Anniversary Services

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXIII, Issue 6076, 13 July 1897, Page 2

Anniversary Services

The anniversary tea mooting in connection with the Cuba-street Wesleyan Church was held in the Church building last night, when there was a very large attendance. The too, tables were laden with innumerable delicacies, which were dono ample justice to by their patrons, whoso wants were carefully attended to by tho following ladiee: —Mesdames Malcolm, Wrigley and Codlin, Misses BrogiTcn, Brown and Lovelock. The Bible Class table was presided over by Miss Gillett and Mi: P. Neilson. By eight o'clock the room was cleared, when tho public meeting usually held on these occasions was commenced under tho presidency of the Itev. Mr Wrigley, pastor of the church. In opening the proceedings, he congratulated tho church upon tho progress it had made during tho short time it had been in existence, and then called upon Mr Grace to read the report and balance sheet. The report traced the growth of the church from its inception at an open-air meeting in the Square under the Rev. Mr Ellis, to tho present time, and the balancesheet showed the receipts since January to have been £463 9s 7d, and the expenditure as £476 Is tld, leaving a small debit of £12 12s Id. The report and balance-sheet wore adopted on tho motion of Mr Grace, who expressed his sense of God's goodness at having enabled them, to accomplish so much sinco their church had been in existence. Tho choir then sang " Tho Gloria," after which tho Eov. Mr Luxford entertained tho audienco with some humorous character sketches of people who were met with in the Methodist congregations, all of which were highly entertaining and completely proved his case, namely, that there should bo joy in the Christian life. Tho rev. gentloman concluded a happy speech by wishing tho Cuba-street Church a pleaßimt and prosperous yoar. Tho Itev. Mr Aberneiliy, of Sandon. was the next speaker, who gavo a thorough]'' practical address upon the " Pulpit and tho Pew," in whioh he described tho I ideal preacher and tho perfect listener, tho former who should preach straight regardless of consequence to himself, | and tho latter who should be prepared to [ hear his wrong-doings reproved. The last ; speakor was tho Eov. Mr Bond, of Wanganui, who is regarded as ono of the loading members of tho Mothodist Ministry in Now Zealand, and judging by his ability as a speaker wo should say, rightly so. I Mr Bond is possossed of a largo share I of pulpit eloquenco, and considerable | capacity for telling an anecdote, a com- j biuation which go to make his deliverances both pleasant and telling. His subject was " The touts which Christianity has stood," and after briefly referring to tho influences that had conspired against it from without, mentioned infidelity and inconsistency as being dangers likely to work havoc from within, concluding with an eloquent peroration in which ho declared that there was no power that could raise and redeem the fallen like Christianity. During tho evening the choir, under the able conductorship of Mr Grace, rendered somo excellent music, for which they were again complimented by Mr Bond. On tho motion of Mr Grovo a vote of thanks was carried to all who had assisted, and a Bonediotion by tho Eov. Mr Quintrell brought tho mooting to a close.