ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 68, 13 December 1919, Page 7

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

PRESENTATION TO DR. GIBB A largely attended moeting cf members and ndherente of St. John's Church 'was held on. Thursday evening to say, farewell to Dr. and Mfs. Gibb, who are leaving, for Scotland by the Arawa at the end of > this .month. Dr. 3ibb is going Homo at the request of tho General Assem'bly fo secure, if possibk , , id workers—2o ministers and 20 homo missionar.es—to supply the local need. ' The Hon. 3. U, W. Aitken aceupied ihe chair. .Ifa said he wished them to realisu tho importance of the task the assembly had asked their minister lo pc-r----form. It would not be easy work, lint Dr: Gibb would not mind thai. Tho li' Ore work laid on him the more h" s,eemcd to like it and thrive under it. They all knew how he toilad at his (ask in the congregation, and most ni them know that St. John's wiw only .i uurt of their minister's activitcw, but lew perhaps realised how many burdens hi! was carrying. Ho (the speaker) said deliberately.that the Home Mission Comn.ittce demanded of its convener work enough to fill the whole of :\ny ord'harj man's working day, but Dr. G.bb carried not only tho burden of his congregation and home missions, but as chairman. ( the Union Committee, and cf the boards, of Scots and Quesn Margaret Collegw and of the Orphanage added much to hi? nlready heavy task. Nor w.'is that all. AVhencver there was wpi-k io iie done iji connection with the Church Council, or nuy public maSler in which . the churches were represented, Dr. Gibb could be relied on to do it.

Jtr. Aitken road npblogips ■ from . Jlr. and Mrs. Corkill, Mr. J. Kivkt-aldic, anMr, A. R. .Stone. The Modarutor. ot the General Assembly, the ltev. J. A. Asher, who had .worshipped with them last Sunday, and so leirned of this function, had .tslcgraphe-d dosiring .io unite with the tri'/jnte of esteem and afiection accorded by the congregation to Dr. Gibb.

Mr. AV. Allan also bore wituefs to tlie tireless efficiency of Dr. 'Gibb. They hod feared many a time that he would break under the strain, but his powers of endurance and recuperation moved them all to wonder. Ho had been deputed to tell ]Jr. Gibb how deeply they held him in nlfeetion iinrl cslckh. He desired, on behalf of. a number of u-iends in the coiigregafon, to band Dr. Gibb a wallet filled with Lank r;oles, which irpukl help him on his' joiirneyiiigs. He was glad, as were they all, th.it Mrs. Clibb wn-, going with lier hus'uand. Jle was L-omniißsi«ned to Mrs. Gibb how much' they thought of her, and lo present her with a fravell.ng rug. ' .Mr. Uγ .Ifci.kir); said lliat i-hpy all knew the quality nf Dr. Gihb's.preaching, a lid how hfl|>J'ul nml upliltin;,' that was. But it was of his pastoral work he; wished to .-,-iy a word. Quito recently he <,l.lu' !--p«:kw; hud bt'Uii vis ting a fiMiiily ivli.-re I litre had b-en » innj and

ssriaus ill/i«:s. -i'oi- wesks ' n i-iul li-.-If.-ii-itr-d tiinl the miiiisier had visited liiojK.-iui: every day, anil i-unictimte when tiiu'illiiees Wiw at its i-iisis, oltoner than thill. Tliey. ivern deenly gmieful to Dr. G.l;b for jiis .j:as''to: , al initialiniions. .Mr. 11. A. Troiip endorsed all -lifit the previous had said. Xo nmii in 'liic -a'Sicmi>ly c.iiviwl :;n.vl!i:i:jt '.ike the veiglit Tcstiiig on .iJr. Oibb's sltniildci'j, ami" yet hii sernioiis wen- i.s ircsii and si iiui'iHius a, if the pulp t were his (■■nlv !;:<!;.

Tiie Head Prefect of Seols College, \n: Jl. I'.. l?iidke.s, presented ])r. Gibb with a casu of piiies ami Mw- Gibb ivjtli a liwiiilifu! lwiullns. The present, ho said, was made by the senior boys of l.lie college in token' of (heir appreciation or' Dr. Oilib's indefatisablu clfurts on bel..iU of their Alma Mater. He called cm the boys present' to Rive- three cheers fur Dr. aiid Mrs.' Clibb. aicn'.l which was very heartily responded 10. Dr. Ciibb, in replying, said that .iis cn.ot'oiis were .too keen fur effective spM'c-b makin?. E> thanked them all tijiii his'heart for Ihe kind lhiu;;s said I fiiiti the «iit.i presented that niglit. Ho f'.onl:'.'(i thorn for himself and his wife. It !:.id been painful to listen to the 100 i1..-.ileriiii; things they had hid of him, hit lis'wus .'one the less grateful. And be had to thank th»m not only for tli.if reeling, but for the kindness and en-<-;<;r;iti;m ..tljrbugli' all. the years which had made such work as he had done possible, .It ({really cheered him that ni»ht to Ihink that in Ihe sixteen. and a. half years of his conneetjon with 01. .Tolm's there had never teen a. breath of difference- or dispeace in the cougrcgiil,w., or b't'.vesn' him and any of his olfice-teai-erv. It was also a source of l-lwiiikiiihii'Ss that the congregnlion had prospered so during these years. They liiiiJ now, so' t!ie session clerk informed him. a memb;r3hip of 850 in full coin-: li'iiHiinii, -and 'last year their altruistic contributions. i\? shown in the sums iia.-sins ilirniigh the li.nnd-5 of Ihe i;ei)(•ral tiea-surer, had exceeded Ihosi «f tliii next l.ir»e.«t conlribiiting conifresav'oii by ,tTflO. It was true that £'M of 'I-!:; was i.-!in-r?ciii-rout. biif deducting rlitV t'.iey v.-eie ftill £M a_hend of any other t-oii!;rej.'t(i«ii in the Cliurrh. Jin • ini-iitiohwi thes;' things, not by way of vouhtbi,' tlieni?eh-es but ii« a fiord in;,' pj'cai , rei'.-on on his nan for thaukl'ul-r.?£.-i to Ood and to I Item. .Th a spiito he was sorry he n'ns going from them for a lime. llir.i.;«h doicWless Ihe v«ywould be l.'fiic'ricial In himself and ii:.? wife—and he was very grateful Hwl they l'-'ilised liirv much his wife had liiWint. to him and 'iis ivort—but he loved wifbhijj better limn work for them. ' TliH importance of the home inissinn ,s(-lr.'ine. liowi'ver, druumded that ho should face a task he had been largely T('spnii»ib!c for creating. He had himcd in every direction for men and nothiiiir could 1» done apparently but try to get men from Home He asked for llkvi , ' prayers for the succesH of his mission. They wero fortunate in having sw-urr'l the services of Hie Tiev. H. V>. liiinid.w, M.A.. .8.D.. as his locum t(-:i'!i«. He again l.h.nnsed them for all tli-'ir !K-.odiir=s lo him and his wife. During tlic ev?nin-r nil excellent proRi'iinimc' of :--nngs and niusic was rentlerel by a nuiMber nf ladies en! gentlemi'ii, and 'Hi-; beys of Scols' College eouti-i-' ,;,■•-.(] fvoral chor!ises.

' Thn Him. .1. (\. \\. Aitken Jwi-j been [ipiMinted Mqderntnr of St. John's Session niKl Congregation (luring l)r..Gil)b's abfeiice.