HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1910, Page 1

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS. 'I he animal meeting of the above church was held in 'Trinity Hall last evening and was well attended. The Vicar presided anti opened the meeting with prayer. CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORT The Churchwarden (Mr A. G. Kemp) then read the report, which began with an acknowledgment of the mercies of God vouchsafed during the past year. The report -then proceeded to deal with the finance of the church. OFFERTORIES. Ihe offertories for the year amounted to £360 0s 7d as against £360 12s 7d for last year, a decrease of 12s. The pew rents show an increase of £125 16s 3d as against £BB 16s 6d for last velar.

NEW ZEALAND CHURCH MISSION. Tito Vestry guaranteed the sum of £2O towards the expenses of the approaching mission. The sum of £ll 3s was also given by certain members of the congregation, but (his is additional to the sum guaranteed by the Vestry and does not relieve the church of its responsibility. It is to be hoped that parishioners will'boar this in mind and respond to the call, should one be made so that this amount may be paid in full. ENVELOPES.

Jho envelope system has not yet increased the offertories, but it has succeeded in maintaining them at the level of last year. The thanks of the Vestry are line to Mr A. 11. West for keeping the registers and distributing the envelopes FUNDS. I be A estry really require an amount of LlO per Sunday to enable all salaries to be paid and provide for the upkeep of the Chinch, Schoolroom, Vicarage and Verger s Cottage. This amount could easily be raised if every churchman contributed his quota regularly. viif. Vicarage.

The old portion of the Vicarage is in such a very Ivad state of repair that it requires to be rebuilt as early as possible. I Imre is an amount of over* £l7O iu the Savings Rank towards (ho new Vicarage bund, but. owing to the present state of the finances of (lie Church, the Vestry <annot undertake the work of rebuilding ] until they have the amount of £SOO in band, it is to be hoped that some of the members of the congregation will help in raising this amount. The roof of the Vicarage and of the Verger’s Cottage will have to be re painted this vear. ORGAN, ’ Mi Holiday, of Wellington, lias arrived ami is putting a new Dulciana stop into the organ, which will no doubt be a great iv iptisition. Ibe cost of this addition will be borne by some members of the congregation, thus relieving (lie Vestry of this burden. VISITS. During the year we have bad the pleasure of visits from the Rev. 11. S. Woollcotnlie. Canon pollock. Rev. 0. Kimberley and Rev. F. 11. Spencer, and the outcome of Mr Woollronibe’s visit is that a branch of the C.E.AI.S. has boon formed in Greymoutli. The branch has begun byorganising monthly services for men oil a Sunday afternoon, and two of these services have now been held. It is proposed to invite some of the clergy from other parishes in conjunction with Archdeacon \ ork and Rev. T. F. Taylor to conduct these services. It is to lie hoped that the members of the Society will work hard to make those services a success.

During the year three members of the Vestry resigned through various causes. On behalf of the congregation we would sincerely thank the Superintendent and teachers of the Sunday School for the time and devotion given to (his important branch of the church work. Also to the organist, members of thg Choir, layreaders, and the ladies who attend to the various branches of the chnrehwork. SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT. An interesting report of Sunday School matters was then read bv the Superintendent. Mr Isaac Leach The school was in a flourishing condition with an attendance roll of 283 children and 21 teachers. During the year several teachers bad left (be town and others bad resigned, but in each case substitutes bad been found to take their classes. The Sunday School picnic held at Omoto in January was a great success. The Teachers’ Preparation Class ionducted by (lie Rev. T. F. Taylor on Tuesday evenings, was found to be very helpful and greatly appreciated .by the teachers The course of lessons now in me is the "Five Years Bible and Prayer I look Course.” a book used throughout the diocese, and it is hoped that many of our ■children will tompete in the diocesan examination at the end of the velar. TRINITY INSTITUTE*.

I he report of file Trinity Institute was read by (be President Air B. F. do Berry, AI.A. It recorded a successful year’s work, enumerated (lie prizes won in (bo various competitions ol brains and muscle and urged the members to practise bard lor the appro,aching elocutionary contest and stated that the prospects had never been brighter for the society than at pie sent, and ere long they hoped to have a good and suitable loom creeled for their meetings The Sm iety had over .1191 to its credit in the Savings Bank, besides a Comber <•( promises of money guaranteed. VICAR'S REPORT. The Vicar’s report, after acknowledging the mercies of (tod with thankfulness, dealt exhaustively with chinch matters in general and the parish and surrounding districts in particular. He touched briefly • m ••Disestablisraent” and the "Edtica

ipm;,l ptoblcm" in the ‘Aid Baud AVith regard to the former, even if it should eventuate, which he considered improbable, he said the church had nolliiim to I'ear. The Iri-di Clinivli was disestablished but not thereby destroyed. The colonial churches are not established and yet th(\ 1 ave a vigorous church life. He reckoned that if “Establishment” were ollered to Hie Church of the Province of New /calami it would he refused < n the ground that it would mean some for of Slate control, from which at present we are entirely free. Tie expressed the opinion that if the .secular education provided by the New Zealand Government can he supplemented by religions training in church, Sunday School and home, and if the clergy as a whole took advantage of the oppoitnt.ities at present afforded them of imparling religions instruction either before or after school hours, as is done in the public schools in .Nelson and other places and also here in Greyinonth and Cohden he reckoned they were doing their duty bv the voung.

He spoke in high praise of the Yew Zealand Church Constitution. lie said the framers of Constitution, if they erred at all. erred on the safe side. We were allowed liberty within certain welldefined limits, hnt Jio laxity or go as yonpleaseism. The Bishops possess what is known as the “.Ins litnrpienm.” which enables them to sanction each in their own dioceses, practices which might exceed somewhat the narrow limits of the law, but which the altered conditions of life in a new country would seem to justify. The last General Synod had signified its approval of the Constitution by throwing out a Bill introduced he Bishop of Christchurch to make provision for safeguarding our property in the event of any alteration in the Constitution. The Synod would not consider such a contingency, the mapority of members deeming it unwise, if not dangerous, to tamper with the fundamentals of the Constitution. The Vicar then alluded to the consecration of Archdeacon Averill as Bishop of Waiapu in place of Bishop Williams (resigned). and trusted that ho, might ho made a great blessing to he Diocese. He said that our own Bishop had favored us with two visits during last year, confirming 100 young persons in dreymonth and the surrounding districts. He referred to the loss sustained by the Church in the Grev Valley owing to the removal of Air Alan J. Petrie to Selwyn College, Dunedin, and wished him God speed in his new, sphere of work. Ho welcomed Mr 0. H. Curie, of St. • John’s College. Highbury, London, and Air Charles J Dobson, of St. John's College, Auckland, who had been appointed by the Bishop to replace Air Petrie, the former in charge of the upper and the other of the lower portion of the Grey Abdlev.

He alluded to the visits of the Rev. H. S. Woollcornbe, of the C.E.M.S., which had resulted in the formation of a Greymouth branch of the C.E. Men's Society with a membership of 25. also of Canon Pollock, the forerunner of the General Mission. Ho trusted that all church people would pray daily for a blessing on the forthcoming mission to bo held the first week in November Visits had also boon received from the Rev. Oliver Kimberley and missionary stimulus imparted, and of the Rev. F. H. Spencer, of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Society issued five million copies of the Scriptures annually in over 400 languages and dialects and was deserving of their best sup--port. A branch of the Girls’ Friendly Society was started in Grcymouth last winter with a small membership. As the benefits became more widely known he felt sure that more of our young women would take advantage of the membership of this society.

The Trinity Young Women’s Literary and Debating Society began its career last year and is now a flourishing society. The Trinity Young Men’s Institute bad proved itself a blessmg to many of our young men. The Sunday School bad suffered by the resignation of Mr Arthur Vickerman for fifteen years its Superintendent. The Church owed him a deep debt of gratitude for his faithful and self-denying labors. They had a good substitute in Mr Isaac Leach, who had proved nimself a very capable Superintendent during the short time be bad held office. The teachers were deserving of (heir best thnrjrs. The choir had maintained its efficiency under the comluctorship of Mr E. J. Apted, who had recently resigned in order to take a trip to England. Mrs York was now conductor, and Miss Blackmore was kindly assisting with the organ at practices. Hie lay readers. Messrs Vickerman, L. F. de Berry, Urquhart. B. and T.

Smilhers and Croft were highly praised. In referring to churchwardens, the Archdeacon spoke in the most flattering way of Messrs E J Thomas and A. G. Kemp, and the splendid work done by both, and as to the Rev T. F. Taylor be gave a humorous dcscrijjjjon of that energetic, versatile, good-tempered, able and popular clerygyinan that was appreciated

by the audience present He said that the Rev. Taylor had been offered a better appointment by the Bishop and be (MrTaylor) was then in a quandary as to whether be should accept it or not They all wished to retain bis services here, and would pray that he might be led to make a wise choice. In concluding, the Archdeacon said : The work that we arc engaged in at present requires us both to keep in touch with all places between here and Recfton. boro and Jacksons, Maori Creek and Barry - town. At present, the two men in the Grey Valley are not ordained, rouseI <meritlv marriages and the sacraments, and I not infrequently funerals, have to lie I taken by one or other of ourselves DnrI iug the year we have banlised 177 persons ' prepared and presented for confirmation 100, married 47 couples, buried 50. besides Hospital and sick visitation, Bible classes, State School lessons, and the general routine of pans w>i;k with daily and Sunday services. In addition to this I have my Arcbdeaconal duties and Mr Taylor has had to prosecute bis studies and succeeded in passing the first half of the fourth grade Board o f Theological Stadias. After gratefully acknowledging the hearty co-opera-tion of Ids good wife in all bis work and thanking all and snndrv for their assistance in the work of the parish, the Archdeacon sat down amidst applause. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The election of Church officers was then hold and resulted as follows; — Vestrymen.—-Messrs Aitken, J. Burrell, L. F. de Berry. W. Cochrane, J. Ferguson, A. Ifopkinson, A. Vickerman. A. R. West and J. - Wilson. Churchwardens. Minister’s Warden, Mi- K. J- Thomas; People's Warden, Air A. G. Kemp. Auditor.—Air A. Vickerman. Votes of thanks were accorded to all . httrch workers and special thanks to the Archdeacon and Mrs York and the Rev. T. F. Taylor. The meeting was then tf,(y>d with the singiur of the hymn. ■•Abide with me,” and (Tip benediction.