TINWALD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1738, 12 January 1888, Page 2

TINWALD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A very successful gathering took plaoe m Tinwald Hall on Tuesday evening m oonneotion with the opening of the new Preabyterlan Ohuroh. There was abundance of provisions and the tabios were crowded several times over. An Improvement on previous praotioe was effjoted m the shape of a young people's table, whloh worked splendidly. The tables were presided over by Mexdiunea Qalrnorow, Reid, Graham, Kerdy, Bake, Rutherford, and Anhur, assisted by Misses Oalrnoroas (3), Blake, Oliver, Houston (2;, Mrs Gndsell, an y d Mitten Morfarty (2) The pnbllo meeting wan to have^jbeen held m the Ohuroh but owldr to the very large number present the idea was abandoned and it was held m the Sail, when about two hundred were present altogether, many additional seata balng provided The Rev A Blake took the ohair, and there were on the platform also Revs R. F. Garbett. D. Motfiooll, J. Hill* A. M. Beattle, R* Stewart and W, FlnUyaonThe chairman stated that a chnrch buildipg had become a neoeaslty for various reasons, and they would want to know hew maoh haft been raised. It was £175 of whloh £55 iOfh'ta? been ipeht on aeotion, fencing fend rent of,hajl. As to how it had been raised : through tho efforts of the |frienda m Tinwald,. £67 had been obtained by sales, by lectures £12, by snbsoriptlona £73 Not a penny bad been got by raffling or lottery. He desired to thank those who had assistad m these efforts, and stated that after the prooeeda of that night there would be ■till £60 to raise, after they bad got In outstanding; subscriptions; and had sold the remainder of the work. The design of tho ohuroh building was tasteful, and had been cxeouted under oareful supervision, by Mr Lnak, who was a Tinwald man, m a painstaking and ikllf al manner. The congregation he was ■are felt grateful to Mr Hill for the way m whloh he had oonduoted the opening services. They had also reason to be tbaakful for the fine weather with whloh they had been favored, The Rev Mr Garbett suggested the neoessity of dedicating their persom aa well as their building to God. He referred to tho propriety of the minister being lelleved of financial efforts, and congratulated Mr Blake on having seen ejected a second ohuroh building m the district m three years. Tha Rev Mr Hill wished to oonffratnlate Mr Blake on the work he bad nndortaken. The building waa far nearer , completion than many he h«vd known when opened. He hqd preaohed In it and considered It very editable for the purpose. It wa« a oredit to the arohlteet. Mr Blake had not said who the architect was, it wai his own son, and It was a oredit to him. In oonduoting the afternoon service he must say he had never mot with better | behaved children, and they answered his questions In a most satisfactory way. Mr Hill went on m an able speeoh relieved with humorous anecdotes to refer to tho Ohristian religion bb a power m the world He held that the ohuroh ought not to descend to the level of the world bat raise the world to the level of the ohuroh, The Revs Messrs MoNlooll, Beattle and Stewart, followed m congratulation, each giving excellent and appropriate addresses, as also Rev Mr Finlayson, from Sou hlaod, who was passing through to Ohrlstohuroh. It only remains to say that excellent music was provided by the choir, assisted by some of their friends from AhhburtQn. The pieces were appropriate, consisting to a Dedioaijiqn An thorn, the 24' h Psalm of St. Qeorgo'a BJdio; The Anthem " How beautiful upon the mountains," and several others. The meeting waa very orderly and most enj >yable, and one of the largest gatherings ever held In Tinwald broke up after the usual votes of thanks,