ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 578, 5 August 1909, Page 2

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.

ANNUAL MEETING. . The annual meeting of the congregation cl St.' Andrews Presbyterian Church wis hiid ■ last evening, the Rev. 'J. Gibson Smith, minister of the church, presiding. Thsre was a very good attendance of members. ■ , , The annual report ot" the Kirk Session , that daring the earlier months of the year a certain ■ degree of. stir was caused by the, proceedings taken in the Church Courts m connection with a theological work published by the pastor, but with the.decision of tho General Aswmbly in November, this period of unscttlemont came to an end. was mado to tho low sustained to the churen by the d'aths of Messrs. James Barry and Bob- ' ert Lcthatn, Mesdames Burnett, W. Ixrtnam, and Mouat,- and Mr.- and Mrs. W. H. Henry (lost in the wreck of tho s.s. Penguin). Through Kclburne being mado a sanctioned charge the session lost Mr. J. P.; Campbell and tho Rev.. W. J. Comrie, -while several . members and adherents and twenty children were also transferred. , . The numter'now on the Communion roll was 236. 'Tho attendances at Communion were as follow:—1908, September 144, December 113; 1909, March "12S, Juno 128. Tho minister;ofnciated at 18 baptisms, 30 marriages, and H funerals. Ho also acted during parts of the..: vcar as Moderator of St. John's Session, Mode- ". rator of Kclburne, Moderator of Wadcstown, ■•, Moderator of Wellington Presbytery, and " president of tho Wellington Ministers'. Aasociation. Wadestowu had been disjoined from the Onslow congroßation, and constituted 8 , mission station under the supervision of St, Andrew's Sc'ssibh',' I, ' , The;'work TiT'that: district",'; was being carried' on : by' Mr. Rutlcdge,- Homo Missionary. ■ The-week-night service was regularly k>ld throuehout the year, but only a • very smalhprcpoftion of-tho congregation was ■ •' in the habit of attending regularly. • Reference was also mado in tho report to. tho various institutions organised.' under. the auspices of tho ohurch-the Young Men's Bible .Class (ro I number 21), Young Women's Biblo Class (roll number 39), choir (membership •.21);. Junior Biblo Class (roll number 12), Sabbath School ■ (roll "number 102), tho Women's Guild, which, with the assistance of the Evening Guild, ■ rai«ed .€250 towards the funds for the new Sabbath Sohool building, and the,, Visiting ■ Committee. , ' •■ , . .:. The report of tho Board of Managers stated., that of the iM) from the sale of the form at Titrakina ,£2OOO had been invested, and tho " balance devoted • to the' liquidation of the eos.t of the new Sabbath School. Tho annual income available from tho investment, was .£125, as against tho rent (.£7B) previously,received ■ from the farm. The board was indebted to . Mr. J. C. M'Kcnw for his services in successfully carrying through the, various transactions . in that connection. Owing to" the advantageous . position in which it was thus placed the board ventured on n/somewhat larger scheme of bun- ■ day School accommedaton than it at first_oon-... templated. Mr. James Bernic, architect, offered his services gratuitously, and the tender of Messrs. Meyer and Illmgworth.at .MZ9B was accepted for the erection of the buildings. Tho total cost was jfMOO. Tho board thanked the ' contractors for the way in which they carried ■ out tho work, and also the supervisory committeo (Messrs. M'Kerrow, Russell, and Tait, sen) for tho careful and diligent attention given to tho work' whilst it was in- progress. As no provision had been made in tho con- - tract for seats and other furnishings, it waa ; ' resolved to mako nn. appeal to-the congrtgation to provide the necessary funds, tins . • appeal was most liberally responded tor and largely owing to the efforts of Mr.. J. U M'Kerrow £63 lis. was collected. By means . of this sum tho hall, class rooms, vestrv, and kitchen were ratably furnished. Dealing «:th the statement of accounts, (ho report stated that there were "gratifying indications cl übor. ality. St. Andrew's possesses now tho amenities of an organised and equipped church. It remains for tho congregation to mako use of tbeso privileges to tho utmost, and-by personal attendance and personal interest to promote .congregational vigour and the growth of liuo 'religion." "We nave," stated tue managers,, "been apprehensive for sonic tunc as to the diminution in the; ° r ,d 1M V oUcot , 10M, the causes of this falling-off may be mentioned tho translation of several families from St. Andrew's to the newly-constituted charge of Kclburne, and tho general tightness of money • irevailiufi- The result is that while specml or eai-marked ■purposes have been generously responded to, tho ordinary revenue, together , with the balance brought from ast year, has boon insufficient to meet expenditure by £W. ■ Ttf liquidate this deficit, and to prevent its recurrence, tho managers recommend 'for tho nreseut the obvious remcdios of.larger '»«« more regular attendances at publio, worship, and a substantial increase in. the individual offerings Sunday by Sunday. It must not; be forgoton that tho 'ordinary expenditure, is a'first charge on .ordinary reyemi6, nnd.tna, main source of that revenue is the Sunday , The reports were adopted, votes of thanks to retiring office-bearers, and to the Church audi" tor (Mr. I). R, Menzies), wore given. Messrs. N. M'Farlano, 11. Johnstone, D. M. \\ right, and A. F. Todwell, N. Goodor, S. E. Lambert, j. M'Kldownic, R, Tait, sen., James Burns, James Russell, R. Tait, jun., and James Han per were elected to act on the Board of Mana, gers for the ensuing year. '■' _ ...