CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10895, 21 April 1898, Page 2

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The third onnlveraary of the Napier Congregational Charon was oelebrated by a tea and pabllo meeting held la the Foreiten 1 Hall last evening. The attendance at tbe tea coDitltnted a reoord. The following ladles presided at the tables :— Mesd«raes Miller, Katooe, and RobluaoD, and Misses M'Naughton, Derbyshire, Patterson, Hanlon, and Cole. assisted by numerous young ladles. The after meet* log, which was presided orer by tbe Jiev. H. W. J. Miller, was alto well attended. The neoretary, Mr K. M'Nanghtou, read tbe BDoaal report, which mowed that steady and satisfactory progress bad been made during the pait year, Tbe membsmhip roll now stood at 74 as against 63 ad the beginning o! the year, Financially, tbe oburch bad reason to be thankful, especially when the dlsaßtrons Hawke'i Bay flood and Ita generally depressing effaot was taken Into aoooDDt, Ihe Sunday cnerlogs totalled £182 19). The buildinj? fund had been augmented by nearly £60, ana now stood at over £206. The sußtentahon fund Btarted In January bad been heartily supported by members, tbe mm of £38 16i 61 having been raised by this mesas. Tue poor food colleotlons amounted to £5 It, An amoant ot £3 12s was tho oataome of the collections and donations towardß tbe New Zealand Congiegatlonal Union. The total oontrlbntion to foreign mlßilons was £15 3a 3d ; of this amounft £11 3s 3d weno to tbe London Mißßlonary Soolety and £i to tbe Foonab and Indian and Indian Village Mission, Tbo aggregate Income of tbe chnroh for tbe year was over £220. Tho woik In the Sunday •obool was being earnestly and snooeii* fnlly oarrled on under the superintendence of Mr K. H. Koblnson. Toe roll oontalned 12S aoholais with an average attendance of 77. The staff of teachers numbered 12, with an average attendance of 11. Tbe amoant raited by the Sunday«sohool was £22 6i 9J. Tbe junior and senior societies ot Chilatlao Budeavor bad proved of great benefit to tbe ohnrob. The average attendance of eaoh sadsty at the mid* week meetings was 25. Great interest was taken in rolsilon work by both junior and senior Endeavorerc, the former bavlng oolleoted £6 9a towards the foreign missions fund, while from the ranks of the seniors there hod been sent off the* Ghnroh'i firat foreign mlaiionary, Mr A. H. Lolgh. The Church had been favored with visits by tbe Bey. Mr Newell, of Samoa, who came as the LM.S. deputation to Napier, and by Mr C. F. Reeve, director of the Poonah and Indian village mission. These visits bad qulek* ened the interest of tbe people in minion work, and as a result of Mr Reeve's stay here, Mr Leigh bad been led to offer blm« self as a worker, and hod been accepted. To Mrß Borne, of Wellington, and the Key. B. T. Hallowe, late of Wellington, bob now Of London, the ohuroh was greatly indebted for donations to the building fund. Special thanks were also due to Mr Smyrk for bis work In preparing the hall for Sunday eerrieei, and also for bis servloes aa convener of tbe eustentatlon fund committee, and to the lady workers on that committee; to Mltß Cole, who bad acted as honorary organist; to Miss Carrutb, who had latterly siiated In that respeeh and to Mr M, Lasoelles, wbo had bo> aooeptably filled the pulpit on many ooos* ilont, It bad lately been fonnd necessary to hire* the Foresters' Hall a second night each week, in order to allow the meeting of the Ohuroh and of tbe Senior Endeavor Society being held weekly instead of fortoighly. The ladles' sewing com* mlttee had during the year been able to hand over the sum of £6 11s 44 to the building fund as a result of their work, Tbe report oonoluded by eipreeßlog gratitude at the greatly Improved health of the pastor. During the evening the Key, G. v. Cox gave an interesting address on "Fellowship," and the Bey. J. G. Pater* son an address on " Tae Incontrovertible Argument In Favor of Christianity," giving a precis of an article on that sub» jeot by the Key. George Jaokson, a prominent Amerioan preaoher. Miss Houlder sang " Children's Dreams," Mist M'NdUghtan sang " Calvary," Mr Hallett played a violin solo, and Mrs Bill a piano solo, Several anthems were sung by the oholr. Mlsiea Cole and Carrnth played the acoompanlaunts. Votes of thanks to all those who had assisted brought tbe meeting to a dose.