CHURCH MEETINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 286, 3 December 1930, Page 11

CHURCH MEETINGS.

MOUNT EDEN PRESBYTERIAN. ILLNESS OF MINISTER. Deep sympathy with the minister, the Kev.'Leonai-d Si Hunt, in his long illness, is expressed by the session in the fifteenth report of the Mount Eden Eresby'terian Church to»be presented at .the annual meeting of the congregation to-morrow evening. ■ The session Slso thanks the interim moderator, the Rev. W* J. Coinrie, and expresses its appreciation of the services of those nijnisters who have filled the pulpit' during this period.: The attendances at the services of the church havo been well maintained during, the year, and on several occasions the Beating accommodation has had to be augmented. ' Good progress is also .indicated by the reports of the ladies' guild, the branch: of the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union and the choir. • "■..'• . ' ,'i The board of managers states tiiat despite the times of general financial depression, the position, of the church hae' been ' well maintained during the year. The gross revenue from all sources amounted to £1304, and the Sunday collections were within a few pounds of last year's total. There was an increase of £49 in the missions contributions, which reached £249. Reference is also made- to the impetus the youth work of the church has received Avith the provision of a new Sunday school hall and also a suite of Bible class rooms. The seven Bible classes all present encouraging reports, and there hae been an increase of 46 in the Sunday school roll during the year. Progress,hae also been made by the First Kitchener Group of Boy Scouts, a rover crew having been formed during the year. The membership of the church stands at 327. Forty-nine-newnameshave been added during the year, 16 of them, mostly Bible class members, having joined by profession of faith.

ST. JOHN'S, PAPATOETOE.

A successful year was reported at the annual meeting of St. John's. Presbyterian Church, Papatoctoe, held in the •church hall 'on Monday. It was stated that over £1400 had been raised durin« the year by the .activities of the church. Tho Rev. T. H. Roseveare, minister and moderator of the charge, presided. Mr. J. , McFarland, session clerk, reported increasing .attendance at the services, especially on Sunday mornings. The reports of the various church organisations showed that the year had been one of steady progress. The membership* stands at 232. The death was recorded of Mrs. A. Baird, Mrs. Carruth and Mr. T. R. Clow. Mrs. Baird was present at the. first Presbyterian service held on the banks of the Tamaki River in 1854, and had been a communicant member of the church for 73 years. She was active in the missionary work of the church and had given many valuable gifts for work in foreign lands. Mrs. Carruth was an old and much-esteemed membec,pf the church. She had been a child at the first service hold in the district by the first minister, the Rev. John Macky. Mr. Clow had been an office-bearer and still retained his membership while living at Russell during the last years of his life. Mr. W. T. S. Wilson, secretary, reported that a two-manual choral pipe organ had been installed at a cost of £425. The debt on the church remained at £1450. It was expected this would be materially reduced in the coming year-bv a bequest from the late Mrs. Baird. * The "envelope system" was reported to be working satisfactorily, , but the managers wished that it would be more generally adopted. Messrs. T. W. Donnell, A. W. Hall, W. Willcox and John Wyllie were re-elected and Mr. G. K. Hamilton and Dr. J. J. Valentine were elected to fill vacancies caused by the resignations of I Messrs. Knight and Meikle. Tftn Sun- ! day school roll had increased to 184 and i,fc "was reported that four Bell beqiiest prizes had gained by the children at the Assembly;oxammatlmfc " ■