REV. JOHN PATERSON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19046, 25 June 1924, Page 11

REV. JOHN PATERSON

A BEGBETTED DEPARTURE. [By Telegraph.—Special to Chronicle.] CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. In St. Paul’s schoolroom, Rev. John Paterson, who has been minister of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church for ten years, and w’ho has aeceped a call to St. Paul’s, Wanganui, was tendered a farewell social by the congregation. There was a very largo and representative gathering, and many were the expressions of regret at Mr Paterson’s departure. Mr R. H. Wilson, speaking on behalf of the kirk session, said the session desired publicly to thank Mr Paterson for all his work in Christchurch during the past ton years. As regards Mr Paterson’s pulpit ministry, they testified that his sermons and addresses had been of a very fine character, being spiritual, inspirational, fervent, scholarly and eloquent. They had been productive of much good, and had been a cheering and stimulating impulse in the lives of members of the congregation. Mr Paterson had helped to maintain the cause of Presbyterianism in Canterbury and its high ideals and traditions of the past. They would miss his friendly brotherliness and his genial presence. They wished him a most satisfactory and fruitful ministry in Wanganui.

Rev. W. J. Williams spoke on behalf of the Christchurch Ministers’ Association, and said he had attended no farewell where such wholly admirable tributes had been paid to the departing minister as had been paid to Mr Paterson that evening. He referred to the vigour and abandon with ‘which Mr Paterson had thrown himself into the fight for Prohibition and into the antigambling campaign. Rev. J. J. North spoke on behalf of the Council of Christian Congregations, and said the general feeling was that Christchurch was losing part of its landscape. Mr Paterson had been very much in the picture. Mr Paterson possessed a vast amount of horse sense, and in connection with the movement for the increase of gambling facilities, Mr Paterson had been oue of the first to give his name to secure signatures to the petition protesting against an increase of gambling facilities. The chairman then, on behalf of the congregation, presented Mj-s Paterson with a handsome travelling rug and Mr Paterson with a gold watch and framed photograph of the office-bearers. Mr Paterson, in acknowledging the gifts, said he felt that it was the wiser and better thing, in view of the very fine relationship existing between the office bearers and the people and himself, to go wh’en the congregation was in good heart, when the work was prosperous, and when they could get a successor who, he hoped, would be proud to eome to such a congregation, and who would carry out the work to a more inspiring success than it would be possible for him to do. He left with the pleasantest mamories of the people of St. Paul's. (Applause). Mr and Mrs Paterson left by tonight’s ferry steamer for Wellington, en route to Wanganui.