The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1891.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 23, 28 January 1891, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1891.

"Sot the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, lor the future In the distance, 4nd tho good that we can do.

We have once more arrived at that time of the year devoted by the churches to ecclesiastical stock-taking, and to showing, as far as report and balance-sheet are capable of doing, th c spiritual and financial result. The influence exercised by any religious organisation in raising the moral tone meeting the intellectual requirements j or strengthening the religious life of a community cannot be tabulated, and will be judged according to the various views held as to what constitutes success or failure in the Church's mission ; but we are not under the same disad. vantage with regard to church attendance, growth of Sunday-schools, and receipts and expenditure. These can be expressed by statistical returns and statements of church accounts beyond the possibility of mistake.

The reports of the annual church meetings which have just appeared disclose a state of things in the ecclesiastical world of Auckland that calls for a remedy of a drastic nature. We have not perused one report of the principal Anglican and Presbyterian city churches which records such steady growth and marked progress as might reasonably be looked for from the agencies employed ; but the condition of the two leading Anglican Churches in the city is so unsatisfactory, if we may judge from the reports submitted to the annual church meetings and from the discussions to which they gave rise, as to demand more than a passing notice.

The report read by Mr Wildraan at St. Paul's annual meeting shows a ten'

dency to decline in every department of church work. It is true this is but slight, and we should not deem it worthy of remark if last year's record could be regarded as an isolated one. The prosperity of a church canuot be fairly judged by reviewing a brief period, nor is a temporary check a sign of decline. Unfortunately, since St. Paul's was " disestablished," to borrow a term from Mr Nelson, each annual complaint is but an echo of the last. If we were called upon to assign causes apart from those confessed to by the parishioners themselves, we should lay stress upon the fact of the undesirable situation of the school building at present doing temporary duty, and upon the still more substantial reason that St. Paul's, like all other city churches, has lost a large number of adherents by transference of population to the suburbs. The latter difficulty cannot be remedied, and it is likely to go on increasing ; but the injury done to the parish by continued occupation of the school building might have been remedied years ago if anything like energy and ordinary business capacity had been shown. Mr Sawkins possibly laid his finger on the weak spot when he said "the parishioners of St. Paul's took less interest in the affairs of their church than the parishioners of any other church in the city." Whether this expresses a disagreeable truth or is merely one of those rhetorical flourishes indulged in at church meetings we cannot say ; but one thing seems clear, that if the St. Paul's people are not interested enough to bestir themselves, they cannot expect much sympathy and help from the general public. If the City Council will not purchase the site of the old church, or a suitable one cannot be obtained by exchange in "Wel-lesley-street or elsewhere, then surely the question of re-building on the old site should be entertained. The sale or exchange of the old site would require to be legalised by Parliament, but this would present no insuperable difficulty. If the old site is agreed upon then, if the church authorities are satisfied about permanent levels, there seems no reason why a start should not be made without further delay. The annual spectacle of the parishioners of the oldest Anglican church in the city looking each other helplessly in the face, and plaintively lamenting that " something must be done," when they have in hand to do it with, is really enough to make angels weep.

The unsatisfactory condition of St. Matthew's parish is to some extent caused by the long-continued illness of the incumbent. This is a matter of general regret, and we join in the hope expressed by the vestry that rest and a sea voyage will restore the reverend gentleman to his usual health. In the meantime, we should hardly think the measures proposed by the vestry calculated to raise an invalid's spirits, or to impress his locum tenens with a very exalted opinion of the liberality and devotion of the parishioners.

The first difficulty the St. Matthew's people have to contend with is that they have more money than they know what to do with. The Stone Church Fund is the lion in their path. They have no immediate use for it, and common sense would indicate the advisability of allowing a fund already represented in round numbers by ,£IB,OOO, and rapidly increasing, to go on accumulating until a handsome stone church could be erected which would be an ornament to the city, and eminently adapted from its situation for cathedral purposes. The site for the Cathedral in Parnell is altogether unsuitable, unless the congregation is to be largely of a piscatorial character. Apart from the fact that a cathedral built on it could be seen from a long distance out at sea, and from the sentiment with which a site chosen by the late Bishop Selwyn is invested—at a time when the city wasin its infancy—there is not a substantial argument in its favour. The site of St. Matthew's, from its central position,has frequently beenpointed to by visitors as eminently adapted for a cathedral church. Viewed, however, from a merely parochial standpoint, there is no immediate necessity for expending the money. The present church only requires the outlay of a very moderate sum to put it in thorough repair, and, in the opinion of a competent architect, an expenditure of would keep the building in good order for the next ten years. In ordinary circumstances the dilapidated fences which surround the property would be repaired, and the vestry would take measures to avert the danger of the church roof comingclatteringabout their ears ; but the possession of the stone church fundparalysestheirefforts. Some ot the members, like the famous Jubilee Plunger, seem eager to spend the money and be done with it, while others are equally willing to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, so lone as they can carve and apportion the bird to their own satisfaction.

The apportionment proposed by some of the vestry is a queer commentary upon the text " To him that hath shall be given." It is gravely proposed to apply a portion of the fund to the erection of a parsonage, and to set apart some as a parochial endowment. Such is the ambition of a wealthy city parish. Without dwelling upon the legal aspect of the case, or the propriety of using funds for one object which were originally set apart for another, we merely point out the enervating influence which such a scheme, even in contemplation, has had upon the parishioners. The parish has contributed very little to the general church funds, and although it is the most populous in the diocese, it was one of the first to succumb to the general depression, and lower the stipend of its incumbent. Last night Mr Fisher had the courage (Q suggest, and Mr Lang-

ley, growing bolder, the conscience to propose, "That at the expiration of the ensuing year, the minister's stipend be a year," Mr Rogerson made a faint effort by amendment to raise the proposed sum to but found no seconder, and, incredible to relate, the motion was adopted. By way of further cheering the heart of the recipient of this princely income, and of making the church attractive to the parishioners, it was suggested, on the score of economy, that the gas could be lowered or only a portion of the burners lighted during divine service.

It would seem almost superfluous, in the face of recent occurrences in connection with trust funds, to lay stress upon the necessity of a thorough and efficient audit of accounts. While admitting that a public audit of the Stone Church Building Fund was expedient, Mr Doonin's plan for compassing it was by proposing that the expense 'of the audit be a charge against the fund. This was eventually altered, and the responsibility of finding the £33 was thrown upon the trustees. So long as the audit is placed in the hands of Mr Waymouth, or some other professional expert, the main object sought by Mr Doonin will be secured, and the safe position of the fund vouched for.

It is melancholy to note that the modest sum necessary for securing professional services required for guarding an important trust should press so heavily upon the overburdened shoulders of St. Matthew's parishioners. The tendency ot endowments to restrict the flow of voluntary offerings has frequently been dwelt upon. If the authorities of St. Matthew's will accept a word of advice from us, they will give up all idea of depending upon such a source for their income. The whole condition of the parish needs to be carefully looked into with a view of putting things on a sound basis, and we presume the aid of the Bishop will be sought to effect this desirable result. The remedy really lies mainly wJth the people, and we would fain hope that the hasty measures passed last night were rather the result of pique than of the deliberate judgment of the meeting. The sooner they are rescinded the better, for they will not only injuriously affect the status of the parish, but are calculated, in no slight degree, to bring religious ordinances into contempt.