CHURCH MEETING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 333, 17 November 1875, Page 3

CHURCH MEETING.

A Meeting of the members of the Church of England was held on Monday evening at the Court House. The Eev. O. Jordan occupied the chair, and explained ’ that the meeting had been called at rather a short notice in order to receive from His Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese, in person, the information relative to the loan of £SO promised hy the Society for the Propogation of Christian Knowledge towards defraying the expenses of building Trinity Church. He heard, however, that His Lordship would not be present at the meeting.. The Secretary to the Church Missionary Society having given notice that the sum given by the Society towards the Incumbent's salary would cease on the 24th prox. unless fresh guarantors were forthcoining, this subject also required consideration. At present there was

a guarantee between some gentlemen and the Bishop which had been entered into some three years ago with a view to securing the stipend of a minister to come out from home. He (t he Euv Mr Jordan) would rjmi ark that, until ho came to Tauranga, he knew nothing of this guarantee, nor did he think that any minister of the Church would leave a good position at home to come to the colony on a guarantee ,of such short duration if he knew of its existence before leaving. As. however, the Bishop had not attended the meeting, and as the questions to be discussed were very important ones, he thought due notice of the meeting should be given, and to give all members of the parish an opportunity to attend, the meeting should be adjourned. The Yestry could wait upon His Lordship in the meantime and get any information necessary to lay before the next meeting. Captain Tovey, the Minister’s Churchwarden, read tho following letter received by him from the Eev. Mr. Burrows, Secretary to the Church Missionary Society:—

Tauranga, November 15, 1875. Pear sir,—-As the period for which a guarantee was made by you and others for the payment of the sum of £l5O per annum for three years towards the stipend of the Rev. 0, Jordan expires on December 31, 1875, and as the £SO per annum which has been contributed out of the local funds of the Church Missionary Society was agreed to be paid only to the end of that guarantee, I have to inform you that any further contribution from the Society will have to depend upon some new arrangement in reference to the clergyman’s stipend!.—-I am, &c., Eobrut Bubeows, Secretary Church Missionary Society. Captain Tovey, &c., &c. The following account of tlio Church Building Fund, prepared by Captain Tovey, the Treasurer, was also read: — subscriptions to Church Building Fund unpaid at the last annual meeting amounted to £B7 9s, since which time new subscriptions to the amount of £3 Is hove been paid, and a sum of £5 promised, and to arrive by next mail from England ; the total amount of subscriptions paid since last meeting being £53 13s; special collection on November 15 at the consecration and opening of Trinity Church, £l7 4s 5d ; total, £O9 16s sd. The sum of £36 IBs remains unpaid on thejliet. The sum realised by tho entertainment at the Temper* auce Hall was carried to tho credit of the General Church Fuud.

Alex. Tovey, Treasurer. Mr Hopkins Clarke requested to bo llowed to make the following propoition before the mooting was adourned: “That in consequence of he guarantors having given the lord Bishop of the Diocese notice hat after tho 23rd of December, 1875, heir guarantee ceases for making up ny deficiency that might occur in aising the sum of £l5O promised by he congregation towards the Eev. ). Jordan’s stipend, it is expedient to ,t oqce call a public meeting of the )hureh members to provide fresh ;uarantors for providing the same.” Mr Edgcumbo seconded tho propoition, which was carried unanimously. Captain Thinks proposed and Mr habbe seconded, that the meeting he xljourned until 7 o’clock on Thursday ivoning, and that the Bishop be avited to attend. Notice and object d the meeting to be inserted in the lay of Plenty Times.

Mr W. 11. Bennet thought it hardly worthwhile to ask His Lordship to attend if he was only asked to do so to give information relative to the £SO promised by the Society for the Fropogation of Christian Knowledge oh the condition that the debt at present on the church was paid off. He considered that so small a sum could be made up by the parishioners, and, towards that end, he, for one, would bo glad to help as far as he was able. Mr Edgcumbe moved that the words, “the Bishop be invited to attend” be struck out, which was seconded and carried, and the meeting was accordingly adjourned until seven o’clock on Thursday, the 18th instant.