CONSECRATION OF TRINITY CHURCH.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 333, 17 November 1875, Page 3

CONSECRATION OF TRINITY CHURCH.

The new Church of England building Trinity Church was consecrated on Sunday in the presence of a large congregation by the Eight Reverend the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, assisted by the minister of the parish (the Eev Charles Jordan), the Roy Robert Burrows, who officiated as the Bishop's chaplain, the Rev George Maimsell, the Rev W. E. Mulgan, the Rev S. Spencer, and the Rev Ihaia. Owing to severe indisposition, the Venerable Archdeacon Brown was unable to take part in the proceedings. His Lordship arrived at the Church at 11 o'clock, and was met at the door by the Churchwardens and Vestrymen and several of the principal inhabitants. The impressive ceremony of the consecration was then proceeded with: his Lordship reading the service peculiar to the occasion, and the Rev Charles Jordan reading the service for the day. The first lesson was read by the Rev Robert Burrows, and the second by the Rev W. E. Mulgan, and at the time appointed Captain Tovey, the minister's churchwarden, announced from the altar steps that the consecration of Trinity Church was accomplished. The anthem chosen for the occasion was "Lord of all power and might," and Jackson's "To Peum," was also sung by the choir * during the service. His Lordship preached an eloquent sermon from tho text taken from 1 "Kings viiL, 29-30. " That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel when they shall pray toward this place; and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest forgive." In the course of which he made feeling allusion to the early days of the settlement of New Zealand and to the desire evinced by the settlers as they advanced in civilisation to erect Churches in their adopted country such as they remembered in every village and hamlet in the old home they had left behind.*/' His Lordship applauded tho spirit which had led the residents in Tauranga to erect the edifice which he had that day consecrated, but advised that every effort should be made to free the Church from debt, an effort which he felt sure would be successful if it was undertaken in an earnest spirit. His Lordship referred to a case that had lately come under his notice in another part of the Diocese, where a new Church had also been built, and where it was also necessary in the first instance to incur a debt for its erection. To clear off this debt, however, many of the members of tho Church had given sums of from £25 to £SO payable by instalments during a form of years, and his Lordship recommended tho adoption of this plan by the members of Trinity Church, and also informed the congregation that he had a sum of money at his disposal, which he would give to the Church as soon as the debt at present owing was diminished sufficiently to allow him to do so. In response to an earnest appeal from his Lordship a large collection was made after the sermon, though wo believe it would have been much larger had notice been given on the Sunday previous that a special collection would be made./ At the end of the service the Holy Communion was administered to about thirty persons by the Bishop, assisted by the officiating ministers.