PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7828, 22 June 1909, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORK.

Somo two years ago an alteration was agreed to with respect to the Ashburton Presbyterian charge, and, with a view to having the district better served, the district outfields in the county have undergone considerable change. As a result of the redistribution of outfields among the several charges in the Ashburton county, Hinds has been attached to Flemington, and these two places no longer form any part of the St. Andrew's Church district. Formerly these places were chiefly worked by Mr R. Blair, the Home Missionary, and the change will mean a loss of about £50 in con-: tributions. This sudden drop in revenue has led to a little anxiety, and unless the amount could be made good it was doubted whether the services of Mr Blair, which are absolutely necessary, could be retained. After considering the position, the church officials at Ashburton decided to send representatives to the various outfields attached to the church under the new arrangement, with the object of getting better organisation and forming committees, so that guarantors for the amount required to keep the church up to its old standard could be obtained. Last Sunday Messrs J. Lane and W. H. Alen visited Greeristreet and Winchmore, where they placed their proposals before fairly large congregations. As a. result of the visits, coin* mittees were formed in each place, and from the way in which the congregations took the matter up they will have little difficulty in obtaining the needed financial support. Next Sunday Messrs J. McLeod and W. J. Moore will go to Dromore and Seafield on a similar mission, and it is thought that, with a united effort on the part of the outfields, the whole of the £50 will be 1 secured, which will enable St. Andrew's Church to retain the services of Mr Blair, who has done very useful work, and can ill be spared from the district.