UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH ST. ASAPH STREET.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 963, 27 July 1877, Page 3

UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH ST. ASAPH STREET.

LATINO THE FOUNDATION-STONE. The ceremony of laying the foundationstone of the new St. Asaph street Church by the Rev S. Macfarlane, took place yesterday. The building (the foundations of which are already in) will be erected on the site of the old church, which has been successfully removed to the rear of the section, and will be now used for Sunday school purposes. A short description of the new church may not be uninteresting. The style of architecture is Modern Gothic, with transept and tower. The length of the nave will be 77ft. 9in.; width of main building, 30ft., and width of transept, 48ft. The full length of the building will be 90ft.; height of stud, 20ft. ; of gable roof, 20ft.; of the tower, 60ft. A very strong gallery will fill the north end, and provision is also being made for the erection of galleries at the southern end, and in the transepts, as they may be required. In the front a large ornamental rose window, with two Gothic windows under, will, besides adding to the appearance, give ample light at that end, while there will be, in addition to a large gallery window, six smaller ones at the sides, uniform with the whole architure of the building. For the evening services the church will be lighted from a large centre in the ceiling and burners at the sides. There will bo two front and two side entrances, those from the front leading through the porch and through the base of the tower. The foundations are of rubble from Halswell quarries. The framing of the building will be of black pine, and the joiners’ work and roof of kauri. The cost, when completed, will be about £2400, and the church is estimated to seat 600 persons. It may also be mentioned that alongside the now commodious and well fitted Sunday schoolroom, a new infant class room 25ft. x 16ft., and containing a gallery, is being finished, attached to which is a compartment fitted with a 40 gallon boiler and other requirements for tea meeting purposes, but which may also be used to heat the adjoining room. The contract for this addition was £137, the whole, however, rendering the Sunday School department of the church very complete. A platform had been erected for the convenience of the day’s proceedings. A line of flags of all nations was fixed to a crane over the platform, and extended to the opposite side of the street. With these, the number of persons present (the majority ladies), and the fine afternoon, contributed to the very pleasing appearance of the scene during the ceremony of laying the stone. There was a large attendance, including several ministers of other denominations, and at three o’clock, the appointed hour, the proceedings were opened by the singing of the hymn “ Oh, where is He that trod the sea,” given out by the Rev. T. R. Fisher (Free Church), after which the Rev. W. J. llabens (Congregational) read a portion of Scripture, commencing with Psalm cxxvii., the Rev. T. Hodgson following with prayer. The Rev. T. R. Fisher, presenting the Rev, S. Macfarlane with a very handsome silver trowel, said it gave him sincere pleasure to present the rev. gentleman with the trowel, not only in order that he might be able to perform the duties of that day, but because he trusted it would also be accepted by Mr Macfarlane as a slight memento of the regard in which he held him, and of that day’s ceremony. He had also the honor, on behalf of a friend, to present Mr Macfarlane with a mallet in recollection of the day’s proceedings. The stone was then lowered into position, and, after the usual tests, was declared by the Rev Mr Macfarlane to be well and truly laid, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Mr Macfarlane then said a copy of the following document had been placed in the bottle which they had observed in the cavity of the lower stone :

The Church, the foundation stone of which we lay this day, is designed to supersede the building which formerly occupied this site, but which has been removed to the rear of the present section, there, with some additions and improvements, to serve the purposes of an increasing Sunday School. The architect of the new Church is Mr W. B. Armson; the contractor, Mr James Glanville. The Superintendent of the Circuit is the Rev. Samuel Macfarlane ; his colleagues, the Rev. H. R. Wilkinson and Thos. Hodgson, and they are assisted in the supply of the pulpit by a staff of lay preachers. The chairman of the trustees and of the building committee is the Rev. S. Macfarlane ; the secretary of the trustees, Mr John Aulsebrook ; of the building committee, Mr John Caygill; the treasurer is Mr Edwin Oatway. The president of the Sunday school is the Rev. S. Macfarlane ; superintendent, Mr Wm. Tremayne ; treasurer, Mr C. Bush ; secretary, Mr T. T. Robson. The denomination with which this church is identified—the United Methodist Free Churches —is a branch of the great Methodist family. The latest statistics of this denomination are as follows ;—350 ministers, 25 supernumeraries, 3435 lay preachers, 4311 leaders, 71,317 church members, 8937 on trial, 131 b churches, 232 preaching rooms, 1277 Sunday schools, 170,502 Sunday scholars, 20,003 Sunday schoolteachers. In New Zealand we have at the present time 12 ministers, 1 supernumerary, 23 lay preachers, 29 leaders, 504 church members, 73 on trial, 17 churches, 21 preaching rooms, 18 Sunday schools, 1720 Sunday scholars, 202 Sunday school teachers. We lay the foundation stone of Unbuilding in humble dependence upon Almighty God, for whose worship it is to be erected, earnestly praying that it may he the birthplace of many souls. Enclosed in the bottle, besides what had just been read, were the names of the trustees uad of fcho building committee, copies of the

“New Zealand Free Methodist,” of the “Lyttelton Times,” and “The PRESS,” the circuit preacher’s plan, the rules of the Christchurch circuit, and the programme of the proceedings in connection with that ceremony. There was not a coin of any description in the bottle, and if any one wished to know why, the answer —all sufficient in their estimation—was, that coins of the realm were not made to be buried, but to be circulated ; that they were far more useful above than in the ground, and that unless they had much more money than they were likely to have, they should be acting foolishly in wrapping in a napkin and burying in the earth what they might put out to good interest in the erection of that building. [Applause.] A collection was made, the proceeds amounting to nearly £2O. After the hymn, “This stone to Thee in faith we lay,” recited by the Rev. Mr Morley (Wesleyan), the Rev. Mr Macfarlane delivered an address on “ The Polity and Principles of the United Methodist Free Churches.” After a hymn and prayer, the Rev. H. R. Wilkinson pronounced the benediction, and the assemblage dispersed. A tea meeting, provided by the ladies of the congregation, was held at 6 p.m. in the schoolroom. About 400 persons partook of the ladies’ bounty, the tables having to be relaid several times. A largely attended public meeting was held afterwards, the Rev. T. R. Fisher in the chair. Among the speakers during the evening w r ere the Revs. Fraser (Presbyterian), G-underson (Baptist), Harris (Primitive Methodist), and Morley (Wesleyan). Mr Cay gill, secretary, read a statement showing very satisfactory progress to have been made during the preceding term. After votes of thanks the meeting closed with prayer.