EAST TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 372, 15 January 1859, Page 5

EAST TAIERI.

TheoAiual financial meeting of the members ancradherents of East Taieri congregation was heHTin the Church there on the 30th ult. After derotional exercises, which were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Johnstone of Port Chalmers, a statement of the accounts for the preceding year was submitted to the meeting, from which it appeared that by means of church-door collections, contributions to the General Snstentation Fund, and a special subscription for the enlargement of the church, the congregation had raised the sum of £219 6s. 2d , being an increase for the year of £65 4s. Bd. It was further reported that sixty-four members or adherents had been added to the congregation during the preceding twelvemonths ; and also the gratifying fact that of thirty-four adults resident in the district who do not avail themselves of public ordinances in connection with the congregation, six only are returned as being careless or indifferent, the other twenty-eight being professedly connected with other communions. Not equally satisfactory was the announcement that there were no fewer than forty-seven adult noncontributing members or adherents in connection with the congregation during the year ; while at the same time, the sums paid by many others might with great propriety be considerably increased. A vote of thanks having been awarded to Mr. Somerville for his very efficient services as Clerk to the Deacons' Court, and for the interesting and carefully prepared statement and analysis of the affairs of the congregation which he had laid before the meeting, the proceedings were concluded with an appropriate address from the Rev. Mr. Will, minister of the district, who expressed an earnest hope that the amount of contributions to the General Sustentation Fund from the different congregations would continue largely to increase — not so much from a desire that the incomes of the present incumbents might be augmented, as from a wish that the Presbytery might be eucouraged and enabled to send for additional ministers to occupy the various fields of usefulness so rapidly opening up throughout the Province.