ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN CHURCH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 136, 8 June 1875, Page 2

ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN CHURCH.

The Anniversary Services of the Wesleyan Church were held on Sunday and Monday last. The Rev. A. "Reid, of Auckland, Secretary of the Wesleyan Conference, officiated on the Sabbath, The rev. gentleman preached two most eloquent sermons to large and attentive congregations; in the morning on Christ's appeal to Peter. John 21, 15 and 12 verges; and in the evening from Heb. 12, 22nd and 24th verses. The discourses were distinguished by originality of thought and style, and attended with great power. Mr Reid is evidently a minister tbat needeth not be ashamed and does great credit to (ho ministerial staff of the Church to which he belongs. The Hardy-street congregation was fortunate in obtaining his services for their annivertary, A public meetiug was held in the Church on Monday evtning, the chair beintr ti ken by the pastor, the Rev T. Buddie, who in his opening address stated that the congregation bad raised during the year for church purposes the following sums:— Pew rente, £85; towards circuit expenfea for ministerial staff, &c , £272 ; Foreign- missions, £13 16s Homo missions, £10 10s; Education fund, £3 8^; Total, £381 14s; a sum which tho Chairman thought very respectable for this small congregation, l_ivo__i ! ?).^ n v}.P,i , i^A e iioU * n< l i0 compare larger congregations. Id faet, the Nelson circuit was supporting with its limited resources more ministerial labor than other circuits which hs named, Tbe treasurer, Mr R. Lucas, read the financial statement of the current expenses and income of the trustees on church account, showing a balance of £12 on tbe wrong side, bnt wbich will be more than met by seat rents now due. Tbe Chairman referred to the Sunday school as being iu an encouraging state, having over 300 children ou the book?. The meeting was addressed by Mr Battley, of Auckland, Secretary to the Sunday School Union, wbo, in a yery' interesting speech, referred to the pro- 1 gress of the work of God in different parts of the world, making special, reference to a very interesting revival now in progress in .Dunedin ip connection with the Young Men's Christian Association. Was it Dot a reproach ou the young men connected with the religious bodies in Nelson that Nelson should not have auch an association ? The Rev. A. Reid followed with a characteristic speech, expressing hiß regret that the attendance was not 'arger, and expressing surprise Ihat the male meraberß of the congregation were not showing more interest in the affairs of the church and in the cause of the Saviour. He gave some account of lhe first General Conference of tbe Wesleyan Church that had recently been held in Melbourne, and from which the New Zealand -representatives had juet returned, stating that Wesleyan Conferences were henceforth to be conducted with doors open to all ite church members and aeiherents, and that the principle of lay representation had been adopted, and Conferences would now be composed of an equal number of ministers and laymen. Mr Reid concluded a warm, eloquent, and lengthy address by reference to the labors of Moody and Sankey'in England, reminding his audience that Mr Moody was not a man of great learning or of burning eloquence, or, indeed, of any extraordinary powers except the one grand qualification for saving souls —the possession of spiritual power, a power of which no church and no class of men can have a monopoly. All may attain Buch power who will bring themselves into sympathy with < hrisfc as Moody and bankey evidently had done. This fact he felt to be, an encouragement .to himself, for he felt that the same power and means of usefulness were attainable by ull. . The meeting was then addressed by Mr B. Snort, who gave some interesting incidents connected with the Dunediu revival, which he himself had witnessed; and by the Rev. W. Keall,- and a most interesting and profitable service was closed by prayer by the Chairman. The anniversary services amounted to rather more than £10.