£300,000 FUND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23227, 22 December 1938, Page 13

£300,000 FUND

CHUKCH THANKSGIVING PRESBYTERIAN CENTENARY OVER £167,000 NOW RAISED A total of over £167,000 in cash and promises has now been reported from tho 21 Presbyteries in the Dominion toward the Presbyterian Centenary thanksgiving fund. The Presbyterian Church at its annual assembly in November of last year adopted a plan to raise within three years £300.000 as its centenary thanksgiving offering, lho fund has its headquarters in Auckland, and the schema was launched throughout the Dominion in the early part of the year. the Auckland Presbytery heads the list with a total of £23,015, followed closely by the Dunedin Presbytery with £21,0-13, and tho Wellington Presbytery with £20,100. Other Contributions The amounts reported from the other presbyteries in geographical order aro as follows:—North Auckland, £3068; South Auckland, £3610; W aikato, £11,674; Bay of Plenty, £4580; Hawke's Bay, £7300; Taranaki, £SSQO; Wairarapa, £583; Wanganui, £9935; Nelson-Marlborough, £2106; Westland, £33; Christchurch, £14,504; Aslihurton. £3000; Timaru, £6115; Oamaru, £3760; Central Otago, £800; Clutlm. £5093: Mataura, £5428; Southland, £15,889; total, £167,466. The main objective of the fund is to remove tho burden of about £200,000 of debt on church property throughout the Dominion, and in addition, four sums of £25,000 aro to be devoted to strengthening the mission enterprises of the Church at home and abroad, to augmenting stipends of ministers and home missionaries, to strengthening tin# beneficiary funds for retired ministers and church workers, and for sites and buildings in newly settled districts. Plans for New Year Tho returns quoted are still far from complete, and of tho 300 congregations of the Church, there are still a number that have not yet actively taken up the scheme. Members of the centenary committee are planning in the ear'y part of the new year to visit the districts that have been backward.

It is expected that Mr. J. H. Lane, a former, minister of the Church now resident in San Francisco, who did valuable work in organising the opening of the campaign, will be available again here next July to' carry the scheme on a stage further. The aim is to have all contributions in hand and the fund completed by October 31, 19-10, the centenary year of the Church.