ANNUAL CHURCH MEETINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 3

ANNUAL CHURCH MEETINGS

ALL SAINTS'. The parishioners of All Saints' Church, Foil* sonby Road, held their annual meeting in the schoolroom last evening. Archdeacon Calder was in the chair. The report for last year said that the church attendance had not been keeping pace with the increase in population. The church, vicarage, and Sunday-school had been improved. The parish magazine had a circulation of 185, but to ensure a small gain to the parish funds that number should be increased to 250. Although £128 had been given to the chinch extension fund, there was a falling off in contributions to the country clergy fund. A parochial branch of the Church of England Men's Society had been inaugurated, with a view to bringing men of the parish into closer touch with each other. The accounts of the church had all been paid, with the exception of the bank overdraft, but that would be met by out-, standing pew rents. The. general collections had amounted to £479 18s sd; special collections to £135 6s Id; assistant clergy stipend fund, £76 17s 3d;' contributions to the new church fund, £63 18s Id. The general collection amounted to £40 less than that of last year. The seat rents had amounted to £202 4s 6d, but £60 was still outstanding. The expenditure on the assistant clergy stipend fund had amounted to £122 10s, the income was only £76 17s 3d. The general expenditure had been much heavier than that of the previous year. The amount paid to missions was £135 6s Id. There was £859 12s-10d to credit of the permanent church building fund. ■ The Sunday-school report showed that a number of teachers had severed their connection with the'school. There were 551 names on the roll, with an average attendance of 364. The schoolroom had been thoroughly cleaned and ventilated. The following, were the results of the elections:—Minister's warden, Mr. A. Braithwaite; people's warden, Mr. A. Littler; vestrymen, Messrs. G. Gregory, A. S. .Russell, C. ,T. Parr, Osmond, R. Massey, G. Carder, Culpan,, C. M. Calder, Duder, and Burton. Archdeacon Calder, commenting on the work of the year, suggested the desirableness of having a- daily service chapel, which, he estimated, would coSt £56. This could be obtained by adding a small chancel to the south side of the organ transept, and substituting chairs for benches. This would give room for more seats, and extra space for the ladies' vestry. The following motion was put to the meeting and carried:—"That the matter of building this chapel be left in the hands of the incoming vestry to act." CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY. The annual meeting of the parishioners of the Church of the Epiphany, Karangahape Road, was held on Thursday. The Rev. W. E. Lusk, vicar, presided. The annual report showed that there had been a falling off in the collections made in church, and even in that part of it which was given ill envelopes, and the vicar's stipend was two months in arrears, and there were other liabilities. The sustentation fund had also fallen off, while there had been many expenses. Although the cost of the organ motor was subscribed and otherwise raised by concerts, etc., yet some things incidental to it had been a cost on the vestry finances, but more costly still were sundry improvements, including alterations to doors and drains that were required by the regulations of the City Council. The fancy fair realised £200, which cleared off soma considerable portion of the debt then owing, and the subsequent gift of £50 from an unknown donor helped further. When this was given the vestry owed £1P interest, and had to pay it off before they could use the gift for the only purpose it could be used for. The vestry asked parishioners to be careful not to give defaced coin in church —it was not reverent, and it discounted the already very 'small collections. The habit bad been somewhat frequent of late. There was an efficient and regular choir. The Sun-day-school was now doing good work under Mr. Keesing as superintendent, the room beinfj; tot small for the number of children. Miss Midgley had done good work with the Boys' Club. The Mothers' Union and the Girls' Friendly Society were reported to bo doing good also. The ladies'sewing bee was busy working for the next fancy fair. The best thanks of the parish were due to the excellent work which had been done by the Sisters of the Mission of the Good Shepherd. The report was adopted nem. con. The treasurer's statement showed that general offertories amounted to £202 2s 3d, while £24 12s 2d was received from, the envelopes, £50 from an anonymous donor, and £216 Is 4d from the fancy fair: Total, £547 12s 6d. Receipts had been absorbed by expenditure, and there were outstanding liabilities of £52 Is sd. During the year, however, £150 had been paid off one loan, and the balance of £25 upon anpther. The report was adopted. Mr. W. Littler was appointed vicar's warden, and Mr. Bronburger people's warden, and the vestry was elected as follows: — Messrs. W. F. Gibb, B. Midgley. C. Tyler, S. M. Mcintosh, T. Haultain, W. Tuckey, H. Carter, John Warnock, H. Keesing, and A. Hammond. Auditors, Messrs. T. A. Gentles and Karl Atkinson. Votes of thanks were accorded to the churchwardens, and the choir and other church workers. ST. PAUL'S. The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Paul's Church, Symonds-street, was held last evening, the vicar (Canon Nelson) presiding over a fair attendance. Messrs. Whitely and Ashton were appointed churchwardens, and the following were elected to the vestry:—Dr. Parkes, and Messrs. Boulton, Seager, McDonald, Marsaok, Clinton, Clarke, Dunl-op, Gillon, and Peacock, while Messrs. Taylor and Dennish were appointed auditors, it was decided to fofm a social club for the winter months, and a strong committee, consisting of Mesdames Nelson, Parkes, Taylor, Ashton, Gresham, Seager, and Cummings, and Messrs. Whitely, Ashton, Seager, Gresham, Gumming, and Donald, were appointed to make the necessary arrangements.

ST. JOHN'S, TE AWAMUTU. The annual meeting of parishioners of St. John's Anglican. Church wok place on Thursday evening last. The vicar, th-: Rev. F. W. Clarke, presided, and there was r. small attendance. The report of the wardens and' vestry stated that during the past year two matters of importance to the district transpired, viz., the change of vicar and the erection of the new vicarage. The Kev. J. T. Ale William, sftc-* a stay ot about st veil months. Was taken away to assist the Kev. F. Latter in the home missionary work, and the Kev. F. W. Clarke, 8.A., was ap- ' pointed in his place. The removal ol Air. MeWilliam was much regretted in. the district. A site for the- vicarage had been purchased at a cost of £100, and a suitable vicarage erected costing about £500. Of the amount required for this purpose £351 5s 6i> was handed over by the ladies' committee and £60 raised by subscription. It would be necessary to raise about £200, and this 1 sum it is proposed to borrow from the diocesan building fund' at 5 per cent, interest. The finance foi general purposes was about the saint; as last year. The general offertories showed an increase of £5 oyer last yea.'. Voluntary subscriptions to stipend showed about the same as the previous year, and it was to be hoped that these voluntary subscription® would be more readily forthcoming in the future. During the year the church suffered a loss in the departure of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Andrew, who were both for many years indefatigable church workers in various capacities. The two lay readers, Messrs. Bowden. sen., and Mandeno still continued to conduct services at Te Awamutu and Kihikihi. The Sunday-school still eontinued a useful work in the parish, but the number of teachers was inadequate. ' The balance-sheet showed: —Receipts: Te Awamutu, £65 16s; Pirorigia,' £30; Kihikihi, £23; Rangiaohia, £22; Otorohanga, £9 ss; Te Kuiti, £10; Taumarunui, £4- 03 6d: Mangapiko, £1; Piriaka, £1 8s 6d; burial fees, £4; .subscriptions, £22. Expenditure ; Stipend, £163 12s 4d; special offertories, £4- 8s Id ; verger, £15; organist, £5 ; sundry accounts, £9 5s lOd; insurance, £1 15s 3d. Mr. Collins was appointed as vicar's warden, and Mr. von Sturmer as people's warden. The following were elected as the vestry: Messrs. C. Bowden, sen., J. L. Mandeno, .11. S. Galbraith. C. Bowden, jun., F. Potts. G. Ahier. and J. Hoyte; auditor, j Mr. D. Boekett. The vicar announced that lie hoped to have Hie assistance of a curate j very shortly. Owing to the King Country work he was away half his time from the home parish, and the work was getting too much for one man. The Bishop would he in the district some time during Juno or July.— Correspondent.] ST. PETER'S, HAMILTON. The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Peter's, Hamilton, was lieu'? on. Thursday evening. The Rev. N. C. W. Redcliff, vicar, presided. The various reports stated that the revenue for the year for general purposes was £324 8s 3d, being about £11 - in excess of the previous yoar, notwithstanding - that the attendance • had increased by 15 per cent. The financial results are not, therefore, satisfactory.

Striking out the amount paid to the curate, £137 10s,. th© absolutely necessary ■expenditure was as follows Vicar's stipend, £200; rent of vicarage, £58 10s; rates, £'6 10s 6d; insurance, £4 14s 4d; gas, £8 9.-. Td; pension fund, £10; church cleaning, £14; organist, £12; Synod expenses, £5 18s 3d; sundry expenses, £19 4s 6d; bellringer, £4: total, £340 7s 2d. Or. this basis they were £16 on tho wrong side. Since the last meeting authority t;> deal with the old parsonage site was obtained, and it had been rented at £150 per annum. This rental had to be paid to the Standing Committee to pay interest on £750 borrowed to allow the purchase of the new site to be completed ; the balance would be placed to a sinking fund to liquidate tho debt. It was proposed to build a new vicarage at an estimated cost of £300, for which plans were being prepared. The vicar again nominated Mr. G. Edgcunafbe as his warden, and Mr. A. Swarbrick was elected people's warden. The following were elected to th© vestry:—Messrs. N, C. Matthew, H. Valder, W. A. Graham, E. de C. Drury, Hamilton; R. Levis, Marshmeadows; J. Vickers, Tuhikaramea; Z. Owen, Kirikiriroa; H. U. Poynter, Whatawhata; G. Mason, Tamahere; L. B. Ewen, Matangi.—[Own Correspondent.] CHRIST CHURCH, COROMANDEL. Th© annual meeting of church members was held in Christ Church, Coromandel, on Thursday evening. There was a moderate attendance, Mr. T. W. Rhodes presiding. The vestry's report for the past year si lowed the position of the church to h© satisfactory. Regret was expressed at; the long period the district had been without a resident clergyman. Praise was accorded tc the workers in. the church -and Sundayschool. The _ Dalance-sheet showed the church to be in a good financial portion. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. —[Own Correspondent.]