KNOX CHURCH ANNUAL MEETING.

Evening Star, Issue 7799, 21 December 1888, Page 1

KNOX CHURCH ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of members of Knox Church was held last evening, when there was a large attendance, and Dr Stuart presided. After prayers and praise Dr Stuabt addressed the congregation as follows:—You will, perhaps, allow me just a word or two in the way of preface. I begin by saying that this is an age of associations and institutions, and beyond doubt we need tbem all. At all events it is not in my way to depreciate organisations which Christians deem useful and necessary. I cannot but wish them God-speed ; but after all the Christian congregation is ever to be regarded as the chief organisation, and just because it is a divine appointment, It is a great honor to be on its roll, and a great advantage socially and spiritually. There is a true sense in which our congregational connection is voluntary, but the congregation is itself a divine insti tution. I remember the first days of this congregation; I remember the feelings with which we hailed the springing up of the various associations or societies which cluster around it—as the Kirk Session, the Deacons' Court, the Prayer Meeting and Missionary Association, the Bible classes and Sabbath schools, the Young Men's Literary and ( Debating Society and Temperance Societies, the Ladies' Association and Dorcas meeting, and Young Women's Society. The congregation and these institutions present themselves to me under the figure of a banyan tree I saw near Colombo, sending down from scores of its branches roots which, striking into. the ground, became themselves trunks and shaded a space under which 1,000 souls all told could sit with comfort. Our ecclesiastical organisations, springing from the congregation, exert not only a reflex influence upon it, but greatly enrich and adorn it. Without them it would be little more than a pollard, but possessing them they increase its power of usefulness. The one thing which specially fills my hearfand soul with gratitude is the large number of men and women in the congregation who actively and personally help in spreading the Gospel in the place of our habitation. Their number, if totted up, would come close on 200. I am sometimes charged with optimism in re spect to the church; bnt how oouldlhold despairing views of her destiny when a single congregation can give its minister the counsel and assistance of so large a body of men and women, and the prayers and sympathies of six times as many more? No congregation so circumstanced can fail to help forward the Kingdom of God. The annual report, dealing with the various branches of the work of the church, was taken as read, it having been previously printed and circulated among members. The balance-sheet set forth that the revenue amounted to L 2,481 5s Id and the expenditure to L 2.409 2s 7d, leaving a balance of L 72 2s lid, while the debt on the churoh amounted to L 3,624 9s 4d.

Mr E. B. Cabgill moved the adoption of the report, and in doing so referred to the prosperity that had blessed the congregation in all its works during the year notwithstanding the trying time that they had passed through. Their pastor had returned from his well - earned furlough with the renewed strength and vigor that were anticipated. During Dr Stuart's absence the congregation had enjoyed with very great satisfaction the ministrations of the Rev. Mr Cameron, The report was adopted nem. con. The question of undertaking the support of a missionary, as remitted to the congregation by the Deacons' Court, was next taken up, Mr 6. M. Thomson remarking that the Rev. Mr Smaill, who had been a long time connected with the congregation, had nobly volunteered for mission work, and the question for deoision was whether they should accept his generous offer. The Rev. Mr Smaill had been spoken of by Professors Dunlop and Watt as one of the most talented men who had left their theological college, and he was prepared to go into the mission field without any guarantee beyond the fact that he was authorised to go as their missionary. It would, he (the speaker) thought, be necessary that he should go out under the auspices of the Presbytery as the accredited servant of the church, and if the congregation authorised his going they should be prepared to make adequate provision for his maintenance. As a means of solving thequestion he would propose—" That this congre* gation give permission to the Deacons' Court to issue circulars to all members of the congregation to ascertain what support they are prepared to afford in order that the offer of the Rev. Mr Smaill may be accepted." Mr E. seconded the, resolution, which was carried nem. con. Dr Stdabt said he supposed all present had heard of the substantial legacy left to the church by one of its members recently deceased. They knew the relation of the Gillies family to the church from its very outset. If he were asked to say who had practically been the founder of Knox Church he would say it was the late John Gillies, and he could add that the Gillies family had remained loyal to it. The late Mrs Gillies had surprised them by leaving to the church in her will the sum of L 50 0; and as she left them free as to applying the money the Deacons' Court had applied it to the reduction of the debt, which had now been reduced by LI.OOO. That, however, did not come out in the report, as the report was only up to September 30. The Rev. Mr Camkbon expressed his pleasure at hearing the satisfactory annual report, whi6h was particularly interesting to him, as it was in some repects an account of his stewardship during the absence of the Rev. Dr Stuart. Their pastor must have been cheered from time to time when he heard what they were doing, and how loyal the members of the congregation were to the church. He (Mr Cameron) had been exceedingly pleased to labor .among them during the last six or seven-months, and would retain grateful recollections of the sympathy and hearty appreciation with which he had been encouraged. He might say that he used to cheer the sick people whom he visited by saying that Dr Stuart would soon be back, which they were always delighted to hear, and indeed the Doctor's name seemed a charm. They had now their pastor with them again, and he hoped he would be long spared to go in and out among them and to do his work.—(Applause.) Mr J. L. Gillies, after commenting in very appreciative terms on the kindly manner in which he had fulfilled his duties during Dr Stuart's absence, made the following reference to the bequest of his late mother: I thank God that He put it into her heart to make the acknowledgment she did in her latter years of her great appreciation and thorough sympathy with all that my father did in connection with'this congregation, for it was principally from ttiat point of view, I believe, that she made that acknowledgment. I would now move " That the thanks of the congregation be tendered to the Rev. Mr Cameron for the services he has rendered to it." The motion was carried with loud arplause, and the proceedings closed with the pronouncing of the benediction.