DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

Evening Star, Issue 21742, 9 June 1934, Page 5

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY All advertisement directs attention to an ecclesiastical: celebration that is likely to enlist much public interest—namelv, the eightieth anniversary of the constitution of the Presbytery of Dunedin, or, the “Presbytery; of Otago,” as it was appropriately entitled in its first years. This was the first Presbytery in New Zealand, and the date of its first meeting was July 27, 1854. The members of the local Presbytery, feeling that the eightieth milestone is a suitable time for a commemoration, have arranged an adequate celebration that will take place on the day of their next meeting (July 3). From the foundation of the settlement in 1848 the Rev. Thomas Burns was the sole minister of the Presbyterian order. Technically his parish was from the Waitaki to the Bluff,, but his actual Work lay in Dunedin, Taieri, and even further south, with, port Chalmers in the north. A few. months after his arrival a session was.elected, and thus the-first stone of tlie building of their beloved Presbyterian polity was laid. The second step was consequent oh the arrival arid settle-., ment of the .-Rev. ,Wm. Will (Taieri)/ and the Rey. Wm. Bannerman (Clutha) ,in February, 1854. East Taieri and Clutha have recently commemorated the settlement of their pioneer ministers four score years ago. In many respects “the old order changeth, yielding place to the hew,” but the essentials remain, and the present members of the Presbytery of Dunedin feel -that they owe a debt of respect to those who in their fruitful and earnest labours laid the foundation of their church in this province. After the settlement of Messrs Will and Bannerman the formation of aPresbytery was mentioned, and by mutual agreement the three ministers and three representative eiders duly, commissioned met in the old church down by the beach,* and in the name of the great King and Head of the Church constituted themselves the “ Presbytery ■ of Otago,” Until that date the congregation of Dunedin had been reckoned as under the jurisdiction of the Free Presbytery of Edinburgh, but now it became an autonomous ecclesiastical entity. The Rev. Thomas Burns, as was-fit-ting, was elected.(first Moderator, and 'Mr, John M’Glashan was, ipade clerk. Captain William i Cargill, represented Dunedin, and Mr John Allan,. patriarch of, the Taieri Allans, was the delegate from Mr Will’s charge. A number of other office-bearers were present by invitation to give help and advice; loyal addresses to the Queen and to the Governor were duly passed, and fraternal messages were sent to Presbyterian communities in Wellington and Auckland. ft was thus a red letter - : day in the history of Presbyterianism not only, of Otago, but of New .Zealand* * i

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