Wilson Street Baptist Church, Timaru - A Gypsy Poulston window.
Wilson Street was established in 1914 on the current site as Timaru Baptist Church. While the beginnings were modest there was significant growth from the 1950s.
Set in stone -1882
Timaru Herald, 27 July 1894, Page 3
The fifteenth anniversary of the Timaru Baptist Church was
celebrated last evening by a tea meeting. The tea was provided by ladies of the
church, and the tables (ten in number) were presided over by Mesdames Clarkson,
Rowbotbam, Steward, Fairbourne, Turner, Broadhead, Potts, Pattridge, Cox, H.
Wagstaff, Miss Emmerson, assisted by the Misses Hodge, Parks, Westerman,
Clarkson Battcock, Cox, Evans, and Gross. Twice the tables were filled by the
members and friends of the church, who came in goodly numbers, and an abundance
of refreshments of a choice kind were provided for their delectation. It was
hoped that the Rev. C.C. Brown (pastor of the church) who has been laid aside
for a fortnight suffering from congestion of the lungs, would have been
sufficiently recovered to be present, but as he was still confined to his bed,
his absence though unfortunate was unavoidable. But all worked together with a
will, and under the guidance of the church officers everything went well. During
the evening a letter was read from the sick pastor expressing regret at his
inability to attend this year's anniversary meeting. In his letter Mr Brown
referred to the fact that he is now in his tenth year of ministry in Timaru,
during which time he has baptised and admitted to church membership 737 persons.
Constant removals drain the strength and resources of a church, otherwise the
Baptist community would be of no mean strength to-day, reference was also made
to the special and successful efforts made during the last twelve months to
reduce the mortgage on the church property— £l00 was raised and paid off, so
that the debt has been reduced to £500 at 6¼ per
cent,
At the after meeting the choir, assisted by instrumentalists
under the leadership of Miss Bezzant, rendered very effectively & service of
song entitled "The Roll Call," which had evidently been most carefully
rehearsed, and was accordingly thoroughly enjoyed by all present. Miss Clarkson
as usual, ably officiated at the organ. The descriptive readings were given by
Mr Potts.
Gypsy Poulston designed the contemporary stained glass windows at:
Craighead Chapel (1973)
St. John's Anglican Church, Highfield, Timaru
(1976)
Woodlands Road
Methodist Church (1978)
and Wilson St. Baptist Church, Timaru
This stone was laid on April 13th 1916 by C. Cathie, Esq.
Rev. M. W. P. Lascelles, Pastor.
This lovely wall hanging in the Wilson St. Baptist nave was creatively
stitched in Timaru by Joy Bruce.
Timaru Herald, 23 July 1892, Page 2
At the Baptist Church tomorrow evening the Rev. C.C. Brown will take on his
subject, "The way of transgressors is hard. A clean dry crust is better than
dirty bread and butter. Solomon says, 'He that is greedy of gain troubleth his
own house.' And also, 'Better is a little with righteousness than a large income
with injustice.' "
Timaru Herald, 5 November 1895, Page 4 FAREWELL SERMON.
On Sunday evening the Sophia Street Hall, where the Baptist congregation have
met for some time past, was well filled to hear the Rev. C. C. Brown's farewell
sermon. The scripture read was the 20th chapter of the Acts, which contains St.
Paul's farewell to the elders of the church at Ephesus, and for the text of his
discourse Mr Brown read verses 25— 27. At the outset he stated that he, took
charge of the Baptist Church in Timaru in June 1885— ten and a half years
ago-when there were only eight members of the church, and they had a debt of
£500 on their building, the chapel which was afterwards burned down. They had
brave hearts, however, and stuck together, and pulled the church out of its
difficulties. Now with no debt and fifty members they could not get along. The
minister then gave an explanation of the cause of his leaving. He claimed to
have done honestly and earnestly while he had been in Timaru, and his work, in
God's hands, had not been fruitless, for in the ten years 103 persons had been
baptised and 128 had joined the church. He glanced at his work as a teacher
during his ministry here, and enumerated some of the special Biblical studies
that had been taken up — questions relating to the doctrine of the future life
chiefly- and claimed to have been entirely independent in his opinions and
utterances as a teacher. He could say, with St. Paul, that he had not shunned to
declare to all the counsel of God. He had never played at preaching, but had
ever borne in mind the warning in Ezekiel, that the minister who did not warn
the sinner of the wrath to come would be held guilty of his blood in the last
day. He had been as faithful as "he knew now to be in his preaching, and never
failed to say something about the way of Salvation. Before God he humbled
himself ; but before his congregation he would say that he had warned the
unbeliever; The preacher's farewell words were an amplification of the words of
Paul in verse 32. Hymns appropriate to the occasion were sung during the
service. A farewell social will be held in the hall this evening.
Star 10 November 1890, Page 3
FIRE AT TIMARU. Baptist Church Destroyed.
A fire, at 2 a.m., destroyed the Baptist Church — which was built of timber six
or seven years ago at a cost of £650 — and gutted the adjoining cottage owned
and occupied by Mr B. Munro, bootmaker. The church was insured for £450, and
Munro's for £100 in the Equitable Insurance Office. The fire commenced in the
church, but how is a mystery. The congregation owed more than the insurance, and
being a small body, the loss is a heavy blow.
Evening Post, 8 November 1915, Page 2
Mr. M. W. P. Lascelles, who has had the oversight of the Petone Baptist Church
for the last year, has accepted a call to the pastorate of the church of that
domination lately formed in Timaru. He undertakes his new duties in January
Evening Post, 14 April 1916, Page 2 New Baptist Church
Timaru, 13th April. The resuscitated congregation of Baptists to-day laid the
foundation of a new church here. Mr. Charles Cathie, president of the Union, and
visitors from Christchurch, were present.
Ashburton Guardian, 19 December 1918, Page 5
At a large meeting of the members of the Timaru Baptist Church last evening; it
was unanimously decided to send a call to the pastorate to Pastor E. Nicholls.
of South Dunedin. Pastor M. W. P. Lascelles; the present pastor in Timaru, is
resigning at the end of January, as he is making a tour of all the Baptist
churches in the Dominion as president of the Baptist Union.
Evening Post, 9 November 1938, Page 8
Farewell services were preached at the Island Bay Baptist Church this week by
the Rev. A. L. Silcock, who is leaving to become pastor of the Timaru Baptist
Church. Mr. Silcock has been at Island Bay for the past four and a half years.
On Monday evening a public farewell was tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Silcock in the
church. The meeting was presided over by Mr. H. M. Palmer, church secretary, and
associated with him on the platform were the Rev. M. W. P. Lascelles
(president-elect of the Baptist Union), the Rev. A.L. North (secretary of the
Baptist Union), Mr. J. R. Carey (representing the central auxiliary), and Mr.
Hildreth (Houghton Bay branch).
Evening Post, 7 May 1917, Page 6
The members of the Timaru Baptist Church last week farewelled Pastor M. W. P.
Lascelles (formerly stationed at Petone), who is leaving for the front as a
Y.M.C.A. commissioner. The Mayor (Mr. J. Maling) and Mr. Craigie, M.P., were
amongst those present. The speakers emphasised the good work Pastor Lascelles
had done while in Timaru. Presentations were made to the Pastor and his son, Mr.
Arthur Lascelles.
Poverty Bay Herald, 14
March 1918, Page 7
Word has been received in Timaru that Pastor M. W. P. Lascelles, formerly of the
Timaru Baptist Church, who has been serving as a Y.M.C.A. Commissioner, has
arrived at Bombay. Pastor Lascelles was on board, the troopship Aragon
when she was sunk in the eastern Mediterranean on December 30th and 600 lives
were lost. He jumped into the water and kept himself afloat until help arrived.
He lost everything except the clothes he was wearing.
The Aragon, 9,588 tons, built in 1905 arrived at Alexandria on Dec.
30th, and was permitted to enter the harbour but there was no berth available
and she was ordered out of the harbour. She anchored outside harbour without any
protection against a submarine attack. Torpedoed by U-boat UC 34 for which she
was an easy target, 610 causalities. There were 2700 people on board.
Thames Star, 1 February 1918, Page 3 "Women First"
The story of the Aragon sinking from a nurse who was on board. She says: — We
sailed from Marseilles under destroyer escort. We sighted land at 10.40 on Dec.
30. The Aragon, was torpedoed half an hour later. The nurses were sent away in
the early boats, and all were saved. She saw the Aragon settling deep by the
stern while the troops on deck were singing. Several boats were soon on on the
spot. After the ship sank they picked up many. The destroyer was torpedoed
immediately afterwards while packing up survivors from the water. She had
hundreds of rescued troops on board when the destroyer broke in half. The nurse
adds that the Osmanich sank in five minutes. She had forty nurses on
board. Eight of the dead were brought ashore.
Poverty Bay Herald, 9 February 1918, Page 8 Luck that changed.
When the disaster occurred, all those on board were wearing lifebelts. The high
death rate was due to the fact that 200 rescued men were again thrown into, the
water when the rescuing destroyer was torpedoed. Apparently two submarines were
engaged in the Aragon's destruction. The weather was most favorable. The first
torpedo did considerable damage, and flung the men to the deck. The torpedo rent
the bottom, of the Vessel, tearing a great hole. It was at once seen that, the
ship was doomed. Captain Bateman superintended the work of getting the lifeboats
out. The greatest gallantry was displayed. The troops did not move towards the
boats containing the women; though the Aragon was already dipping badly. Finally
the ship heeled over so far that the men fell down. The colonel in charge of the
deck gave the order "Abandon ship," and the officers repeated the order
"Everyone save himself" and jumped. The boats quickly came back, when the nurses
had been transferred to the other ships and rescued many of the soldiers from
the water. poem
The destroyer HMS Attack, 785 tons, was engaged in this work
of rescue she was literally blown in two by a mine and disappeared with 10 of
her crew. On the following day the liner Osmanieh, 4041 tons, struck a
mine at the entrance to the harbour on December 31sth, 1917, she was carrying
troops and medical staff to Alexandria, 198 casualties. The mines were laid by
the German submarine UC 34.
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