ST. JAMES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 184, 11 August 1870, Page 2

ST. JAMES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The sixth annual meeting of the congregate,, i worshipping in St. James's Presbyterian ; Church, Wellington-street, was held, i n I school-room, on Wednesday. There -was afe. ' attendance of members and adherents, and much interest was manifested in the' Pro '' ceedings. Th Rev Mr. Macnicol, thepasfor loci, occupied the chair, and conducted deto. I tional services. Thereafter, the secretary' Mr. Brock, read the report, which spoke latjf! factorily and hopefully of the affairs of the ' congregation. The amount of receipts for the lilt past year has been £799 9s Id., and the debt It oil the church has been reduced from £944 sf to £750. The Llome MUsion fund hai re j"| ceived £42 16?. 16d., being £16 6s. 6d.m or j I than on the previous year. The Sabbath It School was reported as prospering if having 140 children under the charge of 18 teachei-3. The amount of £8 2s. 10d \ has been collected or contributed by the ■ children for mission purposes, and books to I the value of £15 have been purchased for the Sabbath-school library, and have arrived by the Sydenham. The Bible-class and Prayer Meeting, conducted by the minister of the; |f church, were also favorably reported on, and 1 altogether the esteemed pastor and his people I are to be congratulated on the efficiency of their 9 organisation and the very kindly relations that 1 evidently subsists between them. The con«! 1 gregation next proceeded to the election of ,'•; members of committee to supply the place l| of those resiring by rotation, and Messrs, §1 Brock and .King were chosen. The f| question so intere ting to Presbyteriani, m and so often debated, as to the advisabilty of ft" introducing hymna into the public " serviceof eong," was submitted, and gave rise to very warm but temperate discussion. The ret. '■'■'• chairman placed it before the meeting without expressing his personal views and predilections ; and Mr. T. Mackay, who had formerlj opposed the " innovation," giving the groundi of his convictions, and various arguments, hi* torical and otherwise, moved that " the hymn, book published by the Presbyterian Church of England, adopted by that of Tictoria, aud sanctioned by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, should. be adopted for use by this congregation in the worship of God." The debate was carried on at much length by Messi-s. Stevensoi,' Brock, A. Clarke, Lees, J". Stewart, Mclntoih, Eattray, and others. During the course of the proceedings Mr, Jp Macnicol placed lucidly, before the meeting fj>; the arguments —scriptural, historical, and of £• common sense, in favour of the Church v making this concession to progress and good I taste ; and, after various amendments hid | i been proposed and withdrawn, it was resolved, :' " That on Sunday week the votes of the mem- |>v bars of the Church should be taken on the 1 subject by voting papers, to be handed to the | elders."

After a conversational discussion of varioui . other matters of congregational interest, th» \: , meeting concluded with the benediction.