CHURCH IN THE KING COUNTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 461, 1 May 1912, Page 5

CHURCH IN THE KING COUNTRY.

PROGRESS OF CHURCH OF ENGLAND. The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Auckland (Dr Crossley), speaking at a meeting of Church people in Te Ivuiti last Saturday night, spoke of the progress made by the Church, and heartily congratulated the people on the success of their efforts. The work has been going on so quietly that those on the spot have hardly noticed it, and it is well to go back three or four years to realise the progress he spoke of. Four years ago when the Rev. S. ! Spencer left he had had charge of a huge district, and held services from I Otorohanga to Taumarunui and KaJ kahi, through the Ohura Valley, and | towards the coast as far as Maboenui. 1 Reading the lists of services held by him there is no wonder that his health broke down under the strain of the work, and never recovering,, he died two years later. Afterwards Taumarunui was separated, and made another Home Mission district. At that time there was only one little church in th district, that at Te Kuiti. Owing to the shortage of clergv it was seven months after Mr Spencer left before the Rev. G. Morse came to Te Kuiti, and later still before the Rev. H. 0. Townsend Hanby could be appointed to Taumarunui. Since then new churches have been built in Taumarunui. and Kakabi, and the Ohura is soon to be made into a separate Home Mission district under another Missioner. Soon after the Rev. G. Morse came efforts were made in Otorohanga to raise money which resulted in the building of a church, which was opened on April 4th, 1909. In April,l9ol, the Rev. G. Morse left, and the Rev. E. S. Wayne came to Te Kuiti. In December of the same year the district was constituted a parochial district, and became responsible for its own finance, and the progress since then has been very marked. On Easter Day, 1911, the addition to the church in Te Kuiti was opened. In May the Rev. W. Piggot came to Otorohanga. The Rev. H. Heke was sent as Maori curate in January, 1912, and the same month Mr Wallace came te work as lay curate in Pio Pio and" surrounding districts. At Hangatiki a site for church has been kindly given by Mr Board. The voluntary offerings of thp people from April, 1910 to 1911 were £24 more than double the previous year. They have doubled again and £34 over. During the same time a considerable amount has bpen raised also by special efforts for church building, or reduction of debt. Thus, largely owing to the work of the Ladies' Guild at Otorohanga, the debt on the church there has been reduced to £25. and he same in Te Kuiti, where £IOO has been raised by the Ladies' Guild towards the enlargement of the church. But in spite of all money raised there is grave difficulty in meeting the expenses caused by the rapid extension of the work.