CHALMERS CHURCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22065, 11 September 1941, Page 8

CHALMERS CHURCH

Annual Congregational Meeting

Satisfactory Finances

"It is a commonplace saying at present that we are Massing through very difficult times. That is true, but I wonder if the years after the war are not going to be more difficult,” said the minister (Rev. M. W. Wilson) in his opening remarks at the Chalmers Church annual congregational meeting on Tuesday evening. “The post-war years are going to present tremendous problems. The whole business of saying that one period is worse than another is rather futile.” Every period, he continued, "had its own problems and conditions, providentially, were never easy for the church. Present day conditions with the agony of trial by fire were a challenge to the people to return to God. That to his mind was the true significance of the present world situation.

Mr Wilson expressed his thanks to all members of the congregation who had assisted him in his work, and mentioned with regret the passing of Mr A. McLean, a member of the Deacons’ Court, who had given faithful service to the church. He also thanked the Rev. T. Wilson Potts, who had helped him personally in many ways. In referring to the work of the Sunday School Superintendents, Mr J. E. Cameron and Miss Wilson, and the Sunday School teachers and Bible Class leaders, Mr Wilson said he considered the youth work of vital importance. “If the church fails here,” he said, “then its days are simply numbered to my mind. There is no more important work in the whole church. But all the efforts of the Sunday School teachers and Bible Class workers will be of no avail if there are not Christian homes and the parents are not doing their part.” Session Report “Naturally the effect of the war is being increasingly felt in the congregation, and already the number of members and adherents who are serving their King and Country in the armed forces amounts to over 50, stated the Session report. The report paid a high tribute to the work of the minister in all phases of his pastoral duties, and also to Mrs Wilson, who had been a loyal helpr mate and took an active interest in the various branches of church life and work. The attendances at the Sunday services have been good, especially in the mornings, and we would appeal to all members to continue to keep up church attendances and to endeavour to get others to do so, the report continued. Again we welcome a large number of young people to our membership. The number on the roll at the end of the previous year was 768; 29 new members were received on profession of faith and 52 on transfer from other congregations; 25 were removed by transfer, 14 by. death, and 40 by purging of the roll, so that the total number on the roll is now 777. The average attendance at the quarterly celebrations of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper has been 419, while 656 members have communicated at least once during the year. The average attendance at the monthly early morning Communion Service has been 21. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism has been administered 37 times. The only change in the staff has been the appointment of Mrs E. M. Stowell as organist. The Sunday Schools and Bible Classses appear to be well conducted, and we express our thanks to the Superintendents, Mr J. E. Cameron at Chalmers, and Mrs White at Waimataitai, to their loyal teachers and to the Bible Class leaders.

The report was adopted on the motion of Mr W. S. Young and Mrs Wilson, who spoke on the women’s activities in the church.

Deacons’ Court

“Members and adherents will remember that, commencing last year, a system of budgeting Was instituted, and the committee charged with the framing of the estimates arrived at a total of £1359 as expenditure for the year ending June 30, 1940, stated the report of the Deacon’s Court. “A perusal of the accounts reveals the fact that the actual expenditure, after deducting self-balancing items and items not fairly coming within the scope of the Court’s liabilities, was £1403/11/9; apart from increases in various costs, the difference was mainly due to a heavy expense of £94 incurred in painting the Hall buildings, and this expense would possibly not have been incurred had this not been Assembly Year in Timaru. "The foregoing does not do more than give a partial statement of the year’s work in the Court. The true position is revealed by the fact that the Church debt at the beginning of the year stood at £llB3/3/3, and at the end of the year, at £674/8/2, an improvement of £5OB/15/1. Nor is this the full story, as there are two legacies of £5OO and £3OO still outstanding, the payment of which, if it could be effected, would cancel out the debt entirely. For these satisfactory results, in a time of war, the special effort involved in the Centenary Fund has been partly responsible, but the main source of improvement has lain in the increased weekly giving and this, in turn, is largely due to the greater vogue of giving by envelope. The Centenary Fund collection to date has yielded a totaT or £1395/2/9, which is inclusive of interest earned, amounting to just over £2l. The amount collected is therefore £1374 which is fairly satisfactory though, like Nelson, we had hoped for more. The amount in hand, supplemented by drawings on our own accounts, resulted in the repayment of debentures amounting to £5OO. “Thanks to the watchful care of the Works' Committee and the zeal and energy of the Church Officer, the property of the Church has been well maintained.

Moving the adoption of the report, Mr G. T. Williams reviewed the financial position, and Mr J. Brownlee referred to the envelope system of giving and emphasised that the success of the system depended directlv on the constancy of the individual subscribers. Messrs G. T. Timewell and W. Allport were reappointed auditors, and the clerk was instructed to forward them a letter of appreciation for their work.

The Moderator stated that Mr J Brownlee had accepted an appointment as choirmaster at Trinity Church. He wished to take the opportunity of paying a tribute to his work on the Deacon's Court and in the organisation of the envelope system.