Annual Parish Meeting.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5608, 3 May 1886, Page 3

Annual Parish Meeting.

a ST MARY'S, MERIVALH. The annual meeting of the parishioners of St Mary's, Merivale, was held oa Saturday evening. The attendance was fairly good, considering the bad state of the weather. The Incumbent, the Rev T. Flavell, presided, and after the meeting ha* been opened with prayer, he referred to the ■piritual condition of the parish, mentioning, as gratifying features, tho increase in the number of communicants, candidates for confirmation, and Sunday school teachers. This improvement was partly owing to the Mission servioes. A devotional meeting was held ' weekly in the schoolroom, and was generally well attended. He bpecially thanked the ptynien who had assisted him at these meetings. Mr E. B. Cox, one of the churchwardens, read the annual report as follows : — "In presenting the annual reptrt and balance - sheet the churchwarden, and vestry are glad to bi) in a position te state that the receipts for tho year havejuaore than equalled the outgoings, whioh, ig. the face of the widespread depression, and the fact that for some years the revenge haalways been considerably short of Hie expenditure, is a matter for congratulation. The amount of outstanding liabilities (i.«., accounts owing) last year amounted froJ&QG, and this year they amount to £60 lips 7d ; and although this does not show any great improvement, yet it i 9 evidence tkitit the turning point has been reached, and a beginning made in the direction of paying off the debts of the parish. Tbe emligoing church officers would like to point e«t that, so long as the bank overdraft remaiaialthe present amountof about .£lso, the charge for interest is very great, and it shoula.be a matter for the earnest consideration of the parisioners gent-rally, whether a pewroanent reduction of the overdraft cow Id not be effected by Borne special effort in thatjaircetion. At any rato, it ie in the power .of the •ongregation to render great service to the vestry by a prompt payment of all clues, thus reducing tho amount payable every year for interest. We have to recwd that during Lent, commencing on Ash Wednesday, a series of mission 6orvicoe w«e_cenducted at St Mary's, Merivale, by tlie Rev G. E. Mason, one of tbe Missionem' lately pent from England, at which large, congregations daily assembled, and it io to be hoped that permanent good may result from his labours on behalf of the parish. In order to prepare for those mission, services, the incumbent of tho parisk instituted weekly mectingp, held on Wednesday evenings in the schoolroom, at which, prayers were said, hymns I'ung, *i\d an address given by a layman, 'nnd it iB the intention of the incumbent te continue these meetings in order to sustain among the parishioners the interest areused by the mission Ferviees. Tho thanks of the parishioners are due to the various lay readers, the choir, Sunday cchool teachers, auditor, lady visitors, and others, W6o by their united efforts have bronght the year to such a successful clone." The balance-sheet appended to the report was taken as read, nnd both were adopted on the motion of Major Wolfe, seconded by Mr Cotton. The incumbent named Mr E. B. Cox rp his churchwarden. Mr G. J. Meadows wa^ unanimously elected parishioners* churchwarden. The following gentleni-n were elected vestrymen : — Messis Isaa<: Gibbs, A. E. G. Rhodes, R. Eastrick, A. H. Allan, .7. Cotton, D. E. Smith, JT. D. Carter, W. H. Shaw, J. G. Mitchinson.jind Majer Wolfe. Votes of tbanka were priced to the outgoing vestry and churchwardens, the lady visitors, Iny re iderH, the choir, organist, Sunday school teachers, tho auditor, aud^ the verger. The Chairman thanked th^ parishioner* for their attendance, and tho meefcng terwinated.