THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1597, 14 November 1912, Page 6

THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

DAY OF SESSION. PABBATH- OBSERVANCE AND,SUNDAY CONCEPTS. : (• -v. ' Tha'General'Assembly, of the Presbyterian; Church of Now. Zealand met ycs- : terday.-morning in St; John's Church. Before the Assembly proceeded to transact ■ : a Communion Bervico was conducted by tlioi Moderator' (tho 'Nltev, A. 'Cameron) ( and'ft.spooial atlilres3 was de- : ! livered'by'tlieKer. T. Tait, M.A., 8.D., ■pi. St.; Paul's, Christchurch. V TREASURER'S REPORT. ,'Tho treasurer (the. Rev. ,W. J. Comrie) ■ presented, his. report. . , "The\vraripus luiids of; the-Church are, generally speaking,' in a .healthy : condi--' tion, and, with a few ; -exceptions, do not' call for any special remark," the report . stated;' "Congregational: contributions- ; [show a decrease compared! witlv the, previous year, .the total. under ;this. heading. •. having .£11,915 18s.-yßd.i- or :£251: Bs. 9d. leS3 than the previous'-year.'.This is little, disquieting, but the explanation may-perhaps be found in'the particularly stormy weather which general to-- ' .wards the end of the financial year. •Though the amount 'is less than that reported in 1911, it is <£145 more than was ' reported in 1910. Individual contributions have, been larger than usual. The Poroign, Maori; and Home Missions and the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund have all received legacies: as set forth in the. report of the Church Property Trustees. "The Beneficiary Funds .maintain their satisfactory: position, ..and justify the pro-posed-additionsto benefits. Sixteen'min- ; isters-'.have joined boththe .Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund and .the Widows and .Orphans' Fund during,fhb.year..-. .One '-. 'home-missionary • has , withdrawnfrom both funds en leaving the scrvic'e ;.of. this Church, and lias .received,,a small amount by way of refund: >.The question of ministers' arrears'. still requires, to ~be ;, dealt with by the Assembly.. / '.'- . : ■ ;• "One hundred and two- ministers and ■ home missionaries " .have, : been insured '- against'sickness and accident, and three have" received compensation amounting to " 'JOS ss. One case is still under,.CQnsideration."' \ ;- : The. treasurer remarked upon _ the lnJ creasing, cost of the 'annual-meeting. The ■ was spending 'more than ' its ' income,' --arid'■ he r-held ■ .that the , Assembly - had no right .'to. trench upon the general funds of, tho.;Church: ■-He jiiegested that the proper'sohition ;of this,difficulty, was' the reduction of expenditure. i- Ho threw , out -the .suggestion to ■ various church societies', that, they--would •' ;Verv iriuch reduce the work- of .keepinp the - .books of the; Church if. they remitted,all 'These ■ moneys contributed., to. various Kinds'; of the Church' through the .treasmrer9 of their, No good objeofc was>served; by. splitting . : up' the contributions and 'thousands of entries had io be made.:,in,'the books of' the Church which were not necessary. He was pleasfed to be able to say that he had received Jcothing ;but kindly, courtesy- from those with whom lie .was'brought into: contact.. Mr. T. j Bain (DannevjrkeJ; moved the adoption/of-the report. - The Rev. R. Wood (Eangiora)- moved to add to thq motion'. the' following recommendation: "That all.moneys'sent.,to the ' •• General Treasurer ■ from .congregations be' pass^.'through,.the;,books,ot-the oqngre-igation-trcasurers." . - '..'The amendment -was.adopted. '! ' .'STATISTICS.' The Eev. , John • Mackenzie ,: (Christ- ; bhiirch) submitted the report of the Cominitte© on. General and Financial' Statistics, which' following' is an abridgmeilt:— s :> '■ Under all headings in ,'tha general .sec- , tiohsave five there .has been'an increase.;, , The'decrease -in. two of the five -is' highly satisfactory. - In the one case it means a reduction of 47 in the number of member3..,removed;,from the, communion -roll Pla the other case it is 'o! '-decrease' 'in the amount of debt On the Church property, the ' first '. time',for;a number of years'. ; The amount (of decrease is $1013. . . ... ... ~ Your committeo is glad to. note, an-in- : crease:of ,759,"0r over 2 per- cent., in.'.the' ; S.S.-roll.'" This increase is slightly better :-. than .the. corresponding, increase last year. ; .- The', communion roll shows -an increase : of_Bso members^'or, over -2;' percent. Last ■ year, 1 however, the'increase was nearly, 5 per .'cent.. . ■ ' "'; -' ' Thele has been an,'increase in the inin- .; «rterial,stipend of X 2997, but when the in-1 ; 'crease"6f fouif ' in the' number of charges i.jand'thp increase of, .12; in the H.M. stations .is'considered/ the iitcreasß"alloivs ah'' 'average stipbnil. to ! those working in these liiew fields of 'only : ,£187? 7 The average ■ 'stipend per. minister and home missionary I (throughout the whole Church .is -,£2Ol. . .Three., of tho'.five decreases. referred to : . .'above-toiich the Church at" vital points. .fThere is a reduction in church attendance ; *>f 967, or' 1.3 - per cent:. -. The. decrease'. is ..not much, .but, it .stands, .against an -incwasoj'last'i ..reut." That . : drift*. ippeariiig", this '-year "for "the first 1 time should be w«tched in future. The second decrease is in the.' roll of Bible- ■ class, members, amounting in: the totaljto ' 56. Last' t.ho. decrease was J36, which shows: that- 'drift, has. been practically / |-arrested. -'Thc'ithird decrease'is'under'the L/('heading.of members.received by examina- ■' rtion. The . number, is 373,' or nearly 18 jper cent. • . v-' ' | -Turning to the financial side, there is Wratifying increase along almost the whole ' ffino.' The decreases siinply show that the, 'ChuTch has reduced her building pro•'gramme by JJIGBO and her Expenditure by 121183- on ahnuaUy-non-recurrrag..objects.. Unfortunately, there is a decrease of 2362 in the Church's contributions to "Assemibly- scheme's."- AVhat particular scheme or , 'jschemes may, : be? affected-' therebjv-; your committee ha's aipt: thef-dat;a;-'to '.discover; .- |The Church'sitotal; reyeiiue.'has- increased ': ?by. i!415-l, and amounted to: i145;61i, the . jhighest figure .yet reached." The expendi[turo last year ,was slightly, less than,,for rthe year' preceding. 'f ■' '' '; I. Mr. '' out tliat, the statistics as jmppneu to tne committee were very incomplete and very often inaccurate. ;...' ..- -' : [ The report was .adopted,.and the matter iof amendment'of the inethodis of compiling statistics'Hvas referred to a "sub-com-Bilttee to report to'the Assembly.