MOUNT SOMERS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1654, 5 September 1887, Page 3

MOUNT SOMERS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

In my letter of the 31at nit. I promised to supplement the information contained m it by some remarks on tho situation of our people m reference to the proposed call. la order to avoid misunderstandings, let me at onoo state that I am personally entirely m favor of a call being given to tha Rev Mr Weßt, Bat lam ot the opinion that such a oall should be as nearly nnantmoua as possible. The promoters of the call have indeed publicly deolared that that gentleman would nut acoept any but a unanimous call. I honor him for this resolution ; It should m itself go far In gainlug for him the favorable opinion of oat church-going public. Hitherto no deliberate steps have been taken to ascertain the wishes of oar people. It is true that a preliminary meeting of members of the PresbyterUn Charch; and an after-service meeting of a similar nsturo were held. But not only were these nut representative meetings of that Churoh ; they were not even attende i by a quorum of the Churoh Committee, Nor vi ere several uiembero of thai Committee aware that tbbre still was auoh a body m existence ; for it seems that a new Committee should have been elected In M»y last, but that, owing to a ruling of the Rev Bea'tle, at present Moderate for this church district, the election was put off till a call ahould have been sustained. Tnis was not mad« public Ie is but rlgut that the opinion, of outsiders to the Presbyterian Church should aIBO be considered m the matter of a oall [ for they contribute In aorae measure to the Church funds by means of the Sabbath collections ; while one-third of the children attending the Sunday School belong to other denominations than the Presbyterian. Aa to contribution to the stipend : It ia a well-known fact that m the past the collection of the Mount Somera quota has been attended with real difficulty . M o wonder the population of the district is Beauty ; io are their means. Times are bad and additional taxation ia about to make them worse. In the face of theao facia, Mount Somera is expected to contribute the old rata of stipend, to assist m raising £150 for the building of a manee, which would mean a pro rat«, contribution of £24, and to pay its Bhare of a further mongago of, cay, £'300 In the chape of interett Great stress 1b kid, by the supporters of the call, on the ability of the ilev Mr West to work up the charch connection m pecuniary ua well as ia spiritual respects. To expect this 10, m my opinion, most unfair to' that gentleman. Every po? Bible means should be taken to put our church liuances on a foe ting of assurance before we ask him to leave a cLargo where, if all accounts are true, ho has no troublo m obtaining his stipend. Woald It not be well that our delegates should at to-morrow's meeting (Presbyterian Church, Ashburton) ask £or more time to ripen matters somewhat. I feel sure that such a coarse would give satisfaction to not a few of us; while, 1 am almost sure, it would plaoo Mr Wcßt on a far more satisfactory footing than he otherwise would have or could feel to heve* The delegates also would hare the satisfaction of knowing that they had done their duty as representatives of their dlstriot by not acting as arbitrary agents m a matter that concerns the welfare of ao many.