A CHURCH’S JUBILEE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 208, 28 May 1921, Page 13

A CHURCH’S JUBILEE

TRINITY METHODIST CELEBRATIONS. Jubilee celebrations in connection jrith the Trinity Methodist Church took place on Wednesday. Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., presided, and the South Wellington Church was crowded with members of the congregation and their friends. A feature of the evening was the reading of the secretary’s report covering tho fiftieth year of the church’s history, it having been founded iff 1871. Ths church was erected first In Adelaide Hoad, ond subsequently transferred to tho present site. Too much praise could not be given, commented tho report, to tho pioneer members who showed such foresight in securing land which was now in the very heart of Greater Wellington.. The buildings moved to tho present site became too small, and were enlarged on , two occasions. A parsonage was erected to bo inhabited first by the Rev. Joseph Berry. Then under his successor, the Rev. W. Beck—who was still in their midst—-the present church was built. Later tho parsonage was moved tack to become part of the old church building, which was utilised for school purposes. Under the second ministry of “ ie J. Ward, tho infant school was erected, and the work had steadily continued till the present day. The trustees hoped that the outcome of the jubilee effort would be the erection of a new, up-to-date, and well-equipped school building. ptrange to sav, continued the report, the Sunday school did not appear to have been begun until two years after tho first church was erected. Consequently it was hoped to consummate tho pubho effort two rears hence with a start with the erection of the school. Speaking generally, the report stated that 7?’ * Had been well-maintained both in the church and the school, the congregations being, on the whole, steadier and more dependable than for some time. the Ladies’ Guild continued to achieve good results, and one of its ambitions was to raise sufficient, funds to reduce the debt on the parsonage by per nnnum. Rambles and Bible study for the young ladies were conducted by tho Aroha Noa Club, under the able direction of Mass Boxall, assisted by Miss Ward. rhe club had set itself out to procure the first rear’s salary of a deaconess to work in connection with Trinity verv worthy object. Tho \onn ? Men s Institute and the Young Men s Bib e Class continued to floursh, and tho Young Girls’ Bible Class, which had been in recess for a short period, would, it was hoped, be resumed in the immediate future The school had undertaken to provide a cot in the Masterton orphanage. and a series of concerts were to be held during the winter to meet the expense of this undertaking. Pleasiire was expressed at the fact that the Trinity Cbitroh had made a record in that it had secured the services of the Rev. L. Drake, ex-president of the conference, fol a sixth term. The income for all purposes and Hom all sources was stated to be as follows:--Total Sunday collections, LflOb 15s. 10<l., property account (not), .£872 _Bs. 9d., Sunday' School and Home Missions (approximate), JM; total, 411539 4s. 7d. The numerical strength of the church was as follows —Senior members 208, junior 60, scholars 246, teachers 21, primary helpers 8. As in other years, the church had lost much through members removing to othen- districts, and to distant snbnrta. Votes of thanks were accorded the officers for tho cun-ent year, namely. Messrs. C E Luxford (church steward), b. Boxall (treasurer), and R. A. Ferguson (secretflV v) a The gathering was addressed by the chairman. Rev. J. G. Chapman, and Rev. E. Drake. An acceptable entertainment programme was contributed to by the following Misses Eva Smith and R. Ward; Rev. A. E. Hunt. Messrs. W. J. Robbins, S. Boxall, A. W. Burnett, A. Picket, and Bennett. Items were also rendered by the church choir.