Holy Trinity Church.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 15, 16 July 1887, Page 2

Holy Trinity Church.

ANNUAL REPORT. Tub following is the annthl report of this Vestry of Holy Ttinity Churob; adopted St the meeting last night r For the past year ending 80th June, 1886, the offertories received amounted to £260 2s 3d ; for the year ending 80th June, 1886, £252 16s 53; and for the year ending June 80th, 1887, £282 16s lOd. The country offertories included in the amount for the year just closed were £lB 6s 43. The parish, by special offertories during the year hat contributed £lB 17s 6d to the hospital i £2 6s 4d to the 3.P.G. and OMS.; and £8 Ji Id to the Diocesan Fundi Pew refits hticq fallen off, £172 2s being received for the year ending 80th June, 1887, as against £lBB 0s 2d collected in 1886. In 1885, however, new rents received were £l4O 14s Bd. The year’s services may fairly be said to have been paid out of the normal revenue of the parish, exclusive of special efforts, for although £45 6a was received from the Hapara Fell and £8 IBs by a concert, yet past liabilities to the amount of £4O 8s 6d have been paid off, and we carry into next year no liability except permanent loan, in which we include the sum of £135 for purchase of section adjoining the church, referred to below. The painting of the church externally and the re-varnishing of the seats will require the attention of the vestry during the ensuing year. Is alluded to above it was found desirable to purchase section No. 157 fronting Grey street, which section immediately ad ; joins the east end of the church, for the sum of £135. The Rev. Samuel Williams added to the favours already so liberally extended to this parish by enabling this purchase to bo made : and it is thought that if the ground should hereafter prove not to be required for school or church purposes, it can be sold without loss, and under conditions which would guard against its occupancy being the cause of interuptions to the conduct of services In the church, We should remind you that from time to - time we have received substantial offers of assistance from the Bev, 8. Williams, so soon as the parishioners can see better their way to build a Sunday school and church rooms These offers should, we feel be taken advantage of at the earliest moment that the reduction of the Church debt will justify the expenditure. What gives more confidence in the future is the large stop taken in the reduction of standing debt. The ladies fund has prospered in their hands. £B5O has been paid off the debt of the church, the sum of £5O has also been paid off the debt on thajpa socage. The D.oosan fund deserves the most liberal support from churchmen for it is the fund which is the source of supply and aid to the unsettled portions of the diocese of Waiapu. The Bishop has repeatedly appealed for regular subscriptions and offertories, and we heartily beg to remind you of hie appeals, and to commend this fund as a fitting object for your support, inasmuch as you yourselves have largely benefitted by the assistance of others. Pew rents are still a constant cause of annoyance to parishioners and to your vestry, while it is even feared by some that the system of paid seats deters many persons from attending the church. We can all agree that pew rents should be abolished, provided that some right of appropriation be allowed to regular attendants up to time of commencement of voluntary and provided that funds can be obtained to maintain the church from sources which are not inconsistent with our Christian profession. Some of your outgoing Vestry are prepared to go further, and desire to urge upon you that the experiment of free seats should be made at once. The sum of at least £175 would be required to make up the deficiency, assuming offertories not to increase. It is not suggested as desirable that such annual deficiency should be made up by entertainments, bazaars, or special efforts of that kind. We commend to your consideration that should you decide to adopt free sittings it would be appropriate that the annual deficiency should be made up by subscriptions given by the parishioners according to the means wherewith God has prospered them, There is ample room in our building for regular attendants, and we must we think agree that it would be very desirable that our Church should be free so that whosoever will may come in and worship the one God and Father of us all.