WESLEYAN QUARTERLY MEETING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 515, 22 December 1881, Page 4

WESLEYAN QUARTERLY MEETING.

; The usual quarterly meeting of officebearers of the Ashburton Wesleyan circuit was held last night in the vestry of- the Cameron street church. There was a very good attendance both of town and country members, and the Rev. W. Xeall presided. A deputation from the congregation at Waterton was present, and a statement made concerning the services which had been held at that place during the last quarter. The report of the deputation was considered very encouraging, and it was decided that in future Waterton should appear on the preachers’ plan, and service be conducted there every Sunday. Mr Thomas Moses was unanimously elected Society Steward at Waterton. Mr H. M. Jones succeeded Mr John Orr as Senior Circuit Steward, the latter gentleman’s term of office having expired through effluxion of time. The meeting accorded Mr Orr a very hearty vote of thanks for the very valuable services he had nndered the church while occupying the position of Circuit Steward, and general regret was manifested at his desire not to be reelected. Mr Chas. Dixon was appointed Junior Circuit Steward, and Mr J. E. Buchanan elected as lay representative to the annual Conference to be held at Christchurch early in January. The balance-sheet, as presented to the meeting, Showed an income for the quarter of L 144 2s 3d, which included a grant of LSO from the Home Mission fund ; the expenditure being Xilso 2s Bd. Of the latter amount Ll 5 17s 7d had been forwarded to the Home Mission Treasurer, L 45 had been allocated to the trust fund of the church, atfid: a debit balance of L 22 Is 4d, carried forward from last quarter, helped to swell the item of disbursements. A debit balance of L 6 Os 5d was carried forward. The . Secretary of the Sunday school reported that the school was working well, and gave the following statistics ;—No. of scholars on the roll, 141; average attendance, 99 ; teachers and office-bearers, 16; average attendance of latter, 13. Considerable discussion took place in connection with the conveyance of local preachers to their appointments, and subsequently the matter was left in the hands of the Circuit Stewards and Mr H. Crisp to make the best arrangements possible. Other matters of more or less interest were gone into by the meeting, and after deciding to hold the usual watch-night service on New Year’s Eve, and a deputation being appointed to visit Allenton with the view of instituting religious services in that neighborhood, the proceedings terminated at rather a late hour.