“FAIR HAVEN”

Southland Times, Issue 21100, 4 June 1930, Page 15

“FAIR HAVEN”

WEST HAM MISSION.

DEDICATION OF HOME.

Between 20 and 30 friends and helpers of Sister Alice, of the West Ham Mission, gathered at the corner of Nith and Tweed streets yesterday. afternoon to take part in the opening of “Fair Haven,” the headquarters of the .West Ham Mission in New Zealand, and a home for missionaries on furlough. The home will also be the headquarters for Sister Alice in her self-imposed mission work in the city. Sister Alice is fairly well-known in Invercargill and is very well-known by all who need the help of a friend. Her venture in opening a home as a pivot for her work has caused a good deal of comment and has met with very ready assistance from the majority of the churches. “Fair Haven” is situated on .a sunny corner in a fairly central position in the city and should prove a very convenient centre for Sister Alice’s work of mercy amongst the needy. The ceremony which was held yesterday afternoon constituted the official opening of the home and its final dedication to the cause of Christianity. Those who attended at the service were welcomed by Sister Alice. Mr 11. Simson presided. Proceedings were commenced with the singing of the hymn “Take my Life, and Let it Be,” and then Sister Alice led in the reading of a passage from the Old Testament. Mr Simson extended a welcome to all who were present and said that there was a very great need for such a home. He had known Sister Alice for a number of years. She had first come to Invercargill as a sister for the Esk Street Church, but had decided to go still further. They all knew how much work there was for her to do, and he felt sure that they would all wish her success.

Mrs J. D. Campbell read a message from his Worship the Mayor, who stated that he was very sure that Sister Alice would do a great deal of good work among the needy in Invercargill and he was pleased to see that her venture was receiving the support of many of the business people of the town. The Rev. Mr Samson pronounced the prayer of dedication and Mrs H. Samson dedicated the home to the glory of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Those present then sang the Doxology. The Rev. C. 11. Olds said that he had been very busy with a Bible Class Conference, but he had considered that he could not miss the dedication of Sister Alice’s home. The work of which the home was to be the centre was work that would otherwise not come under the influence of the church at all. There were many people in the city who were sick and aged and could not attend church and it was those people who would be ministered to by Sister Alice. Her work would be in the homes and that was one of the commands of God: to visit the widowed and fatherless in their homes. It was pleasing to note that the sister was not going to follow any denominational teaching, but was simply going to work for God. At the same time denominations were the expression of strong belief and because of that they were valuable. People would always differ in small matters, but there was a oneness in ail Christian religion and that was the belief in Jesus Christ. If they could bring the love of Jesus into the homes, even if it was without theology, it would be carrying on what Jesus started out to do. That was what their Sister was doing and that was why their prayers were with her.

The home was also a mission home, Mr Olds continued. It was a place where missionaries who returned from the mission field weary and worn would be able to rest with friends. There were many ventures in faith and when they were furthering the work of God they would succeed, and knowing Sister Alice as he did, he felt sure that her venture would be successful. He wished her success in her work and trusted that God would bless' her in the various directions of her work.

Pastor Fretwell also spoke of the tvork before Sister Alice as a venture.in faith and wished her success in it. Women had taken a great part in the work of the church, and in the extension of goodness in the world. The service of women was frequently mentioned in the Gospel, he said, and spoke of outstanding examples. They could think of many names and there were probably many others not recorded. He considered that an interesting feature of church work was the fact that so many women were faithful to the church. The New Testament told of how it was women who ministered to the Master and had stood by him when the men ran away. And that was how it was in the churches to-day. The same thing was true of the mission fields, where the majority of the missionaries were women. They went out with their husbands or alone and worked where no other white people dared to go. He believed that the home would be the nucleus of a larger work and. he wished Sister Alice all success and the blessing of God.

Ensign Montgomery also expressed pleasure at the work which was being undertaken by Sister Alice and said that he saw it as a movement of faith. Fie belonged to an army which had’been built up on faith and he was pleased to see that Sister Alice was beginning a work of faith. There was a great deal of work to be done in the city and Sister Alice would have every support of the Salvation Army in any work she might undertake. He wished her success in her venture and hoped that it would grow and prosper. Mr J. S. Baxter added a word of welcome to those extended by the other speakers. He said that 'he had known Sister Alice for 10 years and knew her sterling worth. Her home was the headquarters of the West Ham Mission in New Zealand and they should be proud to have it in Invercargill. He felt sure that Sister /Mice would be blessed in her work and he knew that they all wished her success. Some people talked of practical religion, but all religion was practical if it carried out the work of Jesus Christ. The ceremony concluded with prayer and the singing of a hymn.