PAYING FOR RELIGION.

Patea Mail, 10 July 1882, Page 3

PAYING FOR RELIGION.

Since the Church meeting last Wednesday, I have been wondering whether the congregation are sufficiently in earnest to build a new church. I rather doubt it. One reason is (hat the Patea church has been in a state of slothful neglect for a long time. There has been no epprgy' : the curate and the parishioners have been equally easy-going. We all know that a parson who is an eloquent preacher and an earnest worker can get almost anything done by his congregation. We also know that church affairs have not been managed successfully in Patea. A change has come ; and now that an active Curate is trying to stir up the people to do something decent for their church, some people seem surprised at the fuss ho is making, and most of them talk as if they would rather be let alone, and keep their money in their pockets. They say that a Curate who is staying only three months cannot expect to get the same ready support as might be given if he were settled here permanently, and some say he ought not to begin the building of a new chruch unless he can remain to carry the project to completion. A few others would not subscribe a pound of their free wijl, and they object to be solicited and bounced outof'a subscription. My own opinion as a Churchman is that our new Curate is doing a proper and necessary work in trying to build a new church. I "can see that his zeal is greater than his tact. But what of that ? A minister without zeal for his religion would be a poor sort of creature ; and if a minister means well, we shoul not be too critical at little .indiscretions of speech, when we know his intention is good. His plain speaking is a desirable quality in a clergyman, and I hope he won’t abate it. We all need stirring up. I do think that if our Curate means to have this new church built, he should make up big mind to stay with us at least till the builidng is up, so that he may have the satisfaction of completing his own good work. If he would come to an nnderstandin g with the people on that point, he would overcome much of the unwillingness which made Wednesday’s meeting seem so lacking in enthusiasm. I was one who hesitated to give' at the meeting, because the scheme depends mainly on the Cnrate, and if he goes away at the end of three months, what is then to become of the half-finished scheme ?

One in Doubt