KNOX CHURCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17081, 13 August 1917, Page 11

KNOX CHURCH

ANNUAL REPORT.

In presenting their annual report for the just ended the office-bearers of Knox church call attention to the measure of sue sess which has been vouchsafed to the rarious organisations of the church. The rear has been a strenuous one, and for a lumber of the members has been one of iore affliction and anxiety. The war con;inues to take its toll of the brightest and ' j ?{. • young manhood of the country ind this congregation has suffered manv osses at the various fighting fronts. Th"; sails on the minister have been mcreasingh neavy during the year The demands or. us sympathy have been irrojsually numerous ind in so large and widespread a :ion the amount of visitation to the sick ind dying, and to those in need of spiritua lelp and comfort, has taken up much of hi nme and energy. Mr Davies cannot and iocs not attempt to limit his ministrations ■oiely to members of the congregation. The mnister of Knox Church, following the fine xadition established by the first holder of uat position, is moro than a mere minister >f a congregation. He is the leading man 111 , , n ? er >d of the city, and his help md advice are never sought in vain. Mr Javies has always fully realised his position, ™ as a citizen has taken liis right plaice in social, _ and educational work Mr Wilcox has just completed a year oj service as student' assistant, and has wor ;he esteem and affection of all those broughi into touch with him. Under his guidance .•he Stuart Hall mission continues to pros icr, and his addresses, as well as his visi fcations, are much appreciated. One hun Jrexl and twenty-seven names were addec 5o tho communion roll during the year—7! ay certificate from other churches and 5! by profession of faith. The disjunction) ivere 66—35 by certificate, 30 by death. Th< ittondanoo at the communion was* —Sep iember, 649; December, 824; 'March, 785 June, 687; — an average of 736. At th< 3u t-stations the sea-rices have been carriec j>n _ without interruption. The attendance a Lieith valley ha*i fallen off greatly, on ac xnmt of the failing health of some of the iged members, and also because of removal from the district. Early in the year Ml humming undertook the supply of Leitl Valley, and the Sunday services are now much more largely attended, while the monthly week-night prayer meeting haj issumed very large proportions. At Pirn L-lill a specially pleasing feature is the at ;endance of the young. The difficulty o: ;onveying- the speakers to these out-stations ias been to some extent overcome. Sist® Jean and Sister Laura continue their goex ivork among the poor with consecrated de ration. Much practical assistance is rend 3red to those in need, and in this waj juraens and cares have been lightened, am ;heer brought into lonely lives. From yeai jo year tho men's Sunday morning prayei uoeting is carried on by tho same smai pjup of members. The Stuart Hall mis iion continues to meet a very obvious need, ind during tho past year has been wel ttterided. Sister Laura, whose influence i; eit in all quarters, is now able to visil >ncei moro, though still much missed at the aunday services. The mission is much in lebted to the very loyal choir and orchestra ed most capably by Mr Rush. The mothers neoting met regularly during the summer ind was much appreciated. The collection: or the year amounted to £32 8s lid ant ia-ve been allocated as follows:—Foroigi Missions, £7 Is; home missions, £7 Is mission (Sister Jessie), £4 9s lOd 1.5.5.A., £5; Aged and Infirm Ministers Fund, £o 17s Id; and Old People's Home bo. i"he Ladies' Association reports thai he year haa been one of quiet, steady pro jress. An average year's work has beer :arxied through, and the usual number a garments have been made and riven to the xrar and the orphanage, while large parcels >f clothing have been forwarded to the jlendining and Clyde Street Homes. Cloth iig, coai,_ groceries, cash, etc., have beer hstanbuted to numerous deserving cases. The society has paid for the maintenance oi ■wo orphans in tho Glendining Home ' balance to tho credit of the associatioi rt the end of the year was £24 12s 2d ihe Yonn ? Women's Society, which ha* jompleied its twenty-ninth year's work ie ports that the work has gone on eteadih ind satisfactorily, and, in spite of the ad rerse circumstances and many outside call an the members, the attendance on the [yhole has been fair. The literary and socia branch held its usual number of meetings iilQ Oorcas secretary reports that 46 gar aicnts were given away to Sister Laura ane a. large parcel of clothing was sent to th< orphanage The treasurer's report shows « balance of £20 17s. Bd. The donation tc tho home mission Christmas bos funt io £1 2s- 7d._ The Patriotic society still .holds its sewmg meeting ever* rnesday afternoon. The attendance ha< Deen good throughout tho year, as is showr by _ the amount of work done—226 large irfacles 2640 small, besides 169 pairs o. »cks, having been made. A gift evening Lor soldiers Christmas parcels enabled th( society to send about 200 Christmas boxe* to Otago soldiers at the front Besidethese, parcels were posted to all the boy! [Rom the Clyde Street Home who are or ictivo sennde. Ordinary revenue for' th< year amounted to £1929 2a 10d, and ex penditnro to £1823 9s;" and amounts col lected for special funds reached the lares F™ offilSSS 7s sd, as against £1373 8s 2c ,°5 J-yJ-P- Through the generositv of th( iato Miss Jessie W.- Dalgleish the churcl :ias received a sum of about £2500, whici to b* 3 invested and the income therefron used m payment of the salary of a nurse whose whole time will be devoted to the work of our church. In addition to the r V £> Miss Dalgleish leit legacies j Ladies' Associatior tnd £,ax) to the Young Women's Society the contributions to the Sustentation Funt ;his year amount to £489 ss. Last year the otal was :0456 14s 3d. Tho amounts re:eived through mission boxes and collectors tho year are: Home, £100 6s: foreign, 6104 Is 3d;—total, £204 7s 3d. The reasurer's etatccjent includes • furthei Lmounis received from the Sunday schools Bihle classes, and P.W.M.U. The totals' rom all sources are as follow: Home, £27£ ■6s 4d; foreign, £284 7s;—total, £571 3s 4d. Jeing £19 18s 6d less than tho to*al of las) fear. The Knox Church branch of, the ?.W.M.U. reports a year of considerable activity. Fear tho year ending £25 8s 7c: las been collected _ from 300 mem' >ers by the Maori Mission Birthday League. There are four Sabbath schools and si? 3ible classes oonnected with the church, anc Jiese have shown a slight falling off ir lumbers during the year. The tolal nam ser of scholars and class members is 625 ivhile there are 80 teachers and leaders L'ho mission contributions from ■ the school 1 ind Bible classes totalled £169 19s 3d. ' The uain school is divided into four depart nenfcs,' each presided over by a superintend int, and good work is being done in. al lie rooms as well as at the Pelichet Ttnv [>eith Valley, and Pino Hill schools. Fifty me scliolars sat for the Assembly's cxamma ;ions 38 gaining prizes. In tho whole ;chool 17 teachers have resigned during the ,c ar, and 21 new teachers have joined Th' contributions to the church mission; irnouiifcod to £73 4s, being an increase or ast yeax s amount. Included in thi f a > S j- j £P OC ' a ' contribution to the Testament Fund of £8 10s, irovidmg 510 Testaments. The Girls Jrder of the Covenant and Boys JTdcr of the Burning Bush are flourishing (vith a membership of about 35 and 18 ro ■pcctively. Broadly, they are modelled upoi tlie lines of a friendly society." There are ;hree young women's Bible classcs this year with a membership of 80. Tho memben are loyal to the Sabbath echool, and thi< year haves supplied a number of teachers ihe continuous call to tho scrvico of oui country has had & very serious effect up or

the work of the young men's section. Altogether 52 members have left for military service. J

The . Junior Christian Endeavrjor Society rajete in Stuart Hall on Sunday mornings at 10 o clock. The roll nomber is 36, and the members attend very regularly. When the adverse conditions under which the choir has laboured by the enlistment of every unmarried male" member are taken into aoraunt the congregation has much reason to j be satisfied at the manner in which this part of the church's work has been carried on. Included in the report is the followiw list of former members of the church who have given their lives for their country — •Tames W Bennett, William Bowden, An.onie Beokman, Thomas H. Denniston, Sydney G. Duke, Thomas Gfflman, _ Harper f ra f k , Horton Hitebon, John vlalcolm Napie-r, Harry Johnstone Niven Nioolson, Thomas Max•vell Park, Thomas Saunders. James Lees Nmclair, Wniiam a Turabull, Charles Walter Thomson, Robert W2.- - I . n , a i ore T°Tl tc L tlle re Port, the minister (tL f Rev -, R " E " eaysl rhree years of war have almost passed, and the young manhood of the congregal ton » sorely depleted. We miss tfaffaSes • yonn 2, m , en > wstt their vcrathful fh?! h j siasm , . cheerfulness, and long for the day of their return. In the pact we have wished well and meant well, but these mtent '°"» have not sufficed. We must vnstify our faith m the future by deeds I have almost completed eight years of minism Jtudst, and desire to take thi3 -°I thank ™? for kindly and sympathetic interest m the •vgork."