KNOX CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 12899, 23 August 1906, Page 3

KNOX CHURCH.

Knox Church's annual meeting was held 1 in Stuart Hall last evening, and was well attended. The Rev. Mr Hewitson presided. Mr G, L. Denniston, in moving the adoption, of the annual report, said that throughout the year all had worked in perfect accord. The minister had returned from his holiday refreshed. During the year both courts had been strengthened, and the congregation were safe in their hands. All the institutions in connection with, the church were in a flourishing condition, and the hearty thanks of tie congregation were owing to the hundreds of workers who assisted. In the speaker's opinion the choir were more adequate at present than ever before in the history of Knox Church. The satisfactory attendance of singers must be gratifying alike to the capable conductor (Mr Paget Gale) and tojthe congregation. The finances of the church kept wonderfully steady, though the receipts were some £B3 less than last year. This was accountable to the falling off in the sustentation fund ; x otherwise their finances were steady. The collections were within £lO of the previous) year. The debt amounted to £4,111, and somo people were very much concerned about this. There was another side to the matter, he thought. He found that when one got out of debt one usually proceeded to lay it up again, and he would point out thai a great deal had been done by the present generation for Knox Church, and something should be left for the generation to follow. A point perhaps calling for criticism was the attendance at communion. A yea* ago the average attendance had been 711 at this service-—62 per cent, of the congregation. Considering the inspiriting and beneficial nature of the service, be did not consider 62. per cent, a large enough proportion for an event thai- only occurred four times in the year. This year the attendance was a little less, amounting to exactly 60 per cent. Referring to the small number who joined the church by examination, the speaker said that last year' seventeen hadl joined, the lack of numbers no doubt being accounted for to a great extent by Mr Hewitson's absence, and this year thirtyseven had become members in this manner. This gave a total of fifty-four, which he did not think was very creditable. He was almost afraid to ask how many of this number were young men, and in saying that he Was placing his finger on a very sore place. A lack of seriousness, a love of pleasure, want of proper parental control, and,' in a measure, inefficient Bible instruc-. tion and the comparative indifference of some ministers to impart the instruction were reasons for the shortage. Mr Downie Stewart seconded the motion. It would hardly bo credited in connection with the sustentation fund, he said, that in the year 1861 £315 was subscribed towards the fond, while the present year only sar £379 to its credit. It seemed amazing that so little progress should! have been made in connection with so important a fund. At the same time he fully appreciated the increased amounts that were devoted to different missions. Still, the fund -was not satisfactory. On investigation he found that in 1875 £6lO was contributed to thefund, in 1891 it was £427, and although it had maintained a fairly level standard since then it was below £4OO at the present time. On the contrary, the various mission funds had risen accordingly. The speaker also referred to the loss the church had sustained in the death of Mr William Hutchison.

Messrs W. Stevenson, P. G. Pryde, G. M. Thomson, and C. D. R. Richardson also spoke, and reference was made to the work done by Sister Mary, Dr Dunlop, and Mr Todd.

The report was adopted. The Rev. Mr Hewitson moved—"That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to all the workers in connection with the church, mora particularly the voluntary workers." Thia was carried by acclamation. During an} interval songs were most ac-« ceptably rendered by Mrs Walter Hislop and Mr Gordon Sutherland, Mrs Hewitson playing the accompaniments.