St John's Church.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 16, 18 July 1896, Page 2

St John's Church.

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS. The Annual Meeting of parishioners in the Feilding parochial district was held in Miss Goodbehere's school room yesterday afternoon. Present— The Rev lunes Jones (in the chair), Messrs S. Goodbehere, H. L. Sherwill, H. G. Wilson, G. Wheeler, W. F. Jacob, A. Diamond, J. Andrew, F. Clapham, J. H. Fry, H. B. Dyer. E. G. Wilsan, and Mesdames Jones and Nicholas. The minutes of the previous an* nual meeting were read and confirmed. The churchwarden's account of receipts and expenditure was read showing the receipts to have been £318, 9s 9d. The liabilities are set down as £87 9s lOd ; and the assets as £11 4s lOd cash in hand, contributions due .£3l 5s f and estimate of subscriptions and seat rents due and receivable £45 ; total, £87 9s lOd. In their report the vestry regretted that there was a grert falling off in the amount of Offertories, Subscriptions and Seat Rents collected during the past financial year, as compared with similar sources of revenue collected during the financial year 1894-95. Those during the year 1894-95 were :— Offer lories, LIOB Os 7J ; subscriptions, L 9 9s ; and seat rents, LlB 6s 6d ; total, L 207 19a Id ! whilst those for the present year are— Offertories, LB7 13s 8d ; subscriptions, L57 10s 6d ; and seat rents, Ll3 12a 6d ; total, Ll5B 16s 8d ; being a difference of L59 23 sd. As a sat-off against the deficiency in the Feilding receipts there was an increase of about L 35 in the Sunwav and Colyton contributions. The special offertories collected during the year, and not included in the Churchwarden's general account, amount to L2O 14s 4d, which has been duly accounted for by the Vicar. The desirability for the appointment of an assistant curate rsferred to in last year's report, and attempted unsuccessfully to be carried out, may now be con* eidered an accomplished fact, at least as soon as a suitable person can be found to undertake the duty. The outlying districts have been canvassed for contributions towards ibe requisite stipend of Ll5O, which has resulted in promises from— Birmingham, LSO per annum ; Pemberton, L3O Apiti, L2O ; arid Waituna, L 1 0; and the balance is looked for from the present parochial District. An addition was made to the Vicarage, at a cost of LBB 10s, which was kindly raised by the efforts of the ladies of the Makino and Kiwitea districts, and supplemented by the ladies of St. John's Sewing Bee. Resolved on the motion of Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Fry, That the report and balance sheet be adopted. The following officers were elected : — Curate's churchwarden, Mr H. L. Sherwill ; people's churchwarden, Mr W. G. Haybittle ; vestrymen, Messrs G. Wheeler, W. F. Jacob, H. B. Dyer, S. Goodbehere, J. Andrew, A. Diamond and F. Clapham. The above were all retiring officers. Mr Blundell was appointed auditor. ' Mr S. Goodbehere raised the question as to the advisability of appointing a paid collector to get in the subscriptions in view of the difficulty experienced in their collection. Mr H C. Wilson thought it was incredible and seemed a disgrace to have to send a collector around to collect church monies the same as for any secular matter. It seemed improper to take such a step where they were going for their love of the cause, and he suggested sending around circulars. Mr Goodbehere replied that circulars were tried but had no effect. The Rev Innes Jones said it seemed a pity to appoint a paid collector, but great difficulty was experienced in collecting subscriptions, and very often people seemed to think the church account should be paid last. About £80 was still due although the persons promising it had been asked. If they could get a suitable person such as a churchwarden to go round he would be in favor of doing it. People shouldn't be required to be worried before they paid up. The matter then dropped. Mr H. C Wilson thought it might be as well to start collecting the additional subscriptions promised towards the stipend of the new curate (whom they expected) at the end of the next half year. Mr Wheeler suggested . that as the year started on July Ist, they might ask for the increased subscriptions after the quarter ending September 30th, the new curate being expected to arrive in Wellington in August. The Rev Innes Jones said he had received a letter from the Bishop stating that a curate, who had been in holy orders for five years, was expected in Wellington, from York, in August, and there .was a prospect and probability of his being sent to this district. In that case it would be necessary for the present parochial district to provide £40 a year, in addition to making up the deficiency of £20 in subscriptions, and some strenuous efforts would have to be made to meet requirements. He understood the Ongo- Apiti district would be merged into this district although the curate's time would be devoted almost wholly to the new district. Resolved, on the motion of Mr Jacob, That on the appointment of a curate those districts and subscribers who have promised increased subscriptions be re* quested to date said increase from July Ist. In his review of the past year, the Rev Innes Jones regretted the demise of the late Mr J. R. Black, who was a prominent and useful member, who was much missed. At the last annnal meeting it was proposed to hold a church conference. This was successfully carried out. It was after this confer* encc that Messrs Jacob and Wheeler framed a scheme for the appointment of a curate for the new districts. He had inaugurated monthly services at Birmingham, which were largely attended. A site was purchased there for £25 on which it was intended to erect a church. At Apiti Mr Johnston gave half an acre for a church and would sell another half acre if required for £5. At Pemberton promise of support bad been made towards the curate's f u nd. They were about to erect a chancel in St Agnes' Church, Kiwitea, where the attendances were large. At Coly* ton the congregation was very large, and they had let a contract (at £242) to build a church to seat one hundred persons. £170 was in hand and the balance would be raised by loan. They had, also, collected £12 for an organ for the church, and Miss Lewis had promised various articles, while Mr H. Jacob had promised to give a sum of £10 for something in memory of his lata wife. Financially there was a falling off but the congregation was large and it seemed that the more civilised they became the smaller the coins seemed to be. He thought they might keop in view the matter of shifting the church to a more central site in the town. In conclusion he thanked all church workers throughout the district for their assistance. A vote of thanks was accorded to Miss Goodbehere for the use of the room and the chairman, and the beuedicfciou brought the meeting to a c.ln^a