ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9022, 7 April 1888, Page 5

ECCLESIASTICAL.

THE ANGLICAN HOME MISSION. To-morrow (Sunday) is the day appointed by the Diocesan Synod upon which special collections should be made in all the churches of the diocese in aid of the Home Mission fund. The income of this fund is derived (1) from the special half-yearly collections in all the churches; (2) from the collections at the services held in the country districts not under the charge of resident ministers, by the organising clergyman and the clergymen who assist him; (3) froai the subscriptions and donation of the members of the Home Mission Society. At the present time fifteen clergymen, resident in fifteen parochial districts, are receiving grants from the fund in augmentation of the stipends paid by their people. There are also upwards of seventy settlements that have services held regularly, although in some of them they are not frequent. From the report of the organising clergyman, the Eev. J. Haeelden, in the Church Gazette for this month, we take the following :—" During the quarter ended March 31,1 have held 45 servicee, administered the Holy Communion to 112 persons, baptised 18 children, and presided at 10 church meetings. To do this I have travelled 1889 miles, at a cost of £13 3s 9d. The receipts for the Home Mission from collections have amounted to £27. This, of course, is only a part of my work, as the other Home Mission services have all been arranged by me. and the correspondence with lay readers, Sunday-school teachers, and other Church workers in our country districts, is very considerable." The work of the Home Mission is two-fold: (1) To help country congregations to maintain their ministers by giving small grants in aid of their stipend; (2) to help to send clergymen to those districts which are not in a position to keep resident ministers. These latter during last year contributed over £200' to the fund. By occasional ministrations they are being prepared for resident clergymen. At the last session of the Synod the Bishop said: —" One special request I will, in conclusion, make of every member of the Church throughout the diocese, namely, that you will do your utmost to provide the clergy minietering to our people in the country districts, with at least a decent maintenance." To-morrow the people of the diocese will have an opportunity of responding to the Bishop's request.

Evening service in the churches resume tomorrow, at 6.30 p.m., instead of 7. At St. Paul's, to-morrow, the incumbent is announced to preach on the following subjects, viz.: In the morning, on " Rising to Newness of Life," and in the evening (when Divine service will commence at 8.30) on " The Abolition of Sin and Death." Holy communion will be administered both at S a.m. and at midday. The Easter festival services will be continued at St. Thomas's Church, Freeman's Bay, to-morrow (Low Sunday), being the octave of Easter. Special hymns will be sung as processionals, and the introit at the Holy Eucharist will be the one proper for Easter. Children's service at 3 o'clock p.m. Evensong at half-past 6, instead of 7 o'clock. To-morrow being the octave of Easter, at St. Matthew's Church,the festival music will be repeated. Two special sermons will be preached, that in the morning on " Revelation or Analysis," and the evening one on " This Service."

At All Saints' the usual services will be conducted.

The Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan will preach at Epiphany Church to-morrow upon " The One Comfort in Life's Miseries" in the morning, and in the evening upon " Thirst Satisfied." At St. Peter's Church, Surrey Hills, Rev. R. Sommerville will preach at both services, his morning subject being " A Chosen Vessel, and his evening ?ne " A Kingdom that Cannot Be Shaken."

The anniversary services of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Sunday-school will be continued to-morrow, when the Rev. E. Best will commence his duties as successor of the Rev. H. Bull, and preach in the morning. The rev. gentleman is from the Thamee, wliere he was thought highly of for his ministerial labours. The Rev, E. A. Telfer will address the scholars in the afternoon, when parents and friends are cordially invited. The annual soiree and welcome to the Rev. E. Best will be held on Tuesday next, at half-past six. The after public meeting will be presided over by Mr. T. Buddie, when addresses will be given by the Revs. E. Best, C. H. Garland, and other friends. Musical selections will be rendered by the choir. At the Grafton Road Wesleyan Church, the Rev. W. L. Salter will preach in the morning, and the Rev. E. A. Telfer in the evening. The Rev. C. H. Garland will preach in the morning at St. John's Wesleyan Church, and the Rev. E. Best in the evening. The anniversary services of the Devonport Wesleyan Church take place to-morrow. The Rev. E. A. Telfer, from London, at present on a visit to Auckland, favourably known to many, will preach at 11 a.m. At 6.30 the Rev. J. Dukes, the newlyappointed minister of the oircuit, will occupy the pulpit for the first time. The Rev. R. Bavin is announced to deliver to-morrow a special address upon "The Divine Claims of the Bible," at Otahuhu, at U.and Onehunga at 6.30. The anniversary services in connection with the Alexandra-street Primitive Methodist Church wiD. be held to-morrow, when the Rev. T. Sturgeon will preach in the morning, Rev. R, S. West in the afternoon, and Rev. F. B. Dutton in the evening. The usual soiree will be held on Tuesday next. Last Sunday the Rev. H. J. Lewis commenced a second series of lectures in the Newton Congregational Church. Ihe subject to-morrow evening will be "Retributtion." The success of the first series which Mr. Lewis recently delivered will doubtless secure appreciative audiences. At the Beresford-street Congregational Church, Pastor Chew will discourse upon "The Man of One Book," and "How to be Saved."

Rev. B. L. Thomas, of the Mount Eden Congregational Church, will preach to-mor-row upon the following subjects :—Morning, "Gods Love in its Influence upon Human Life;" evening, " How to Forgive." The preachers at the_ Tabernacle to-morrow will be Rev. A. J. Smith in the forenoon, and Pastor T. Spurgeon in the evening. '•'lt is the Lord" is the subject of Rev. J. D. Gilmore's sermon at the Ponsonby Baptist Church to-morrow morning, his evening theme being " Life for a Look." " Daniel : His Life and His Prophecies," will be the subject of the Rev. J. S. Hill's address to young men to-morrow afternoon at the Y.M.C.A. rooms.

A discourse upon "Church History, as Foreshadowed by the Woman of Samaria," will be delivered at the Temperance Hall tomorrow evening. Mr. Edmund H. Taylor will lecture at the Opera House to-morrow evening. Subject: "Six Events Which Cannot Happen Till Christ Returns."

The Rev. E. A. Telfer, from London, who is so well-known in the city as a lecturer, will deliver an address at the Sunday evening service in the City Hall. Mr. Telfer for many years in the old country took an active part in evangelistic work, and is an able and earnest preacher. The service commences at eight o'clock. It is announced in another column that the Oiimual meeting of the Auckland Auxiliary of the British ana Foreign Bible Society will be held on Monday, 16th inst., in St James's Church, Wellington-street. The Rev. KT. Bobjohns, 8.A., the deputation from the parent society, will he present. The Rev. E. A. Telfer returns this evening from his trip to the Lakes, and will deliver his lecture on " Crotchety Grumblers In and Oat of Zion," in the Onehunga Public Hall, on Tuesday evening next, at 7.30. The Mayor (Dr. Eraon) has promised to take the chair. This lecture is the most popular of all the series Mr. Telfer delivered in Auckland, and is to be given at Onehunga by special request. There will no doubt be a large gathering, especially as, to meet the hard times, the price for admission has been reduced.