CHURCH'S FAREWELL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 44, 8 March 1937, Page 6

CHURCH'S FAREWELL

Rev. C. Mortimer Jones and Mr Harper TRIBUTES PAID * Parishioners of the Hastings Anglican. Cbureh met after the serviee on Sunday night to farewell the vicar, the Rev. G. Mortimer-Jones, and the Sunday school superintendent, Mr A. B. Harper. The vicar is leaving Hastings shortly on a visit to England, ' while Mr Harper, with his family, in- : tends to take up residenoe in the Old ( Country. ■ . * • ■ | Presentations were made to • both j Canon Mortimer- J ones and Mr Haiper, various speakers paying tribute to their exeellent work. Mrs Barton Hobbs, on hehalf of the ladies of the parisli, presented the vicar with a travellingj . rug and a wallet of notes, and Miss O'Kain, on behalf of the Sunday School, presented him wiL-h a deck-chair. .Mr Guy Rochfoct spoke on behalf of the parishioners, and wished the vicar a happy voyage and a safe return. He also paid tribute to the exoellent work of Mr Harper. Canon Mortimer-Jones replied suitably, and expressed his thanks for tho presentations and the good wishes extended. His trip had 'been made possibl©. only by the generosity of his friends. A very happy speech was made by Mr Barton Hobbs, when, on behalf of the parishioners. he presented Mr Harper with a travelling rug. Where, he asked, could he found another man who, with the snpport of his wife and family, ^gave so much time to teach and train the children the best way to avoid the dangers of life and to follow the highest? The vicar referred to Mr and Mrs Harper's wonderful work not only in the parish but throiighout the diocese. Mr Harper's Sunday school, through the mail-bag lessqris, extended i'rom Tauranga to Woodville and • Rotorua. His personal interest in over. a thousand children- would be very much missed. "We are losingi some very good friends," said the vicar. "We thank God for their example "and unselfish inspiration, and assure ' them that their work will not be forgotten or allowed to drop because of the* strong foundations on which it has heen built up by Mr Harper and those associated with him." . Mr Harper, - in, thanking the people for their gifts, said he had heen trying. to do some work for God.;He was thankful for God's blessing on it, and it could not have been done without xall the helpers who had been sharin'g this work. He hoped to return with Mrs Harper some day. to see them all again-

The Vloar's Sermon. During his sermon at the evening serviee. Canon Mortimer-Jones said that he regarded his coming visit to England more as, a "refresher" course than anything else. He hoped that on his return he would be strengffchened for his work. His sermon, wh^ch was based on the words, "Let thy priests he clothed with righteousness and thy saints sing with joyfulness," took the form of a very personal address in which he reviewed his past 10 years' ministry. He assured his hearers that he was not going Home to tour Europe, but mainly to see again his mother and other members of his family, and to get in touch with the church life at its centre in Lonjldn. He looked upon his visit as a refresher course for mind, body ' and spirit. The vicar said that he hoped to take up work in a parish for a short time and to receive the inspiration from such contact with church work in England. He would use the opportunity to visit the headquarters and attCnd meetings • and conferences of the various branches of the Chureh's work'in which he- was partieularly interested." The address was coneluded with the singing of the hyran, "0 Jesus, 1 have promised to serve Thee to the End." Mahora Farewell. There was a large attendance at St. James's, Mahora, in the afternoon to say "goodbye" to Mr and Mrs Harper and also t6 Miss Mitchell, who leave at the end of the month for England. The occasion was the giving of prizes to the Sunday. School children which had been postponed. At the beginning of the serviee a beautiful organ was dedicated by the vicar, the instrument having been bought and given by an anonymous donor. Mrs Harper and Miss Mitchell were presented with beautiful bouquets by the children, and Mrs Harper also received a gift from Mrs Boshier on behalf of the Mothers' Uiiion, as first president "of the Mahora branch- Mr Keith Wilson asked the viear to present to Mr Harper, on behalf of the children, teachers and parents of the school, an original etching of St. Matthew's Church. The vicar referred to their appreciation of all that Mr Harper had done and expressed his personal gratitude for the wonderful work by Mr Harper wliom he described as a good Christian gentleman who. gave his whole time to tlie serviee of God and His little ones