SYDENHAM WESLEYAN CHURCH.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1605, 12 April 1879, Page 3

SYDENHAM WESLEYAN CHURCH.

The annual soiree of this church was held last evening in the Colombo road schoolroom. There was a largo attendance, not less than 800 persons sitting down to tea. The tables were provided by the ladies of the congregation, After tea an adjournment was made to the church, where the public meeting was held. The pastor of the church, the Rev. J. 8. Smalley, presided. The church was densely packed. The proceedings commenced with Saukey’s well-kuown hymn, “Hold the fort,” after which the Rev. W. Morley offered prayer. The Rev, Chairman next gave an account of the year’s work. From this it appeared that during the past year of its existence the total receipts for the trust account had been £2781 5s 6d, and the disbursements £2762 2s 9d, leaving a balance in the hands of the treasurer of £l9 2s 9d. This included the building fund and a loan of £SOO, which is on easy interest for a term of years. The quarter bd, account showed receipts to bo £571 2s 6d, and disbursements £562 10s 9d, leaving a balance in favour of the stewards of £8 12s 9d. The pastoral work showed that the number of members at the beginning of the year was as follows : —Full members, 71 ; on trial, 11 ; communicants, 11. The numbers now were —Full members, 113 ; on trial, 31 ; communicants, 78; being a net increase during the year of 42 full members, 20 on trial, and 67 communicants, making a total increase to the communion of the church of 129. The Chairman then proceeded to state the work before the church for the yeajq the chief item of which was the raising of £SOO to pay off the cost of the new galleries of the church which were in course of erection. A special appeal was made by the Chairman on behalf of this object. Addresses were delivered by the Hon. Wm. Fox, Revs. R. S. Brown, J, White, andJ. Luxford.

During the evening a number of promises to contribute towards the reduction of the debt of £SOO, were handed up, together with cash. The total receipts of the evening, including the services on last Sunday, wore £360. It ia anticipated that the balance of the £SOO will bo raised by the sale of work by the ladies of the congregation. During the evening the choir of the church, under the leadership of Mr George Daltry, sung some anthems very creditably. The proceedings terminated by the chairman pronouncing the Benediction.