Ordination Service.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume I, Issue 1, 1 July 1910, Page 14

Ordination Service.

The Bishop conducted his first ordination service on Trinity Sunday, May 22nd., when, m the Cathedral Church of St. John at Napier. Mr Herbert Collier and Mr E. • George Coates were given Deacon's orders, and the Eev. H. Harold Eobjohns, B.Sc. (London), was raised from the Diaeonate to the Priesthood. It is, probably, only m a Colonial Diocese, that candidates of such very varied experience could be assembled at one ordination. Mr Coates started life as a schoolmaster, passing, after four years' training as a pupil teacher, to the

Normal College, Christchurch. In 1901 he was accepted for missionary work by the Bishop of Melanesia and m 1 902 proceeded to Norfolk Island, where for some time he helped m the school for native boys. For a year he worked with the Rev. J. M. Steward, on G-uadaleanar, one of the largest of the Solomon Islands, but, owing to severe attacks of malaria, had to be invalided home to New Zealand. After a short term as a teacher under the North Canterbury Education Board he was appointed Organising Secretary and Lecturer for the Melanesian Mission, and for four and a half years travelled through both islands, arousing and stimulating interest m the Mission, both by his intimate knowledge of the work, as well as by the clear and forcible manner m which, he addressed his audiences. He has lately been acting as Lay Assistant m the Parish of St. Michael's, Ohristchurch, where, amidst other work, he has thrown himself keenly into that of the Church of England Men's Society. The knowledge thus acquired will be of great value m his post as Provisional Diocesan Secretary to the Society, to which position he has been appointed by the Bishop. Mr Collier has had many years' experience as Lay Assistant, first m the Inglewood parish m Taranaki and next m the Opotiki parish, where he was more or less responsible for the work carried on m and around Whakatane. After some time spent m the Tauranga parish, he has been, for the last three years, acting as Lay Curate m the large parish, of Waipawa. Mr Rob Johns was for many years engaged m educational work at home ; first as science and language master m various schools m England and Wales and then as Organising Secretary and Director of Modern Education under the Gloucestershire County Council. For a year before leaving England, he was Chief of Staff m the Higher Education Department of the Central Office of the Kent Education Committee. For a few months, he was, as Director of the Napier Technical School, engaged m equipping the new building and organising the work of the new school. After his resignation of this post, he acted for some months as Lay Curate m the Parish of St. Matthew's, Auckland. Sinco February of last year, he has been Curate m the parish, of Havelock North, being more or less responsible for the work carried on m Olive. The candidates spent most of the week preceding the ordination m Napier, Mr and Mrs Collier being the

guests of Archdeacon and Mrs Ruddock, while Mr Coates and Mr Robjohns enjoyed the hospitality of the Bishop and Mrs Averill. This week will, doubtless, long be remembered by the candidates, not so much for the Bishop's examination, nor for the quiet Evensongs and helpful addresses from Archdeacon Ruddock, but as a time when they were brought into intimate and personal contact with their Bishop. By example, by precept, he made them realise that the success of one's ministry depends on one's closeness of contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, insomuch as one is a channel through which the Holy Spirit can manifest His Divine Power, is one a power oneself. The fact that the Memorial Services for King Edward came on the day which had been set apart as a "quiet day " for the candidates, served to accentuate the solemnity, of the week of preparation. At the early celebration on Saturday morning, the Bishop gave what may be termed his "charge" to the candidates, basing his remarks on the text " Looking unto Jesus." The Ministry, he said, must be not only a profession, but a reflection : only so far as men see m us a reflection, faint it may be, but clear, of our Lord and Master, will they be drawn to Him. The Ordination Service was preceded by an early celebration at 8, and by Morning Prayer, taken by Canon Mayne, who, as Bishop's Chaplain, attended the Bishop, and preached the Ordination sermon, from the text " How lovely are the messengers, that bring us the gospel of peace." He took us back to the days of Hezekiah, King of Judah, when Jerusalem was invested by the army of Sennacherib. When all seemed hopeless, the angel of the Lord went out into the camp of the Assyrians and slew them. In the morning came some to the camp, and discovering that the Lord had won deliverance for Jerusalem, hurried over the mountains to bear the glad tidings of peace to what appeared to be a doomed city. In the same way, the Ministers of Christ bring good news of peace to what seems to be a doomed world. After the sermon, the candidates were presented to the Bishop by the Archdeacon of Hawke's Bay, the candidates for deacon's orders first, and the one for priest's orders afterwards. The Bishop commended the candidates to the prayers of the congregation, and the Litany was sung by the Archdeacon, the Bishop, kneeling at his chair m front of the altar, taking

the suffrage beseeching God's blessing on those about to be ordained. After the anthem, " How Lovely are the • Messengers," the Bishop commenced the Communion Service, which continued till the Epistle, after which the Bishop impressively admitted the two candidates to Deacon's orders and the Archdeacon invested them for the first time with the stole, worn over the left shoulder. The Gospel was read by one of the newly-ordained deacons, the Rev. H. Collier, and the Bishop then proceeded with the ordination to the Priesthood. After the usual questions had been put and answered, the " Veni Creator " was sung, being preceded by a period of silent intercession for God's blesssng on the candidate. Those assisting could not fail to feel that their prayers were answered and that God the Holy Spirit was indeed present to bless and sanctify. The Bishop had, m the imposition of hands, the assistance of the Archdeacon and Canon Mayne : as the solemn words were spoken, giving authority to bind, and to loose, to preach and to minister the sacraments, one thought of the Apostles laying their hands on men, and of the evident gift, m consequence, of the Holy Spirit, and doubted not that, m this case, also, the one who knelt was sealed and consecrated to his holy office by God the Holy Ghost Himself. Many remained to communicate with the newly ordained and so, with the Bishop's blessing, the impressive service came to a close.