KNOX CHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 41

KNOX CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETING. There was a fair attendance at the annual congregational meeting of Knox Church, held in the Stuart Hall, on the 19th. The Rev. W. Hewitson presided, and apologised for the absence of Messrs John Roberts, J M. Alexander, and C. R Gooch. Affcer the opening devotional exercises, - Mr G. M. Thomson was called on to

move .the adoption of the annual report, the principal clauses in .which have already been published. He stated that the report - was a record of very excellent and very full work which called upon a very large number of workers. Referring to the number of older office-bearers who were unable to take an active part in the work of the church, he spoke sympathetically of Mr Walter Hislop's illness, and paid a high tribute to the work of the acting session clerk (Mr P. G. Pryde), who had been filling Mr Hislop's place. The work of keeping the roll had now been relegated to a committee, and he trusted that that would be a permanent arrangement. He assured the Rev. J. W. Shaw that he had the sympathy and esteem of the congregation in all his labours, and 6poke appreciatively of his work. In view of the fact that there were a great number of people in the congregation who never beard the Bible except from the pulpit, he thought it -would be well to include more Bible-reading in the church services. Mr J. C. Hodges, in seconding the motion, spoke in very complimentary terma of the work of their minister, the Rev. W. Hewitson. son. With regard to the Sustentation Fund, the report showed that Knox Church had contributed during the past year a sum of £197 beyond the equal dividend declared to every congregation, but this wae some £28 below the sum the Assembly had asked them to guarantee. The total amount given during the year to causes outside the church 1 itself was £673. Mr Hodges went on to explain the prurpose of the Sustentation Fund, and to urge the importance of its claims: Mr H. Islip spoke appreciatively of the work of the late Mr J. A. Tor ranee, and conveyed to them his farewell message to the congregation. Speaking of the membership of the church, he had to regret the fact that very few young men were joining their ranks. He put the blame of this on the lack of training in many homes. Mr A. Hamilton, secretary of the Debt Extension Committee, had some interesting figures to give in connection with the history of the church. The -present Knox Church was opened on November 5, 1876, with a debt of £9385. The total cost o£ the building was about £18,300, and this was all cleared off in 1892. Since then a new manse and Sunday school building had been erected, on which there had been a. debt of £4000. Towards the liquidation of that amount some £600 had been received in caeh, and a further £900 had . been promised. The Rev. J. W. Shaw, M.A., who was very heartily received, gave an interesting outline of the successful mission work that was being carried on in connection with the church. He also spoke of the very great appreciation with which Mies Reid, the church's deaconess, was received in her work among the needy and suffering. He concluded by acknowledging the kindliness, tactfulness, and sympathy of Mr Hewitson, which had made -his work in Knox Church an unadulterated joy. The motion for the adoption of the balance sheet was carried unanimously. The Rev. W. Hewitson, in hie concluding remarks, expressed his gratitude to the congregation as a whole for personal kindness and hie appreciation of the good work done more particularly by Mr Walter Hislop, Miss Reid, Mr Gray, their splendid band of women workers, Mr Gale, Mr T. Neill, and the Rev. J. W. Shaw, before whom, lie said, there was a sphere of very distinguished and great usefulness. The meeting closed with the benediction.