St. James' Presbyterian Church, Auckland.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 12, 25 March 1893, Page 269

St. James' Presbyterian Church, Auckland.

AMONG the Presbyterian churches of Auckland, St. Janies’, although not the oldest, lays claim to by far the largest number of adherents. It was founded in 1861 by a portion of St. Andrew’s congregation, who, as the town of Auckland extended, found that the

parent church was inconveniently distant for those Presbyterians who lived west of Queen-street. The number of these at first was not, however, so large as to enable them to build a church for themselves, so for a few years services were held in a small hall in Hobson street nearly opposite St. Matthew’s schoolroom, and later on in the Oddfellows’ Hall. During the most of that period the officiating clergyman was the late Rev. Peter Mason, who for many years after was well known in Auckland. In 1864 the Rev. Janies Hill succeeded Mr Mason as minister to the congregation, which had found itself increasing in numbers so rapidly that it had already commenced the erection of the spacious building here reproduced. The church was completed in April, 1865, and for the next four years Mr Hill continued to fill its pulpit. The new building cost £3,300, and, although its accommodation was ample for all requirements, the congregation in 1879 erected a hall in connection with it, at a cost of £2,000.

Towards the close of Mr Hill’s ministry in St. James’ the numbers in attendance fell off very greatly. This, however, was not owing to the unpopularity of the preacher, but arose from a very different cause. The rush to the Thames goldfield had set in, and almost all who could left Auckland to try their luck on the auriferous hills. The result of this

was that when Mr Hill resigned his charge, and was succeeded by the Rev. R. F. McNicol, the latter found the church half empty, and learned that a large part of those who ought to have formed his congregation were busily engaged looking for the precious metal many miles from Auckland. From this date the history of St. James’ is that

of the ministry of Mr McNicol, who has occupied its pulpit since then without a break of any considerable length of time. Indeed, there is no other Presbyterian minister in Auckland who can boast of so long a connection with one congregation. Mr McNicol was educated at Glasgow University, where he took his degree. Not very long after he had been ordained a minister of the Established Church of Scotland, he was asked by the colonial committee of the church to take up a charge in New Zealand. At that time there was a great demand for preachers in the young colony, and the Presbytery of Auckland had sent an urgent appeal to the colonial committee of the Scotch Church for young men to take up work in Taranaki. Although Mr McNicol was not very anxious to go so far away, he consented to take a charge in ‘ the garden of New Zealand.’ He arrived there in 1865, being the first settled Presbyterian minister in that province. For three years he laboured in New Plymouth, and at the end of that time, having received a call from St. James’ he commenced his work in Auckland. Mr McNicol has never revisited the Old

Country, the work of his church and the care of a large family having so fully occupied his time that he has never the leisure at hie disposal for so long a journey. Coder his ministry the church has steadily progressed till, as was stated before, it now numbers the largest congregation among the Auckland Presbyterian churches. It is also the parent of St. Luke's, Kemueia, and St. Stephen's, Ponsonby.

No name is more familiar to Aucklanders in connection with the Presbyterian Church than that of Mr Thomas Macky, who has been associated with St. James’ since its beginning, and has, for a long time past, occupied the post of treasurer of the church. Mr Macky is a native

of the North of Ireland, and has been forty-four years in the colony. We include among our photogravures a picture of Mr W’alton, who has officiated at the organ and conducted the singing in St. James’ for some years. Macrocjstis, a seaweed of the South Pacific, it is said, often grows to be thirty or forty inches in diameter and 1,500 to 2,000 feet in length. In no case do any of these have roots in the proper sense, their nourishment being absorbed front the water by all parts alike. God.assumes that all men have common sense. Why is there no command against drunkenness in the decalogue? Because common sense teaches that a sin which breaks all the Ten Commandments need not be specified.