OPEN-AIR MISSION

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 6

OPEN-AIR MISSION

MELBOURNE PREACHERS HERE. GATHERING AT GARDEN PLACE. A large crowd listened to the messages delivered by members of the Australian Lay Mission, who spoke from Garden Place last night. The speakers, who are members of the Melbourne Methodist Local Preachers’ Association, are visiting the Dominion at the invitation of the New' Zealand Association, for the purpose of giving information of a movement among the Australian Methodist preachers towards a greater reality in every department of their work, both in assisting the ministers in their several churches, and of carrying on their own work with gtreater interest and fervour. This movement has extended to all the capital cities of the States of the Commomvealth, and has been productive of very good results. Meetings will be held in Hamilton with the local ministers, and services are to be conducted in the Methodist Churches to-day and to-morrow. The visitors have been' as far south as Dunedin, and they speak in high terms af the reception that they have received everywhere. On Monday they will leave Hamilton for Rotorua, returning in time to participate in the Easter services at Auckland. At last night’s gathering tha preachers were welcomed by his Worship the Mayor, Mr J. R. Fow, who said that it was unique in' his experience to welcome a band of preachers. Usually he was called upon to speak to visiting sportsmen and oilier personages. Nevertheless, it gave him great pleasure to welcome these Australian ministers to Hamilton, and he expressed the hope that their visit would be productive of good results. Addresses were delivered by Lieu-tenant-Colonel Bethcras, Mr J. Eddy, and Mr L. Buck,