Saint John's Church, FeUding

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 11, 25 July 1891, Page 2

Saint John's Church, FeUding

The annnal meeting of Church members was held in the schoolroom on Thursday, the 23rd instant, the Rev. A. Hermon presiding. After prayer the minutes of the previous annual meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Hermon stated that copies of the balance-sheet would be printed and forwarded to each subscriber throughout ; the district so that each contributor might be able to see how the funds stand. The accounts in connection with the Sunday school were read and shown to be in a good condition. A work was also being carried on for Dr Barnardo's Homes, and for which the sum of 414 12s 5d had been raised during the year. Mr S. R. Turner was appointed clergyman's churchwarden, and Mr 0. Bray people's churchwarden. Mr W. D. Nicholas proposed, and Mr E. Goodbehere seconded, the election of the following vestrymen for the ensuing year, viz. :— Messrs Sherwill, S. Goodbehere, W. G. Haybittle, J. Saxon, H Rutherford, Diamond, and Allen.-^-Car-ried. Mr W. G. Haybittle said he would have been better pleased to have seen a larger attendance, so that there might have *een some changes in the officers made. He had been a member of the vestry for 7 or 8 years and the church had been in debt the whole time, and he thought a change would be beneficial. Mr Hermon did mot see how the work of the whole vestry could be improved upon, and he would be sorry to see Mr Haybittle retire; although he would be glad to see others coming forward, yet he was sure the work could not be better done. Mr E. Goodbehere was unanimously re-elected auditor for the ensuing year Mr Hermon, in his review oftbYpast year, said that, owing to the unforseen shipping strike during his visit to the Old Country, he was unable to take\up:hi's • charge on the exact date he had named, "" September 30. On his return he found that the services had been conducted aa usual and great credit was due to the . Eev. Innes-Jones for not haying introl duced any innovations. The offertories; had decidedly improved, .while' the-con-gregations contiiine to be in a fluctuating - Btatiy-bUt there W b aiarge inorease 6 " %

—^ . . — _ — . — t communicants, principally at rii»ht, an this convinced him that many peopl Could not come to communion except i the evening, ?nd he felt he was bound t Rive the members of the congregation th opportunity' to take the Lord's, Suppei He wished to remind them that they wer indebted to Mrs S. R.,'Turner for the gii of a white pulpit bauner v to be used o festival days, and also to Miss Hermor : ■:£. ■ ':' the Sunday; school ; there was tin earrtes =; working along under th -;• >i £upsrfnt&hdsin cy ■of Mr Dyer, in connec ; i ' wtojeiiVa most interesting Bibl » reading was}held; weekly at the Parson ; as& where lbe glad to welcomi : to\attend» Through th ; -eftofts :. : ;bf^u);;few ; '.;ladjeis:'ibhe church hat ;'■ ■ Ibeen painted*and : '^eaijmpro.yements* ef ;fect^;tof-tfie : ''pars6na^e^.' He was glad tc •see'Mr Wheeler^ from Halcombe, amongs: : ; theuQi:at wMch^a&B : 'the congregation! were exceedingly :?gopd,^and= through th< efifprts of the ladies that town th< •church and- g^punSs^;had been greatlj improved. ;At Ki\^isea^ tli6 new church i and^ Mr Lev^tthad col a sum oosf s for^the internal fittings, of the church;- , A; weekly service waß^held^ at' '^AWa^iuri^ ;the ; valued laj areaderi Mr : ; Hiwelli.S'hb had been away, Was-expi'cted'b'ack in a ehorttime. During'the past year there had been 53 baptismßj .•' 5 marriages, 6;: burials, and 537 communicants. (It had been dimly by thia yejstry;thlatithei only way tc L heire';ivras to get rid of the debt which hung like) a mill-ston« round their neckW .' He'ineanto to 'do^ his best to get •clear of it. - :His intention^ was to open an account at the bank and ask the co-opera-tion of Mr Bray, and also to ask the peoJ|l«^\wh^t they would and Would take i any sum from la to The <debt was and: the money paid as inieresti on this amount ought "to be avail - «ble :foi J cht^chV purposes. He thiought'if they would all pull together, ; with txod's;. blessing they could wipe it off. Oh the motibn of Mr Nicholas a hearty ■rote of thanks was accorded to the vestry for their past" services Mr, Bray-;proppßed a hearty vote of thanks," whicn- was carried unanimously, to the organist, Miss Goodbehere, and her assistants, Miss H. Goodbehere and Miss Knowleß j and also to the choirmaster, Mr W. D. Nicholas, to whose regular attendance Mr Hermon paid a well-de-served tribute. ■■\-:'--: :: '3fili^Eji;;.(Grppdbehere received a vote of thanks for his services as auditor. Mr-H-rybittle moved a vote of thanks "to Mr S. Goodbehere' for the careful and manner in which he had kept -.the accounts. — Carried unanimously. Toy Mr^ Hermon. as chairman, and. Mr "Dyer; as superihtendant of the school, votes of thanks were accorded. Mr- Hermon spoke of' his indebtedness those geßtlemen who acted as lay read:«rs, and whose assistance was so regular _.«hd ;Jselpfnl. -. The i meeting closed by the Rev. Mr Sermon pronouncing the, benediction.