CITY’S WELCOME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20484, 10 December 1934, Page 8

CITY’S WELCOME.

New Leaders of Salvation Army. WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY. The new leaders of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, LieutenantCommissioner F. Adams and Mrs Adams, who were accompanied by Colonel Albert Orsborne, chief secretary for New Zealand, were given an enthusiastic welcome to Christchurch by the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., in the City Council Chamber to-day. There was a large attendance. The Mayor said that Commissioner • Adams had had a distinguished record of service with the Salvation Army in the Old Country, and it was hardly conceivable that he would have as many problems to deal with in New Zealand as he had been confronted with before coming here. The City of Christchurch, said the I Mayor, had had the honour of extending welcomes to many distinguished Salvationists. In coming to Christchurch they were coming to a city ■ which had the spirit of the army in j the spirit of giving. In winning its reputation for giving and so gladly j extending a helping hand, the Salva- ( tion Army in Christchurch had played j a noble part, and he felt very grateful to its officers for what they had done. Bishop West-Watson, as leader of the Anglican Communion and in his capacity of president of the Christchurch Social Council of Churches, said it gave him very great pleasure to join in the (welcome to Commissioner and Mrs 'Adams. He assured them that they would find plenty to do in New Zealand and that they would find the people very hospitable. The community was under a special debt to the Salvation Army and the great man who founded it, for bringing back the consciousness of the churches to their obligations to humanity. The Salvation Army had stirred the conscience of England to a realisation that Christianity was not just a matter of evangelism and caring for the soul, but hand in hand with that work must go the work of caring for the bodily needs of those they wished to draw into closer touch with their faith. The Rev R. Warnock, president ot the Ministers’ Association, extended to Commissioner and Mrs Adams the greetings of the ministers of all denominations. Happy Impressions. Commissioner Adams was received | with heartv applause on rising to , speak. lie'said he was delighted t.o be in Christchurch, and when he learned j that he was to spend his first weekend in this city he felt a great thrill, because he had been told before leaving the Homeland that he would find ' Christchurch the most English city in, the Dominion. Since his arrival he j had been enraptured with Christ- | church, which in a sense seemed to be, a little piece of England, more fair and yet more beautiful to look upon. From what he had been told of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, and irom what he had seen already, it seemed to him that the foundations had been well and truly laid. It was on his birthday (September 7) that it was first suggested to him that he should come to take up the work in New Zealand, and it was a great pleasure to him to learn how well the Salvation Army stood in the estimation of the people of the Dominion. The expressions of appreciation of the work of the Army had been a great comfort and encouragement to Mrs Adams and himself. They would, take up the work where Commissioner and Mrs Cunningham laid it down. The Salvation Army stood not merely for preaching the Gospel, but for helping poor, fallen humanity. Already they had been promised the assistance of all the officers of the Salvation Army in this country, and they anticipated a happy and successful stay in the Dominion. (Applause.) Mrs Adams said that it was quite a bombshell to the Commissioner and herself when it was suggested three months ago that they should come to New Zealand, after being twenty years in London, but since her arrival it had been borne in upon her what Little Englanders some of them could be- ’ come when they had not had the op portunity of seeing such countries as New Zealand. Everything so far had • seemed ver>' beautiful to them, and • they believed they would be very happy during their stay in New Zea- : land. (Applause.)

The gathering concluded with the Doxology.