MORAY PLACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 9833, 23 October 1895, Page 4

MORAY PLACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The thirty-third anniversary of the above church was celebrated last evening with a tea meeting. A large number partook of the good things provided, and after tea the gathering took the form of a public meeting. The church was nicely decorated with flowers and evergreens.

The annual report stated that during the year there had been received into fellowship sixteen on profession of faith and two by transfer from other churches, whilst the congregation had lost four by death, two had resigned, and eleven had been transferred or removed from the roll, making the total at present (Including twenty-six members at the branch church at St, Clair) The Dorcas Society had been kept fully employed amongst the necessitous poor. The average attendance at the Sunday school had been well maintained. The contribution from the school to the London Missionary Society amounted to ,£2.'!, and in addition £‘lo had been collected towards the fund for the John Williams. At the Sunday School Union examinations several of the scholars were successful in carrying off prizes. Two new class rooms had been built and finished for extra school accommodation. The Band of Hope - had now a membership of 120. The Christian Band continued its useful work. The membership roll had been revised and reduced to a little over 80. The Mutual , Improvement Association had a membership of 1 133, being an increase of twelve. The library was well patronised, and the surplus funds are to be spent on replenishing its shelves. During the year £27 2s 8d passed through the treasurer’s hands, £2l 17s 9d of which was expended, leaving a credit balance of £5 14s 4d. The Men’s Institute had through natural growth more clearly revealed its nature and its place among the church organisations. It was at last plain that its mission was not to receive and retain those youths who outgrew the provision made for them in the Sunday school. Another class had been formed for that purpose. For the last six months the attendance had averaged thirty-five, though sometimes reaching to fifty or sixty. As much of the discussion in the Institute turned upon the application rf Christianity to social questions, the president felt that it was desirable to procure for members a more accurate knowledge of political economy. Arrangements were accordingly made with Mr W. I). Milne to give a course of lectures to the Institute during the winter. Many thanks were due to Mr Milne, whose services were gratuitously and cheerfully given in a fine recognition of the obligations of citizenship. The treasurer’s report stated that the ordinary church revenue from collections and subscriptions had fallen below that of last year by the sum of £1715s lOd. The ordinary expenditure had been £496 12s 9d for 1893-94, as against £497 17s b’d for 1894-95. while the unpaid liabilities amounted to £11). There was on deposit in the savings bank a sum of £SO on account of the jubilee fund.

The Rev. Mr Saunders (pastor of the church), who presided at the meeting, said that the past year had been an unusually pleasant one. They had worked in perfect peace, and had been most successful in their work.

The Rev. Mr Betts, of Exmouth, England, congratulated the congregation on possessing all the signs of a strong, vigorous, and healthy church.

The Rev. Mr Bradbury also made a few congratulatory remarks. The Rev. Mr Gibb spoke in eulogistic terms of the singing of the choir. He thought Mr Saunders might be well proud, because it struck him (the speaker) that one did not hear in the ordinary church choir singing of such a high quality. He went on to congratulate Mr Saunders and the congregation on their prosperous condition, and said he had frequently noticed that when one church was prospering all the churches were doing the same. There were churches, however, that went in for sensationalism, and it was quite possible that a church going in for that kind of thing might prosper at a time when other churches were going back. But he was within the mark in asserting that when one congregation was flourishing all other denominations were in a similar state. It was a matter of sincere thankfulness to him to know that other denominations in Dunedin were going ahead, and that this Congregational church was in such a healthy condition. The Congregational, Church was a historical church, and had a noble history. Tho speaker here related instances of what the Congregational Church was doing in aggressive work in England, and went on to speak about church union.

His remarks on this bead will appeal; in Saturday’s issue. i.Selections were given 'by the, choir, including three choruses ftttm ‘filljah,’ attd the anthem ‘ fiaVU mercy, 0 Lord * (Moftart)-. .