PARISH MEETINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 9093, 2 May 1890, Page 3

PARISH MEETINGS.

ST JOHN’S, EANGIORA. The adjourned annual meeting of, the parishioners of St John the Baptist’s Church was hold in the Sunday schoolroom on Wednesday. There was an attendance of twenty-seven. The Eev W. E.. Gillam presided, and reported that the; churchwardens’ balance-sheet showed that: the finances of the parish were in a satisfactory state. Daring the year there had been 58 baptisms, 4 marriages, 12 burials, 12 persons had been confirmed, and there were 47 celebrations of the holy com-: mumon. Since Christmas the apostolic custom of a weekly communion had been adopted. There had been a considerable increase in the number of communicants, 1176 communions having been made during the year, as compared with 856 for the previous year. Since the Eev P. H. Pritchett had joined as assistant curate, the: services at Southbrook had been carried on ! without intermission, and the congregation there was steadily increasing. A guild for communicants and church workers had been; established during the year; also, a forfc-i nightly class for the help of Sunday Schoolteachers in their work. The classes forreligious instruction in the State school 1 had been continued during the year, but the attendance was not so satisfactory -aa could be wished. The Churchwardens, Messrs A. Vincent and W. Meeoh, -in their annual report congratulated the parishioners on having a clear balancesheet. The total receipts for the year amounted to £367 10s Bd, and the expend!-; ture to £364 4s, leaving a credit balance of £3 6s Bd. The average offering each Sunday for the past year had been £4 Bs, as, compared with £4 6s 8d for the previous; year. The weekly offertory was steadily increasing. The collections for mission and other objects outside the parish amounted to £2B 13s lOd, as compared with' £2l 5s 5d the previous year. There was a falling off in the amount of annual subscriptions due partly to some of the subscribers having adopted the envelope system, and others having left the district. The thanks of the parishioners were due to the Ladies* Sewing Bee and all who assisted at the sales of work, entertainments, &c., by which a total sum of £47 9s 3d was raised during the year. The day school fund was in a better position than last year, the debit balance being reduced from £6O I9a 6d to £44 10s Id. The cemetery fund showed a credit balance of £6 18s 9d. -The parishioners were urged to endeavour to increase their offertories and subscriptions so that it will be unnecessary toraisefnnds by entertainments, &c., for church purposes. On the motion of Mr E. Cotton, the report and accompanying balance-sheet were adopted. Votes of thanks were also passed to the churchwardens, the retiring vestry, to Mr L, Hunnibell (choirmaster), to Miss Dudley for her services as organist and her zeal in all kinds of parish work; the ladies of the sewing bee and others who had assisted to raise funds by sales of work, &c.; to the superintendent (Mr W. Meecb) and teachers of the Sunday schools at Eangiora and Southbrook, and the members of the choir. A special vote of thanks was passed to the Eev P. H. Pritchett for the useful work he had done in the parish since his appointment aa assistant curate. Mr Meech, in acknowledging the vote of thanks to the Sunday school teachers, stated that there were one hundred and thirty-three names on the school roll, and the average attendance was about ninety. He thought that from the number of families attending the church the school should have at least two hundred on the roll. Mr E, E. Good moved a very cordial vote of thanks to the Eev W. E. Gillam for the energetic and untiring manner in which he had attended to the interests of the church during the past year. This motion was duly seconded, and carried with applause. The incumbent having acknowledged the vote, re-appointed Mr A. Vincent minister’s churchwarden. Mr A. Templer was elected to be parishioners’ churchwarden. It was decided that the vestry should consist of ten members, and the following were elected t —Messrs W. Baas, E. Cotton, C. Cunningham, E. Wright, B. d’Auvergne, G. Shetland, W. Meech, H. Jones, W. Hooper, and C. E. Torlesse. A vote of thanks was, accorded to Mr G. Thompson for his valuable assistance in many ways daring the year. This concluded the business.