ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10384, 1 May 1925, Page 2

ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH

YEAR'S WORK REVIEWED. EMPLOYMENT OF A CURATE. The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Stephen's Church, held last evening in the parish hall, was attended hy about 150. The vicar (the Ilev. J. F. Wiseman) presided. The vicar, before presenting his report, stressed the necessity for a curate in order that the great amount ot work might bo coped with successfully. The report thanked all who had m any way helped forward the work or the Church. In spite of the fact that the infantile paralysis epidemic restrictions prevented all communicants under 16 years of ago from making their communions for several weeks, the number of communicants constituted a record for the parish. There were 75 baptisms, 18 marriages, and 43 burials. On May 4, 54 candidates were confirmed. The parish suftered a heavy loss in tho departure for Timam of Mr R. Peters. As lay reader, superintendent of the Fairton Sunday School, choir member, and C.E.M.S. secretary, Mr Peters did a splendid, work. All workers and organisations were eulogised. The churchwardens' report stated that £124 7s 9d had been paid to the church property trustees in connection with the section adjoining the church, leaving the sum of £lllO 6s 6d stilt owing. In the parish hall fund there was £4OO on fixed deposit, and also the sum of £8 3s lid on current account, making a total of £4OB 3s lid. *The sum of £l4l 15s 8d was spent in installing and 1 tuning the organ blower, and £lO7 6s 6d in installing gas heaters in the church. The gross sum of £325 Is 7d was raised by a gala. Twenty-five ordinary meetings were held, stated the Girls' Club's report. There was an average attendance of 25. The roll number at the end of the j vear was 46. A concert was given at Mount Somcrs in September, and at Hinds in October. A sum of £25 was sent to the school in India, and £4 7s to St. Saviour's Orphanage. The balance-sheet showed a debit of £Bl Is 10(1. Receipts amounted to £1643 15s 9d, of which offertorie% brought in £3BB, envelope system £206, donations £224, gala proceeds £264. The main items of expenditure included £124 paid en section, and salaries and maintenance £845. The Ladies' Guild had a credit balance of £4 18s 9d, and the Sunday-school a credit of £l3 3s 6d.

The vicar, in announcing that Mr W. Page would not be available as vicar's warden, eulogised his work, and intimated that the people's warden. Mr R. 13. Coward, whoso work had been untiring, would bo his warden for the year. A vote of thanks to Mr Page was carried by acclamation.

Office-bearers, were elected as follow: People's warden, Mr G. Scales: vestry— Messrs E. Saville, E. C. Bathurst, W. Childs. R. H. Biggar, G. Hosken jnr., W Pa°"c. H. Wallace, E. Easterbrook, G. H. Nicoll, W. B. Thomas, and F. Goote (Fairton representative). A lengthy discussion took place on tho question of employing a curate and a deaconess. Tho vicar stated the work could not be carried on properly by only one man. Tho minimum salary for a curate was £250 per annum. The country districts could bo approached also regarding the matter. The meeting appeared to favour the employment of a. curate and a deaconess, or one of these; but the extraordinary expenses which the church would be called upon to meet seemed to some to debar this. Mr R. H. Biggar moved "that the meeting affirm the desirability of employing a curate and a deaconess, and ask the vestry to go into the matter of ways and means, and to report to a later meeting." The country districts, said the mover, would be visited, and tho financial aspect put before them.

Tho motion was agreed to. The usual votes of thanks were passed, and the meeting closed with the Benediction.

The Girls' Club provided supper for tho gathering.