CHURCH JUBILEE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20340, 25 June 1934, Page 4

CHURCH JUBILEE.

Bishops Address at St John’s. SEVENTY YEARS' WORK. In 1864, on St John’s Day, a procession of Masons filed to the site of the present St John’s Church, Latimer Square, and laid the foundation 'stone* of the church which was to carry on with seventy years of loyal, devoted labour, anointing the stone with the corn, wine and oil of fruitfulness, joy and peace. Yesterday,. St John’s Day 1934, special services were held to commemorate the founding of the church and to give thanks for the spirit of loyalty and service which had inspired the ministers and congregations throughout the years. At the morning service there were present many officers and brethren of the Masonic Order, and before they entered the church a procession was made and a prayer said at the stone their predecessors laid so many years ago. Outstanding Contributions. Preaching at the evening service, Bishop West-Watson said that it was a pleasing thing to express something of the gratitude owed by the church and the city to those who had worked and ministered so faithfully at St John’s. He had been acquainted personally with the work of the parish for only a few years, bpt reading its history he had been struck with three outstanding contributions. The first was its loyalty to the spiritual basis of church finance, an ideal with which the name of Archdeacon Purchas, sen., was closely associated. It was a system which had been followed elsewhere and could be adopted with advantage. The second was the support and encouragement offered missionary work. St John’s always seemed a * centre for those with interest in the mission fields, and that work was placed in the foreground. The third was the wonderful zeal shown in the parish for work among the young. In that connection the name of Canon Coursey would always be remembered for his splendid work among young men. The speaker hoped that there would be continued zeal for that vital and most fruitful work. Missionary Expansion.

“ England has done great things by the spread of freedom and justice. But the finest thing that has attended cur expansion, whether by trading or battle or exploration, has been the seizing by the Church of each opportunity for missionary work, making each chance a missionary expansion to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. “We can never get national differences straightened out until men get the idea of the great internationalism of the Kingdom of God. There is need for a great brotherhood of churches sc that we may have communion with the huge brotherhood of men of every colour and every nation who know the love of Jesus Christ, who are of the family of the Heavenly Father and who seek the Heavenly Kingdom.” Preaching at the morning service the vicar (the Rev J. T. M’William) outlined the origin of the parish work and the foundation of the church. -The parish owed a great debt to Masonrv, and he hoped that the Masons would never forget their association with St John’s. At the foundation stone that morning they had prayed for true Godliness, joy and peace. Jesus Christ had shown the way to God’s love. The Masons themselves taught their brethren love, peace on earth and goodwill towards man. With love in men’s hearts there would also be the joy which no one could take away and the peace that passeth understanding. That was what the pastors of St John’s had preached.