St. John's Church

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 154, 28 July 1888, Page 3

St. John's Church

The annual general meeting of the above was held on Thursday evening. The Rev. A, Hermon presided. The meeting was called for 7.30, but owing to a want of punctuality on the part of the parishioners the proceedings did not commence till nearly 8 o'clock. The attendance was small. . The minutes of the last general meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Goodhehere read the report and balance-sheet for the year ended June 30, 1888, which showed receipts £325 5s ld, and expenditure £309 7s Id. The balauce account showed liabilities £91 19s 9d, assets £58 Os 3d, deficiency £33 19s 6d. It was proposed by Mr E, Goodbehere, and seconded by Mr J. Saxon, That the report and balance-sheet be adopted. — Carried. The Curate, the Rev. A. Hermon, stated that the sum of nearly £20 had been gathered by the lady collectors for the use of the Sunday School, and expended in the purchase of books for the Sunday School Library. He also gave details of the receipts and expenditure of the Choir Fund, and special offertories, making in all about £33 more than was shown in the report. This made the respectable total of d 8376 contributed during the period. Mr J. Saxon then called attention to the deficiency of £33 19s 6d. He suggested tbat in order to clear off that amount, and prevent any similar deficiency in the future, the revenue of the Church should be supplemented by letting the pews at a certain annual rental. Ec objected altogether to raising money by entertainments, tea meetings, or bazaars. People went to these things, and for every pound they spent, fifteen shillings went in expenses, and five shillings went to the Church. The Chairman suggested it would be better to discuss the matter of pew rents after the balance-sheet had been disposed of, Mr G. R. Jones asked if the assessment (£225) could not be further reduced. The Chairman thought not, as the •state of the Church funds in the Diocese absolutely forbade it. The motion was put and carried. Mr Sherwill was nominated Curate's Churchwarden, and Mr Bray People's Churchwarden. The following gentlemen were appointed as Vestrymen : — Messrs Haybittle, Rutherford, Saxon, G. R. Jones, S. Goodbehere, Allen, and Jennins. Mr E. Goodbehere was re-appointed auditor. Mr Bray then brought up the ques- . tion of renting the pews. He thought it would be a good thing financially for the Church. Many people, whom he knew, would prefer a place in the Church . which they could call their own, and he was convinced if his proposal were adopted tbe attendance would be better, both in nuinoer and regularity. He would therefore move, That the vestry be authorised to let • the sittings in every alternate pew in tbe Church, excepting tbe Clergyman's and those required by the choir. Mr W. G. Haybittle seconded, and said for himself he would prefer paying rent to having a free seat. Ho considered the plan of a free church had been tried long enough, and was not entirely successful. He would therefore advise that the new system be tried for a year, at anyrate, to see how it worked. Mr Goodbehere opposed the motion. He thought that from the knowledge given him by his having kept tbe books and accounts of the vestry for so many years, charging for sittings would cause a falling off instead of an > increase iv the revenue. He also emphatically urged that it was unfair to press so important a motion at such a small meeting of parishioners. Mr Kirton proposed, and Mr S. Goodbehere seconded, as an amendment, to the effect that the discussion of the question be postponed for a fortnight, to enable the parishioners now absent to be consulted. Mr Bray strongly < pposed any delay. The thing had been put off too long, and the time had now come for it to be decided. The amendment was put and lost. The original motion was then put and carried, Mr S. Goodehere and Mr Kirton voting against it. The usual vote of. thanks to the retiring vestry, and other officers of the Church, was then passed by acclamation. The Chairman then closed the meeting with the benediction. curate's kepobt. In the course of an address, the Curate gave the following useful and interesting information regarding the size and capabilities of the district under his charge : — The parochial district of Feilding includes all the country lying between Bunnythorpe, Kakariki. Awahuri, Stanway, Beaconsfield, and Kiwitea. Perhaps this will give but an imperfect idea of the sixe, which will be better understood when it is stated that the Curate of St. John's travels over 170 miles of road outside of feilding township. This will give an idea of the great difficulty he experiences in keeping up more than a mere acquaintanceship with the scattered members of his Church. Throughout this large district, with a total population of about 4350, there are 220 Church of England families known to the Curate. The places regularly visited, and where services are held, a& circumstances permit, are Feilding, Halcombe, Awahuri, Mangaone, Taonui, Kiwitea, and Stanway. Beaconsfield, Kakariki, and Bunnythorpe are also ; occasionally visited. It has now become a fact that the increasing population, which is rapidly following - settlement in the Harbor Board Block and Birmingham Small Farm Settlement, will call for visitation, at least, in the near future. It will be readily understood that but for the valued

assistance of lay readers, of whom there are four acting at the present time — two in Feilding, one in Halcombe, and one at Awahuri —it would be quite impossible for the Curate to conduct services over so large an area with anything approaching to regularity. The Curate is glad to be able • to report that every service planned j during the past year, consisting of nearly 20 services per month, and more once a quarter when there is a '. fifth Sunday in the month, has been regularly conducted, with the exception of three, when the congregation failed to appear, owing to very wet and boisterous weather. The Church registers show that there have been during the 12 months ending June 30 last, 58 baptisms, 4 marriages, 6 burials, 1 1 persons confirmed, and 466 communicants. The Curate pointed out that in addition to the receipts shown in the Churchwardens' bacance- sheet, that the St. John's Sunday School was now self-supporting, and had raised £20 : in the past year, with wbich a good library had been purchased, and the children's prizes and treat provided. Also, that the choir had raised a sum of £4 4s, with which to provide rewards for the choristers, leaving a balance in hand of 325. The Curate concluded by reminding the members present that much depended upon them, and tbeir example, for the success of the Church work in the future, and while heartily thanking all those who had worked willingly and well in the past, he felt sure he might rely upon their continued and increased efforts as workers together with him in a good and common cause.