WELLINGTON CENTRAL MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 4

WELLINGTON CENTRAL MISSION.

'■- Sir,—To .'save, numerous personal inquiries :aß;.to,^ho:Eopition:of.>:,the.above in reference amalgamation • I with the Methodist .Church, J; should-be pleased if'you :w°Wfc'p,bJish- th'£ffo.]l6wing/facts,' as .'they lW' who 'hare in ithovpast; so generously v, supported : us as 'an .urfse'cTaftan mission;"- Some ■ seven years ' ago ■ :a mutiiber<6f J'Onng nieh, assisted -by tome pldcrvahd..wiser-':'headssj('deemcd it advisable,, led tovconinienco/a"mission,'which f.iyaa-itb.sbewstriotlyAa^on-seotarian;' r-j'AftOr' property was.secured •iris Herbert. Street,.and the:mission''-which' is ,to';day -,known .as the /Wellington.'Central. ;Mlssion.,coihinenced'::.wlth :o; membership -of /about- thirty;/.'. .Buring;':the "■ last' seven-, years ':t!Vp.:membership;-has>:lricreased to'about 110, 'includingi,a ft gogd.ib:audy whichUi'nis stuck -to-' 'S#.Wyn ;Jk, nja'uhiy.lpliich is highly. r able.,^4js^cmber l s ( and, in such a: way as- 1 itjWould^alinosu:;be ; .saf(jVto say-that no otjher ban;fl,._eitlier;.religious'or otherwise, has' ever j do'he;./;.To my"'knowledge',' and entirely': bocauso;'of /the•;'great'"advantage of .securing a band-'made "to /order, vtho/Methodist body havo made at least two previous attempts to' swallow 1 up : the only thou non-sectarian missipn.in the city. Hitherto they, have utterly failed,' and,at/,the-last timo : of, asking so utterly, were-: the "members but of sympathy with'vtho..proposed amalgamation,that it was dccide'd""tbat in "the event of dissensions a'rip-' jng thb property.should, bo.'sold, the proceeds* to be/given to cither tho Wellington Hospital ■yof-z-soitKr-othercharitable- institution,: This decision has never'been ,rcsoindod, ''find, that, the ;'■ Wesleyan body,, having decided'to-open another 'mission in Wellington, are . after bur band and .property, again.. Therdrjs'ho'dbiibt that there is room, for, another mission, but the organisation- 'named ;js,'.both./wealthy and "powerful* enough ( tb 'purchasei property■:. arid secure' a band;witl)fiut tryine,4o take that which bolongs** rightly : spuakfng, to ./the"; people of Wellington, and interfering with the rights ' of, tho members of. the mission, who are

not anxious for the change. I am quite prepared to admit that tho rosy painting of the amalgamation picture will alienate some of the votes in its favour, -Dirt for tho credit-of tho mission and its■ members who, do not ,wish to bo-continually changingover fromone organisation -to another ■and:-upset-'by sucJi proposals, wq trust that tho.Wesleyan, ■body .will cither ;;havb the courtesy-to recognise, the fact that- a .goodly number, of the ■ mission do not "wish for amalgamation, and withdraw, or else.that the members.-of. the mission, who:.were so ■confident; at the "commencement'about.:their -right leading in-or-ganising, the.'mission'will-remember the fact that God has, not .changed, and expects us all tobe justas staunoh and true-to Him-, self, the mi6sien; and the people as- on the opening day. . I must apologise for taking Up so much of your space, but I have-always felt that the mission belonged to-the .'people, so the people ought to know arid-determine, that at{least there shall be one non-sectarian' inission. in, Wellington.—l am,.ctc.','Y:{.

■ :„v •--■: F: .TV-.' DREDGE; ■ ; ■'■■«■■ Late Secretary /Central 'Mission. January 29.'