MASTERTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BUILDING FUND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7828, 22 August 1904, Page 2

MASTERTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BUILDING FUND.

We extract the following from a statement issued by the Building Fund Committee:—

For seven years a new church scheme has been before the community. To remove mistakes regarding the scheme, and to appeal to .friends to bring the work to a successful close is the object of this statement: —

The new church scheme was initiated at a congregational meeting held on October 20th, 1897. The following is an extract from the minutes of that meeting:—" Mr James McGregor stated the circumstances which led some of the Managers to favourably consider the proposal for the removal of the Manse from its present site, with a view to preparing the ground for the erection of a new church." The congregation, at this meeting unanimously approved ot the initiation of a new church building fund, and a motion was passed exhorting the Managers to do all in their power to further such a movement. A response of an extraordinarily generous nature was given by about a dozen of people to this appeal. The initiatory list stood at a .£IOOO, and the list, as printed, contains the "note" that several subscribers did not want ten years' grace': they are prepared to pay their whole subscriptions whenever the church was started. This " note " explains the plan that was in the minds of the generous supporters of the scheme. They did not expect to wait ten years for a church. It was supposed that at most i>2200 would cover the cost of the whole scheme, and if that amount was subscribed the work would be gone on with on the strength of the promises in four or live years. The time payment scheme did not, however, spread through the congregation. Prominent ofnce-bearei-3 refused to support it. The scheme obsolutely broke down when ,£I2OO or so was promised, and no subscriber under the time payment system has been added for years to the list; and some old subscribers, for various reasons, ceased to make their annual payments.

At a meeting of managers on November 23rd, 1899, it was reported that at the end of the year the subscriptions to the church building fund scheme would amouut to £374. It was agreed there and then to take steps to remove the Manse and Church to new sites, and and adapt the church for Sunday school work. A few weeks later, the first tender for over .£'6oo was accepted for the work, which, before its completion, amounted to a cost of £740. It is specially to be noted that this was commenced when only half the total cost was in hand. Financial assistance had to be obtained from the Bank to pay the contractor on the personal security of several office-bearers. The heavy debt thus incurred was not liquidated till the 31st December, 1902, and it took all the subscriptions for five years and over £60 received from Bale of land to pay this debt.

At the end of 1902, after the receipt of five years' subspriptions, the total balance to the credit of the building fund \vas;£2 8s 4d. Some of the subscribers, who were interested only in a new church, had paid several years in advance, and their money had gone to pa}' for the preliminary work. The larger part of the money under the ten years' scheme was spent. At the end of ten years there would be a few hundred pounds in hand, and a fresh scheme would require to be formed to build a church. There was thus a danger of the whole scheme breaking down. The office-bearers who had taken a prominent place in the early part of the work were no longer in office. The ladies of the congregation by starting a Sewing Guild, kept the Church flag flying, and through two sales of work, raised nearly £300. A Committee set to work, and found nearly every subscriber under the time payment scheme who was spoken to ready to pay all the money promised before the new church was opened. A number of large new subscriptions were also obtained from willing givers. The congregation, at a recent special meeting, considered the whole case, and instructed the Committee to go forward to the erection of a church, not to cost more than J22000 when twothirds of cost of same was available. The Committee recognises with pleasure thd large hearted generosity with which the old and new subscribers have supported the scheme. God has sent times of material prosperity, and the subscriptions are a thank offering to God for His goodness. If we wait four or five years till a forward movement is made the number of those who have failed to pay their annual subscriptions will probably have increased in number. Further, four or five years hence we may not have the time ot material prosperity we have now. The Wellington Presbytery, in April, 1903, urged the congregation to go forward as soon us possible with a new church. Six years ago large sums were donated for a new church by people interested only in a new church, and faith should be kept with those friends. It is time that visibility be given to our

Presbyteranism in Mastcrton by the. erection of a suitable church.