THE, REV- R. S. GRAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 5

THE, REV- R. S. GRAY.

CALL FEOM CHIiISTCHURCH TO DUNEDIN. £Bt TcleEranh.-'Sneclal Corresrondent.l ti -p t, c , h, * ist <*urch, August 15. Iho Rev. E. s. Gray, pastor of the Oxford Icrrace Baptist Church here, has received an urgent call to the Hanover Street Church, in Dunedin. At a meeting of members of the former church last night Mr. Gray said that he came here ten years ago from Nelson. He did to from a sense of duty, and if it were his duty to go to Dunedin ho would go. At one time, preaching again and again to tho same people, he had dreaded the arrival of Sunday. He would get new texts, and find himself drifting into the same subject again and again. He was not like that now, but how long he could keep on he did not know. Suppose in three or four years he began to feel very sorely the strain of preaching to them, or they felt, the strain of listening to him, the congregation would go down, and ho would have to get out and leave New Zealand. On the other hand, tho financial position with regard to tho Hanover Street Church did not appear to be so favourable as with that of the Oxford Terrace Church, and he would have much harder work to do. If ho had to stay here he would be only too glad to stay. If he had to go he would go with tlie gladness of ono who had sacrificed his own pleasure to duty.

Messrs. Stewart and Adams, from Dunedin, addressed the meeting, pointing out the reasons why Mr. Gray should take charge of the , Hanover Street Church. They were succeeded by several members of the Oxford Terrace Church, who earnestly requested Mr. Gray to stop in Christchurch, and finally a motion was unanimously carried placing on record tho appreciation by the deacons, members, and congregation of the church of Mr. Gray's successful ministry among them for the past ten years, hoping that he might be induced to stay among them, and assuring him of their heartfelt co-operation and support.

Mr. Gray said he would give what they had said his very utmost and careful consideration. Ho was really afraid, though, that ho would have to leave them.