Church of the Nativity, Blenheim.

Marlborough Express, Volume V, Issue 229, 7 May 1870, Page 5

Church of the Nativity, Blenheim.

ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING. The adjourned annual meeting of members of t|ie congregation was held in the Institute on Thursday evening; the Yen. Archdeacon Butt in the chair. The attendance was very moderate. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been confirmed, Mr Kissling asked for information in accordance with notice, as to the contributions to the funds of the Church daring the last two years. . A considerable amount of information was elicited as to the last six years, but during the last two in particular, it transpired that the receipts had been as follows :

Mr. Barleyman, Honorary Treasurer to the Sustentation Fund, recorded the history of the Church management since 1864, shewing that the amount contributed from the Archdeaconal Board towards the Minister’s stipend had been gradually decreased from £250 to £35 a year, while the Sustentation Fund had during the last year ceased entirely. Mr."Litchfield moved “That the figures as shown by the Church officers fully explain to the satisfaction of this meeting the question raised last Thursday by Mr. Kissling as regards the country contribution towards the minister’s stipend.” Mr. Hodson seconded the motion. Mr. Wemyss moved as an amendment, “That the explanation given by Mr. Borleyman, shewing that the members of the Church of the Nativity, Blenheim, contribute, or ought to contribute, three-fourths of the salary of the clergyman, is so far satisfactory as it* shews that the Church of the Nativity is entitled to three-fourths of the ministerial services, except upon voluntary arrangement.” Mr. Pitt seconded, and with Messrs. Eobinson and Gane spoke in support. Messrs. Hodson and Litchfield spoke against it. TJnon being put to the meeting it was carried. The Chairman then read the following letter from the Bishop of Nelson : “ Bishopsdale, Nelson, April 16, 1870. “To the Church Officers and Vestry, Blenheim, Church of Nativity. “Gentlemen,—-I take advantage of your annual meeting at Easter, to lay before you what 1 propose to do, after having visited you so lately and heard from the Venerable Archdeacon and most of yourselves what your own ideas and wishes were, for the organisation of the district. “ It appears to me that the time has arrived for an extension of your parochial machinery, and although I do not see my way clear at present to recommend the formation of Blenheim into a parish, yet I think that the time has come when I shall exercise the discretionary powers vested in the Bishop by the regulations of the Synod, empowering him to set on foot parochial institutions, so far as he may consider them applicable. “ Acting then upon this, and taking into account the views expressed to me by the Church Officers and others, 1 have determined on requesting you to make arrangements at your annual meeting for carrying out the following organization. “In place of Church Officers, two should be appointed, one by the members of the Church generally, the other by the clergyman, these two to be Church Wardens, and to discharge the functions laid down in the instructions already issued by the Synod. “ A regular Vestry to be constituted, to be elected by members of the congregation, adult males of twenty-one, who are willing, if required, to declare themselves members of the Church of England in Blenheim. The Vestry to be divided, as in the case of many large parishes in England, into wards, each returning a certain number of Vestrymen. “ The numbers to be as follows • Blenheim - not more than 4 Vestrymen. Marlborough Town ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ Renwiok Town ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ Spring Creek ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ “If it were thought desirable to have the Wairau Valley and Awatere added as out stations to be represented at the Vestry, it would be necessary to take some of the above representatives’ places for such additional members, the whole Vestry not being allowed to exceed ten in number. “The Vestry, its meetings and rules, would be the same as those laid down in the instructions, so far as circumstances admitted of such being carried out. “I think it would be desirable to have your annual election of Church Officers as before, and then, on the receipt of this letter, for the Archdeacon and Church Officers to convene a meeting for the purpose of proceeding to the election and appointment of Church Wardens and Vestry as above set forth.

“You are about to have additional services ; it will be necessary to provide increased income for the first year to the extent of £9O ; and one reason why I recommend the immediate formation of the Vestry, &c., is that you may have a recognised organisation. “ It is my duty to bring before you a letter drawn up for presentation at this season, which will explain its own purport. I will merely point out that it contains two recommendations : first, that of appointing a Collector to obtain additional subscriptions to a new general fund, and the subscriptions as low as one shilling per quarter; secondly, that of handing over to the Diocesan Fund the fifth of the collections to receive back a certain sum, to be increased as the fund is supported. The source from which you received last year for your clergyman £9O is reduced by £2OO per annum, ( i.e ., £9O is reduced to £36, and i£s4 has to be raised to make it what it was,) and unless we make that up by extra and additional subscriptions and collections, those who ought to have had more rather than less will be the first to feel it. If, however, you devote the fifth part of your whole collections, the committee will bear in mind the extent of the grant £9O hitherto made, and it will guide them in supplementing the sum which they have undertaken to return—that is to say, that in your case you would have, this year at least, nob only £35 returned, but £55 in addition, though such assistance would be a gradually decreasing sum, if prosperity attended our work. “ Commending the adoption of this latter plan and scheme, and thanking all those who have supported the Archdeacon in his arduous work, “ I remain, gentlemen, “ Yours faithfully, "A. B. N.Z.”

Mr. Kissling then proposed as follows: “ That the intention of the Bishop of Nelson to constitute certain portions of the missionary district of Wairau into a parochial district is opposed to the wishes of that portion of the district which is more immediately connected with the Church of the Nativity, Blenheim, and that the members of that Church decline to assist the said scheme either by contributions to the offertory or by special subscriptions.” Mr. Wemyss seconded. Messrs. Johnson, Hodson, Litchfield, and Barleyman having spoken, the motion was carried with one dissentient. Mr. Johnson, in moving the adjournment of the meeting, said he did so in order that the subject might be fully and freely considered, discussed, and set at rest, which he felt the lateness of the hour precluded, Mr. Barleyman seconded, and the meeting adjourned until Tuesday next, at 7 p.m. The following notices of motion were given:— “ That subscriptions be immediately raised among the members of the congregation of the Church of the Nativity, Blenheim, to pay off the debt on the church, and that the minister’s stipend be the first charge on the monies so raised by Mr. Hodson. “ That Blenheim be formed into a Parish, the boundaries to include Marlborough Town and Spring Creek;” by Mr. Hathaway. “ That the church officers be requested not to take possession of the land recently purchased by the Bishop for a Parsonage by Mr. Jas. T. Eobinson.

Sustentation Fund (1S68 only) 38 14 0 Subscriptions and offertories at Wairau valley ... ... ... ... 19 3 0 Spring Creek ... 17 5 0 Blenheim 193 15 0 Total 268 17 0