CHURCH MEETING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2149, 15 May 1914, Page 8

CHURCH MEETING

ST. STEPHEN'S, MARTON. The annual-meeting'.of St. Stephen's Church, Marton, was held on Wednesday. The vicar (Hev. Vincent H. Kitcat) presided. In reviewing tho work of the year, the vicar sppke of various parish improvements,/ St. Chapel, Cliff Koad, had been opened on All Saints' Day. An organ had been i given by Mr. Birch, a lecturo by Mr. Mitschke and family, while communion vessels (the gift of Archdeacon Towgood) had been i ordered from England. Tho mission room .'at flawkstono Road had been enlarged to meet the growing requirements or' tho work. Tho vicar also spoke of tho good work of tho Altar, Guild, tho Sewing Guild,,, the Mpthers , Union, and'of th'o ; choir.. Ho, "went on to say that the parish hail forwarded £105 9s. 2Jd. for mission work, £04 14s. 9Jd. to tho Maori Mission, and £jO 14s. sd. to tho Melanesian Mission. Tho churchwardens' report stated that tho general offertories showed an increase- of £16 Os. 9d., and tho bank overdraft appeared as £169 18s. 9d., .showing a reduction of £125 16s. in with the amount at same' date last year.. The tgtal parish debt, .however, would be greater, than at tho beginning of tho 1913 financial year. An expenditure of some £50 would have to bo made at once to strengthen . tho. church building, which was showing signs of decay. The efforts of tho •Sowing Guild had resulted in tho substantial sum of £90 being placed at the disposal of the vestry. Tho special offeiViries showed an increase of £7 19s. tid. Tho question of starting a fund for tho building of a new church was brought up.by Mr. Kensington, and a committee was set up tq take the matter in hand. Mr. W. J. Birch was elected for the fourth time as parish synodsraan. Mr. Mloway was appointed vicar's churchwardon, and Mr. E. TVildo parishioners' churchwarden. All • the members of tho old-vestry.were, re-elected. ■ Tho following motion ro Biblo in schools was carried unanimously :—"ln accordance with the decisions of the General and Diocesan Synods, this annual meeting of parishioners- of tho parish of Marton again pledges its support to the objective of the Bible-in-Stato Schools , League, and bnco moro requests that a referendum of the whole people of the Dominion bo taken upon the question. This meeting expresses tho conviction that ' inasmuch as the referendum ha 3 been repeatedly requested by tho respective governing courts of four denominations, representing 75 per cent, of the population, which request' has been reiterated by the constituencies of thoso denominations, ' and further endorsed by a request iu writing, signed by upwards of 133,000 individual electors, the Government is more than amply justified in facilitating the .wishes of such a largo proportion of the people. Moreover, us tho request is jiot asking tho Government to decide on tho merits of tho league's proposals, but to allow the people of the Dominion to come to a decision themselves on the matter, this meeting would regret any action oh tbo part of tho Government which by leaving this question standing over, would thereby constitute it a disturbing factor at tho next general election."