MEMORIAL CHURCH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4759, 3 October 1924, Page 2

MEMORIAL CHURCH.

——• BUILDING AT WAITAKARURU. OPENING AND DEDICATION. The official opening of the Waitakaruru Memorial Church was performed on Thursday afternoon by His Worship the Mayor of Paeroa (Mr W. Marshall) before a large gathering from aid parts of the Hauaki Plains. The church, convenitemtly situated on the Pipiroa road, is of simple, chaste design, and will seat about one hundred persons. It was erected with funds advanced by the Methodist Church as a memorial to the men from the district who gave their lives in the Great War, and will be utilised for the worship of God by all the Protestant denominations. In a stirring address from the steps of the building Mr Marshall congratulated thte. district on the noble efforts and considerable sacrifices made to achieve the erection of such a fine building. Its presence would tend to hold the people steadfast to all that was best, for the priceless things in life were found in the Christian religion. He congratulated the people on having their church built under the auspices of the Methodists, for though that denomination did seek’.to advance itself, its first consideration was the advancement of Christianity. A multiplicity of church buildings was not necessary, and he wished to congratulate the district on the arrangement made whereby all approved denominations could use the building They were ail working to a common end, and he hoped that in Waitakaruru they would continue to work harmoniously together. He could not over-estimate the value of bringing Christian ideals ever before the people—especially the young people—and he hoped that th>e efforts of the district would be reflected in the character of the young people, so that they would grow up to take a worthy part in life and to be worthy of the glorious British Empire. There was no more fitting memorial to the men who had given their lives m the Great War, for in the realm of the greatest act was that of giving.. What, then, was more fitting than to erect an Altar of Remembrance, for before it the people met, not as strangens, but as one mourning a common loss. The Church represented the highest ideals in the human race, and he hoped that these ideals would be realised. The door of the church was then opened by Mrs Marshall, and to the Glory of God and the evenlasting meinoiy of those who had fallen the church was declared open for public worship. The service of dedication began with the hymn “Pleasant are Thy Courts Above,” after which a prayer was offered by the Rev. D. C. Stewart, of Turua. As a lesson the Rev. J. M. Beaufort read part of the eightn chapter of the First Book of Kings. Tlmn was sung the hymn "We Love the Place, O God, wherein Thine Honour Dwells.” The Rev. -A. Ashcroft, of Thames, president of the Methodist Confer,--enee, then handed over the touildirftjjl to the care of the Revs. A. E. Jefferson and E. H. Brooker, charging them to be faithful, to expound the Holy Word, to administer the Sacraments, and to remember that they were the representatives of Christ and to conduct themselves accordingly. A short prayer followed, in which the Rev. Ashcroft said that it had been put into the hearts of the people to erect a House of Prayer. , They asked that Almighty God accept it, bless it. and consecrate it. The sacred solo “Nearer My God to Thee” was sung by Miss Brpoke, of Auckland, after which a short address was delivered by the Rev. Ashcroft. He said that there was glad-, ness in all hearts because they had come to the opening of a Church of God which would be used by the people of all denominations that had sympathy one with another, and the representatives of which w'e,re present. All denominations worked for one glorious end, and they all loved their Church. He believed the day would come, when all denominations, would work together, and they would then prove to those outside that the work was on the right lines. He concluded by urging the people to set % high ideal, and to keep God’s house as a house of God. The ministers would do their best to keep their charge. Mrs Kersey, of Matamata, then sang “The Lost Chord,” after which the vicar of Paeroa, the Rev. F. B. Dobson, uttered a short prayer and announced the hymn “Christ is the Foundation of the House We Raise.” Tho Rev. Ashcroft pronounced the Benediction, bringing to a close a most impressive service, and one that will live in the minds of those who were privileged to be present.