MUST THEY DROP?

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 128, 6 July 1914, Page 11

MUST THEY DROP?

j THE CATHEDRAL SERVICES. AN APPEAL FOR SUPPORT. "Do you loiow," asked J)eaii Carrington of his congregation in the Cathedral yesterday morning, "that the music given here costs nearly £IOOO a year, but your offertories for the last year amounted to only £736?" Dean Carrington was referring to the position of the Cathedral as regards funds, and the set back that had been received after the Exhibition. put it," he continued, "to my brethren of the Chapter: 'We shall have to settle whether these services in the Cathedral are going to continue, or whether they are going to drop.' When the Exhibition was held," he said, "the offertories in this Cathedral went up to over £IOOO, owing to the influx of visitors. The year after the Exhibition the offertories dropped far below the lowest they had ever reached, and they have never picked up. The Exhibition came as a blight or; the spiritual life of the community. People overspent themselves in enjoyment and over indulgence, and, acquir- i ing that habit, they never lost it. I don't want to be pessimistic. Perhaps it is the trend of the age to think that everything is paid for by the State, and that freewill offerings and hearty cooperation are no longer needed." In the last four or five years, explained Dean Carrington, the Cathedral had finished with a big deficit, and in order to maintain the present service the Cathedral was plunging into bankruptcy, It was estimated that when the accounts were closed at the end of this nionth the deficit would be £7O or £BO. There was an* idea abroad (and he found it very hard to dislodge), that they had a vast endowment; that paid for "everything. That was not so. There was a fund—the Dean arid Chapter paid for the maintenance of the buildings and providedthe salaries of the clergy. When the Cathedral ended up the year with a deficit or £2OO or more, they had togo to tlie. Synod and ask: for a grant to pay their debts. He exhorted the congregation to give publicity to his appeal., 'We must bring back,'' he said, ' ' those ulays when there existed a spirit of selfsacrifice for the Glory of God. Without ! that spirit you can never enjoy your worshipi.APPEAL BY CIRCULAR. : A circular has been issued appealing if 6/ assistance in maintaining the ■ Cathedral services. i 1 "Tt is a matter of iirgcint and increas'lihg' importance,'' says the circular, : ;< ' th&t thds6 who value this Cathedral ( services should co-operate with the |i Dean krid Chapter in -securing' their, maintenance. In the centre of our city, the Worship of our Church is rendered Sunday by Sunday, and week-day by week-day, according to the highest Eriglisli tradition, and at a standard of musicsil excellence which is recognised by all.' '' But this' maintenance of these services etitails an expense of fuly £9OO a year on music alone, and the cost cannot possibly be reduced, if the services are to be continued. "It is commonly supposed that the Chapter i§ in possession of ample funds of its pwn. This is riot , the case. The maintenance oT the . services s depends largely on 'congregation. "For more than twelve j

years the offertory and collections have been steadily decreasing (from £IOOO in 3902 to £736 in 1013). The supplementary subscription list has also decreased in proportion. "But the Chapter have tc 'ieet an inevitable increase of expenditure, with a diminished revenue, and a heavy annual deficit.

"The Chapter is at present engaged in reviewing the whole situation in order to arrive at some more satisfactory way of obtaining regular support, but everything must depend on the response made by the congregation, and generally by those who value the Cathedral services, and wish them to be maintained.

' 4 With a view to future arrangements, it is very important that we should close this year, if possible, without a deficit. We ask all members of the congregation to consider the need of supporting the services, in which they are freely invited to participate. Without that support, liberally and loyally given, the services cannot be carried on; nor can there be real worship of God unless we each bear our fair share in the common offering.'' The circular concludes with a request that those willing to give regular subscriptions towards the fund for the maintenance of services, from 5/- a year upwards, should fill in an enclosed slip and hand it to one of the sidesmen at the Cathedral.