RELIGION IN DOMINION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1029, 21 July 1930, Page 5

RELIGION IN DOMINION

SIR CHARLES FERGUSSON’S IMPRESSIONS SPEECH TO SCOTTISH CHURCH Sir Charles Fergusson, formerlv Governor-General of New Zealand, described bis impressions of religious life in this Dominion when speaking recently at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in session at Edinburgh. Sir Charles said that in every big city in New Zealand they would And a beautiful St. Andrew’s Church, great congregations and a great spirit of vitality. But he would like to take them away from the busy parts to the more remote islands—for instance, to one little coral island, with its lagoon and its palm trees. When be visited that island, a small deputation came on board his ship and asked if they would dispense with ceremonies, because it was Sunday, and their custom was not to hold ceremonies on a Sunday. Instead of ceremonies he and his party attended church, with practically the whole population of the island. They might have imagined at that service that it was a service at their own Scottish country kirk. They had the 100th Psalm, the 23rd Psalm and 2nd Paraphrase. The sermon, he admitted, was not up to the same standard. He was the preacher. (Laughter.) While it was true that-these islands were Christianised by missionaries of their Wesleyan brethren, still their Scottish folk had penetrated to these islands, and in these services they saw their influence. Another picture he would show them was a little Scottish community in the north of New Zealand (Waipu). They all bore Highland names. In that community of 1,000 there were no fewer than 140 Mackays, and 70 of these were plain John Mackay. The old people there still spoke the Gaelic. (Applause.) That was, perhaps, the bright side of the picture. He would paint it a little darker. There was a great need for workers. In New Zealand there were people living away in the backblocks who saw no one but a solitary neighbour for months at a time, who had no Sunday school and no minister. There were children living even in New Zealand who had not only never heard the Gospel, but had never even heard the name of Jesus except as an oath. He had only mentioned these things to try to stir up a little enthusiasm and excite some sympathy for those of their kinsfolk who were building up the Empire and trying to bring up their children loyally under great difficulties. (Applause.) The Rev. Dr. White, who presided in the absence of the moderator, said he would like to thank Sir Charles Fergusson for his contribution to the discussion, and to welcome him back to his old country and the heart of the church he had served so well.