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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

The Rev. Richard James Murray

The Rev. Richard James Murray, the minister in charge, was born in 1862 at Hounslow, Middlesex. Mr. Murray hails from Devonshire, his father, who is a Scotchman, having settled in Plymouth. The subject of this notice was educated in Buckinghamshire and at Plymouth, and, accompanied by his parents, came out to Port Chalmers in 1880, per ship “Padishah.” The family located in Ashburton, Canterbury, where they still reside. After a term of service as Home Missionary in the Papanui district, Otago, in 1887, Mr. Murray offered himself as a candidate for the Wesleyan ministry, and was sent to Wesley College, Three Kings, Auckland, where he studied for two years. Duly accepted as a probationer, Mr. Murray laboured successively in the Blenheim and Hawera and Opunake circuits as second minister. Unfortunately his health broke down, and he was appointed to the Christchurch circuit, and lived at Woolston for two years. In 1893 the reverend gentleman was ordained at the conference held in Dunedin, when he was appointed third minister at Wellington. Mr. Murray takes a lively interest in the Christian Endeavour movement, and holds the position of President of the Wellington Provincial District Christian Endeavour Union. He is a staunch total abstainer, and an earnest advocate of the temperance cause. In Mr. Murray's judgment, the world is getting better, signs of progress are seen on every hand, and a still brighter day will dawn at no distant date. As a man, he is genial and friendly, and is deservedly popular, especially with the young people. [Mr. Murray's term of office as president of the Christian Endeavour Union expired in October, 1895.]

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