MASTERTON'S NEW CHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9141, 17 July 1908, Page 4

MASTERTON'S NEW CHURCH.

Yesterday marked an epoch in the history of Christian work in Masterton, when the Congregationalism celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of their new church in the time-honoured way. The occasion also served to show that our town is increasing in size and importance, and that tha spiritual welfare of the community is not being neglected while temporal advancement is being made. MasUrton has for very many years had its religious necessities administered to by the .four chief churches and organisations of lesser pretensions, which made their advent at a time when the town was much smaller than it is to-day. It ia not surprising to find now that one of the most important churches in the cities of the Dominion has decided to extend its sphere to Masterton at the request of a number of its adbeients here, and judging by the auspicious manner in which the local movement has been able to celebrate its initial efforts at Church founding, there is every reason to anticipate that the new Church will ere long ue a potent power for good in the community. Masterton is under a deep debt of gratitude to the Wellington philan-

thropists who have practically given the town a new church free of cost, the handsome gift of a site by Mrs Williams being characteristic of that lady's beneficence for some years past. The Rev. A. Hodge, who it is probable will have charge of the new Church, is a gentleman of scholarly attainments, and poFsesses personal qualities which typify the successful minister of the Gospel. With an enthusiastic congregation, he should have no difficulty in fulfilling the expectations of members of the Church, which is to erect a much larger building for worship in the near future on the vacant part of the Church section, the present edifice to be then used :\j a Sunday School Its breadth of doctrine makes the Congregational Church essentially modern, and it has a fruitful field of labour around it in this large district of Masterlon.