FOXTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3573, 9 December 1926, Page 2

FOXTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Time was when Foxton was the centre of the Presbyterian Church activities, which extended as far north as Wanganui and south to Pnekakariki.- The late Rev. James Duncan was the first missionary and Christian minister to settle here. He purchased from the Maori chief, Ihakaira, (lie site in Main St. whereon stands I'oxton’s first church building. To cover his far-flung parish this grand old man—beloved of \pakeba and Maori —had to encounter and surmount difficulties and dangers unbelievable in these days .of roads, bridges and comfortable accommodation houses. As settlement increased, charges were constituted and ministers appointed. About twnty years ago the Foxton parish extended to Carnarvon, Glen Oroua, Tiakitahuna, Rangiotu, and Foxton, and was in charge of the Rev. G. K. Aitken. A few years later Carnarvon was attached to Bulls. During the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Halliday, Tiakitahuna was attached to St. Andrew’s, Palmerston N. A few years later, during the ministry of the Rev. Frank McDonald, the other outstations were formed into a home mission charge and Foxton was left as a separate charge. Upon the removal of the last named minister a few months ago, the Foxton church has been without R minister and at Tuesday’s meeting of the Wanganui Presbytery the Rev. G. T. Brown gave an interim report concerning the charge of Foxton. He spoke of the difficulty of securing a minister from the supply and appointments committee and moved that Foxton be granted permission to appoint a Home Missionary in the meantime. This permission was granted, and Mr Brown mentioned that they already had an excellent man in mind and lie felt that before long the problem would be solved.