MORNINGTON PRSSBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12800, 22 October 1903, Page 10

MORNINGTON PRSSBYTERIAN CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETINTG OF THE COXGRECATION.

The annual meeting and social gathering of tho Mornington Presbyterian Church congregation was hold in tho hall at the rear of the church last night, v.-hon. there was an overflowing attondanee. The Rev, W. Scorgio presided. After the proceedings had been opened in the customary way, Mr A. Watson (session dork) submitted tho annual report, which stated that :ho Sabbath- servicer had been regularly attended, and that the Sacrament liad been dispensed quarterly, with an average attendance of 216. This was an increase of ?.7 on the previous year. Tho increase of membership had ken 56—17 by certificate ami 39 by profession of faith. The decrease wa-3 25—18 by certificate- and seven by death, —leaving a net gain of 31 for the year! | Tho prayer mooting continued to receive very tittle attention, and the average attendance was only about 20. During the past year the minister had been giving a series of expositions on tho second half of Isaiah, much to the edification of tlioso who attended. The Christian Endeavour, tho Young lion's Discussion Class, tho' Young Men's and Young Women's Bible Classes were all doing gocd work, and the sc6sion was much indebted to those conducting them. Tho Literary Society and tho Band of Hope had also had a success.'ul year. The Sunday school continued to bo well staffed and attended, and tho session dif-ircd to express its gratitude to Mr I'wd for his 10 years' service as superintendent. During the year tho choir had undergone great changes. Mr Lomas (the organist) had been succeeded by Mr Webb, and Air A. Sunderland had boon appointed choirmaster. The session i«b dcepi'v indebted to the choir for its fidelity' and devotion in the service of praise. Tho following new ciders were ordained during tho year:—Messrs A. T. Blyth, R. Ba-ric A. 11. Grinling, J. H. Johnston, .I.° c' Loan, and A. 11. Wallace, which b'roiwlit the working, staff up to 16. The report concluded- by stating that all the organisations of the church bad been v/c-ll maintained and its schemes liberally responded to, and the session took tho opportunity of thanking the lnnnanors of the Sunday school, Toachers 1 llfosion, and SuHentution Fund collectors, and all others who bad helped to make their past year of Labour a success. Mr Watson, in moving tho adoption of the report, took members of the congregation' somewhat to task for the paucity of sunport given to tho prayer meeting. Tlio office-bearers, ho said, had spent two nights disguising tho mat-tor without coming to any satisfactory conclusion. He 'thbipht t-ne main drawback was with the «J1?«. bearers Uiemselves, for they did not the congregation an example as far as the prayer meeting was concerned. Olhcrwc everything m connection with the church was gomg along extremely well. Mr A. H. Cb'inling, in seconding the motion, said- it must be gratifying to fhoso connected with the church to find that in almost every department they were on the up-grade During the past year die Christian ludwvour Society and the Literarv boouity had teen added to tho church institutions, and both bad shown great activity It was a gratifying feature cf tho report that the young people wcro rallying to the ' chtireh, and that the church was becoming t.'.e centre, of a certain amount of religious and social activity among the young people, lerhaps it was rather- a good thing that here wcro coma weak points in the report,! because if they wore on tho right side in everything it might tend to solf-eomp!a-ej-ncy. Ho had much pleasure in secondiuir the motion. • b The report was adopted. Mr W. D.-.uo sui»mirt«! tho treasure's report for tie year, which stated that after Jv. known liabilities bad been accounted lor here was a handsome credit balance of £« 13s 9d, des.ufce the fact that duriuo- the yew there had 'been a Jot of extraordinary expenditure Seat rents brought £M ij> as against £133 10s for tho previous year! and the Siwtentation Fund also showed an increase. The receipts from all source?, jogcthe-r with the balance brought forward ■Irani the previous year, amounted to £662 7s Id, and the expenditure to £618 13s 4d. The report was adopted. Tho Kev. W. Scsrgie, in a short speech, referred to the increase! mom-berrl'ip, and said it was a curio;u thing that during the lour and, a-half year.- he had been minietcr in Jtc-riiiDgton ho had received about half the present members into the church. He had received 163 during the period he had referred, to, and in the- same time the ecu-grc-gatica had increased {rem 282 to 250.— lAi..plai.Ke.) Iu ihc meantime ho might mention as illustrative- cf (he shiftinir character of the population that 100 had passed

cut of -tho manibw-ship, and of wham iliere wai no r«or;l to fhon- \riiero li,i<l qoho. Tius ho Ibousht the uioro ronavkabh when

they con ride-rod that Morninaton was one of the st-iidest and steadiest- borough-, round Bunedin. This would give those presrcit some idea of the stream of floating population there must be i'l a cit*- 'ike Duncdiri. Another rc-mavku!)!? featura about tho past year's work was the amount of sickness tliero had been. In all the years since ho had been a minister ho -l-.ad 'never seen so much sicknw. as tlic-rc Unci been in tho Mcniin-glcit district since February laar. It ■had keen on? continual round cf vi?its to sick people, and in spile of a!i tho lime he had devoted to this work—practically a!! tho spare time at his diwe.-*.!—he wa? still six weeks in ai-rcar. Mr Scorpio then vent 011 (0 refer to missions, and said that during tho year v.-o re's than £72 l?,s 4d had been silk-scribed for this- i-'.irpo*e.—(Auplause.) Mr W. Davidson "also spoke. ' During the eveniiis .1 number of musical items were given, Tha singers wove: MiJ. B. Bruch, Mr* Ford, Mis,; Deas, Mr'G, G. Howc-3,"an-.l Mrs A. T. Blytfi. A pianoforte duet,was i-Javed by Miss M'Crorie and -Jliw Ford, "while Mr J. A. Wallaro played violin selection*. The olioir, under the direction of Mr 0, Austin?, gave several anthems. At a suitable interval refreshments wero handed round by the ladies, Before- t-'.v» gathering* broke tip .1 heart.}* vote of thati!-*- was passed to all those who had assisted during the evening.