BAPTIST ANNIVERSARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 459, 18 March 1909, Page 7

BAPTIST ANNIVERSARY.

VIVIAN STREET CIIUECII. The anniversary soiree of file Vivian Street Baptist Church was held last evening in the schoolroom, which was crowded. The Eev. ,T. J. North presided over a bright and interesting gathering, speeches and reports being made more easily digestible by alternating songs and anthems, with supper i'or finale. Mr. Arthur Donovan read tho annual report, wirica recorded an increase in raember■lsP> largeiy to conversions within the uharcn. Satisfactory progress had been made m all departments, especially the Sunday bchool and Chineso Mission. Tho Churcti was now £3. A • Cluirch magazine, the "Vivian," had been established, and was already justifying its existence. The SunserviccS had, on tho whole, been well attended. \vhib the morning attendance had increased, there were still too many vacant s>>ats. i'he evening services had iiiled the Church tnrou£*iouc tlio year. The piosoaoe of so many young men at bach services was very encouraging. With a view to enriching the sorvica of song, the t "Baptist Hymnal/' onc of tho finest hyum-tiooits in existence," was being adopted. Although there was a* debit balance of £2 l.'Js. oil., members had responded very generously to tlie many Ciaims on tnoin. Tho foreign mission gifts exceeded *£200, tho home mission gilts reacheu «CDO, and tho contributions to the annuity iuna were a total of almost XIOO for outside objects. Ttoe invitation of the eom- «?• t u '- lr^ics .Mo city to hold tha Ito9 Luptist union Conference in-Wellington hud tM.n accfepWu, and it was confidently expected tnat numbers would do their best to nu\i:e Hie in October nest a succcssful and memorable one. Mr. A. Hoby, Churc-i treasurer, stated that tli'i i receipts l'or the year totalled ,21107, incluaing J-aJO iro»n'■ collections. The assets of the Ciuu-ca stood >t ciiSOCO. J *c J * orfc ."} travor?od minor lepoiU. iho Sunday bchool roll number is 275, an increase of 51 for tho year. The fmancos of vne scacol are in a prosperous condition. Tho 10U113 s Bible Class lias had good meetings, and im contributed a fair quota' to tho teaching staff- ot the Sunday School. The ■-enior Cnristiau Ijiutcavour Society lias done a very great amount of work, and the Junior Socieiy .ias increased its membership bv uearlv a "" made fair progress during tho ytar. 1-ie Band of has been resuscitated and I piu on a sound wc.rhing basis. Work of un- I ues<i C ' 1 M , vaiu ' J ' uls dono by the Chi-

Captain King and Mr. Cathie moved a vote "Ppiewat-lon of the work of the pastor aiid Cm.ich omcoi-s, v,-.iicii was adopted with much witnusiasm. A 'i Dev '" <ll l or ( ErooM yn) congratulntfed the C.iurch on the\pi-cswice at tho meet-li-r, ot representatives l'roin Brisbane,. Nelson, Aaclvjanci, the Vhimic-v and other piuccs. As a lulo tlioir Churches did not know enough about one another. He. hoped that Ilicv would soon establish at least a quarterly gathering • lie members of tiieir Churches at the column,urn taol, so that the onsneaj of tno Baptist .community might bo. mora fully realised. u , hopeful spirit of the meeting was in stron-i contrast with tfca note of pessimism which had been souimcd recently in tiieir midst by diflvrent denominations. There was no room for Church UI " Christ; pessimism th?v fer ld , of lmboiicf ' awl «so ii.«ch as So'-?,! ll .? pi :' es « les f enter their hearts they (.omened their want pi laith. On the other noiid t.iey must not & a "brood of ecstatic oS j|i° v- W , iu;l lo tho evils around them. r«,\l' ,K ttng $ ao S„ Hv;a "S' Chinese Consul-Ui'-1 Ih , f'l !' i Ca all<i ' f" id he was sraleful lnat_ thj Church had worked for the wifare ! i-u\is U U n J' y i" en hl t!le eit >'> alltl thoncht l,i, i l 1 0 wo . ra , as Grateful as himself, i-h-vl p 1 snr P riscd at tho small iniluence ? pean . a - sso . omtion had had upon tho thn f"f- commui " l y this city. Very few of tho •& ainess residents in Wellington had felt the Lutopean mliuence, by which tliev slmnM havo benefited years £' I* china [hi marked p'JM"' l c ,°l lt \ ct h ? d bocn M «oh more thiim if r" • " s that 14 would a good who ™ij 9 nln l S , e ? rtac i, cr c0 »ld he secured, ■"* ; that - ais would which 6 1£tti& o «^ t OOhT h v i n ew: M ono 1