ST. LUKE’S CHURCH.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2508, 21 April 1882, Page 3

ST. LUKE’S CHURCH.

The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Luke’s was held last evening at half-past seven o’clock in the schoolroom, Manchester street. The Rev. E. A. Lingard (incumbent) occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of ladies and gentlemen. The Chairman made a short statement m laying the annual accounts on the table. On the whole they had a very prosperous year. Of course, like all other parishes, they had felt the opening of the Cathedral, and the offertories were £l3O less than in the previous year. It must be remembered, however, that the previous year was an exceptionally prosperous one. He did not intend to make any complaint about members of the Church going to the Cathedral. If services there were more suitable to their feelings than those of St. Luke’s, or they thought they got greater good let them go by all means. But he could not help saying that, with the exception of one or two parishioners, these who had gone away to the Cathedral seemed to have entirely ignored the claims which the parish had upon them. With regard to the day school he regretted that he could not speak very hopefully, and the year had ended with the death of the master, under whose superintendence, although not self-supporting, it bad been making progress. Ho had received a letter from Mr Ohas. Blakiston, objecting to the proposed division of the parish and the erection of Bt Ma Skews into a parochial district. Mr A. F. N. Blakiston (churchwarden) read the following report: —“The churchwardens, in submitting to the parishioners the annual statement of accounts for the past year, regret that they are unable to show a better financial result, the balance of liabilities *;ninst the parish being now £230 more than it was at last Easter, The offertories for St. Luke’s, as will be seen, are less this year by about £135. This is without doubt mainly due to the opening of the Cathedral, as from that time there was a considerable falling off In the attendance and consequent diminution iu the offertories, this being also the case with the other parish churches. Whether in the face of this falling off it would not be reasonable either to supplement the funds of the town parishes by additional grants from the 'Church Property Trust Estate, or to relieve them to a certain extent from the obligation of contributing to the general stipend fund, is a matter which the vestry would press upon the serioua consideration of those in authority. The chief item of expenditure during the year has been the enlargement ot St. Matthew’s church, an undertaking which not so far resulted in materially increasing the offertories as had been anticipated by its promoters. Bat it will be noticeable that whereas St. Luke’s (fijrtories liata decreased, those of St. Matthew’s show a slight increase upon those of last year ; and it is due to the St. Matthew’s portion of the parish to state that a considerable amount has been contributed by it to the funds of the parish from various sources outside the collections in the church. A heavy item in the expenditure is the interest upon loans and the provision for sinking fund. In view of the heavv liabilities which devolve upon the parish, the Vestry have seriously taken into their consideration the absolute necessity that exists for very considerable retrenchment in the current expenditure, and they have taken preliminary steps in that direction, which it will be for their successors in office to carry out or not as they think fit. The churchwardens have been careful to pay off all outstanding accounts, so that the indebtedness may be clearly seen." Mr Adams asked if it would not be possible to improve the musical portion of the church service. He would move —“ That the musical portiom of the service is unsatisfactory," Mr Samuels seconded the motion. The music in the church during the last twelve months had been disgraceful. Mr Rose said great allowance should be made for the choir, inasmuch as many of the best voices had gone to the Cathedral. Mr Crooks supported the resolution, and urged that the music should be made plainer and so arranged that the congregation could take part in it. At present there were too many changes. Mr Cliff thought that in justice to the organist it should be mentioned that the incumbent was responsible for the tunes adopted. In his opinion it would be an improvement if ladies were to join the choir. A parishioner said that the falling off in the offertories during the past year was due to the inferiority of the music. Mr G. Mclntyre said that most of the parishioners would perhaps agree that the singing was capable of improvement, but he thought the resolution was rather bald, and an it implied a censure he would suggest the adop'ion of the following motion instead : “ That in the opinion of this meeting the psalter and hymnal should be more closely adhered to with a viaw to making the musical portion of the service more satisfactory.” Mr Adams withdrew his motion in favor of that suggested by Mr Mclntyre. The Chairman said that, as clergyman, he had entire control over the musical portion of the service, with the exception of the voluntaries, and, therefore, the original motion was a censure upon him. He was very much astonished at some of the remarks which had been made, and thought the word “ disgraceful ” was not a proper one to apply to the music adopted in the church. More people joined in the singing than was the case in other ohm ehes. If members of the choir were dissatisfied with the music, he was surprised that they had not told him so, and this was the first time he had heard any complaint. For the last fifteen years the people of St. Luke’s had warned him that if ha introdue d choral services ho would lose three-fourths of the congregation. With regard to the suggestion that ladies should be introduced into the choir he could not agree to such a proposal. If the resolution which had been proposed were carried, he would look upon it, as the voico of the parish, and would seriously consider what should be done in order to meet the views of the parishioners. The motion was then put and carried. Mr Mclntyre moved—“Thatin the event of its being satisfactorily shown that the amount collected for the Tararua relief fund is not required for that purpose, the churchwardens bo requested to pay it over to the incumbent in aid of the sick and needy fund.” The motion was seconded and agreed to. Mr Mclntyre moved —“ That the incoming vest y be requested to co-operate with the vof try of St. Mary’s, Morivale, with a view to the formation of a now parish or parochial district.” The motion was seconded, and, after some discussion, was put and carried. The meeting then proceeded to the election of officers. Major Bamfield was appointed parishioners’ churchwarden, and Mr Maskew incumbent’s churchwarden. The following gentlemen were elected vestrymen : Messrs Mclntyre, Crooks, Wright, A. Blakiston, Stewart, Rose, Innes, Knapman, Strange and F. Baker.

The Chairman said it would be necessary to appoint a committee to menage the day school.

Mr Gordon moved— •* That, owing the present fi ianc : al position of the r ar ' s h -it is undesirable to re-open the parochial day school." The motion was seconded and carried after a slight discussion. A vote of thanks was passed to those gentlemen who had given their support to -ho day school. Votes of thanks were also pasßfd to the choir, to the organist of St. Ituthew’e. to the r'undsy school teachers, to the retiring vestrymen and churchwardens, and to the ladies who had undertaken church * k rk curing the year.

A v< te of thanks to the chair concluded the proc odiums.