ST. PETER'S CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 12867, 17 July 1906, Page 3

ST. PETER'S CHURCH.

The Vestry report states:—The year closed j with a deficiency of £9 15s «*, of which '£s m a debit" balR ? < o 2?" preceding year. An increase Ik* i per Weet in offertories during the last two years would have cleared our oxpens«es. Thanks are due to the Ladies' Guild for their unwearied efforts in the improvement of the church and grounds, and for their welcome financial aid. The Vestry desire to gratefully acknowledge the services of the church fund collectors, and of the Sunday school teachers with reference to the cleaning and care of the school. A commencement has been made in effecting a reduction of the church debt by the redemption of four £5 debentures, and a further eum of £25 19 available for additional cancellations. The Rev. E. L. Woodhouse must be credited with the initiation of this scheme. The attention of the now Vestry must be directed to the pressing need o*f complying with the. Synod's requirements m raising the vicar's stipend to £250 per armun, thereby averting the threatened deparochialisation. In a parish so large aa . Peter ' s > Sa ve m accordance• with tberr moans the reproach of under-paying tiie minister would speedily pas 3 away. The Rev. -Canon King, in his report, ? k* 03 ,-—Punng the past year there We been 104 baptisms, 11 tnarriaces, 31 burials, £1 persons confirmed, and 1,414 communions roado. St. Peter's Sunday school under Rev. V. G B. King, has a staff of teachers, including four married ladies, 259 scholars; tlie Forbury Sunday schooL i-nder the Rev. E. L. Woodhouse, has 11 teachers 130 scholars; total, 33 teachers, Oft* scholars. This is most eratifvin" and the teachers have worked well. Our mo.*t hearty thanks are due to the Ladies' Guild the church workers' sale, and the liberal supportere of the sale To these worker* 7n °r* ™ great improvements in »nr < nurch. The painstaking care of the organist, members of the choir, under the Niton of Rev. E. L. Woodhouse, have successfully maintained hearty congregational services. Thanks are due to the na=een "blowers," who for a nominal sum have rendered great help. The collectors "t church funds merit our heartv thanks for their self-sacrificing work. The generous and gratuitous assistance of the Revs T. Russell and V. G. Bryan King and Messrs Hawley, Thompson (superintendent of Forbury Sunday school), and RonaMson has been of priceless value to myself as >w vicar. ' My dear fellow-worker, Rev. E. L. Woodhouse, 8.A., is still with us. and I am sure has the hearfeH sympathy •of u? all m his bereavement. I desire to thank our churchwardens and VestTy for their cordial co-operation and valued work. I think the time has now come >o attack "trr debt,'"and it is to be.hoped the ainu;.! meeting will take up this questbn -with zeal.