CONGREGATIONAL MEETING OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 1, Issue 41, 21 November 1868, Page 2

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

A thinly attended meeting of tn« Church of England congregation was held in the School-house, on "Wednesday evening last, in order to elect trustees to whom to convey the site hought some time since for a church. Mesßrs. M'Nickle, Sheath, Tolcher, and Keen were appointed. The ActingSecretary then presented a letter to the Bey. M. H^MarfcJD., of which the following is a cdpy. [We also append. Mr. Martin's reply, which has since been received by the Secretary.] Lawbence. To the Rev: M. H. Martin, M.A., ouraU of Tuapeka and Waitahuna. ' Reverend and Dear Sir, — It will be in your recollection that some months since a misunderstanding of a painful nature took plac§ between, your congregation and yourself, and that its immediate resuli^i was a decision that you would leave "Lawrence at the end of this year, and that tie service^ of another clergyman should be sought from the home country. Immediately after that events a feeling 1 set in that ail parties- had been too hasty. I and that, had wiser counsel existed anq prevailed, the circumstances which took place might have been averted. Thfe fooling has grown,, «md mi %%

■■^"^ I o!j i 1 .ixjil >i + » fi) si tuoa:li^QbUterated thpraaeoK HKace~ of bitternessei which it is desired has unanimously concluded that to with youTOid your services "would be■Mo^to'^ilCliirtbvbCi'liig&ndiitt «hi» ■Httrict which it would not speedily reHKFeeling thus, it waa.wiifc intense plea■Spe that ve^^your . conggeg»tk>ayM*4. whobccasionaUy attend your valued^ HEjnißtry) heard from' Mr.- W. C. Young I^Eiit he lu^lmot reoeived' the»leUer addressed to him_bj ' v& requesting to procure a clergyman for us, and that'ntl possibility existed of IfaUt letter being given-effect to by any fe-Mtiiftr person.'! A■' ( v !< ) !! ••>.-< iK KWWe.wish^pw,. dear Sir, with ajl kind^ f Mots and cordiality; 'to' assure you' bf' our L;»erfect cojjfidwite' in yoiireliaHtct* ia-Ji, [: fcrgyman, to acknowledge our gratitude [!«oyou for the inestimable services ■which Uffou have rendered to us as a congregation, \:Mi well as to the Christian Church geneI^Uly, since you have resided with, usj to^ you that we do not desire the pfidvent of another in your stead, but'are ijJeiceedingly anxious that you should coniwtinue with us. Trusting and befteving |9ihat as time rolls on our mutual good will I land affection will be increasingly mani-j bmest, and that the good work which you ■h»ve commenced here will yield you ■abundant fruit. I We further wish most specially to assure ■you of our deep regret for, the untoward ■circumstances above alluded to, which ■none were wise enough to avert; and •■further, to express our belief and convic- ■ tion that in the course which you then ■ pursued, you were not actuated by any I mercenary motive. I And, lastly, we now affectionately invite I you to remain, and to settle permanently I tmongst us, desiring that in considering I your answer to thia request, you may be I divinely assisted, and directed to afavourI »ble reply. — We are, dear Sir, yours very I Here follow 108 signatures, 56 being I from Lawrence and Wetherstones, and 52 I from Blue Spur. I To the Church of England congregations I resident in* the districts of Tuapeka I and the Blue Spur/- .' "• -, I Dear Brethren,— I beg to acknowledge I your kind letter, which was presented to I me by the Secretary on your behalf at the I church meeting last Wednesday evening. I I only yesterday received an answer I from the Bishop accepting my resignation, I which I forwarded to him some six weeks ago, that answer having been delayed on account of his Lordship's attendance at the Auckland General Synod. In consequence of the contents of your letter to me, I "will write to his Lordship requesting to be allowed to withdraw my resignation, which I believe he will permit me to do. Since about a month ago, when I became aware of your intention of addressing me on the subject of remaining, I have been giving the matter every consi■deration, and although, previous to that, 4j[ had been maturing my plans for returning to England, I decided that if an urgent and general appeal "were made me, it would be my duty to waive personal conveniences for the public benefit. On receipt, therefore} of your letter, I ,felt disposed to accept your invitation to • remain, not only on the considerations that that letter contains so many hearty expressions of your esteem, and that the signatures attached to it embrace almost the whole of the male portion of my congregation in this district, but also from the hopeful signs which I have observed within the last few months of good result-* ing from pur labours — I -say our labours, for I believe we have now some Christian persons of both sexes amongst us who are endeavouring to do their share towards the spiritual welfare of the congregation, and who feel the importance of working not only in behalf of the outward edifice, but the internal and real structure of our Lord's temple. It is my earnest prayer that, these, my, fellow-workers, may increase/ This will be my greatest encouragement to go forward. If the conversion qf our brethren is the chief aim of every Christian amongst us, I am sure that our labours shall not be in vain ; we shall live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with us. — I am, dear brethren, your affectionate pastor. M. H. Martin. Lawrence, 20th Nov., 1868.