ST. JOHN'S CHURCH MEMBERS MEETING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3133, 13 July 1881, Page 2

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH MEMBERS MEETING.

Pursuant to notice the members of St. John's parish held their annual meeting in the church school-room last night. There wa* not a large attendance. The Rev. De Berdt Hovell took the chair at a little after eight o'clock, and after a short prayer read the following. ANNUAL report. I have to report that during the past year satisfactory progress has been made in nearly every department of church work in the parish of Napier. Parish Church. —The Sunday services in S. John's, notwithstanding the drawbacks consequent upon the alterations, have been very well attended—the evening services especially—while the large attendance of men at these latter is a feature for which all who have the work of tho Church at heart must feel sincerely thankful. There has been a weekly celebration of the Holy Communion The number of communicants upon the parish roll stands at 323, with an average monthly attendance (for the past seven months) of 75. '1 here have been 125 baptisms, 65 churchings, 20 weddings, and 42 burials. S. Andrew's Temporary Church. —During the year the services held by Mr Welsh at Port Napier have been regularly maintained. Through the kindness of Mr Warnes (who has permitted its use), a roomy building in Waghorne-sfcreefc has been fitted up as a temporary church. Herein morning and evening service-- on Sunday have been started with marked success, a Sunday-school is also held in the same building, and a service every Wednesday night. Furthermore, the Holy Communion has been periodically celebrated and the baptismal service performed. A section of land in a very favorable position has been purchased, and it is proposed to lay the foundation stone of the nave of the new church very shortly. , Petene District. —Services have been regu-

larly conducted in this district by Mr Welsh and Mr Hamilton, and a school has beeea started ou Sunday afternoons. Clnii-cer-road District.—lfc haßj as yefcj been found impracticable to hold Sunday services herein, but in place of them weeknight cottage lectures have been started with encouraging* results. White-road District.—The parishioners will, I know, be glad to learn that I hare £ concluded arrangements with a gentleman of culture and education to act as my assistantcurate in the populous district. In the course of the next three months I trust that he will be amongst us and at work. The Hospital.—This institution has been served by Mr Welsh every other Sunday afternoon ; and, _fc my request, a number of lady visitors have, for the past six months, taken ifc in turn to visit ifc weekly. Tiie Gaol.—Services have been held at the gaol during the past year by the Right Rev. the Bishop and Messrs Batham and Welsh. Sunday Schools. —The number of teachera at the main and Port schools is 26-j the number of scholars 282. My best thanks are due to Mr Edwards (to whose energy and loving zeal the main school owes its present position) and to the teachers for their work. Young Men's Class.—To Mr Hill, Inspector of Schools, the thanks of us all are due, in that he has held for some considerable time past a religious instruction class for young men on Sunday afternoons, and has furthermore had the kindness to give up one evening a week to them as well. Those of you who are aware how valuable Mr Hill's time is to him, and how fully it is taken up with his professional duties, will the better be enabled to appreciate his labors in connection with the Church. Vestry Meetings.—During the year 14 vestry meetings have been held with very good attendances. The parish rolls and registers are laid upon the table. De Beedt Hovell, Incumbent. The following balance-ebeet for the year ending June 30th, 1881, was laid before the meeting:— j

EBOEIPTS. £ s. d. To Pew Rents 370 1 9 General Offertories ... 383 4 7 Special Offertories, viz.:— Diocesan Fund 16 11 4 Melanesian Mission ~, 13 11 4 Maori Mission 2 13 9 Other Special—Synod expenses, £1 16s. od. ; Sunday School, £11 7s. 6d 13 3 6 Hospital Sunday 33 710 Winter Headings 15 16 0 Eent of Parsonage 1110 9 Kent of School 19 6 0 Sundries 0 18 9 Balance 161 16 11 Total ... £1033 1 6 EXPENDITTJEE. £ a. d. Debit balance 9 3 7 By Salaries — Stipend to Incumbent ... 400 0 0 Organist 50 0 0 Organ Blower, Bell Ringer and Verger 68 5 0 By Ordinary Expenditure— Lighting 42 4 6 Eates, Taxes, &c. ... 19 30 Diocesan Assessment ... 10 0 0 Repairs, &c 36 16 11 Insurance 13 14 3 Printing and Advertising 34 0 0 Cost collection of pew rents 18 16 5 Imprest, Incumbent ... 5 0 0 Sundries 32 12 2 Choir books 14 0 3 By Extraordinary Expenditure— Bent for Parsonage ... 7110 0 Interest, &c. ... ... 58 17 0 «^ Sinking Fund, to meet interest 20 0 0 Rev. J. Townsend—balance of old claim ... 42 6 0 By Special Offertories, paid over— 79 7 9 Received for years 1879----1880 17 14 9 Total ... £1033 1 6 LIABILITIES. £ b. d. To Debit balance in Bank ... 16115 11 Outstanding claims on General Account 190 3 3 Balance, Church extension 217 2 6 Mortgage on Sections 130, 131, 132... 300 0 0 Debentures 600 0 0 Total ... £1469 1 8 ASSETS. £ s. d. By Proceeds of Concert ... 14 0 3 Outstanding pew rents, to 30th June, 1881 19 0 0 Eent of Parsonage 7 10 0 Balance, Church Extension Account 134 13 6 Balance 1293 17 II Total ~, £1469 I 8 CHTTECH EXTENSION PTTltt). £ s. d. To balance in Bank last year... 216 14 2 Subscriptions and donations, proceeds of Bazaar and Gift Auction, and interest 604 19 4 Total ... £721 13 6 £ s. d. By Bennett and Glendinning, contractors, on account of contract 575 0 0 Architect, 021 account of fees 10 0 0 Expenses of Bazaar and Gift Auction 2 0 0 Cr. balance 134 13 6 Total £721 13 6 Audited and found correct, Jos. Diddle, ) . ~. S. Williams, J Auditors.

G. E. Sainsbtjey, ) n , , , J. M. Bathaim, j Churchwardens. Tbe balance-sheet was adopted. , After some remarks concerning the propriety of providing a parsonage house for the Incumbent, and an expression of opinion from Mr Cotterill that, much as it was needed, the financial position of the parish would not permit it to be done, the following office bearers were elected:—Mr J. B. Fielder, minister's churchwarden; MrSainsbury (re-elected), parishioners'churchwarden. Messrs S. J. Williams and J. Liddle were re-elected auditors. Thirteen nominations for the vestry were taken, and the following were chosen by ballot:—Messrs Cotterill, Collins, Ellison, Mr R. Miller, Edwards, Pasley Sbelton, Foster, Birch, and Vautier. Votes of thanks were accorded to the retiring churchwardens, vestry, auditors, choir, and the lady visitors at the hospital. Mr Cotterill moved that it was desirable that the choir should be supplied with surplices. Mr Birch seconded the motion, which was carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman having been passed, the meeting closed with a prayer.