LANSDOWNE CHURCH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10718, 1 November 1912, Page 5

LANSDOWNE CHURCH

LAYING FOUNDATION STONE. An interesting ceremony took placet at Lansdowne yesterday afternoon, when the Rev I>r James Gibb, of Wellington, laid the foundation stone of the new Lansdowne Presbyterian Church. . Hie was beautiful, ami there was a large gathering present, including a number of visiting clergy. Messrs Coradine and Whittaker, contractors, had everything in readiness for the performing of the opening ceremony. The Rev J. S. Young, Lansdovtfne, opened the proceedings by leading in the singing of the 100 th Psalm, aftor which the Rev G. K-. Stowell, Moderator of the Wairarapa Presbytery, made a few romarks, and stated that 1 lie had received a communication from Mr James Macar-i apologising for his unavoidable absenoe. Mr Stowoll regretted the absence .of Mr Macara, who had made it possible for the new .Lansdowne Church to be erected on tho present site. Thia Rev L. Thompson, Carterton, followed with prayer, after which tho Moderator, Rev G. K. Stowell, called upon the Rev T)r Gibb to lay the fcrun- : dation stone, and at the same tim» presented him with a very handsome silver trowel, the gift of-the contractors, Messrs Coradine and Whittaker. J)i: Gibb, in laying the stone, said that it gave him the greatest p' r sure to be present on such an auspicious occasion. He had always been interested in Masterton and its people, especially so since the Rev A, T. Thompson took over the charge of I Knox Church. He congratulated the people most heartily on the erection jof their new church, which was a t striking sign of tho advancement j which the Presbyterian Church was making in the Wairarapa. When the Wairarapa Presbytery at first became a separate body from Wellington hj« - did not altogether favour the.change, but the work that had been done by , the. Wairarapa Presbytery sirico its inception showed what an excellent 1 experiment it had been. It was at first thought that Wairarapa would suffer, but it had proved the other way about. ' and it was Wellington that had suffered. He congratulated the district on having such an able man as thf!» ( R«v A. T. Thompson as its minister, I and also the people whose liberality (had made possible tho founding of a. new church in a very short space of time. Hie people were also to be congratulated upon having such an earnest man as the Rev J. S. Young in charge of their church. Dr Gifeti spoke at length on the gredt work which had boon performed and was being performed by the Presbyterian ' Church.; He urged those present t'o always stick up for their church, a»d if nfeed be fight for it, as theirs was a church to be proud of. After the ceremony afternoon tea was dispensed by the members of the / Ladies' Guild, and proved a fitting termination to a pleasant function.