Anglican Church Meetings.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1699, 11 August 1887, Page 2

Anglican Church Meetings.

NORMANBY.

The nnnnal mpeting of the parishioners was held in St. Paul's Church last week. There was a good number present, and greatf-r interest than usual was taken in the proceedings. The wardens presented their annual report and balance sheet, from which it appeared that £37 12s had been collected and £45 expended. A donation of £30 from the Society for the Propagation of tbe Gospel had also tiesn received tbroueb tbe Bishop. This had been applied to reducing the debt on the church, which now amounted to £40, which it was hoped would be still further reduced this year. The assessment was lowered to £20 a year for this year. Tbe following were elected office bearers for the ensuing year : — Mr. W. J. Caverhill, Minister's Wardon ; Mr. F. Brett, Peoples' Warden ; Messrs Payne, Pyke, and Kilvington, Vestrymen.

HAWERA.

The annual meeting was held on Tuesday evening. The weather was rough and cold, and in consequence the attendance was not large. Rev. W. H- Root, Incumbent of the Parochial District, occupied the chair.

The following report from the church wardens was read :—: —

The Churchwardens and Vestry have the honor of presenting their annual report and balauce-shect. By comparing the balance-sheet of this year with that of last, it will be seen that the total amount received from all sources la»t year was £333 os lOd. and this year £328 I4s 6d, being only £1 11s 4d less this year than last. But this does not exactly disclose the true position of this parochial district. The total amount of Liabilities lust year, after giving credit for what the vestry considered realisable assets, were £365 ; this year they are £370, or £5 more than last. Taking into consideration the long-continued depression and the general stagnation, your Churchwardens and Vestry consider this not extraordinary, though to be regretted. Great efforts have been made to keep down ordinary expenditure, with the result that this item is .£ls less than it was last year. But the Vestry arc sorry to say that the outlook for the coming year is not so bright as could be wished. Ngaire has intimated that it cannot continue its promised subscription of £20 to the General Church Fund. Normanby has notified that its assessment must be reduced by £10. Hawera will most likely raise less than last year by £10, so that the probable revenue for the current year may be reckoned at £'10 less than last. If, however, all who profess to be churchmen would do a little, things would soon be in a more prosperous state. There are 91 professed church families in the district. Oat of these oniy 46 or about one half of the families take sittings or contribute anything to the general church fund. And 45 families, the other half, merely contribute through the offertories, an uncertain amount. The 40 families guarantee to contribute through seat rent and the general church fund .£177, besides contributing liberally through the offertories ; so that if the other half of the church families would only do a little, our finances would be in a flourishing 1 state. Some who contribute nothing arc as well able to afford it, as those who do. The Vestry arc of an opinion that all who call themselves church people, ought to consider it a principle as well as a duty to do two tilings. (1.) Contribute to the support of their church. (2.) Contribute according to their means, and, until they do this, their church will always be in difficulties. The Vestry particularly wish to draw the attention of parishioners to the great necessity there is for painting the church, and if the work is not undertaken this year, the building will suffer very much. Aud, moreover, the church leaks in several places, and steps will have to be taken, during the present year, to stop the leakage. Therefore, instead of avowing the revenue to diminish by £W, it is necessary that it should be increased by that amount, if this needed work is to be performed this year ; thus rendering it necessary that the receipts for the current year should be increased to £370, at the least. Owing to the financial depression, the Key. W. H. Eoot (generously') offered to give up £25 a year of his salary. The A'estry, while accepting the offer, trust the General Church Synod will make up the deficiency, and not allow the stipend to fall below £230 a year. The Vestry forwarded a resolution to the General Church Synod to this effect, and they trust that this meeting will approve of their action in the matter. Balance sheet was also read.

Mr. Jones proposed, and Mr. Tonks seconded, that the report and balance sheet lie adopted.

Ther* was some discussion as to services being held /it Ngaire and Eltham, and on the finance of the church generally. The latter was spoken of as being in the opinion of the speakers very unsatisfactory. Motion was then agreed to.

Mr. Jones then moved that the bishop be requested to make arrangements for Facea to be worked in conjunction with Hawera ; failing that, that the bishop be requested to remove the clergyman. He did not wish this to be taken as a reflection upon Mr. Root, of whom he spoke highly. We could not get a better man, but if the clergyman were withdrawn for a year it might wake people up. Mr. Parkinson suggested that it might be well co first communicate with Patea. He had been informed that Patea would not care for an arrangement ot that kind.

After some discu*6ion, Mr. W. Clarke moved, and Mr. Hobbs seconded, that the incoming vestry be reqnested to write to Patea asking it the church people there chousht it possible or feasible for the two places to be worked in conjunction. Agred to.

Mr. Caplen was appointed Minister's Warden, and Mr. Jos. Bcott was elected Peoples' Warden ; and the lollowing gentlemen were elected as a Vestry : — Me.ssrs Babbage, Clarke, Lysaght, J. Masou, Walter Wilson.

Messrs Laishley and White were reelected auditors.

Votes of thanks were given to the retiring officers, the organist and choir. Tlie meeting then resolved itself into a special meeting to elect a Synodaman, and Captain Hewitt, of Wellington, was elected to represent the district in Synod. This terminated the business.