ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1814, 16 April 1918, Page 3

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH.

VICAR’S ANNUAL REPORT

The following report was read by the vicar at the annual meeting of parishioners held last Friday night:

I have pleasure in presenting my fourth annual report, and, in the beginning, I thank you for another year of kindly feeling, and also for your Easter Offerings and the kindliness of which they witness, and further for the war bonus voted to me by the vestry. lam glad to say that on Easter Day, though at once I thought the weather was going to be stormy, we had delightfully bright services, well attended, and nine more communicants than last year. In a survey of the past year there is nothing out of the ordinary to report. It has been a year unmarked by any special event. But our chief note ought to be one of thankfulness, because while living in such strenuous times, with so many calls upon our resources, so many claims to meet in connection with our gallanet heroes, we have had such a succeessful year financially. Our offertories were: General £ll9 10s lid, which is £8 more than last year; and special £l4 8s 3d, which is £lB more than last year. The special efforts brought in the handsome amount of £209 18s Id, which is made up principally by the annual sale of work £l6B 3s lid, and the amount of £37 10s collected by Mrs A. S. Easton instead of holding the children’s ball. The chief credit for this strong financial position is due to the work of the Ladies’ Guild, under the leadership of Mrs A, S. Easton. I should not like to contemplate the financial aspect of the parish apart from the assistance rendered by the Guild, and I think we ought to place on record our hearty appreciation of all they have done. I am not going; further into the matter of finance, as Mr Kellow is going to present the financial statement, but I should like to thank Mr Kellow for all Hie time and expense he has devoted to the work, especially, with regard 1o the freewill offering scheme, and to say how much I regret, not for his sake only, but also for ours, that that scheme has not been the success we anticipated. That is due I think, to the fact that our people as a whole have not grasped the benefits of it.

SUNDAY SCHOOL AND COUNTRY WORK. In my last report I lamented the fact of the poor staffing' of our Sunday school, that wo had only ono lady teacher, and consequently I had abandoned the country services. The position is just the same today. Not only is this condition detrimental to the welfare of our school, but also the country people are robbed of their services and our finances suffer through the loss of offertories from these places, it is to be deplored, but until the need is recognised and workers are led to volunteer for the work both (he school and the church must suffer. We could have a very successful school if we had the teachers. If men and women would sacrifice themselves for the sake of the children. So I appeal for your interest on their behalf. If you present feel you cannot help, will you try and get helpers? We have an average attendance of 35. It is a glorious opportunity. A chief need of a church is for its members to be enthusiastic; to be that all departments of the church’s activities flourish; to be keep ourselves, and to try and make others keen. We forget so often that we all have a responsibility. The success of a movement is not the success of one only, but of all. Likewise failure is the failure of all. Our chief need is to be developing the talent we possess; to be pulling in time and tune with all our strength at our oar. So, as members of a congregation, wo need enthusiasm, keenness to ensure success in our generation. The question for each one is not how little I can do, but how much can I do? Can I help in the choir, Sunday school, Guild, or in any way possible? I venture to say life is incomplete unless we are doing something for the redemption of the world; and no success we may attain can bring equal joy with the joy that comes from the success of building up God’s Kingdom. So I ask you to strive more earnestly to prayer and almsgiving to build up God’s Church, THE CHOIR. We owe a deep debt to the faithfulness of our members for their work in this sphere. They <l° wonderfully, find opr services avg well and reverently rendered. Here, too, we can do with more help. We all know how delightful a service is when the singing is good and bright. Half-a-dozen new members* especially one or two male singers, would be a great help. Mr Betty is invaluable; he still continues faithfully ut his post, and we are under a: great obligation to him. ° THE VESTRY. I thank both the churchwardens and all the members of the vestry for their services. We have not been called upon to decide any momentous questiojns this year, but it is good to know that if the need should arise we have a body of men prepared to meet it. THE FRANCHISE. An important question has to be submitted to this meeting for an expression of opinion. Our present franchise is restricted to pen only; a declaration of membership of the Church of England, with a residential qualification of two months, being nil that is demanded. The proposal is io do away with the deelaratiofl of nggjjecship, whjie still lifir

stricting the right to vote to men only, and with one month’s residence, The chief point; of the proposed alteration is that each voter shall he a communicant; but it does not go on to define a communicant, that is, whether the voter shall he a regular communicant;, or whether he communicates two or three times a year, or whether in some distant past he has. made his Communion. Personally, I’t'oel that if any alteration is made the word person should be substituted for the word man. This would extend the right to vote to women,. I need not emphasise this point, because at our last meeting.. iVc carried a motion in favour of women’s franchise, and I think we.arc in favour of that now. But the question of whether every voter should be ' a communicant is a different matter. It is possibly the ideal —but are we ready to accept the ideal as our working basis ? Let us grow to the ideal, and as we grow, lay a firm foundation. I should favour the continuance of the present system, with the alteration I have mentioned—that is, to extend the franchise so that it includes women. THE WAR still drags on its weary way, demanding most precious sacrifices, and the cry goes up from many souls, “How long, 0 Lord, how long?” We . would welcome an early cessation of strife —the coming of an abiding peace. Yet I think that none of us would be content unless those ideals for which the war is being waged became accomplished facts. We want peace, but we desire more —the restoration of outraged countries, the establishment among nations of the virtues of liberty and righteousness. I have no intentions of delivering a war address, but a few remarks may not l)e out of plaee. War is materialism at its worst. Germany., has shown us what civilisation with a. disregard of its accompanying virtues fan beeorae. Might, unless it lie leavened with charily and brotherly feelings, must always make a bully. Do we want a world fashioned on this brutish materialism? Do we. desire to see nation competing against nation in the heaping up of' unlimited armaments, which must always lie a perpetual challenge to war? Or would we not much sooner hail the coming of the time when “(hey shall heat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against 'nation, neither shall (hey learn war any more.” I think we desire earnestly the latter. We should be glad to know that this war is the last of wars, that no future generation should witness the sights, (lie sufferings, of (he last 3.1 years. Is it possible? I think so. But only with the full and frank acceptance of the Christian religion, which stands for the true brotherhood of mankind apart from any racial or national distinctions whatsoever 1 , which teaches us to bear one another’s burdens. »Here is the sovereign remedy. How far the world has strayed from these ideals! What it mockery the talk of brotherly love hits been! Let ns strive for a fresh beginning, and the. beginning must be with the individual. I have no faith in the expectation of a mass movement. The improvement must begin with and ■develop from the individual. Our immediate concern is with ourselves, to be more prayerful, more keen, more responsive to the iullueuee of God through His Holy Spirit. In this way does lire movement for the permanent good of the many begin. Then I should like to see a restoration of religion in the home. The borne is the basis of national life, and if each home is permeated with a distinctive religious atmosphere national good must result. Family ■ prayers and Bible reading mast tic begun or ve-insiated, the children taught .about God from infancy: they should he encouraged to follow the example of Jesus Christ; they should accompany their parents to the House of God. Then, 1 think, we would usher in the reign of the Prince of Peace, the beginning 1 of a world-wide beneficicnt movement; til on we would see the coming of that wonderful vision of' the bosom friend of Jesus Christ, “the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, find He shall reign for ever and ever.” “I shall pot eease from mental strife, nor shall my sword sleep ip my hand until we havu built Jerusalem in New Zealand’s green and pleasapt lapd.” MANAWATU HERALD. I eappot plose withopt expressing our appreciation of (he kindness of the- i‘)leruhi” ip publishing our church services., and allowing us to make use of the “Herald” in other ways. ' CHURCH STATISTICS. Communions, 740 (813); wedding*, 1 (3); burials, 8 (10); baptisms, 23 (41). I trust this year may be a year of progress, and witness the victory of our allied forces.