ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7645, 24 May 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

ECCLESIASTICAL.

A TEA anil public meeting, in connection with the anniversary of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Sunday-school, was held on Wednesday, April 2S. After tea a public meeting was held in the church, which was very prettily decorated with nikau and other foliage, ami with white dowers*. Mr. R. Arthur pr-aided. Tho superintendent of the school (Mr. Thomas Buddie) was present. The report, which was read by the secretary (Mr. J. Basire) showed that the names on the school-roll numbered 496; average attendance, 323 — increase of live on last year ; teachers, -11 ; average attendance, .'!'.). There are 127 names on the morning school-roll ; average attendance, 50; teachers, 10. Mr. G. Wilsonissupcrintendent of the lower school. The library is composed of TOO books, and the weekly issue is about 70 volumes. The Band of Hope numbers -121 members ; the formation of a string band baa given increased interest to the Band of Hope gatherings. During the- past fourteen months £06 17s lOd has been collected for the Home Mission. A mission-hall has been erected in Freemaa's Bay, and the work there is in full operation. There is a considerable debt on this mission-hall. The third year's* subscription of £15 was sent to Dr. Stephenson's Home in England fertile support of a boy in that institution. Increased class-room accommodation is required in the Sunday-school. The treasurer (Mr. T. Mc.Master) read the balance-sheet, which showed that the receipts had been £'214 19" 3d, and the expenditure £220 lis 61, leaving a debit balance of £5 12s 3d. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. J. S. Mill, Mr. S. 11. Matthews, and the Rev. H. Bull. An address of welcome, on behalf of the circuit, was presented to the Rev. Mr. Garland, who has recently arrived from Caristchurch to be the minister of the Pcusonby Wesleyan Church. Mr. John Gittos, circuit steward, presented the address. On the 29th April a sale of work, held for the purpose of raising funds for the building of a new church in the Epiphany district, was opened in a convenient room at the junction of Queen and Grey streets. The proceedings were inaugurated by a short address from the Right Rev. Cr. Cowie (Bishop of Auckland). After the Bishop's address, the business cf the sale was proceeded with, and visiters took a survey of the contents of the various stalls, of which there were four, besides one for refreshments. The bazaar was continued on Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, and was fairly well patronised. St. Sepulchre's choir and the Kingsland String Band aided with music on several evenings. A considerable addition was made to the funds of the church. On April 30 a valedictory meeting was held in the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church, to commemorate the departure of the Rev. Win. Slade to take the duty of a missionary representing the Wesleyan Church in Fiji. An organ recital and sacred concert was given on May 3 in St. Patrick's Cathedral, in aid of the organ fund. Owing to the inclemency of the weather there was but an indifferent audience. The anniversary soiree of ths Tabernacle Sunday-school took place on May 11. There were about fourteen hundred present. From the report we gather that 2S scholars had joined the Church, and four had died during the year. There were 30 teachers and 551 scholars, the increase being (i teachers and 26 scholars ; Young Women's Bible • class, under Mrs. Whitburn Hall, 30 members ; Young Men's Bible class, '23. The infant class was still a feature ; though four classes had been taken out of it, it totalled ISO. The missionary boxes of the school yielded £24 16 Sjfd, half of which went to school funds, and half to Baptist mission work. The Young Christiana' Baud had a membership of 191, and the Temperance Society 225, an increase of 20 during the year. Mr. Findlay Hay read the balance-sheet, which showed receipts £241 6s lid, and expenditnre £206 33 9J, leaving a balance to credit current year of £35 3s 2d. A very successful inaugural soiree was held on the ISth May in the new Ponsonby Baptist Church. An excellent tea was pro vided, and the following ladies presided at the tables :—Mesdames Gittos, Macky, Rountree, May, Rhodes, Owen, Dewar, Eaton, Duncan, Lambourne, O. Knight, Blomtield, Wright, Robinson, G. W. Jones, Patterson, Bagnall, Briggs, Brown, S. C. Brown, Hutchison, Andrews, J. G. Brown, Edwards, Adams, H. Jones, and S. Blomfield. After the tea a public meeting was held. The Rev. Q. Jones, the pastor ol the church, opened the proceedings with an address, after which the report and balance-sheet were read by Mr. Rountree, tho treasurer. The cost of building the church had been £i>7o ; £450 had been borrowed on mortgage, and £207 16s 7d had been collected The contractor had been paid £645 7a 6d, leaving a balance on hand of £12 Us Id. The Revs. T. Bray, A. J. Smith, C. E. Ward, T. Spurgeon, and Mr. Woolley spoke. Miss McDermotfc sang a song, and Misses Barton and Main a duet. Mr. Taylor san" "Consider the lilies." A collection in aid°of the building fund was made during the meeting, and amounted to £4 14s, and £28 10s 9d was collected on May 16 for the same object. A vote of thanks to the ladies who presided at the tables was proposed by Mr. May and carried unanimously, and the meeting then closed with the benediction.