MOSGIEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 22458, 1 October 1936, Page 1

MOSGIEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

ANNUAL MEETING AND SOCIAL The Bible Class Hall was well filled last night on the occasion of the annual business meeting and social of the Mosgiel Presbyterian Church. The chairman was the Rev. Hugh Graham, who led in Scripture reading, praise, and prayer to open the programme. A short community sing preceded the reading of the reports of the various church organisations. These embraced the .kirk session, the board of managers, the treasurer’s report, the Sunday school, the P.W.M.U., the Girls’ Auxiliary and Busy Bees, the Bible classes, the Young Worshippers’ League, and the choir. A report on the proposed new Sunday school hall was included. From the reports it could be seen that Presbyterianism flourished in Mosgiel under the ministry of Mr Graham. ANNUAL REPORTS. The report of the kirk session stated that the year had been an ordinary one, but the work had been carried on with continued activity by a large band of consecrated workers in every department of the church’s work. The membership stood at 224 active members and 69 on the’supplementary roll. The admissions during the year were 11 by certificate from other congregations, and one by profession of faith. Disjunction certificates were granted to eight members, and five were removed by death, the latter being:—R. Allen, Agnes Muir, Charles Findlay, James R. Prentice, and A. G. Morton. To the relatives and friends of the deceased members the session extended its sincere sympathy. It had been decided to augment the session by the election of three new members, and steps were now in progress to carry this decision into effect. The removal of Mr A. H. Lennox had caused a vacancy in the position of Sunday school superintendent, and this office had been filled by the appointment of Mr M'Pheat. The session recorded again its appreciation of the diligence and care with which Mr Graham had discharged his pulpit ministrations and pastoral work throughout the year. The session also expressed its full sense of the helpfulness of Mrs Graham in the work among the young folk of the congregation, and in the P.W.M.U. work. Her kindly manner and efficiency in this connection were a very valuable factor in carrying on these organisations. The management board reported that Mrs M'Pheat, Mrs Hasler, Miss J. Hendry, and E. H. Hasler had been elected at the beginning of the year, and the departure from the usilal by electing ladies to the committee had been an acceptable change. Three members —Messrs George M'Leod, G. A. M'Leod, and E. Pilling—retired by effluxion of time. The quarterly meeting had been well attended. During the year the woodwork of the church bad "been repainted and the roof repaired. Necessary repairs to the manse had also been attended to during the holidays. The committee expressed its thanks to the two ladies who had provided the flowers in tho church during the past year, and was pleased to learn that «onie of the younger ladies had now taken the work in hand. To the ladies who attend to the communion cups and cloths the committee also expressed thanks. The church was still without a church officer, the work being done voluntarily by members of the congregation and the committee. The report was adopted. In the course of his remarks on the year’s activities the minister expressed pleasure at the congregation’s missionary quota being _ met in full. Next year, during April, the church would celebrate the diamond jubilee as a congregation. This new church year, ho said, would bring, to them a welcome and a glorious doctrine. It was the doctrine of tho new chance. A new chance for the minister to be more sincere. more faithful, and more worthy of his high calling; a now chance for every office-bearer to promote with fresh zeal the best welfare of the church; a new chance for every member to be more forgiving and more active; and a new chance tor every adherent to join the' active membership of the church. “ ' Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.’ Let us resolve, with the Divine command before ns, to make the new church year one of the best in our history,” said Mr Graham. The following were elected to the vacancies on the Management Committee : _Miss Prentice and Messrs William M‘Dowell (Janefield) and E. Prentice. ' , A special vote of thanks was passed to the minister and to Mrs Graham for their labours among the parishioners throughout tho past year. At the close of the programme refreshments were supplied by tho ladies, and an opportunity was taken for a social chat before the pronouncing of the benediction by Mr Graham.