PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PAPAKURA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1401, 14 May 1868, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PAPAKURA.

(PEOH A COItBESPONDEST.) The annual general meeting of the members and adherents of the Presbyterian Church in the Districts of Papakura, Drury, Wairoa, Pukekohe, Pokeno, &<-. was held in the Presbyterian Church, at Papakura, on the 6th May—the Rev. J. Norrie, the minister of the congregation, in the Chair —who constituted the meeting with prayer.' The minutes of the former annual meeting read and approved of. The following report was then submitted to the meeting:— '' Twelfth Annual Report of the Committee of Manage, ment of the United Congregation of Papakura Drury, Wairoa, Pukekohe, and Pokeno, for the year 1867. "1. Divine Seetioe.—Your committee have to report that the same arrangements for Divine service as were reported on the previous year, have been continued in the past year, viz., a weekly Sabbath service at Drury, Papakura, and "Wairoa; a fortnightly service at Pukekohe, Kamarama, Queen's Redoubt, and Pokeno ; and monthly services at Papakura Yalley,' Tuakau, "West Pukekohe, and Maketu. - "2. Church aitd School Butldixgs.—At Maketu a commodious building, suitable for a school and place of worship, with a site of five acres of land, have been purchased at a cost of £60, and about £10 have been raised, leaving a debt of £50, which it is hoped will «oon be cleared off. At West Pukekohe, five acres of excellent land have been purchased, in a suitable situation for a school and teacher's house, at a cost o £15 ; and £10 have been, raised for the payment of that sum. The settlers in the district have also subscribed very liberally towarrls the erection of a build, ing which will be opened without debt. At Queen's Redoubt, the Garrison library-room has been pur. chased for the sum of £15, and £810s had been raited for this object. " 3. Sabbath-schoois hare been in operation at Papakura, Wairoa, Pukekohe, Queen's Redoubt, Pokeno, Drury, andßamarama, and have been collectively attended by 162 scholars, and taught by 21 teachers. Considering the difficulties in the way of earning out this important agency in sparsely populated districts, your committee are glad to report that so many schools have been established; and they hope that a further extension of this interesting depart, ment of Christian labour 'will be made in the present year. " 4. Six Day-schools were in active operation during the greater part of the last year, and weiv attended by 134 scholars. The Pukekohe school was closed during the last quarter, owing to the L cessation of Government aid; and your committee , fear that the interests of education will materially i suffer this year, unless Eome assistance be given to ; schools in our thinly-populated districts. A no* r day-school was opened at Kamarama at the begin- ' , nirtg of this year, which continues with gratifying J succcss. " 5. Religious Periodicals. —A large number of J copies of the ' British Messenger,' ' Sabbath-school Messenger,' and 'British Workman,' continue to , be circulated monthly throughout all the ramifications of our extensive field of labour. "6. Bibles.—A largo number of Bibles, in the | form eagerly desired by our people, with the Pashm j and Paraphrases bound up with them, have been sold , at reduced prices during the past two years; and great " facilities are thus afforded for the abundant distribuj. tion of the Word of God. [ "7. Finance. —Owing to the general depression, p which has affected severely the country districts, the r collections of the past year have been less than a previously. The total amount of the ordinary church-door collections for 1866 was £103 19s sd, , while the amount for the past year was only j £91 16s 10id. The amount realised by subscrip--3 tions and seat rents on behalf of the maintenance . fund has been about the same as the previous year throughout the whole congregation ; but these have been much less in the missionary districts; this decrease, together with the smaller collections in this district also, has materially reduced the amount 'I available for the catechist's salary, as will appear j from the following comparison;—ln 1866 the sum raised for this purpose was £118 16s 7}d, j inclusive of a grant of £30 from the Home Mission , fund, while during 1867 the amount is only £7113) Bd, inclusive of a similar grant of £30 from the sara [ fund. Your committee had expected returns frcn * Tuakau on behalf of this object, but nothing as yet j. has been reported; but they hope an effort will be j made there this year, and also at West Pukekohe, aj soon as services are conducted in the new building, which referencce has already 1 'been made. Your I committee also would recommend an increased effort e at.Ramarama, and more liberal collections at Puic» kohe and Pokeno for this object. 1 "At the last annual meeting, it appeared from the r report that a sum of £17 was deficient in the stipend a fund for 1866, and, in order to avoid any addition to 0 the previous arrears, it was unanimously agreed to e make an effort to clear off this : sum. Your committee are glad to report that this effort was successful, and that the sum was made-up as follows : —Wairoa congregation, £7 ; Papakura, £5 14s 2|d ; Drury, £1; „ Pukekohe, £2 17s 6d; Queen's Redoubt, 10s; mat B ing a total of £17 Is Bid. " The committee are especially pleased to find that s notwithstanding- the prevailing depression in finanJ cial matters, a«d although there has been greater „ delay than usual in the settlement of accounts, yet in • J addition to the extra effort made a sufficient sum r has been realised to pay-the minister's stipend for the ' past year, and thus no further debt on the fund has [- been incurred. " Your committee have to report tfaat the amount L raised by special collections is smaller than that of the previous year—the total amount for the schemes of the Chiirch being, for 1866, £13 19s lOd; while [ for 1867 the sum of £11 19s' 9d has been realised. It is to'be regretted that, as part of this decrease, » less sum has been contributed for tho Home Mission Fund; and your committee would remind the united congregation of the strong claims that this fund haa on our liberality and support. For, while it is true that our congregation may be doing a great amount of home mission work in assisting to provide for the spiritual supply for so- many "new districts, and in getting churcbeß and schools erected, which will io much towards tho formation of a new congregation .which, wo expect to see soon established, yet it is our privilege and duty to assist the Home Mission Tund, and thus be the means" of spreading the Gospel throughout all the various scattered districts of the province. "The schemes of the Church also, that have in view tho extension of Gospel privilege throughout New Zealand generally, as well as in the New Hebrides islands, have a powerful claim on our sympathy and prayerful support. "In. conclusion, your committee would thank th» collectors for their diligence; and the contributors fo" their liberality; and, above all, they would thani the God of all grace for His goodness in bringing them so successfully through, a season of trial and aifficultr > and they look to Him to further establish and consolidate the work of our hands in extending Bis own cause and kingdom. " The following statements are appended, which give a detailed account of the several amounts rai.fi for the various objccts " Gekeeal Statement of the Amounts raised for all Objects throughout tho United Congregation for the Year 1867. 1. Maintenance Fund— £ §. d. £ '• <*• Papakura collections and subscriptions, &c. ... ... 61 11 li Drury ditto 36 2 11 Wairoaditto 106 - 4 4 Pukekohe ditto 18 12 9 Ramarama ditto 27 4 7 Pokeno ditto... ... 6 0, 8 Queen's Redoubt, ... — 3 ■ Oi-6 —'jjQ. 258 16 Ift Grant from Home Mission to catechirt".. 30 0 0 2. Building FundRaised by various Churchcs ... ... 65 4 3 3. Special Collections in aid of Schemes of the Church, from the United Congregation— Church extension 1 17 9 Assembly eipenscs ... ... 110 0 ' Foreign and Maori Mission 318 11 [ Widows' and orphans' fluid 2 17 Home Mission 1 ... ... 211 6 ■ - '•;■■■■ 1119 9 ■ 4. Education (six schools) — • School fees,- &c. ... 208- 4 5 Grants &om~ Board of Edu- . cation 168 15 0 . „ .. 376 19 5 5. Sabbath-schools and other objects IS 5 6 ■ 6. Religious periodicals 18 13 £773 18 ' " J;' B. Hit, Secretm7« "May, 6,1868."

G-enebah Teeastteeb'b Statement: son 1867. Receipts. £. s. d. To amount of collections, seat rents, &c, from Drury, Papakura, "Wairoa, and Queen's Redoubt; and subscriptions from Pukekobc 217 3 2£ To amount of collections and subscriptions from Ramarama, and collections from Pokeno and Queen's Redoubt 41 13 8 To amount of grant received from Auckland Home Mission Fund ... 30 0 0 To balance still due on minister's stipend 144 18 5 £433 15 3i Patjients. By arrears of minister's stipend previous to iSGo ... 145 0 O By arrears of minister's stipendforlS66 17 1 7i By minister's stipend for 1867 ... 200 0 0 By catecbist's salary for 1867 71 13 8 £433 15 3J "William Hat, " General Treasurer. "May 6, 1568." On the motiou of Alexander Macdoxald, of Pokouo, seconded by ill-. Bell, of Wairoa, the report was approved off, and the thanks of the meeting awarded to the General Committee. It was also moved by Mr. H. Alexaxdeb of Ramarama, and seconded by Mr. E. Rhodes, Pokeno, and unamiously agreed to —that the several members of the Local Committees already elected, be constituted as the General Committee for IS6S. Mr. J. B. Hay to be General Secretary, ami Mr. Wm. Hay to be General Treasurer. The Ciiairm:a>" as Convener of the Mauso Committee, gave in an interim report of the state of the Manse fund, from which it appeared that from tho proceeds of soirees, &c, and by subscriptions, not only had tho current interest been met, but also a reduction had been made on the debt of £313, as last reported, to the extent of £80, leaving still tho sum due of £233. "Whereupon it was unanimously agreed that further efforts bo made to clear oil" this sum, and with t his view that soirees bo held in all the Churches, where it is practicable, for this object. The meeting was closed with pmyer.