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Peeps Into the Past.I

BRECON DISTRICT COUNCIL. I

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Parishioners' Tribute. !

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Parishioners' Tribute. PRESENTATIONS TO THE REY. H. J. I CHURCH JONES, M.A. INTERESTING FUNCTION AT BRECON. I There was a large gathering at the Parish Hall, Brecon, on Friday evening when the Rev. H. J. Church Jones, senior curate of Brecon, and Vicar of Battle, was presented by the parishion- ers with an illuminated address, a roll-top desk and revolving chair, and a cheque, upon his com- pleting 21 years of ministration in the Church at Brecon. The text of the address read as follow :— We the undersigned, desire to offer you our heartiest congratulations on the completion of 21 years ministry to the Church of God in Bre- con. Although the attention of everyone is at present fixed entirely upon the great War, yet the attainment of your majority in the Minis- try cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed. Your faithful work during these years has been a source of blessing and joy to those to whom you have ministered, and the example of your Christian life has always been an elevating in- fluence. Your work in the civil life of the town and county, so ungrudgingly given, has also been greatly appreciated. This address, and the accompanying gifts, are intended to express to you our heartiest good wishes and highest appreciation of your work and charac- ter, and we trust that you may be spared for many years to continue the work of your high calling for the -advancement of Christ's King- dom, July 1915." The Bishop-designate of Swansea (Archdeacon Bevan), who presided, said lie never felt in a more commanding position than he occupied at that moment, because he was surrounded by ladies and gentlemen who were going to make speeches. He was familiar with the topics and felt that he could support them and anticipate one after another all their points, and could pick out each speaker in turn saying: "Ah! that is just what I would say." (Laughter.) So lest he might trespass on any particular point others had treasured up and were about to put before them, he would con- fine himself to the strict duties of a chairman and merely order the proceedings and keep the speak- ers in their -due sequence. (Laughter.) He would be exercising a real self-denial, in saying nothing about a subject upon which he ventured to say he could say a great deal. He could never, if he spoke from then till midnight, ex- press in any way adequately the debt that he personally owed to Mr Church Jones. (Applause.) That was the only remark he would make, but he made it with absolute sincerity and with all the depth of feeling he possessed. (Loud applause.) Dr. T. P. Thomas, who made the presentation, said when lie was asked to do so he found it very difficult and feared he would be unable to" get hold of suitable and appropriate sentences for the occasion. (Laughter.) It became doubly diffi- cult when lie found he had to utter them in the presence of a Bishop. (Renewed laughter.) They congratulated the chairman most heartily upon his appointment. (Loud applause.) To call it a well-deserved and well-merited appoint- ment was a very poor way of putting it. Where- ever the chairman's duties as Bishop might take him, they would always think of him as Arch- deacon Bevan. (Applause.) He (Dr. Thomas) considered it a great pleasure and honour to take part in this presentation. He wondered why he had been selected to make it. He had one claim to assist, and that was because he bad known Mr Church Jones probably as long, if not longer, than most people present, for they were school- boys together at Christ College. To-night his task was far more pleasant than that of relating any of Mr Church Jones' doings at school. (Laughter.) It was to convey to him their bad thanks for all his great kindness to them, for his watchful care over them, and for his faithful ser- vice, and the excellent example he had always given them during his ministry of 21 years in their town. (Applause.) It was seldom that anyone deserving recognition as rightly as Mr Church Jones did, got it, and they asked him to accept the presents as a small token of their very great esteem and respect. (Applause.) "It is our earnest desire" said Dr. Thomas in conclusion" that you may have prolonged life and health to continue your good work and ministration to us in Brecon, and it is, to me, a great privilege as well as a great honour to be allowed to assist in handing over these presents to you. (Loud ap- plause.) Mr Jones Powell, speaking on behalf of St. John's Church supported. The name of Mr Church Jones, he said, must have been an in- spiration to him all his life. Mr Church Jones had belied the saying that a prophet had no hon- our in his own country, for the longer he lived amongst them the more honour he got. (Ap- plause). They were all glad that Mr Church Jones' aged mother had lived to see that day when her son was publicly honoured in the town. It was a, proud day for her and a proud day for him. (Applause). The record which Mr Church Jones had created was, lie thought, unique amongst the clergy of Brecon. (Applause). Mr Jones Parry, the chairman of the committee, said lie had very great pleasure in conducting the proceedings of the committee. He had never met a number of clergymen in any town he had been in who were carrying out their work in such a faithful, diligent, persevering and Christianlike manner as the clergy at Brecon. (Hear, hear). I Miss Morgan's Tribute. Miss Philip Morgan said she considered it a very great privilege to associate herself with all that had been said. She had strong reasons which gave her peculiar happiness in being allowed to take part in this presentation. She did not think that even Dr. Thomas had known Mr Church Jones as long as she had. (Hear, hear and lau- ghter). She had known Mr Church Jones from his earliest days, lie was the son of an old friend and the grandson of a still older friend of her child- hood whose memory was very dear to her. (Hear, hear). She yielded to no one in her admiration of Mr Church Jones' gifts. As a pariah priest he be- gan his training under the Rev. Herbert Williams, of beloved and blessed memory, whose holy life, influence and example had lived in the memory of all who knew him. (Hear, hear). They recalled how that training was developed and perfected under Archdeacon Bevan, who they were so de- lighted to know had been appointed Bishop in the church. During the Archdeacon's vicariate, Mr Church Jones had various responsibilities which he cheerfully and courteously carried out with great tact and wisdom. Miss Morgan proceeded to pay a high tribute to MrChurch Jones' "here- ditary virtues" of devotion, sympathy and kind- ness to the parishioners, and said there was ano- ther side of his life which was too sacred to dilate on there, namely, his devotion to his mother. The only drawback to their happiness that night was that Mrs Jones was not present to witness their appreciation of her son. (Applause). She wish- ed Mr Church Jones a long and happy life and greater opportunities of usefulness. (Applause). Mr James Morgan said, as a member of St. Mary's congregation for upwards of 40 years, and knowing Mr Jones for more than half that time, lie had found him on all occasions a true and sin- cere friend. He need hardly speak of his ability and organisation in parish work, and he sincerely hoped they might long have him with them. (Ap- plause). Mr Thomas Jones, who said he had been close- ly associated with Mr Church Jones as the printer of the parish magazine, also paid a high tribute to Mr Jones work in the parish. I Aden's Testimony. I The chairman, before calling upon Mr Church Jones to respond, said there were a great many unable to be present who would have been glad to pay their tribute. There were a large number out in Aden who, could they have heard what had been said to-night, would have loudly proclaimed "hear, hear." (Applause.) How Mr Jones man- aged during last winter in the course of his other work week after week, to. write so large a number of letters to Aden he did not know. Those letters were so highly appreciated that he did not like to think that, although their lads were so far away, they should be debarred from taking part in these proceedings, and he might be allowed to add their willing testimony of the help they had received from Mr Church Jones. (Ap- plause.) "One of Aberhonddu's Sons." I Rev. H. J. Church Jones, who was loudly ap- plauded on rising to respond, said words failed him to express, as fully and adequately as he should like to do, all that he felt of sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all, both for the splendid tokens of their affection and goodwill towards him, and for the all too kind words that had fallen

Historic Church J Restored.

Llandrindod -F.C.C.1

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