ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1522, 19 August 1912, Page 4

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

ANNUAL REPORT, R-ECOHD OF A SUCCESSFUL YEAR, The report of the Kirk Session and Managers of SI. Jolm's Church (Presbyterian), Willis Street, for the twelve mouths ended Jnuo .It), 1012, stales:— The work of the Christian Church is in these days nowhere wat-y, and the difficulties are in our case intensified by certain local conditions, to which attention has been drawn in more than ono of these annual reports. The number of children connected with the congregation continues to decrease, and the Sunday School cannot, save to ti very slight extent, bo regarded as a reservoir vhence we may, draw our supplies of future members. But happily wo have more than made good the loss to the membership due to the removal of many families to the suburban churches. The morning attendance, which for a year or two sulfered on this account somo diminution, has -.t gained "its normal dimensions. Tho evening congregation continues to till the church. The attendance at tho Sacrament of the Lord's Snpper has out-distanced provious records. The liberality of the congregation to outside objects has been strikingly shown, and tho tale of service in many directions is impressive in its vf.lume and vigour.

The Minister. We desire to express our deep gratitude to God that our .Minister (the Kov.. Dr. Gibb) has been enabled, without a day's illness, and with untailing vigour, to continue his strenuous and invaluable labours for the welfare of the congregation, as well as for tho many other pood causes to which no so willingly gives his muchappreciated services. The prosperity of tho Church, to which in the preceding paragraph wo havo referred—its growing membership, its augmented finances, its deepened spiritual life— is under God largely due to the instrumentality of Br. Gibb. For our part, we find it difficult to comparo any one of the Minister's gcod offices with another, but wo cannot refrain from recording what is -t.aid on every_ hand, that in time of trouble and in the home of affliction Dr. Gibb has brought, through his benign ministrations, a solace and comfort which no words can appraise or time effaco. We thank God for our minister and pray that his bow may long abide in strength, and that by the Divine blessing on his laboars not only the congregation but the community may be stimulated to a better life and truer service of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Communion Roll. The roll now contains the names of 719 members, making a seeming decrease of 19 on the number reported last year. As a matter of fact, the number of authentic members of the church is 57 more than at this date in 1911. The roll was subjected to a very close examination, and it was found that a large number of names—76 in all—were those of persons who during a considerable stretch of time had left Wellington without asking for their lines. The Quarterly Communions:—Tho attendances were: September, 471 j December, 19; March, 323; June, 377. The September attendance was gratifying—the largest in the history of tho congregation; but the attendance in March and June, though so much smaller, afforded even a better ground of satisfaction. Both days, and especially that in March, were among the wildest' we ever get even in Wellington—a deluge of rain driven bofore a gale of wind. The presence of so many devout men and women in church, under the circumstances, to commemorate the death of our Lord was a sight that led one to thank God and take courage.

The Sacrament of baptism was administered to 23 children.

Attendance at Public Worship. The attendance at tho services on Sunday has been referred to iii the opening paragraph. Wet and stormy weather has marked a much larger number than usual of the Sundays during the hist; twelve months, and this has interfered with the attendance, though a gratifying feature ot these wot days has bsen the large, number of men in evidence.' On fine days the morning congregation is good, the evoning better than good. The attendance at tho prayer meeting.— When the elements have been propitious, the class room has been filled to the door. The sooial life of tho congregation has been ,promoted by a large number of gatherings held under the auspices of the various societies and organisations, by tho annual social meeting, and by a very enjoyable "at home" given by the minister and office-bearers to the church workers and the new members and adherents within a certain period. The expense of this function was borne by a member of session. The Service of Praise, The thanks of tho congregation aro again due to Mr. Maughan Barnett and his choir, who havo done excellent work during the period under review. The selection of anthems has been wide, and their rendering has been excellent both from a musical and a devotional point of view- The congregational singing has been characterised by heartiness and good taste. Missions. The Women's Missionary It was slated in last report that this Association had been merged in the Dorcas Society. Once a month the Dorcas Society devotes the first hour of its meeting to missionary concerns. The average attendance has been 19. The new departure has, thus far, worked well, and we aro hopeful that the problem how to secure a live missionary meting of our womenfolk once a month is on the way to solution. The association, with the help of a baud of collectors, calls once a quarter on members of the congregation for their contributions to the mission schemes of the church. The amount thus obtained this yearisupwardsof JGI27, an increase of ,£ls. A further sum of £5 was collected .in various ways; a box of useful articles was sent to Dr. Porteous, North India.

The Young Women's Missionary Guild. —The guild meets onco a fortnight during the greater part of the year, to sew and prepare articles for a sale of work. The last sale was held in August, and yielded i'6s. Of this sum MO was donated to the Turakina Maori Girls' School, .£l3 to the Dr. Porteous Hospital in Jagadhri, North India, and £1 to Dr. Kirk's Hospital, Canton Villages. The missionary contributions of the Bible classes mav bo specified here:— Young Men's Bible Class, .£3! ('Foreign awl.Maori); Y'oung 'Women's Bible-Class, .£lB (Foreign and Maori); the Young Women's Class, No. 2, .£4 (Foreign and Maori); Young Women's Class, Mount Cook, £3 10s. (Foreign); Young Men's. Class, Mount Cook, .£3 (Foreign). The Sundays schools contributed <£13 (Dayspring). To these sums should be added the church collection of £M Bs. 3d. to the. British and Foreign Bible Society, £9 retiring collection for Maori Missions, and .£9 collected .at a week-night meeting in the church in'the interests of the Mission to the Lepers of India. There were, besides, various other sums collected In different ways. Total contribution to missions, .£326 lis. 7(1. (Foreign, .£206 Bs.; Maori, .£6O 3s. 7d.). Home Missions).—For the Home Missions of the church and the augmentation of the smaller stipends in sanctioned charges, ,£127 was collected hy means of quarterly envelopes. Tho Willis Street Young Women's Class contributed -E2 -Bs. Gd. to the same object. Total, Xl2lllßs. 2d.

Contributions in aid of various objects. —The Wellington Presbyterian Orphanage: To this the very fino sum of nearly .£155 was contributed as a retiring- collection on Orphanage Sunday. Tho Bible Clas-es, _ including Mount Cook Girls' Class.prior to its dismemberment, contributed upwards of £\2, making a total of dose on «£IOG. It should also be mentioned that a steady stream of gifts (lows into the orphanage from the' organisations of the congregation, fti well as from individual members. For the poor, by" special collection on.Communion Sundays, etc., ,£77 was obtained. For the Hepple Family Fivnd, £\S 103. was collected. For the Ragged School Union, London, .£ls. For relief of the sufferers from the Titanic disaster. £\2 7s. for the ChapmanAlexander Mission Fund, JrJO. For the youth of the Church Fund, close mi ,£l3. Those are by no means a complete list of the congregation'* contributions to objects outside its own immediate, sphere. The. general treasurer's sraroniont shows that .£B2B were donated to such objects, but there- arc many items in tho finances of the various organisations which cannot well find a place in'the congregational balance-sheet. It ia eafa. tq (say tint the

giving of tho congregation during the Inst twclvo months to missions, charity, etc., etc., comes very near, if it does not actually go beyond, the sum of ,C9OO, or almost a third of the total income. It is a record for which we may bo very thankful lo llio gracious Lord who has enabled us thus to serve Jlim. It is also an inspiration to attempt in tho coming year still better things for Kim who loved us and gave Himself lip for us. Sabbath Schools. It is a tribute lo the energy and enthusiasm of the superintendents and tvaeher.s that the schools end the year with practically the same numbers as they began The hoiisoholds connected with St. John's contain fewer children year by year, and the gaps occurring in the ranks of the schools, as tho children pass beyond tho school age, are not to ho made good, save to a very small extent, from the ranks of tho congregation. The workdone during the past twelve months has been deserving of all commendation, tho total revenue of the Sunday Schools amounted to closo on ,£IOO. The contribution to missions was jCIG, and .C!i were l°md U '° ToUtll ° f the Chllro^

.Wo set down this heading to emphasise our thankfulness for various 'C. scnts marie to tho Church during the year, and by way of encouraging others to follow so good an example. Reference has already been mado to gifts in the shape of special contributions towards tho Ueaconess Fund, social gatherings, and the like. Quito recently a very welcome gitt was received in the shape of a i.cw covering for the floor of tho church and vestry. The linoleum thero had become shabby from much wear and tear; it was replaced tho other day with a fine floor covering of strictly ecclesiastical pattern at a cost of £55. The donor's desire of anonymity is only equalled by his unwearied generosity. The Management Committee. The committee bus this vcar happily had tow things to attend to* outside routine business. • We say "happily" bt cause extra, work for tho committee always spells out extra expenditure for the congregation. Repairs, etc., to property which in last report totalled some J7OO, have been kept down to tho small sum of

lho only special matter that has called for the committee's consideration has been tho proposed sale of part of tho Manse site. There is an acre of gTonnd attached to the Manse, much too large a section to keep in decent order, to say willing of the fact that the city rate's amount to tho large sura of nearly MO. After careful consideration, it was lcsolved to part with a portion of this land, having a frontage of 100 feet, and its Cisposal was placed in the hands of Messrs. Bethune and Co. It is to be hoped that before long a suitable sale may be effected, and the finances lightened, not tnly by a reduction in tho annual rates, but by the addition of a sum to the exchequer which will go far to clearing off tho debt still owing on tho church properties. Finance. The ordinary collections total upwards of £1121, as against ,£IOOS last year, an increase of JC29. Special collections are over <£.IGS. Ordinary and special collections reach nearly the large sum cf iCIIOO —to be specific, they amount to .£119(1 3s. Id. There were 53 Sund.ivs in tho yejr, and it thus appears that tho ordinary collection averaged «C2l 4s. Id. per Sunday; with the specials tho average was £V JKs. lOd. Seat rents amountcd'to .£'lßl ss. 4d., an increase of £1 on last year. The revenue from the rent of the rooms amounts to .£7B, against .£ll9 last year. The total revenue of the church amounts to .£3200. Of this sum .C4Ol cmsists of subscriptions of the Debt Reduction Fund instituted two years ago.' The debt on the properties now stands at ■£1300. There is still a sum not very largo owing to tho debt fund, but it is evident that somo means must 1m devised to put tho church., in tho position commended by.the Apostle: "Owe no nan anything save to love ono another." Tho proportion of the total income spent in the service of others has already been detailed. It is closo on £900.-

Such, then, is tho report of the work done during the last twelve months. The experiences of our congregation, liko those of the Church at largo, are instructive, for they'testify to the patience and kind- : hess of a Lord who makes much of our little, and continually perfects His strength in our weakness. May He rrake us ever more worthy of our high tailing, and throughout the year on which we have entered causo His face to shmo upon us, and His work to prosper in our midst.