,_ of which Mr Charman is now the minister.

ALBURY. Alburv had been part of Pleasant Point charge, but in 1890 it was disjoined from Pleasant Point and attached to Fairlie. A new church was built there and dedicated by Air Gillies on January 19, 1901. In July, 1908, Albury was detached from the Mackenzie Country charge and erected into a separate sanctioned charge, the Presbytery expressing their joy in the progressive spirit of the people. On June 1,1909, the new charge proceeded to call the Rev. P. Wilson, of Alanaia, and the Presbytery to induct him on August 4. By November a Session of five elders was formed and arrangements for building a manse were well under way. At a later meeting plans and specifications were submitted to Presbytery and duly passed, and a tender of £424 was accepted for the building. On June 3, 1914, Air Wilson received and accepted a call from Alayfield, and the Rev. J. C. Paterson, of Maheno, was called to Albury, his induction taking place on October 7, 1914. In 1917 Air Paterson accepted a call to Lincoln, and the present minister of Albury,. the Rev. J. B. Hall, received a unanimous call, and was induoted on August 16, 1917. TRINITY CHURCH. s

The history of Trinity Church began before that of the Timaru Presbytery, Out all the ministers of Trinity played a leading part in the affairs of the Presbytery. The work of the Rev. G. Barclay, the first minister, lias been reviewed in connection with his work at Geraldine. The Rev. W. R. Campbell,:,the second minister, did not stay long enough to make history. The Rev. Air Gillies has left his mark as a maker of history in the cause of Presbyterianism in Trinity Church and in the 'Timaru Presbytery. It is possible to record only a few of the great questions brought forward from time to time by Mr Gillies, such as the public baptism of infants, on which subject Alessrs Gillies and White drew up a motion advocating very strongly the public dedication of children to the Lord, unless “good cause can be shown for private administration” ; and his overture on vacancies, 1 wherein lie complained bitterly of the “scandals that have been caused to religion, to the discredit of our Church and the dishonour of our Lord,” by the practice of candidating for vacancies then in vogue, and wherein he proceeded to draft out in masterly style a suitable scheme, which must have appealed to the minds of the General Assembly, as it is practically the one in existence to-day. In 1891 Mr Gillies intimated that he had decided to resign from the clerkship of Presbytery, in order to give one of the younger men a chance to become more fully acquainted with the business. His resignation was accepted with regret ,and a minute of appreciation was drawn up and recorded in the minutes of Presbytery. The Rev. A. B. Todd, of Geraldine, was appointed clerk of Presbytery in his place. On January 1, 1901, Air Gillies sent in his resignation of the Trinity charge. The Presbytery records show the great reluctance felt by both Presbytery and congregation to accept liis resignation. A petition signed by 73 young men was presented to Air Gillies, and a committee was appointed by Presbytery to confer with him. Air _ Gillies, however, remained firm in his determination to step aside and make room for a. younger man. The Rev. A. B. Todd was then appointed interim Aloderator, with instructions to preach arid declare, the charge vacant on Alarch 10, Idol. Air Gillies was granted by Presbytery the position of senior minister of Tima ru. A call from Trinity to the Rev. Robert Jackson was not sustained by Presbytery because the number of signatures was considerably below the three-fiftlis majority required by the Book of Order, and also because a strong dissent liad been recorded. Air Reid gave notice of appeal from the decision. At a subsequent meeting of Presbytery a petition with 338 signatures 'was presented asking the Presbytery to allow the formation of a second charge in Timaru. A committee set up to go into the whole matter, met, with all the interested parties, and drew up a series of recommendations ancivt the formation of a second charge. The finding of the committee was agreed to, Air Alovrison, of Waimate, being appointed Aloderator of the .second charge. On May 13, 19p2, the Rev. T. Stinson, of the Irish Presbyterian Church, was inducted into the pastoral charge of 'Trinity congregation. He is still their beloved minister, and under his wise guidance and devoted service Trinity* Church has prospered. The first Presbvt-erial visitation showed that the charge had made a splendid recovery after the break, and that all the organisations in connection therewith were iii a flourishing condition. 'Trinity possesses a church and other buildings adequate to the needs of the congregation. The original church having been superseded by the present handsome build-

CHALMERS CHURCH. The congregation of the second church reported to Presbytery that tiliev had decided to call their church Chalmers Church. Their first minister was the Rev. Robert Jackson, who was inducted on May If). 1902. The Chalmers congregation forged ahead from (ho beginning—a site for a church was .secured and plans and specific.!.'u>f s wen' prepared, presented io_ approved by Rresbylory. The first dieshytorial visitation was held on August 1905, and revealed a very In akhy condition of affairs in all departments. The joy of tho Presbytery was expressed in 'the words: “This is the Lord’s doing, ami it is marvellous in our eyes.”. In 1908 Mr Jackson, applied

for nine months’ leave of absence on the ground of ill-health, but was later obliged to resign his charge, as his health failed to improve. Shortly afterwards word came that he had died suddenly in a strange land. A call was sent to the Rev. A. M. Caldwell, of St. Stephens, Auckland, who accepted it, and was inducted on November 12, 1909. Mr Caldwell ministered to tho congregation till he accepted a oall to tho Cairns Alemolial Church in Melbourne on May 12, 1914. The Rev. E. R. Harries was next called to Chalmers, and inducted on October 15, 1914. He carried. on an energetic and ' successful ministry till he was transferred to St. Paul’s. Wanganui, on July 29, 1920. The Rev. ,P G. Hughes was inducted to the charge on June 16, 1921, and is the present minister. Chalmers congregation possesses a valuable church and other necessary buildings, a substantial brick manse having been recently built in Elizabeth Street. Highfield, together with several : outstations. was originally attached to i Chalmers Church. Late in 1913 a i petition from Highfield, Waslidyke, (!!oni!i. Rosewill, and Claremont was presented to the Presbytery, asking >!,at the above stations should be formed into a home mission charge. The Presbytery, after going fully into the matter, decided not to make any alteration in the meantime. In October, 1917, another petition was before the Presbytery asking that the outstations should be erected into a sanctioned charge. In 1918 the prayer of the petition was granted, and the Ilev. E. R. Harries was appointed Aloderator, with four of his eleders, as an interim session, and was directed to form a communion roll and have a Session elected in the new charge, so that steps might be taken for the calling of a minister. On January 29, 1918, the Aloderator laid on the table a call to the Rev. A. Begg, Wallacetown. Air Begg accepted the call, and was inducted into the Highfield charge .on February 21, 1918. About the end of the year the Presbytery authorised the purchase of a house in Craighead Street to be used as a manse. Air Begg was appointed Presbytery clerk in place of Rev. G King ■ .

HOME MISSIONS. There are two home mission stations within the bounds of the Presbytery — namely, Orari. and Waihao Valley. The Orari home mission station, Which includes Peel Forest, Arundel, Rangitata, Orton, and Clandeboye, was formed on June 30, 1914, with Orari as the centre. Air A. Lyon, the first home missionary appointed, laboured in. tho charge for four years, the congregation at the end of the third year having asked that his services be retailed for another year. Air J. Anderson is it present m the charge, and is doing excellent work. ] t is imped. Hat within a short time Orari .will become a fully sanctioned charge. In regard to the Waihao Valley home Alission station, on June 1, 1915, the Waimate outfields were raised to the status of a fully sanctioned charge, and the Rev. W. F. Evans, Waikato Valley, was inducted on September 22. Owing to the geographical difficulties making it impossible to successfully work the charge Air Evans resigned on July 4, 1916. Waihao Valley is now being worked as a hoirie mission charge, and Air Lowden, who succeeded Air R. Scott, is doing good work. It is with feelings of deepest gratitude to' Almighty God that the Presbytery of Timaru enters upon the fiftyfirst year of its life as a Court of the Presbyterian" Church of New Zealand. It offers up its humble thanks for the self-sacrificing labours of . -its early members, extends its -warmest greetings to those of them that are still alive, and <prays for grace to be .enabled to carry on the good work begun and sustained by them.- It believes that the happenings of the past fifty years have turned, out for the furtherance of the Gospel.