THE CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 9

THE CHURCHES.

ANNUAL MEETINGS. ST. PETER'S. About forty persons attended the annual riiecting of St. Peter's Church last evening. ■ ■' ' The Vicar stated that tho place of. Mr.. Handoon, who left twelve months ago, had not yet been filled. There wcro hardly any men.in New Zealand available as curates at present, though lie was assured that this was only a temporary trouble. To get curates from England was neither possible nor satisfactory. Ho had hopes, however, that they might find somco.no. later this year. Mr. Maclaverty, on his return from England, would go to Brooklyn as vicar, if. parishioners and, tho Diocesan Syndd agreed to tjio subdivision of the parish. The consequence of all this was that they were deplorably shorthanded, and ho did not know what "tlicy would do but for the kindly temporary help giVeii by the Revs. D 1 11. Jenkins and D. C. Bates. Were it not for their aid, lie would soon break down; thanks to them, tho church ■ was managing to mark time; they could not hopo to go forward much, but at least they were riot going to go back.' The, supply of Now Zealand clergy for the. Church was a veiy pressing • matter. ' .One reason why young men" did not, offer themselves for thoministry hero was the lack of good and ex-t perienced training.; This need it'was sought t6 irieet by'the erection of the Bishop Had-' field Memorial •: Hostel at Kolburne. The Guild of St. Peter's, tho men's guild, had just becomo- 'affiliated to . the great _ world-wide Church of England Men's Society. : ' Tliq vicar paid an eloquent tribute, to tho late Dr. Tripe, ono of the church's: oldest parishioners. [They had,-many needs in the. parish. They wanted • badly /an earnest; capable woman worker, to look after tho elder girls, and to tench .young mothers liow .to give religious .training to theirchildren.; Ladies were' wanted for tho working party, and men, willing to help oil the vestry,, at tho club; at the mission, and in other ways.; .Thanks were: accorded to a largo number .of' 1 church helpers. . .. ~ . ..| The report: and balance-sheet (published yesterday) were adopted. . / A .curious position.was discussed in respect of., the Taranaki Street Mission; • Tho fundSi-i for.the inauguration of this;work;;werp .provided by'the;vicar and Mr. T. Ballingcr,-arid for a long time it was , carried ..oil' 'at., the vioar's expense: ..At first it. was riecpssaryto pay rental for 'a. building, but -now' that a .hall lias been erected., which is let for other purposes, a rental is received instead of paid, and the' 'mission', property' promises -to bo ; a .'very good investment. ... ; ' \ - After explaining-?these :happ.v. prospects. Mr. T. Ballingcr, moved:,) "That a proposed deed of declaration'of trust concerning the' mission hall property in Taraiiaki Street having' been produced and explainbd' at this mooting;- it is; resolved that this meeting- do approve of tho said deed,' and of tho- trusts, powers, and 'provisions therein- contained." Tho deed was to constitute the vicar and' Mr. Ballinger trustoos of ' the property for ; St. Peter's Church. : V . : The Vicar .seconded ;tho motion. ' ;-' • In objeotion, Messrs. E. Anderson' and R. Wilberfoss raised the curious point that tho parish could, not constitute the./ Vicar and Mr. . Ballinger trustees, Biuco; it .'possessed no authority .over, the mission; which', has' been established.^.by• the Vicar,'and:'Mr.;.Ballingcr. without tho. participntioh, of:the parish,. and whiclrthey could continue to carry;on,'whatever, tho parishioners'might'.decide. N; Miv W," H: -Walton, lay evangelist,, spoke eloquently; of tho -work :done by tho emission in,- a district whoso social life :was as far removed -from that' of St;. Peter's'-parish as one Pole from" the other. The -services at St.Peter's .would, never attract tho. people; whom' this' mission- .worked-.for.";>..Thore: were slums, in. Wellington where vico and sin.'and, immorality of the .worst' form'flourished/. and among- thq'.residents, of these'.slums :thp '.misr' sio'n .oarndd. on v ■ In answer to.Mr.;.Wilberfoss, Mr. Ballingcr stated 'that•; the iVicar and himself,' and not ; ■ the ' parish, ;• were, holders - oftho 1 . title' deeds of. tho mission property. . . ' >; ; " In\tho''Courso:( of' further', discussion,. iiiistanc'ei Nvero shown in which tho';']idrisli' had '.seemed - to. acknowledge 'a„ Responsibility .for, .tho' mission, and' recognition', was., made - qf .the ;;.Vicar's generous conduct in- relation to: this work. •• '; ' The .-'motion ] was finally adopted. . ;; • V; A amotion-was also passed ag'reeing to an alteration uof;;tho -'parish boundaries,;-' as the 'Synod':might deoido; '■ so, n's to forin a now parochial- distri.ot of Brooklyn," and' binding tho £50 \ a" year. for two'years 1. . /its' m)keop.;':V V •"(.•"Officers .'Wer\y..' appointed- as, '.follow:— Vicar's churchwarden,'-Mr. :A. Palmer; parishioners'. : churchwarden|, i Mr.';-■'F. , 'C. Crease; auditors,, Messrs. J. M: Butt and G., W.i WiltonY synodsmen;- Jlessrs.- E.- Andersdri; R. -'Wilberfoss,-'and- Dr."' 1' vffe: nominators, Messrs'..' Wilberfoss, Anderson, and W., ,Gill;' vestry, Messrs. Alleiij' Ballingcr, ;Anderson,'.' Wilberfoss, ■-'J.:-Rash, Soutlnvick, 'F- Palmer, Lawson,. Lawrence, and Carter:'

"REMOVAL OF RESIDENT . FAMILIES.; ■' The, Rev. G. P. Davys, in his-annual iiddross.;to: the iparisbioners :of. St. Peter's last .evening, said that he had'been-.vicar of the, church for, five .years;, and .even during that short, time he had observed ;'a marked chahge ; como on the parish.. It was becoming lfess and' .less residential: ' With the development' of the i suburbs, people were moving more ;.and more from the centre of. the city,/while their places wero occupied,by a. floating pop.iilation. , St. 'Peteh's'fntOj'he was afraid, was to become somewhat' like a city church' in London; surrounded by shops, warehouses, and boardinjliouses, and drawing its congreKation from. outside,' Th'o : palmy ; .'days of St. Peter's were over. Tho, congregations were; still large,;. and it wrfs encouraging to, notice the' number , of men, especially at the. Holy' Communion, but ono did not sec fancies occupying whole sittings, as was tho case'years' ago.:; '.Those who attended ..wero -strangers, or unattached people,; here to-day and gone to-morrow. . The Sunday School, owing to the loss of,resident families, was much smaller, tlian it was'fivo. years ago.: < . . . . , It this was to bo their fate]; they must accept the inevitable, and not.! bo dishearten-, od, .but cheerfully sieze the opportunity of doing ; all ./-the" , good they, could.; Ho, believed that i St.' Peter's ; would 'always ' remain a valued factorV in. the development of the, higher ' lifo of the' ■peoplo of Wellington. Bui two rather discouraging things i were resulting from this oxOdus of residential families. / One was the loss of ; income, and tho other, the;' lots : of workers., : Seven or bight' years ago the col- , lections amounted to'£ioo a year more thin now, and soat reiits had gone down £50 in the samo poriod. Meanwhile,' expensos 'ditj. not diminish, but,:rather . increased. / They had always prided themselves at St. Peter's on having everything in a high ■ state of efficiency. This cost, m'onoy, and . they, were rather anxious as they contemplated , the steadily decreasing income..: Tliey had barely enough to. moet' current • expenses.. • The church would have to be painte'd in . a year's time, aiid they stillowed £1100 on tile school-, icom. Church officers, moreover, wero [.noteasily supplied from the new floating population. It was becoming increasingly hard to find men to serve on the vestry, or as churchwardens', or .'.'ladies' to work' in tho working party, or oven-boys to sing in tho choir. ■ They must rejoice that other oarishos in the suburbs woro gaining by their loss. There wns a groat work for St. Peter's to do amongthc shifting, niultitudos around it. Ho had been much touched by the following letter ■ which ho had received from a completo stranger:—"! fool I should liko to tell you how deeply I havo been impressed by. "tho Sunday .services, during Lent; 1 havo only been in Wellington four weeks, and I am leaving for <;ood shortly. Can ydu tell mo where I. can r;ot a nhotograph of the interior of tho .church?!' Such a .letter, was encouraging' as showing that St.'Peter's had still a most useful task to perform,' though it might be a humbler one than nf old. At Kelburne,. where thoto was a resident population,' tho services were well attended. lii a few years' time, probably, a fine church would bo built thero, and possibly tho place would bo formed into a separate parochial

district, with p vicar of its own.'.''lf tho fate of St. I'etor's was to-decrease,-she might console herself by the sight of her children's increase. " . y •• '

ST. THOMAS'S CHURCH... ~, MEETING' OF PARI^HION,I?US?: ' Tli,e annual meeting of parishioners of.St, Thomas's parochial district whs held -at the schoolroom last evening, the vicar (the Rev. John Walker) presiding:'" . In his address, the vicar- said't'liat tlie*jvorlc of the past year had- been: very-encouraging, and it was .satisfactory,-that i-.they/hod.\not only been able to pay their way,, but they had reduced the. overdraft.''Ho .'whs gllid to say that tho congregations''lihdMargoiy creased, particularly at the moriliiig 'servico; This recalled Mr., Gladstone's remark of "oncers,",ivlio usually, attended in,tho evening, but ill this.cliufcii,.it,fortunately,did,iiot; apply. Tho. increase 'in' Vtlic',''attendance brought to their minds necessity for tho extension of the.Church, which was at present ail. incomplete. building? He suggested that the .adclitions-iiho made;;of; brick '.or stone 'preferably? so'that \wheii' ! th6' church came to -Jio' •cntirelyvrdjuiltyiiav. start would ha-s-o been-made. ..He was. pleftsixbto rebord that .excellent 'workf'!liad..bfcem.dpnc..at Island Bay, and as a result:; of tho: garden' party and feto in January' last'ithe sum of £125 had been paid off;-tho* debt 'on'Uhe church room. About £00' was creqiiircd for, the enlargement of the. organ, and to raiso: that amount a' number of collection-cards had been prepared, i Tho vicar, remarked that' tho Chu,rch grounds , should.:bo attractive than thoy t were present... ;Inconclusion, ho wished to;, express' his -;thanks to the churchwardens aml'rTryestrymen, theorganist and choir,iahd v. .thesuperintendent;, of tho' Sunday School and the teachers,>,-who had , all worked loyally together'.''; Tho report (already published);, and balancesheet were adopted. ' j'.-y Tho following office-bearers'were elected:?-!. Churchwardens: . Messrs.. J., W. Salmou and.G. H. Butler; vestrvnion : Messrs. W. F. Christie, A. 10. .loffs, R. ! ; A,;;,', Patterson, 0,. 51. King, T. Proctor, A. L. ITaylock. and:jL B. Ncilson; auditors: Messrs.-.-A. &.?Chapman and Clifford, Smith. : The retiring office-bearers \yero ;_Ehearty vote of thanks.' ' Mr. Salmon referred to 1 , tho 'approaches to' tjio church;' which neede'tI I '!ttt«riti6ft,'' ; rtM -h'ei urged that a suggestion' which-had-'bceii'made of every parishioner paving the: cost -of one paviiig- l stone .(3s.j; fld.l should' bo.i'adopted., Tho idea found'- favour, tlioso present subscribed^:ionf-rf-'^aa-At. a,. 1 meeting- held aftcrwaHlsK/.tonTeceivo 1 ii ohiiit a t ionsof j tiro. syiibdsmeip'toTTOpfoseiit the parochial district oniiihocDiocesan.'Syiiod,': Messrs. 1t..A.. PattersonpidljclJlniid.. and J. W: Salmon' were ..liommatecbr -The election will be held on Friday wette - . ' '• '■ /•" -jo :.l. -- ' .'V ST. MARY'S, ,KARORI.. . \ The annua! meeting oNtlio'- ofSt.. Mary's, ~ Karori, ;Wa^ iJ llgld' , ia'st. iTfeiiingj tlie Vicar, Rev. Mr. Hnnsellj"m-tl3o I clinir.- - : Tho report and baliiliee-sheot; 3 dethils'-of l which V havo already . kcsn< < publish(Ml, v w6ro adopted. ■ The.' election tho ensuing year resulted ■ - c - ■ Vicar's •*chuh!h''w^rf6n J !>SSfiP., ; .Si5 > . ! i: ! ®; combe; parishioners' ■•'chocft^mfe© t ßtfi f ifeP' Caldwell :V vestrv, Messrs'."o. ; H;''])avie^j''J. W. Henderson, G Eagle! II Cook, S B Short, and ,S.' Dix; audittfr,3-Mi-, -C; I. ont j Synod rcprcscnttftittf! 'Mr: 'J?j t -V. r Wators; isecretarv, Mr. tyii'Jß.'.- Nwycoinbe. The formal business having'beeii fconclude.df consideration was given-t<>-'a :'llfotion;-'t:lbled .by Mr., J. W:-. Hendersoft, with ,, lirfe#ento' J tb' the erection s '.of tho':riew#iiftHs€htoh':vQ93io mover oxplsinetl which had - l>een prepared/• n provitled ' , for an', odiflco, '.tho .cost; of "which- waij-J means. ; Mr. F. do-JvClerei'idiocesau'-arclu'-tect,. had iisinco .thenv. whoreby the,cost would ,bc; considerably- less, : and.it' ; wiis ifor,-the raeeting')t«:'!decidß'whiithbrtliese should be approvcdyiand, tho iwork'bo proceeded .with.. It ini etolaintditlmt tho estimated cost of tlio.hilildmEpwns £5000;" and of thjs:sum £918;wns''alrhVclw:i\v^hand.*-" It was', proposed., to,:.construct ohurch-. lip, to. ; £ipp.o,:,reserviugiitsic6nixsletion'. for,' somo: futu re r:;da te: r j flh'ij. • buildin'g yivould; •80. constructed ,in ■iath v'and. in< Architectural', design;', would''.i.vreseriiblo . ; ;the" dhtirch buildings'-'of. seating- accomnibdatiori lwon.ded-;iirbth6.ip<jr-: tion to bo erectcd • w?.5h286.,;ri3 Tha;. meeting unanimously ;adoptcd tha scheino-.as, outlined} and authqriscd , worjj; .tfefbe'-iprocccded.: \with. Y ,;