TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2765, 8 May 1916, Page 2

TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

SEVENTY-FOURTH 'ANNIVERSARY. . Special services were held in., the Terrace.. Congregational Church yesterday, •in colebration of the seventy-fourth anniversary.' .'. JThe morning servico was conducted by tho Rev. J. Reed Glasson, and the: evening service by. the Rev. W. A.,Evans, of Newtown. - Preaching in the merging, the Rev. J. Reed Glassqn took for his text John XV, 5: "I. am' the. .vine, ye ' are. tho branches." Ho referred to the. relationship of .the .disciplos'.to Jesus Christ as being organic and vital,' .and .pointed out' that the early churches were founded on that idea. That was to say. that.those in the early churches .were in vital and organic' relationship to. Christ'through a living faith. Tlie: preacher weiit on to show how tho Independents or Congregationalists had' tried ;to ; reproduce-' thb 'New Testament idea of the'Church.-The early churches emphasised tho relationship to Jesus Crist by faith; they were naturally, free and self-governing; they were de-: mocratic; they did not tolerate any external.. control; and they-were-cspecK ally averse to "anything in the nature of control--by the State.- The question arose;- How were modern Congregationalista to make good their profession? ..Here the preacher emphasised the necessity of- making membership of the church a real thing., Congregation-alists-were very High Cliurchmen, tho highest of the high, and, if they-wero to meet the needs of the time a new consciousness of tho church 'was.; wanted, It was.only if they_; a»s individual members, realised, this, ideal that the church could fulfil its mission.