THE CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 807, 3 May 1910, Page 3

THE CHURCHES.

TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL, ANNUAL 11EPOBT. The report to be submitted at tlio annual meeting of the' Wellington Terrace Congregational Church to-morrow night is accompanied by a letter by the pastor (tho Rev. J. Reed Glasson), who states that a great deal of quiet, steady, faithful work has been done by tho various Church organisations during tho year. ''And yet/' ho adds, "as wo cast our minds back and review tho past, and think how much more we might have done, individually and collectively, we ! must be conscious of many failings and 1 shortcomings. It is tho simple fact that we, as a -Church, stand sadly in need of a revival of vital interest iu the Church's work. Now, with larger experience, and I closer observation of the ways of God, ! and the ways of the human spirit, this j conviction is deepening in me, viz., that i the Church cannot be rovived by any ; miraculous interposition, or by any influJ ence brought to bear upon her from without. Whatever change for the bettor may take place in her must proceed from within, from the hearts and minds of her members. .Only so far as the work of repontaneo, reformation, and regeneration is d*me in them, will she be permanently awakened to a new life." The report states that the roll membership is 128, a decrease ex 13 during the year. Reference is mc.de to tho deaths of Mrs. Duncan M'Kenzie and Mrs. R. H. Edwards, and to the pastors' absence at the meetings of the Australasian Congregational Union and on holiday. Messrs. W. West, Knowles, and h\ Meadowcroft had been re-elected deacons. Under the couductorship of Mr. Horace G. Hunt, Mus. Bac., the choir has continued to render efficient service. Ihu Sunday School roil membership is 91,.being ; a slight increase since.last year. Members of tho Young Women's Club have been sowing for' winter distribution of clothing, and for a sale of work to be held this month. Each evening some subject, musical or literary, has been discussed. The league's session resumed at the end of April. The.Church nnances may be considered satisfactory, though the receipts are. not so large as last year. Special efforts will be made this year to provide for painting and repairs. The General Fund account shows a deficit of «£G 15s. 7d. The weekly offerings were d£B ss. Id. less than those of the previous year, while the-expenses of maintaining public worship hove, increased, Tho caretiker's salary was increased by <£10 per annum as from September .1, and tho organist's salary was also increased by ,£lO per annum as Irom January 1. As iu previous years, the rent derived from letting the schoolroom during the week has been placed to cue renovaaon fund account. Sundry necessary repairs, etc., have cost J>2s 2s. 4u.. and £% has been transferred to the If^9o"V 0 Un A le T a^ g a , balan <* in liand T It has been found necesj 0 considerable quantity of decayed timber replaced in the Chnrch Iff r par "!°? t0 havil, e thf ® nnf fh» t i s - ? ow hein S carried nest w ooß ' 0t Hch ?W„ y - k "counts. Tho balance in d accol "it is now .£55 which will be ntore than absorbed by the tSma. Pa ' ntlnß th ° b,,ildin 5 s thi * WANGANUI CHRISTIAN CONVENTION, (Communicated.) is T t . C^ ristian Convention is to liold its third session next week VVilS'n Tf PleSllicn W' ol: ' tlio I{ev - A ■ Snf fS , 14 by a number B ' a ' instance of the Kov Jl. Spencer, agent of the British and weHV S ° Ciety - X - 15 an oii 'shoot which JuH?°™« Jle ? wlck Convention, which holds its gatheringj yearly amonc the beautiful. hills of the lake DiSf Wing been founded by Canon Battersby SwJSf h lll •i- meeting aro charactensed by quietness, reverence, and reasonableness. Associated with it to-day are the names of Dr. Moulo. (Bishop of Durham), Mr. A. A. Head (chairman), the Iter. J Stuart Holden (hon. secreV?f S ' p" 1, ? iorson > Campbell MorGumming, Guinness, Griffith 'f ii ? Ingham, Dr. Peel, the Bishop of Mombasa, tho Dean of Canterbury, Prebendary Webb-Peploe, the Hera. C. (t. and t. V. Moore, Uvan Hopkins, fa. IJ. Goidon, G, i. Manley (of Christ's College, Cambridge), Hubert Brooke, P. B. Meyer, 1 S. Webster, Canon Barnes Lawrence, Mnssrs. Eugene Stock, of the C.M.S., and Sloan, of the C.I.H. Amon" visiting speakers have been D. L. Moody Dr. iorrey and John M'Neill. Of the Anglican Mission of Help shortly to arrive in New Zealand one at least is definitely associated with Keswick. One ?w e <M* erT <:s special mention, and it is that of Rev. Charles Inwood, who, since ? ho £ rsl Bothering in Wanganui in 1908, has been doing deputation work 1 in India, China, and South America, i AJ? e . £i® o* the teaching is to help I Christians to realise their essential one-1 Bess their privileges and responsibilities, entailing complete surrender to tho Master, and the logical out- 1 such an act, namely, service, ' either homo or in the mission field! I with a viow to the evangtelisation of the world and hastening the coming of our Lord. Ihe special speaker this year is to be Mr. Xf. Bradley, of the Egypt General Mission, who comes aa a personal friend of the chairman and secretary of the Keswick Council, in answer jto a request from the Executive Committee in Wanganui. Tho opening meeti is to bo on May 10, and the last on (Friday) is to be devoted to missionary topics. The general secretary's address is 54 Ingestre Street Wanganui; the place is St. Paul's Hall; the times are 7 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 -15 p.m.