WELLINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH SOCIAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2734, 31 March 1916, Page 2

WELLINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH SOCIAL

The thirty-eighth annual social in connection with the Vivian Street Baptist Ohurch was held in the schoolroom on Wednesday evening, and was well attended. The Rev. J. K. Archer presided.'

The annual report presented by the secretary (Mr. A. Donovan) showed th membership to be 826. The service had been wellmaintained, special mei tion being made of the' ministration of the Rev. A. G. Brown (London) an Rev. E. H. Hobday. The Roll of Hoi our contained the names of fifty-foil . men connected with the' Church wi; were serving theft King and countr;. The various agencies of the church wei in a healthy Btate; and satisfaction wo expressed at the settlement of the Rev' J. K, .Archer in the pastorate. Mr. A. Hoby (treasurer) read a statement of the finances. The variouf funds were in a-satisfactory condition By means of the Belgian Calendar el fort £130 had been handed to ti. Mayor's Belgian Relief Fund. ; thankoffering day was responsible ft £145 being raised for church improvi ments; Home mission receipts amouir. Ed to £70 Ids.-2d., ana foreign missioi. £197 14s. lid. 'JJhe total receipts fro. all sources amounted to £1288.

Rev. J. Taklo, senior missionary <. the N.Z. Missionary Sooioty, and vice president of the Baptist Union, gave . short address on the reawakening tin. is being manifested in India. Rev. Eric Evans, of Petone, gave i spirited address; on "Christian Citizenship," which, he treated under threr heads: (1) The Family; (3) the State: (3) the-Church. He stressed the- fact that Christian principles should bo ap J plied to-all civic and national'problems. Public opinion governed a country, and a healthy public opinion was the secret of all social anoV'religiqus reforms.

The Rev. J. K. 'Archer, in supplementing Mr'; Evans's remarks, thought the Christian Church would be_ left behind unless ■it took a firm lead in the lifo of the city and the nation. No great revival could bo expected until many of the pressing problems of the day were settled. He referred specially to tho wages and housing difficulties. He believed in making .the Christian faith practical. The election of officers resulted':—Secretary, Mr. A. -Donovan ; treasurer, M. A Hoby; choirmaster, Mr. G. F. Frew; organist, Mr. C. Collins; superintendent of Tory Street Mission, Mr. F. J. East.

During the evening musical items were contributed by Misses Erst and Harle, Mrs. Collins, and Mr. Dowling. Refreshments were handed round, and the meeting closed with the Benediction.