MORNINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15825, 25 July 1913, Page 8

MORNINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho annual meeting of members of the Mornington Presbyterian Church was held in tho Sunday School" Hall last evening. The Rev. W. Scorgio (minister of the church) presided over a gathering which practically filled the building. Tho Cnairmaji expressed his pleaeuro at seeing such an excellent attendance of members. Ho extended a special welcome to those present who had recently joined tho church.

Mr R. Bagrie read The session report, which contained the following clauses:—The work of tho church ha 6 been carried cn ■during the past year with regularity and a fair measure of success. Wo began the year with a membership of 327 and end it 'ivith 336. During the year 29 joined the church —five by profession and 24 by certificate. Thero were 20 disjunctions. As usual, four communion services were held during the year, the attendances being as follow: — September 199, December 187, March 179, June 207. The attendance at communion services averaged only 198, and wo urge on members the high privilege and tlucy of regular attendance. Tho attendance at Sunday services has been well maintained, and in some instances it was very gratifying to the minister and office-bcarere to sco such a well-filled church. Tho prayer meetings have been poorly attended. The average has remained at about ,25. Teachers specially are urged to attend. At tho beginning of the year Mr White, the organ.st and choirmaster, resigned, and Mr Knowles was appointed to the position. Under his leadership tho choir has cafried on its work with devotion and zeal. Tho congregation is under a great obligation to the choir for tho good work it has rendered. Tho session desires to record its thanßs to Mr Caldow and his staff of workers for the 6plendid work they are doing in the Sunday school, which is very well attended. In our last report tho necessity for more accommodation was mentioned. This we now have in tho Kindergarten Hall. The session desires to thank members for the liberal response made to our call. The work' in the kindergarten is carried or. with great success by Miss A. Henderson and her capable stafl. The Ladies' Association ccntinuc6 its .good work. It is an institution which all ladies of the congregation are recommended to join.

Mr Bagric then formally moved the adoption of the report. Mr W Neill seconded the motion.

The Rev. Mr Scorgie said be ha'd one remark to make which was not contained in the report. During the past y<»r there had been 22 baptisms -in connection with the church. He thought the Mornington district was looking up—(Laughter.) bast .year there wero only 14 baptisms. lie drew attention to the weekly prayer meetings, which he thought had been very pooriy attended. He hoped they would take this matter seriously to heart. llie church people were inclined to visit picture shows instead of prayer meetings. He irusted that this weakness in their congregational lile would be abolished during the coining year. The report was adopted.

The Treasurer (Mr W. Dawe) read a report dealing 'with the finances of the church, wh.ch stated, inter alia:—Your committee is pleased to report a credit balance of 14s bd, which is considered satisfactory. Generally 6peaking, the finances of the church remain in very much the Biimc position from year to year. Cnurch door collections show a slight falling off, and special collections are not what they should be. Members are urged to give more support ill this direction. The Sustentation fund shows a slight inereaso, but should be substantially more for a congregation such as Morningrcm. At our last monthly meeting a deputation from the headquarters of this fund waited upon your committee to seo what could be done towards increasing our returns, and we. promised to take steps to try and better it. To this end you will bo adv.'sed later on. Tho Kindergarten Hall has now been completed at a cost of £142 ss, towards which you very generously subscribed £117 163 6d, leaving a balance of £24 83 6d still owing. This amount we have borrowed from the Debt Extinction Fund Committee so as to pay the contractor. We hope to get this balance subscribed shortly. Drainage — This is a matter your committee lias had to consider, and it means a sum of from £60 to £70 to complete the work, therefore this and tSo balance due on the Kindergarten Hall means that your committee requires £100 during the next six months. An appeal will be mado to try and, raise this amount.

Mr Dawe, in moving the adoption of tho finance report, urged members t-o give morn support to special collections, which had been very unsatisfactory in the past. It had taken them all their time to show a credit balance of 14s Bd, ar.d he hoped members would not place the Finance Committee in such a tight corner in the future. In regard to the Sustentation Fund, there wa« a timo when members gave £100 to this fund. A little more energy was needed to increase their subscriptions, eo as to I enable them to give moro assistance to struggling churches.

Mr W. Brown seconded the motion, and drew attention to an item of expenditure for advertising. He pointed out that this amounted to only £2 lis 6d for the year. This amount might bo increased with advantage. When special sermons were being given he thought a little more advertising- would be advisable. People in tho church knew about the sermons, but it was those outside that they wished to reach.

The report was adopted without further discussion,

A report was received from the Secretary of tlie Sunday school which stated that t-hcro were 30 officers on the roll. The school was open on 46 Sundays dtirings the year, on 40 of which'ordinary class teaching was carried on, the remaining six being devoted to special services and addresses. Tho prosent number cf scho'ars attending? the school totalled 251, these figures showing a slight decrcaso from last year'a Twenty.four scholars 6at for the Assembly catechism examination,' five of whom gained over 98 per cent, of marks, wh'le the others gained qood results. New graded lessons were being used in tho school, tlius making the work of the teacher a little easier.

Mr Scorgie, in remarking on the satisfactory nature of the Sunday school report, paid a tribute to the work done by Mr R. Caldow, who had performed a long and faithful service in the Sunday school.

Reports were also presented from tho Ladies' Association, kindergarten, young women's Bible class, and young men' 6 Biblo class

The Rev Mr Dutton delivered a short address in which ho congratulated the congregation on tho splendid Vork which had been done in the Sunday school and kindergarten. During the evening solos wcro contributed by Miss Deas, Miss S. Hall, and D. Haig. Tho choir, under the conductorship of Mr Knowles, gave a pleasing rendering of a number of anthems. During an '■ interval refreshments were served by the ladie6. and were greatly app'eciated. The gatherings which was a particularly hearty and happy one, concluded with votes of thanks to tho ladies and to tho choir.