20/6/35
Brother and Sister Edward Hare at the
reunion. Brother Hare believes he was the
first Adventist in New Zealand and his wife
the first Adventist sister. He believes also
that he is the oldest Adventist in New Zea-
land. He is cighty.eight years of age and
his wife is his junior by a few years, For
half a century Sister Hare has been an ardent
church worker, She was the president of the
Dorcas Society, and a great deal of business
passed through her hands,
Brother Joseph Hare added his testimony.
He toid us that he was the second Adventist
in New Zealand. The Kaeo church was
opened with a membership of sixteen, and
the father of the Hare brothers was the elder
for many years. He died some years ago in
his hundreth year, still rejoicing in the mes.
sage.
The Kaeo Boys Go to America
The Kaeo church was a missionary church.
No church in New Zealand has ever sent
such a large percentage of young people into
the field. In those days there were no
schools in New Zealand or Australia where
young people could be trained for a piace in
the work. They had to go to America. But
the Kaeo boys went, regardless of the dis-
tance. One of these young men is now
Pastor Robert Hare. Another young man
set out full of hope and courage, but when
barely 300 miles out at sea, overcome by sea-
sickness and homesickness, he felt he could
not go on, but must at all costs return to the
homeiand. And who can blame him?
However, after a few days he felt better in
body and mind and his courage returned.
He did not come back.
Pastor Danielis and the First Tent Mission
The hearts of the pioneers of Kaeo burned
within them to give the message to the town
of Auckland, which in those far-off days was
a small shipping centre. They gave £50 to
purchase a tent, and they also gave the oil for
the lights, An Adventist tent! Such a
thing had never been heard of in Auckland.
However, history was made in January, 1887,
for in that month the tent was pitched on
what was known as the Surrey Hills, a wild,
desolate spot some distance out of the town.
The place is now called Ponsonby, and it isa
thickly populated district, in the city areas.
The tent mission ran for seventeen weeks,
and was conducted by Pastor A. G. Daniells,
Brother Metcalfe Hare being tent-master.
Sister Rout, another old identity continued
the story. A tent was pitched on the Surrey
Hills, and Mrs. Rout, with a woman's
curiosity, asked her husband what it was.
“Oh, it’s only a circus,” he answered uncon-
cernedly; but Mrs. Rout wanted to kaow
more than that, and she found out. “ That is
not a circus,” she told her husband. * They
hold religious services in that tent.” * Well,
what if they do?” he answered. “ We are
not going.” But her curiosity led her further.
She wanted to know what kind of people
they were, and what they had to say, and she
persuaded her husband to go with her to see,
They therefore went one evening, and many
evenings after that, and it ended by their
both taking their stand.
How the Ponsonby Church Was Built
The time had now come to build a church
for the believers in Auckland, and Brethren
Hare and Rout went to look for a piece of
land. A large section was purchased in
Mackelvie Street, Surrey Hills, a few yards
from the main road, and here the work of
building began. The Kaeo church now
undertook another piece of missionary work,
AUSTRALASIAN RECORD
for the Hare brothers donated the seats for
the new church. They shipped the timber
from Kaeo and had the seats made in Auck-
land, and there are no finer seats in any
church in New Zealand than those in Pon-
sonby.
Until the church should be finished a hall
was rented for Sabbath services, but after a
while the owner refused to let the believers
have it, declaring that he would sooner lease
his hall to the devil than to the Adventists,
They were now without a place of wor-
ship, and so in October, 1887, three weeks be-
fore it was finished, the new church had to be
used for worship. We can picture the joy of
the Advent people when they met for the
first time on that spring morning in their
own building. We can imagine the Doxology
resounding through those unfinished walls
and rafters.
Brethren Rout and Hare were elders for
many years, and Brother Hare was organist.
All in Auckland know Brother Hare. Many
there até who remember Brother Rout.
His fervent Amens and loud Hallelujahs
echoed down the aisles, He always looked
so trim in his Jong black coat and tall silk
hat ; but the tall erect figure is seen no more
in our church. He has rested from his
labours these sixteen yzars, He lies in the
Symonds Street cemetery, where none but
pioneers of the City of Auckland may sleep.
Other Early Members
There were others at our reunion who
were present in October, 1887, when the
church was opened. Besides Mrs. Rout, Mr.
and Mrs. Hare and their daughter, Mrs.
Hallamore, who was an infant at the time,
there were Mis. Keymer and her daughters,
Miss E. Keymer and Mrs, Archibald, who
were children; there were also present Mrs.
Fry (Miss Cammell) and Mrs. Flinn (Miss
Miilie Edwards). Two other charter mem-
bers were absent from the reunion through
illness. These were Mrs. Poulton (Miss
Mary Brown) and Miss Edith Brebner. Two
other very early members—thoughnot charter
members—were also present, They were
Mrs. Stilwell and Mrs. McIntosh (Miss Ruth
Jones). In that large gathering there were
twelve present who had been in the message
over forty-five years.
Pastor Piper read a letter from Sister
Kinnear-Martin, formerly of New Zealand,
but now of Australia, who had made Pon-
sonby church her Sabbath home for many
years. She had heard there was to be a re-
union and had written her testimony. Pastor
Piper recalled how as a lad of seventeen he
had stayed under her friendly roof.
First Camp Results in a Third Church
A camp meeting was held in Auckland in
the summer of 1895, and as a result the
Epsom church was built. A band of work-
ers has gone out from this church also.
Some of the original members still live round
Auckland; others are scattered over the
Dominion. One family, now residing in
Cambridge, has given a son to the island
fields, and the daughters have done faithful
work in the home field. Pastor Arthur
Smart of Australia, and Nurse Christina
Manson, who has worked in India, were also
charter members of the Epsom church (now
Edendale church), Other camp meetings
have been held in more recent years; but let
us confine our narrative to ancient history.
A Foretaste of the Great Reunion
The old folks were enjoying themselves
immensely, when Pastor Piper drew our at-
tention to the time. It was 5.30 and the Sab-
bath hours were fast slipping by. The Hare
0
brothers thanked Sister. Zillwood and the
choir for their untiring service, the congrega-
tion for its patience, and all who had helped
to make the afternoon a profitable and in-
spiring one. Brother Dray, a choir member
and an old pioneer, sang as a solo, “We
Have Heard from the Bright, the Holy
Land.” Although he has been a singer for
over sixty years his fine tenor voice has lost
none of its old-time sweetness. After this,
the strains of the Doxology were heard once
more in the old church, then the benediction
and a vesper, and the congregation departed.
A neatly printed memento was given to each
person on leaving,
With the setting sun this day of reminis-
cences ended. May we, as a result, be led to
continue the noble work of those brave old
pioneers.
FLORENCE M. DEVAYNES JONES,
|
dria a ee HERE BIRR)
QUEENSLAND
Office Address: 37 O’Connell Terrace,
Bowen Hills, Brisbane,
Telephone: B 5709
President's Home Phone: M 3413
HITT
HURON THEE
LH EHH IHHIN THT]
HIE IT ITE EER FELL EFI
“Our Youth in Time of War”
THE scene? The café in Queen St., Bis-
bane, the sixty chairs ail set in rows, and each
row filled with young people eager to hear
something of absorbing interest just at this
stage of the world’s history.
The subject? “Qur Youth in Time of
War.” In a little room at the back, the
speaker of the evening and the M.V, leader
are bowed in prayer, that the words spoken
on such a vital subject may be a safe guide to
those who will need them when critical situa-
tions arise during time of war,
The hymn is sung, the prayer offered, and
then all faces become eager and interested as
Brother L. A. Butler speaks of the situation
confronting us today, of the inevitableness of
war, and of our need of preparation. That
was on Monday evening, April 8.
Everywhere during that week the topic of
discussion was, What shall we do when
certain circumstances arise? It set every-
body thinking, everybody talking; for war is
coming, and we must meet it. Then came
Wednesday evening. Again the sixty chairs
were filled, again the prayer meeting was
held, and again instruction was given, this
time in regard to noncombatant duties, our
attitude to superiors, and other questions re-
lating to the position of Seventh-day Adventist
youth. At the close of the meeting, the new
M.V. leaflets, “ Our Youth in Time of War,”
were presented tothe young people, and found
a ready sale.
Friday evening, and the last meeting of the
series. Some who could not be present
previously were there that night to hear of
the experiences of Adventist young people
during the Great War, to hear of the laws
that govern our religious liberty, and to hear
impressed upon us the thought which will
control our whole course of action when
difficult situations arise. The key to it all is
this; Our lives must be so consistent now
that when we apply for freedom to act
according to our convictions, our superiors
will know that we are honest in our re-
quests,
The question was brought home, “ What
am I going to do? What am I going to do
now? IflIam to stand firm for God then, I
must stand for Him now.” And we stood,
just in ones and twos. Some with whom the
Spirit was striving did not then stand to