The Jubilee of the New Zealand Baptists.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 February 1901, Page 394

The Jubilee of the New Zealand Baptists.

By the Rev. F. W. Bokeham (Editor of the New Zealand Baptist)

fHE Baptist demonination is preparing to celebrate its Jubilee. The history of the church in JN'ew Zealand dates from two events which, by one of those extraordinary coincidences that makes fact a stranger thing than fiction, transpired in the same town on the same day. On the third of May, 1851, Mr. — afterwards Sir— Dillon Bell presided over a meeting in the town of Nelson to select a site for the first Baptist Church in the colony. The meeting was held in the morning, no decision was reached, and it was adjourned until the evening. At mid-day, however, a vessel arrived with passengers from England, and among these was the Rev. Decimus Dolamore, the first Baptist minister to set foot on New Zealand shores. The happy and undesigned coincidence lent almost an air of romance to the adjourned meeting at night. A site was chosen, and all aiTangements completed for starting work at once. And so it comes to pass that, by a double and undoubted claim, May the third, 1851, has come to be regarded as the birthday of the denomination in this colony, and nobody will wonder if they attempt to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of that auspicious date with the jubilations it deserves. The Baptists are happy in having still in their ranks their pioneer minister, the Rev. D. Dolamore, who, though bearing the weight of long years and honourable toil, is still a man of considerable vigour. In the early days he took an important part, in the establishment of those liberal principles of government in which all the churches now delight.

11l the passage of years other churches were started in the four centres, and other promising districts. The painful isolation

of the separate causes made itself increasingly felt as time passed by, until, in 1882, nearly all the Baptist ministers of the colony met in Wellington, and established the New Zealand Baptist Union. This important step naturally opened up a multiplicity of opportunities to the denomination, and, by enabling the strong city churches to aid the weaker causes in less populous neighbourhoods, it provided a

field for their own superfluous energies, and rapidly built up a number of vigorous causes in the smaller towns. Since the tutorial, secretarial and editorial work of the Union is all performed by honorary officers, it has often been claimed for the organization that it can accomplish more work at a smaller proportion of expense than almost any other institution in the world.

Perhaps the most strikingly successful

venture in the history of the Union was the inauguration, in Idßs, of the Missionary Society. This effort has so developed in

the coui'se of its life of sixteen years, that it now has two stations in India, at each of which a masonry house has been erected. Six European agents are engaged upon the field, a Mission boat has been purchased, and a hospital is now in course of erection at a cost of nearly £1,200, all of which has been subscribed.

As is most fitting, the Jubilee celebrations are to be held at Nelson, where the Conference will this year hold its meetings. Dignity will be lent to the occasion by the visits during the year of two of the most distinguished ministers of the Old Country. The Rev. Charles Williams, of Accrington, England, is in some respects the most conspicuous figure in the Free Churches of Great Britain. In this year of honour, when the great Twentieth Century Fund is to be consummated, he was offered and declined the Presidency of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, a position which

then fell to the lot of Dr. Clifford. Mr. Williams ia expected in the colony in July. The other august visitor, who comes more distinctly at the invitation of the New Zealand Union, ia the Rev. J. G. Greenhough, M.A., of Leicester, and if that be possible, Mr Greenhough's name is even more generally familiar than is that of Mr. Williams', for the simple and sufficient reason that he has travelled more, and Imh thus given a greater portion of the world an opportunity of hearing him. Some years ago Mr. Greenhough visited Jamaica as a delegate from the Baptists of Britain. He has also delighted huge audiences through America and India, and a visit from him has been sought in vain by his co-religionists in Canada and Australia. Four years ago he was called to the Chair of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and attracted world-wido attention by the brilliance of his Presidential utterances. The National Council of the Free Churches of Great Britain, in which all the Nonconformist bodies arc federated, have elected Mr. Greenhough their President for 1901, and the " blushing

honours " of thnt august position will be "thick upon him " when he visits the Jubilee Conference at Nelson.